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Class of '15: Connected, Savvy, Less Cynical

MiamiClassroom

This year's class of incoming college freshmen is more socially connected, more technologically savvy and less cynical (believe it or not) than previous classes, according to new research conducted by social media agency Mr. Youth.

"We really wanted to gain some insights into what this class looks like," Matt Britton, founder and CEO of Mr. Youth, tells Marketing Daily. "Kids who are entering college are really the head of their own households for the first time. And it's a really great time to build a relationship."

The agency surveyed 5,000 incoming freshmen to learn more about how they socialized, and interacted and about their general outlook. For the most part, the outlook of the class of 2015 has been shaped by a few major events, Britton says. The events of 9/11 and the financial crash of 2008 have shaped their outlook on safety and stability.

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"Unlike other incoming classes, this class has gone through a rough time based on their childhood," he says. "Their childhood has been nothing like the childhood of many Gen Xers. Their innocence has been stripped away."

But rather than be ultra-cynical like many Gen Xers, the Class of 2015 has an outlook that puts them in charge of their own destiny. "More than ever, this class thinks they can draw their own path in life and that they just don't have to follow one path," Britton says.

That outlook has led these freshmen to begin cultivating their own public personae much earlier than other, previous generations. Through social media, blogs and sharing sites, they're much better at establishing who they are and what they stand for. "They're really attuned to the fact that they need to build their personal brands," Britton says. "A lot of incoming freshmen realized their resume isn't going to take them anywhere. They have an opportunity to establish themselves as a brand."

Thus, the best way to reach these consumers is to become an extension of their personal brands, he says. Some 91% of these people check in publicly on Foursquare and Facebook Places (although only about a third use Foursquare), while two-thirds say they have looked up businesses where their friends have checked in.

But their definition of "friend" is also very different than previous generations. While half of the members of 2015 have more than 300 "Facebook friends," nearly three-quarters (73%) don't consider someone a friend unless they have hung out in person, Britton says.

"The word 'friend' in our culture and society has sort of been commoditized," he says. "They understand the clear distinction between who are their real friends are vs. those who are [just] in their social networks."

Meanwhile, they're also cutting the cords of traditional media for their entertainment. Most of the class of 2015, according to the survey, is not bringing televisions along with them to college, and only 13% expect to get a cable TV package. On the other hand, 89% own a laptop, which is where they're going to find most of their entertainment, Britton says.

"Your ability to interrupt them with a TV commercial just isn't going to [happen]," he says. "That doesn't mean they're not watching 'Jersey Shore'; they're just watching it in ways that don't involve traditional media."

The key, then, to reaching this demographic will be to provide something of value, whether that is something tangible (like Chegg's promise to plant a tree for every textbook rented from it) or that makes a connection (such as Vitaminwater's efforts to have people pick the next flavor).

"You want to integrate a product or service into their world that creates utility for them," Britton says. "Some brands really understand that. How can they facilitate those close personal experiences? That's more compelling than a brand trying to reach consumers [in traditional ways]."

1 comment about "Class of '15: Connected, Savvy, Less Cynical ".
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  1. Kevin Horne from Verizon, August 20, 2011 at 10:14 p.m.

    For posterity (since no one will ever read this)...

    I feel the urge to vomit:

    a) 9/11 shaped their what? whaaaaaah? they were 8-years old at the time. what?

    b) "...only 13% expect to get a cable TV package..."
    whaaahhh? i need to check out today's freshmen dorms. didnt realize they allowed kids to bring in whatever wire they wanted...i'm gonna re-enroll

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