Here is the BIMA presentation we facilitated and part presented at Social Media Week London 2014. We discussed how to engage 3 distinct youth segments through digital and social media and the state of digital skills in the UK today.

1. Youth social media &
digital engagement

2. Hello! Andrew Natalie Tiffany
BIMA Exec at Hot100 2014

3. What challenges do you have
reaching young people digitally?
Image credit: Scott Macklin: www.mcdm.uw.edu

4. How NOT to be annoying

5. Superheroes have changed

6. Three distinct categories of
digital natives*
 Generation Y (Born early 80s, Now 27-34y)
– used it more collaboratively to share thoughts and appreciate others
 Generation C (Born 88-93, Now 21-26y)
– use social media more expressively to earn respect
 Generation Z (Born after 95, Now up to 19y)
– Mechanism to pursue their own interests

7. Gen Y

8. Gen C

9. Gen Z

10. Digital Skills Crisis

11. BIMA Digital Day

16. Insights
 Best use of channel vs task
 Seamless use of physical and digital
 Appreciation for all devices
 Inherently creative
 Me, You and Us
 Keep Out
 Inherently social
 Cultural references span decades
 Brand intelligence
 Celebrity integration

17. Generation

18. At Amaze we had a simple idea…

19. Take a small group of 10 to 15 year
olds and study them for 5 years.
Not a snapshot.
Not a large, one off quantitative
study.
But a long term study in digital
ethnography.

20. The Amaze Generation are
tomorrow’s society shapers.
They are digital natives - digital is so
normal it is like the air that they
breathe.
Today’s technological change is part
of their lives – it’s unremarkable; they
adopt it and change it at will.
But how is it changing them and how
will they, in turn, change society?

21. We talk to them about…
Social, culture, relationships, consumerism, learning, etiquette,
knowledge sharing, communication, relaxation, motivation

22. Methodology
 Started winter 2010
 Following a group of twenty 10 to 15 year
olds
 Annual base level surveys for year on year
comparison
 Annual topic specific research
 Ad hoc subject specific research
 Face to face interview; Surveys/
questionnaires; Focus groups;
Observation; Targeted research

23. Research Themes
 2010 - Initial findings
 2011 - Social media and
Privacy
 2012 - Ownership and
possessions
 2013 - Attitudes towards
online shopping and social
networks

24. Insights
…clear, rational, unsympathetic view towards store closures …. little loyalty
towards traditional retailers.
“people shop online because it is more convenient” …“nobody can afford to
buy stuff that isn’t absolutely necessary.”
One participant sums up the group view: “Even though I rarely actually
bought anything from there [HMV] I enjoyed browsing.”
Facebook is still popular the
site’s popularity appears to
have reached a plateau, as
the group reveals how it is
using the site ‘a lot less’ than
12 months ago.
“there will be very minimal stores as most
shopping will be done online due to people
being lazy and thinking it’s easier to do it at
home. There will be lots of fashion stores
around and expensive designers.”
This savvy, technologically connected age
group are clear about what they want – ease
of use, convenience and choice.
…the group uses technology as an easy way to
share and decide what to buy, even when
purchasing in-store…

25. Make it happen
As an industry to learn more about young people we
need to engage more with young people.
 Links, apprenticeships, interns, placements etc.
 Opportunities for 121 interaction and research
 No one’s going to do it for you
 Call us tomorrow and go to a school on October 8th
 www.bimadday.org.uk

26. Digital Education

27. What can you do?

28. @BIMA
Thank you!