While attending the PRO meeting in Chicago last month, I was lucky enough to sit in on a presentation by new PMA executive director Georgia McCabe and president Gaby Mullinax. They were talking about engaging with Generation Y.
Members of Gen Y, also known as Millennials, were born between 1980 and 2000, and they now possess an incredible amount of buying power. They’ve left Gen X in the dust and are certainly marching to their own beat.
While the hour was filled with much wisdom, what this Baby Boomer took away was something quite simple. Millennials are different. They are different as employees and they are different as consumers. They look for instant gratification. They have a positive outlook, but they also feel very busy and stressed out. Technology is part of their being, and they’re smart and educated about the products they’re looking to buy.
I pass this on to those who missed it, because we have to continue to look at our businesses, and our customers, and adapt to them, rather than the other way around. It’s easy to think that customers are all alike, and that our wisdom and knowledge will win them over every time. The more we can embrace the fact that what motivates us might not motivate them, the sooner we can adjust our selling and advertising strategies to win the next generation of customers.
For most of the country, spring is finally upon us. Enjoy the sunshine.
