Marketing

Lifeline Quote of the Day: “The lyrics that capture the mindset of my generation are: ’You're on a different road, I'm in the milky way/ You want me down on earth, but I am up in space/ You're so damn hard to please, we gotta kill this switch/ You're from the 70's, but I'm a 90's b*tch’”  -Female, 23, UT

According to a recent study, college students are more likely than workers to say it is important to make an impact through their job, and more than a third of those expect it will happen in the next five years. This could be a case of Millennials’ optimism showing, but just as likely could be indicative of the high expectations that Millennials set for themselves prior to graduation. (Huffington Post)

Teens are sharing more about themselves on social media than ever before, but managing their privacy more vigorously. 60% of teen Facebook users set their profiles to private, and 56% say it’s not difficult at all to manage privacy settings on the site. (Pew Internet)

The news that Yahoo is set to buy Tumblr (for a massive $1.1 billion) has young Tumblr marketers prepping some advice for the older online brand: be ready to de-emphasize advertising, and create inherent interesting content for users. (AdWeek)

We know that new slang can be hard to keep up with. Apparently judges and juries are looking for young lingo to be demystified, and courtrooms are increasingly turning to Urban Dictionary to decode slang. (NYTimes)

Those optimistic college students mentioned above might not want to read this. Because of student loans, one-third of Millennials say that they would have been better off working than going to college. (Forbes)

Lifeline Quote of the Day: “The lyrics that capture the mindset of my generation are: ‘So far away from knowing where I am going/ I am trying hard to find out who I am/ They all say that I don't know what I am doing/ I say they don't hardly understand/ Why can't they remember/ What I will never forget?/ How these dreams can come undone’” –Female, 23, TN

We know Millennials have grown up in an environment of extreme overprotection, leading them to become a cautious and sometimes anxious group. But trust Millennials to make a joke of it all, with this list of the ways their overprotective parents traumatized them. (Buzzfeed)

Add gum to the list of products that young consumers are buying less of. The decline in chewing gum sales in the last few years has manufacturers targeting the under 30 set with smaller cheaper packages and new flavors. (Chicago Business)

Online bullying continues to be a hot topic, and some celebs are telling their young fans to just unplug from social media, advice that might be a reflection of their audience’s own desires to have a way to occasionally disconnect from the online world. (MediaPost)

Heineken is trying their hand at augmented reality marketing for their limited edition Star bottles. This summer, the brand is launching an app that will unlock contests and sweepstakes once it is pointed at a red star on a Heineken. (Mobile Marketer)

Millennials take issue with the entitled stigma surrounding their generation, and they’re ready to tell you why in their own words. One reason? They’ll be working until they’re 75. (CNN Money)

Lifeline Quote of the Day: “’Can't Hold Us’ by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis is a song that captures the mindset of my generation right now. It encompasses a lot of the happy go-getter spirit, while touching on not getting caught up in what others think. I feel like it is the more positive side of my generation.” –Female, 24, ID

Nearly half of Americans ages 18 to 30 say that cash will not be used in the future. Google Wallet is banking on this younger demographic of spenders to boost its popularity, and introducing an integration with Gmail that allows users to make virtual payments with the click of a dollar icon. (Marketwatch)

Millennial popular image sharing site Pinterest is taking its first steps towards integrating marketing with a new kind of pin that makes it easier to click through and purchase items. The list of initial participants includes Sephora, Netflix, and Whole Foods, and if users welcome the change it could position the site as a future big player in online ad sales. (Gigaom)

45% of Millennials report that they spend an hour a day looking at shopping sites online, a number that speaks to the quickly shifting retail behaviors of the post-digital generation. However, live store shopping is not going away—it is still a huge draw as entertainment and a social experience. (Mediapost)

Facebook has made some changes to the way that users can post their status messages, adding icons and emoticons to signify activities and feelings. But true to their nature, Millennials are taking the opportunity to poke fun at the network’s revisions. (Buzzfeed)

Don’t get confused if you hear that tweens have the hottest song of the summer. No, an entire demographic of young consumers did not release a single together; Tweens is an upcoming band gaining attention for their recent release "Stay Up All Night." (Grantland)  

Lifeline Quote of the Day: “The lyrics that capture the mindset of my generation are: ‘Let's make the most of tonight like we're gonna die young.’” –Male, 24, MO

Millennials are more private than you think—they just look at privacy in a different way. Whisper is a an app growing in popularity with young users that allows them to anonymously share secrets in a safe place and to read others’ secrets as well. Public privacy, digitized. (Huffington Post)

What do Facebook and nose jobs have in common? A rise in facial plastic surgery is being partially attributed to social media after a study found a 31% rise from the previous year in surgery requests motivated by patients’ concerns about how they look on their profiles. (MediaPost)

This spoof video parodies what a brainstorm meeting at a “hip” magazine trying to start a TV channel aimed at young viewers might sound like, and includes a lot of the clichés applied to Millennials. Spoiler alert: they want everything to go viral. (Uproxx)

A YouTube video that visualizes David Foster Wallace’s commencement address “This Is Water” has gone viral, with over almost 5 million views amassed in 10 days. The speech is all about what it is really like to be an adult, and the real value of education. (Neatorama)

The creative potential of e-magazines is being tested. Wired and Cisco have collaborated on a tablet magazine called “The Collective” with editorial content crowdsourced from Wired readers and interactive pieces that use real-time data to produce entertaining content. (Adweek)

Lifeline Quote of the Day: "The lyrics that capture the mindset of my generation? ‘I wear your granddad's clothes, I look incredible.’” -Male, 21, CA

Do the brands that Millennials love really differ that much from other generations? New research on emotional attachment to brands shows some striking differences in the top ten list for Millennials versus the 50+ set. One huge difference: older generations have eight car brands in their list, while Millennials name only one. (Forbes)

Personal data tracking is a huge trend for Gen Y, and Wrangler is tapping into their interest with Wrangler Mileage, a new tracking app that encourages users to “explore the world.” After the app is installed, it quietly and continuously tracks the user’s location, producing beautiful charts of the areas and terrains that have been explored. (Popsop)

The Office is ending this week, but did you know that Dunder Mifflin will live on? The real life paper company was launched in 2011 in a reverse product-placement licensing deal between NBCU and Quill.com and has grown into a multi-million dollar company. (PR Newser)

We know that Millennials' reliance on streaming services has perhaps forever changed the music industry and rules of ownership. Google is throwing their hat into the streaming world this week with their new Google Play Music All Access service, a Spotify and Pandora competitor priced at $9.99 a month. (Chicago Tribune)

Pebble is a smartwatch startup that broke Kickstarter fundraising records last year, and is looking to change the mobile tech world with a device that lives on your wrist but pulls the information from your phone. They are growing and testing new apps to expand their capabilities, and it has been rumored that Apple, Microsoft, and Google are working on their own smartwatch designs. (The Next Web) 

Lifeline Quote of the Day: "The song lyrics that show the mindset of Millennials are: 'Tonight, we are young. And so we'll set the world on fire, and we can go brighter than the sun.’” –Female, 17, CA

The recent Abercrombie & Fitch scandal over comments by CEO Mike Jeffries that the brand only wants certain people wearing their clothes has prompted some active responses. Young writer/ filmmaker Greg Karber is giving them a public “brand readjustment” by handing A&F clothing out to the homeless in LA, and suggests that others follow suit and send pictures to #FitchTheHomeless. (The Drum)

The Internet of Things— a world where your tech-linked items communicate with each other, coordinate their activities, and think for themselves— is coming whether we like it or not. Wired is calling it the Programmable World, and maps out the path we are taking to get there. (Wired)

A Change.org petition asking Disney to undo the Disney Princess makeover given to Brave’s Merida has amassed almost 200,000 signatures. Merida was slimmed down and her bow and arrow was replaced with a low slung belt as part of her new look. (Fast Company)

We’ve told you that Millennials are less interested in driving and are getting their licenses in fewer numbers. The NYTimes reports on the trend and delves into some of the effects, from an increased need for public transport to lower revenue from gas taxes. (NYTimes)

MTV abandoned their rebellious roots, started creating family dramas like Teen Mom, and ditched glossy “reality” like The Hills to appeal to Millennial viewers who are looking for entertainment that is more authentic and true to their own experiences. (Time)

Lifeline Quote of the Day: “The song lyrics that currently capture the mindset of my generation are: ‘I was raised up believing I was somehow unique /Like a snowflake distinct among snowflakes, unique in each way you can see/ And now after some thinking, I'd say I'd rather be /A functioning cog in some great machinery serving something beyond me.’” –Female, 22, MA

Arrested Development knows what their viewers love. Yesterday in NYC the soon to be revived show set up a frozen banana stand to promote the upcoming new season on Netflix and young fans stood in lines stretching two blocks to claim their edible souvenir. (PR Newser)

YouTube’s initial list of paid subscription-only channels does not include any of some of the site's current most popular stars or any major networks. Some are saying the revenue split is a concern, and others do not want to exclude current fans from content. (TheWrap)

Millennials get a bad rap for job-hopping, but apparently test-driving multiple careers and employers early on is actually smart. Economists say that career ambitions should be approached like dating: you need to go on a lot of dates to find “the one.” (Business Insider)

Not understanding the difference between blogs, aggregators, and original content sites; staying too committed to their own branded websites—and not branching away from traditional media are just some of the ways that big brands and Boomers are misreading how to communicate to Millennials. (AdAge)

Last week Pheed, a relatively new mobile social network that has been wildly popular with teens and called “the new Twitter,” introduced paid channels that users can purchase to access exclusive content from celebrities, artists and brands. Channels range in cost from $1.99 to $34.99 a month. (Tech News Daily)

Lifeline Quote of the Day: “The song lyrics that currently capture the mindset of my generation are: ‘Only got $20 in my pocket…’ because my generation is forever broke.” –Female, 19, Virginia

The rules surrounding technology use in school are still being navigated and tested. Hundreds of students in Maryland could lose their psychology AP credits because one student took a cell phone video during the exam, though the video did not actually show the test itself. (Washington Post)

We assume that kids need constant protection, but do American parents have it all wrong? A look at parenting styles around the globe from the author of Parenting Without Borders shows that some typical parenting behaviors in the U.S. might need re-examining, and continues the trend of some new parents considering a loosened grip on their kids. (Huffington Post)

Target is unveiling a new partnership with Facebook that it hopes will seamlessly bring together retail and social networking. The site, Cartwheel, allows members to browse deals exclusive to the site and rewards them with more savings when they share discounts with friends. (MediaPost)

Spoilers are a digital age TV watching problem with a digital age potential fix. Jennie Lamere is a 17-year-old coder who is trying to save the world (via Twitter) from spoilers with her winning entry at the TVnext Hackathon: Twivo, a Google Chrome extension that will block tweets about shows for the user. (Mother Jones)

The news today is increasingly a confusing mix of reblogs, tweets, and 24-hour cycle mixups, and consumers are looking for tools to filter through the noise and find trusted sources. Churnalism is the “U.S. Tool for Journalistic Accountability” that allows you to enter a URL or article text to find out if a story is "real journalism." (Churnalism)

Lifeline Quote of the Day: “The song lyrics that currently capture the mindset of my generation are, 'You can't always get what you want / But if you try sometimes well you might find / You get what you need' by The Rolling Stones." -Female, 24, IN

In a move to continue to counter the perspective that they contribute to the obesity epidemic, Coca-Cola has vowed to reduce marketing to kids with a plan to advertise only to audiences that are no more than 35% children. (AdAge)

Yesterday we delved into the creative ways brands are playing with Vine, and today new research reveals that branded vines are 4x more likely to be shared than branded videos. Brands who want to get involved with the platform should know that weekends are the most popular time to share vines. (Unruly Media) 

Is there a generational divide within the Millennial generation itself? Politically, older Millennials may be more liberal, while younger Millennials who have grown up during the grip of the recession could be less politically active and more likely to be conservative. (Time)

Time has published a cover story on the narcissism of Millennials, calling them the Me Me Me Generation, and the rebuttals to author Joel Stein’s assertions are already rolling in. Opponents to the piece are pointing to contrasting data that shows Gen Y isn't all that selfish and pointing out that nearly every generation has been called self-involved by the media in the past. (Atlantic Wire)

Abercrombie & Fitch is facing a major backlash for statements made by CEO Mike Jeffries that the youth retailer does not produce plus-sized clothing because they “go after the cool kids.” Though the comments were made seven years ago, competitors Aeropostale and American Eagle now offer larger sizes, and experts are saying A&F could be making a big fiscal mistake with their exclusionary targeting policies. (Forbes)

Lifeline Quote of the Day: “Lesson number one: avoid wars, lesson number two: save your money, lesson number three:pursue a career that is dependable and has good benefits.” –Female, 16, CA

Remember Hipstamatic? The image filtering app that was knocked out of the spotlight by Instagram is looking to get back in the game by launching Oggl, a mobile social network aimed at more serious photographers who want to share their creativity. (Fast Company)

From multi-colored Apple logo earrings to old school branded visors, vintage Apple products and swag are popping up on ebay and being sold for big bucks. (Buzzfeed)

Jennifer Lawrence is continuing to steer clear of the Serious Faux Pas, and winning over fans by being spontaneously real on the red carpet. Her latest viral moment is a photobomb on the Met Ball red carpet, turned GIF. (Vulture)

According to a recent survey of high-school and college students, Millennial dream careers involve helping people; but also (unlike their parents) show a tendency towards wanting government agency jobs that might guarantee some stability, and an increased aversion to finance work. (CNBC)

YouTube has launched a U.S. Trends Map to show what videos are trending in what areas of the country in real time, also breaking down age and gender demographics. A remixed clip of Cleveland hero neighbor Charles Ramsey is currently trending across much of the nation. (The Daily What)

Lifeline Quote of the Day: “The post-recession lesson learned for my generation is that credit card debt is not a good idea, or any kind of debt. Spending money on things you don't need is unnecessary.” -Female, 17, IL

1.1 billion people use Facebook each month, Skype and Yahoo! Mail have nearly the same number of users, and WhatsApp is edging out Twitter. This look at where the numbers stand for what people are doing on internet and mobile reveals some surprises. (Buzzfeed)

Mother’s Day is this weekend, and Virgin’s “Make Momma Proud” spot touches on an issue that might be familiar to many Boomer moms: getting their kids off the family plan. The brand reports that 60% of young Americans ages 21-30 said they know at least one friend that’s still on their parents’ mobile plan, a trend we weighed in on in March. (YouTube)

From fully stocked bar carts to “healthy” cocktails to in-office happy hours, Millennials are increasingly aging into the mature drinking age range and forging new trends in imbibing. (Huffington Post)

The mall was a central hangout spot for Xer and older Millennial teens alike, but the American shopping mall has struggled in recent years. The traditional structure needs to adjust to changing shopping and social habits, and appeal to young consumers who are looking for experiences. (AdWeek)

Twerking, the current teen-popular dance, is now getting kids kicked out of school. A YouTube video of a group of high-schoolers in San Diego twerking in their school yard has led to the suspension of 33 students. (CNN) 

Lifeline Quote of the Day: “At some point, you have to stop thinking about what you want to do and start thinking more practically. I think students now need to realize that college is to prepare you for life, and wasting money on a useless degree because you liked that subject better just isn't financially prudent anymore.” –Female, 22, TX

Of these seven brands who have received a major BPI boost for playing on nostalgia, four used nostalgia from the ‘80s and ‘90s, the decades from which Millennials have some of their fondest memories. (AdWeek)

The U.S. still has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates among industrialized countries, and of those teens who have had sex 67% have done so without protection. DoSomething.org is trying to make teens both male and female think about consequences through their Pregnancy Text program, which turns their phones into needy babies for a day. (DoSomething.org)

We have weighed in on how an upbringing filled with anxiety has affected Millennials, and these days young Gen Ys and post-Millennials are growing up under the shadows of new terrors and ever-increased safety vigilance. This “Generation Lock Down” may be even more aware of the dangers of the modern world than their older brothers and sisters were. (WSJ)

According to Forbes, about 68% of the babies being born in the U.S. today are born to a Millennial mom, who are already proving they are going to raise their kids in their own unique way, are always digitally connected, and need to believe in what a brand is doing to become an advocate. (Forbes)

In late April, Buzzfeed renewed interest in the Twitter prank/social experiment #FollowATeen, in which participants follow a random teen on the network and report their findings via the hashtag. Now, Rookie Mag is fighting back with #FollowAnAdult, with teens tweeting findings like, “my adult likes kale and dislikes student loans.” (The Daily What)

YouTube and Twitter have all produced Millennial stars, could Vine be the next online fame factory? 23-year-old Khoa Phan is one of the users making a name for himself on the app for his stop-motion creations, two of which were nominated for awards at the Tribeca Film Fest. (Mashable)

Lifeline Quote of the Day: “My generation has learned that nothing is too big to fail.” -Female, 17, OH

Ratings systems are finally catching up with the way we watch now. Nielson has updated their products to measure online viewers through the new Digital Program Ratings, a system that while currently in beta could reveal a new hierarchy of popular shows now that young viewer habits are being taken into account. (AdWeek)

We’ve covered the growing Millennial interest in all things Space related, and this gallery of galaxy inspired DIYs showcases the variety of ways that stars and planets are inspiring young styles. (Buzzfeed)

We are still figuring out how Millennial marriages might be different from their parents', but social media dissatisfaction is certainly one marital gripe that Boomers didn’t have to contend with when most of them first wed. A recent study of 24,000 married couples found that “media multiplexity” can lead to decreasing satisfaction in marriages. (MediaPost)

YouTube is launching a paid subscription model for some of their channels in order to finance a bigger range of content, a move that could make it a possible competitor for Netflix’s original content. (Mashable)

Lifeline Quote of the Day: “The lesson my generation has learned is don't trust anything you see on a screen and a lot of things printed on paper and most of what you hear someone say.” –Female, 21, MI

Google has launched a personal assistant service Google Now, now available both on iOS and Android. The information source is made to make everyday life easier, by tracking your entire schedule, and giving suggestions on everything from when to leave for a reservation to what real estate to look at. (BlackBook)

Mountain Dew is teaching marketers a valuable lesson about doing “edgy” wrong with their very recently pulled commercial starring Odd Future. CEO of Graham Stanley Advertising emphasizes the value of “urban-savvy marketers” when trying to tap into the diverse and nuanced urban consumer base. (AdWeek)

In an effort to attract more Millennial customers, electronics retailer RadioShack is partnering with both Beats by Dre and singer Robin Thicke. The partners have developed #UWANTIT, a new TV spot showcasing Beats portable speaker “Pill” and featuring Thicke’s new single, “Blurred Lines.” (MediaPost)

Animation powerhouse Dreamworks is set to acquire the tween/teen targeted YouTube video channel AwesomenessTV. Check out our September Q&A with creator Brian Robbins to learn more about Awesomeness. (All Things D)

Boomers may finally be starting to leave the workplace, but firms may be facing issues replacing them with underdeveloped younger workers. An increase in demand for young skilled workers is being met with a Millennial work force that hasn’t had the chance to develop their skills. (FOXBusiness)

Yesterday we talked about the possible extinction of the tablet, and now the future of the PC is being questioned. As businesses shift to BYOD (bring your own device), sales for PCs are down and an increasingly mobile world could threaten their long-term existence. (Techland)

Lifeline Quote of the Day: “My generation has learned that hard work is only part of getting by in life, you need to know people and have a little luck.” –Male, 25, IL

We’ve heard over and over again that ‘90s styles are in, but why are we obsessed with the decade’s fashions? Laura Wills, owner of the vintage store Screaming Mimi’s, points to the 15-20 year trend cycle and the romanticization of the era by the kids who were too young to remember living it. (Papermag)

Facebook has lost 10 million subscribers in the last year, and though the site continues to see profits rise, the news of lost users has some wondering what would happen if the social network truly lost its relevancy, and if the future of social are less-marketing friendly private messaging and feed apps like Snapchat and Instagram. (Buzzfeed)

JCPenney’s new marketing campaign goes the Domino’s route of admitting to consumers that they have made mistakes in their reorganization of the brand and they have released an apology ad to ask for forgiveness. (Chicago Tribune)

This Millennial writer spent a year without the internet in a quest to undo the ill effects of constant digital consumption, only to come to believe that the distractions of the online world are far outweighed by the connections it allows us. (The Verge)

Lifeline Quote of the Day: “Baby Boomers screwed us over.” –Female, 22, OK

The partisan gridlock in Washington is turning some formerly enthusiastic Gen Y voters into political cynics who trust the government less than any time since Obama’s election in 2008, and who may be becoming increasingly partisan themselves. (NYTimes)

Forget about neons and ‘90s, no-frills Americana farmer style is the trendsetter look of the moment. 100-year-old farmwear label Pointer Brand has recently become popular among male style-makers in the U.S., Europe and Japan. (The Daily Beast)

The great tablet debate has begun. Blackberry CEO Thorstein Heins was ridiculed by some for his assertion this week that tablets will be extinct in five years; but others say he could be right if mobile devices merge into one big-screened gadget that can be used for everything. (The Atlantic Wire)

The body monitoring and wearable tech industry continues to evolve and grow, and this week Jawbone, maker of the Up fitness wristband, acquired rival BodyMedia for more than $100 million. The move could make the health-tracking devices growing in popularity with young consumers even more advanced. (All Things Digital)

What happens when you put together a VW and an iPhone? The iBeetle. Apple and Volkswagon are teaming up to create a tech-centric edition of the Beetle line that features and iPhone docking station, hands-free calling, and a VW app that will provide access to other entertainment. (MediaBistro)

Lifeline Quote of the Day: “I think that my generation is doing fine even with the recession, although there is some bitterness about how going to college might not be the best option since it's hard to find jobs afterwards.” -Female, 22, NC

Target became a Millennial favorite for their designer collaborations, and now the retailer is starting new partnerships. Target is beginning to sell Wired endorsed tech products, which were all chosen by the magazine’s editorial staff, attaching the cache and expertise of Wired to every item. (AdWeek)

We’ve talked about marketing to Millennial men, and this article gives one Gen Y dad’s perspective on what works for him: morally sound products, nostalgia, and brands that talk to dads like they are equal decision-makers with moms. (Dadabase)

Reports of bad behavior from Millennials on job interviews includes recent grads who have texted or taken calls while meeting with prospective employers, and it is not sitting well with older generations. (CNBC)