Marketers who focus on Millennials\' cultural openness to the exclusion of their cultural attachment run the risk of under-resonating with these consumers by speaking to only half of their orientation towards ethnicity and cultural identity.

1. The myth of a unique youth culture
August 2, 2011
The Millennial generation (consumers aged 16-32) is characterized by both its ethnic diversity and its
openness to the influences of other cultures and ethnicities. Because of this, many marketers are under the
impression that Millennials have developed a sort of hybrid culture that represents an amalgamation of
Hispanic, African American, Non-Hispanic White and Asian influences. According to this point of view,
Millennials can be marketed to as a cohort with relatively little attention needing to be paid to their individual
ethnic heritages. This conception of Millennials neglects the fact that they retain high levels of attachment to
their birth cultures, particularly the Hispanics, Asians and African Americans.
Marketers who focus on Millennials’ cultural openness to the exclusion of their cultural attachment run the
risk of under-resonating with these consumers by speaking to only half of their orientation towards ethnicity
and cultural identity.
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2. The myth of a unique youth culture
What the Data Say: What it Means in the Marketplace: Monetizing the Insight:
 Millennials are the most ethnically diverse  Even today, many young people who spend  Most ethnic Millennials maintain strong ties
generation in US history. In fact, the US their days with others from multiple ethnic to their cultural heritage, while at the same
Census estimates that ethnic children will groups return home each night to a single- time appreciating and valuing elements and
compose the majority of children under the ethnicity household and the enculturation influences from many different cultures. This
age of 18 by 2019, four years earlier than processes focused on that one ethnicity. Thus makes them a challenging target for
previously projected. their underlying ethnicity cannot simply be marketing that has distinct cultural elements,
 Millennials are also very culturally open, ignored by marketers. This is especially so as there will be times when they will be more
meaning that they experience the historic among Hispanics, African Americans and receptive to targeted ethnic marketing and
boundaries between ethnic and racial groups Asians. other times when a more inclusive approach
as highly porous and easily crossed. This  Young people today, for the most part, have will work best. Navigating this challenge
allows them to navigate without self- not formed their own hybrid culture that requires that marketers gain an
consciousness or social constraint within and represents an amalgamation of multiple understanding of what types of situations or
across different cultural groups, thereby cultural influences. Rather, most Millennials products are more likely to activate one
absorbing influences from ethnic groups are multicultural in the truest sense of the cultural orientation over another.
other than their own. word, meaning that they have access to, and  A unique opportunity among multicultural
 What is often overlooked by marketers who can exhibit, more than one distinct cultural Millennials is positioning your product or
focus on the cultural openness of this sensibility. brand around the ability to transition
generation is that many of them also remain alongside these consumers from one cultural
highly attached to their cultural heritage and context to another. “Servicing the switch” is
traditions. This attachment is evinced by an under-exploited marketing opportunity.
Millennials manifesting attitudinal diversity
rooted in the sensibilities of their various
cultural heritages.
Want Some Help? Contact your MONITOR consulting team representative if you have any
questions about how your brand or category should be responding to the incredibly diverse
Millennials generation.
© The Futures Company 2011 2 ‫׀‬

3. Increasing diversity by generation
Non-Hispanic White African American Hispanic Other
90%
87%
80%
70%
60%
57%
50%
40%
30%
20% 21%
6% 14%
10% 6% 9%
0% 1%
Matures Boomers Xers Millennials
Source: 2011 Yankelovich MONITOR
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4. Millennials are very culturally open
Most 14%
Culturally Open 19%
25% 27%
17%
Cultural 23%
Openness Scale
Stage 5
25%
23% 30%
Stage 4
Stage 3
21%
Stage 2 25%
25% 21%
Stage 1
23%
Least 17%
Culturally Open 15%
22%
14%
9% 7%
Matures Boomers Xers Millennials
Source: 2011 Yankelovich MONITOR
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5. However, African American and Hispanic Millennials
remain very attached to their own culture
African-American Hispanic
Millennials Millennials
Being part of the African American/Hispanic
81% community is extremely important to me 80%
I would like to participate in more activities that
85% celebrate my culture and heritage 76%
I feel closer to people who have the same nationality,
58% ethnic or religious background as my own 64%
Even though I have friends whose ethnicity/race
63% differs from my own, most of my closet friends are of
my own ethnicity/race
66%
48% I would prefer that my children choose African
Americans/Hispanics as their role model 52%
Source: 2011 Multicultural MONITOR
Agree/Strongly Agree on a 4-pt. scale
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6. Despite this cultural openness, different attitudes and
values that impact their marketplace decisions remain
The Futures Company has identified several macro trends that illustrate the key differences between
ethnic consumers and the general market. Even among Millennials, these distinctions persist.
I have a very unique
Identity Expression sense of style* 74% 64% 52%
I trust God or fate to take care
Centrality of Spirituality of things** 55% 52% 36%
Sign of success and
Personal Empowerment accomplishment: Owning your
own business
48% 43% 24%
I make many personal sacrifices
Community Sensibility for the good of my family** 51% 50% 38%
Source: 2011 Multicultural MONITOR
*Agree/Strongly Agree on a 4-pt. scale
**8-10 on a 0-10 scale where 10 is “describes me completely” and 0 is “does not describe me at all”
© The Futures Company 2011 6 ‫׀‬ As a MONITOR Minute subscriber, you have our permission to repurpose the intellectual property contained in this slide within your organization. However,
we request that you properly cite all information used with the following: ©2011 The Futures Company, Yankelovich MONITOR Minute, August 02, 2011