The rise of Instagram baby names, MTV’s new name for the “new generation,” shopping the holiday trends, and more trends, marketing, and news from this week you should not miss. Enjoy!
1. Millennial Parents Love Instagram Baby Names
In our Q3 trend Unique is the New Cool, we found that 72% of Millennials say if they were having a baby right now, they would name him/her something unique/rarely used…don’t miss just how those who do have babies are staying true to that sentiment. Welcome to the age of Millennial parents, and baby names that are also Instagram filters. According to Baby Center, seven Instagram filters became more popular as baby names this year. The biggest jump happened for Lux, which increased in popularity by 75%; Ludwig increased 42%, Amaro increased 26%, and Reyes increased 10%. Thank goodness Toaster is no longer an Insta filter option.
2. MTV Names the “New Generation”
Well, yet another name for the post-Millennials has entered the race. Don’t miss MTV’s headline-making announcement that the “next generation”—which they’re defining as today’s teens—are now named The Founders. The name was reportedly chosen by teens in a survey that included a list of options. Reactions have been mixed. Social media of course weighed in on the declaration, and Time got a full reaction from one 12-year-old, who writes, “I disagree with the way they describe my generation.”
3. The P.C. Bogeyman
2015 has turned into the year the “fragile college student” narrative blew up. The debate about young people’s sensitivity and pc-awareness is raging, We looked at both sides of the debate, but don’t miss a university president’s weigh in. Wesleyan president Michael Roth wrote in The Washington Post, “Does that mean I, too, see the specter of political correctness haunting college campuses across the country? No, I see political correctness as a charismatic bogeyman with strange powers to titillate liberal and conservative writers alike.” He also says that in 30 years no student has ever asked him for a trigger warning.
4. Shopping the Holiday Trends
Millennials will likely shape holiday shopping trends this year, and we got the full scoop on their holiday wishlists to see what their loved ones will be shopping for. But don’t miss another way to find the hottest holiday gifts: IBM’s Watson. The smart tool is now an app that analyses conversation across social media and review sites to provide real-time reports on the products that are trending. Users can browse the must-have items of the moment based on what everyone is talking about.
5. Google Sponsored Snapchat Channel
Even Millennials’ beloved tech brands need to use marketing magic to capture their attention…and that includes Google. The tech giant is playing on Snapchat for the holiday season, sponsoring Brit+Co’s limited-time channel. The channel will feature 14 exclusive pieces of content each day, in the theme of holiday hacks and tips, and only be available for a few weeks this month.
