• by Karl Greenberg , October 13, 2014

What's the latest buzzword for Millennials? How about “cultural diplomats?” That's from the first-ever global “Cassandra Report” from global brand strategy firm Noise|The Intelligence Group. The study says that despite this demographic category's differences, they share attitudes about commerce, brand preferences and life goals regardless of where they are in the world (we are not counting Millennials currently at war, one assumes.)

The study argues that Millennials as a world demographic — the firm calls them "Global Y's," representing about half the population of the Earth — are spreading a cultural consumerist (versus political) gospel.

Based on an online survey among 18- to-34-year-olds, in 10 countries — Brazil, China, Germany, India, Italy, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. — the study tapped 3,044 respondents, about 300 per country in July and August. All were required to be smartphone owners and active on at least one social networking site. 

When respondents were asked how to describe their generation, the prevailing answer was “globally connected.” Seventy percent said the world has become smaller because of technology. Eighty percent said the Web helps them feel more connected to people in other countries. 

And about 70% said they use social media as a source of news on current affairs around the world. And about three-quarters of Global Ys say that traveling the world is an important life goal. Thirty-eight percent said they prefer to communicate with pictures instead of words, via social platforms like Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat and Line.

Said Jamie Gutfreund, CMO of Noise|The Intelligence Group: “This digitally networked demographic stands to alter or disrupt every sector, from travel and retail to food and entertainment.”

Millennials say purchases are a means to happiness, connectedness, eco-consciousness and self-improvement. They value the brands and technologies that help them do so. Per the report, global Millennials are three times as likely to wear socially conscious brands over luxury brands and 40% of them are willing to pay more for products/brands that are eco-friendly, especially in China (65%) and India (60%). And more than half said it's important that brands are transparent about how they do business.

It's no surprise why Pharrell's "Happy" song was such a global hit: In terms of how they define success, Global Gen Y's said it's about how happy they are, rather than how much they love their job or the amount of money they have. The study notes that this is a big shift from the past. And 86% said they would rather have health over wealth. But they aren't all that optimistic about that happening. Only one-third think they will be better off than their parents — this number drops below 25% in Western Europe.

"Group of young people from around the world" photo from Shutterstock.