While the sociologists and anthropologists have classified the most recent generations as Gen X and Gen Y, with millennials being the buzzword today, there are big differences between these generations in the digital world. Thanks to the development of social media and analytics platforms, we can further divide generations into hyper-specific groups broken down by digital behavior. When we do this, we find some very powerful conclusions and trends. Chief among these discoveries is Generation C, which stands for creation, curation, connection, and community.
Google’s thinkinsights team has created an incredible report outlining Gen C and what they mean to marketers and product developers around the world. Why should marketers pay attention to Gen C?
According to the report, Gen C are much, much more likely to make purchases, and then to tell their social circles about their purchases (for good or bad). Google goes so far as to point out that Gen C are probably already your best customers, whether you are an electronics company, live events organizer, health, travel, or clothing brand. Take a look at purchasing information:
The report goes into a much deeper understanding of Gen C, from curation to creation, and why they tend to be both early adopters and influencers. But as a marketer or product developer, you probably want to know, how do I reach them?
The answer is YouTube. According to Google, “worldwide, 76% of Gen C visit YouTube weekly, and 36% visit daily.” Once there, “56% of Gen C around the world have taken action after watching ads for products or services on YouTube.” In Brazil, that number jumps to a whopping 89%. People are almost twice as likely to engage with an ad if there is the option to skip, so keep that in mind.
YouTube itself is eating away at traditional marketing channels, replacing television and substituting for radio and music services too. YouTube feeds into the Gen C mindset of creation (uploading your own videos), curation (making video playlists), connection (subscribing to channels), and community (building an audience). Plus, media campaigns that do a good job of creating funny, informative, or surprising content have the added benefit of viral reach, which can propel a campaign much further than its initial goals.
No matter how you cut the mango, YouTube is a central part of Gen C’s digital behavior. The brands that capitalize on its reach and engagement stand the most to gain.
Tony Hymes 