Recently, the Pew Research Center released information on trends about Millennials. This is the generation born from 1980 to 2000, so it includes today’s teens and twenty-somethings. According to Pew, this generation is more confident, self expressive, liberal, upbeat and open to change.  Does this sound familiar? Rewind back to the 1960’s and 1970’s. Isn’t “more confident, self expressive, liberal, upbeat and open to change” terms used to describe Baby Boomers? 

When I mentioned this to thirty and twenty somethings, I get this deer in the headlight look and a response that kind of goes, “no way”?! But then I remind them about the civil rights movement, anti-war protests, Woodstock, the moon missions, etc. and then they see it.  

Generational analysis are kind of fun. It is a social science that places distinctive characteristics on a given age group. The thing to remember, which is obvious from this most recent Pew Survey, these characteristics can change with time. It is a good idea for a small business owner to keep abreast of these changes especially in updating your marketing and advertising approaches. To review the executive summary of this report, read the full Pew Report: Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.