Targeting Generation Y And the Winthrop Student Dr. Cara Peters

Who is Gen Y?  Born:  57 Million +  Mirror birth rates of baby boomer parents  Population bulge  AKA: Echo Boomers, Millennium Generation

Who is Gen Y cont.  Largest Consumer Group in US History  $211 Billion annual income  15-24: $12,800, up 18% since 1985  Spends $172 Billion per year  Young adult segment spends $61.2 Billion  Future Market for Most Brands

Different from Previous Gens  More racially diverse  1 of 3 is not Caucasian  17% are Hispanic  1 of 4 lives in single parent household  3 of 4 have working mothers

Different cont.  Well experienced with computers  Cannot imagine life without technology  Grown up in media savvy, brand conscious world  Cynical and practical world view

Different cont.  More of this generation going directly to college  Decline in labor force participation  Median income for college grad: $42,000  Non-college grad: $26,000  Increased college debt  Average balance of Senior is $17,000  Increased credit card debt  54% have credit card  Average balance of Senior is $3200

Different cont.  More likely to own homes at age 25  33.5% of income spent on housing  Buddy-buying phenomenon  Most medicated generation ever  25% take one prescription per month  Obesity problem  54% considered overweight

Different cont.  Spend 40% of pre-tax income on personal care products  $334 per year on these products  Growth among men in this generation

Technology Presence  Video games (1980s)  Internet (1995)  Cell phones (1990s)  Digital Cameras (1990s)  DVD players (1997)  MP3 players (1998)  Tivo (1999)

Gen Y Media Preferences  Internet  Instant messaging  Blogs  Film sites like Albinoblacksheep  School resources

Gen Y Media Preferences  Hip Hop  versus Rock and Roll  Adult oriented media  SouthPark, The O. C., The Daily Show  Cult Films  Napolean Dynamite

Marketing to Gen Y  Shrug off big brands  Embrace hip newcomers  Respond to ads differently  Put messages where they congregate  Prefer ads that are funny or disarmingly direct  Arizona Jeans: Just Show Me the Jeans  Want customization

Marketing to Gen Y  Technology/Internet is medium of choice  Drives diversity  Campaigns that work are subtle, local  Street teams, grassroots  Outdoor posters, skateboard magazines  Prefer more sleek designs  Present the hip without air of commercialism

The Winthrop Student  6,600 students on campus  36 undergraduate degrees  25 graduate degrees  100 fields of study

The Winthrop Student  Student/Faculty ratio of 15:1  42 States represented  25% from York County, SC  Out of state 15.2%

The Winthrop Student  44 Countries represented  Out of country 2.1%  Female/Male ratio of 2:1  Minorities represent 35% of population

The Winthrop Student  65% have financial aid or scholarship help  63% have a car  34% live on campus