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Yahoo! and OMD study of 13-24 year olds shows interactive and wireless technology drive a generation of personalisation, changing the advertising and marketing equation

In the 1960s, it was TV and FM radio that launched a generation of youth bent on creating new forms of community and self-expression, forcing advertisers and marketers to adapt. In the 21st Century, youth growing up with an array of interactive and wireless technologies has created a similar challenge – but this time on a global scale, according to the in-depth study “Truly, Madly, Deeply Engaged: Global Youth, Media and Technology”, released today by Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO), a leading global Internet company, and OMD Worldwide, one of the world’s foremost leaders in communications.

The study of 13-24 year olds in 11 countries around the world including Australia, showed that today’s youth are highly accustomed to personalising their experiences with interactive media, creating the “My Media Generation”. That personalisation means they have very different attitudes and responses toward advertising and marketing messages from any generation before them.

Like the youth celebrated in The Who’s classic song “My Generation”, the “My Media Generation” is highly motivated by the need for community and self expression. But the Internet, mobile phones and the availability of digital music has allowed that community to go global.

What really sets today’s youth apart though, is their expectation that they can customise and personalise everything in their world and daily experiences in ways previous generations never could. From individual playlists on MP3 players, to personalised avatar wardrobes on instant messaging programs, to wallpaper and ring tones on mobile phones, the My Media Generation demands products and services that suit their moods and desires, and will actively search for, modify or create, their own tailored products and services. As one study participant puts it: “Using an Avatar, you can express your mood to other people, and what you feel at that moment.”

“We’ve moved from broadcasting to podcasting in just a short period of time,” says Brett Corrick, marketing director, Yahoo! Australia & NZ. “The My Media Generation increasingly filters the flow of advertising messages – letting in only those that are relevant, entertaining or delivering value. While that raises serious questions for marketers, it also brings the promise of new, more powerful channels for reaching youth and having them willingly and enthusiastically engage with brands.”

“A key finding from this study is that members of the My Media Generation can fit up to 44 hours of activities in just one day,” said Joe Uva, president and CEO, OMD Worldwide. “Their ability to perform up to three tasks simultaneously, using multiple technologies, allows them to potentially increase their media consumption during their average waking hours. Combine this with the demand for personalisation, and there’s a clear message for marketers on the need to personalise and possibly increase the frequency of their messages, to reach today’s youth.”

Multi-tasking and “Media Meshing”
According to the study, on average the global My Media Generation performs approximately three to four other tasks while surfing the Internet, and approximately two to three other tasks while watching television. Young people living in Australia, UK, Germany and Mexico perform the highest number of other activities while surfing the Internet.

Globally, the My Media Generation finds itself faced with more tasks than time to accomplish them, on a daily basis, and as a result has become highly adept at multi-tasking and “media meshing”.

Media meshing is a behavioural phenomenon which occurs when people begin an experience in one medium, e.g. watching television, then shift to another, such as surfing the Internet, and maybe even a third, like listening to music. The explanation for this behaviour is the constant search for complementary information, different perspectives and even emotional fulfillment.

Music, the Internet and Mobile Devices
My Media Generation’s three core needs: community, self expression and personalisation, are best met through music, the Internet and mobile devices. In each country, the Internet or mobile phone ranked highest for the most essential media to My Media Generation. In Australia, 40 per cent said they can’t live without the Internet; while 20 per cent said that they couldn’t live without TV.

As a constant presence in young people’s lives, music continues to be a critical tool for meeting the needs of community and self-expression, although with this generation music has taken on a new twist: personalisation.

• The Internet has surpassed radio as the preferred medium for music among youth in all countries. This preference is especially pronounced outside the US. In Australia 52 per cent prefer the Internet for music compared to 25 per cent that prefer the radio.
• Listening to music no longer means merely tuning-in to the radio or buying CDs. Young people create music experiences for themselves that are highly personalised. Music downloading, custom playlists and podcasting allow youth to listen to music on their own terms. And they can continuously modify their playlists to suit their mood for the day or the activities in which they are participating.

The My Media Generation doesn’t recall a time before virtually everyone had mobile phones. In Australia 92 per cent of 13-24 year olds own a mobile phone and nine per cent have a PDA with Internet.

Insights and implications
The My Media Generation is the first to fully leverage the freedoms that new technology has provided, and they are putting it into practice in all aspects of their lives. Because this age group is less set in their ways, they’ve been able to quickly and easily integrate new tools into their lifestyle. Freedom involves having fewer limits and restrictions on what they can do and when they can do it. They have an expectation that their access to people, media and information will be unfettered and always-on.

MacroTrends
“Truly, Madly, Deeply Engaged: Global Youth, Media and Technology” also provided interesting insights into the optimism of the My Media Generation. Despite increased terrorist alerts and recent natural disasters, youth are excited by what lies ahead and are optimistic and energized. Interestingly, those growing up in developing countries (India, China, Mexico) tend to have more faith in technology’s role in making their lives better.

Universally, the My Media Generation views friends, family and career to be indicators of a successful life. Western youth especially value close relationships with friends and family, and having a fulfilling career as paths to future happiness, while in Asia family is often a source of stress generating strong pressure to succeed academically.

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