8095 REFRESHED
®
The evolving role of brands for the world’s
largest and most impactful generation

Continuing the 8095 Conversation
®
Edelman 8095® is an insights group studying
the Millennial generation, born between 1980
and 1995, to understand their evolving
relationship with brands.
In 2012, we refreshed our research with a
survey of 4,000 Millennials in 11 countries.

• Millennials in 2013
• Why Millennials Matter To Marketers
• Global Trends
• 8095 – Where We’ve Been
®
• 8095 2.0
®
• New data and insights
• Implications for marketers

The Millennial Generation Goes By Many Names

Millennials in 2013
• The oldest are 33 years-old, the
youngest are 18
• Life defining moments include
the Global Recession, 9/11,
Asian Tsunami, Arab Spring,
Facebook, smart phones
• First generation that may be
worse off economically than
their parents
• Most diverse and educated
generation in history

Their World Is Smaller, More Connected
of Millennials across all 11 markets surveyed see their
country as being influential on the world stage.
*(Edelman Berland 8095 2.0 Survey 2012)

Why Millennials Matter To Marketers
BIG: The largest generation alive today
• 1.8 billion globally1 (out of 7 billion world population)
• 75% of workforce by 20252
INFLUENTIAL: Impact purchase decisions of peers & parents
• Will outpace Boomer earnings by 2018 ($2.5+ trillion spending power)3
• 74% say they influence purchase decisions of other generations4
UNIQUE: The first inherently digital generation
• Don’t know a world without the Internet or smart phones
1. (U.S. Census Bureau International Database 2012)
2. (Business and Professional Women’s Foundation 2011)
3. (Harris Interactive and Deloitte study 2011)
4. (Edelman Berland 8095 2.0 Survey 2012)

Millennials are more likely to
recommend products and start
trends…more involved in pop
culture and activities that would
compel them to try new products
and recommend them to friends.
-MINTEL, WORD OF MOUTH AND VIRAL MARKETING

Trends That 8095ers
Are Leading Today

Global Urbanization
For the first time in world history, more
people live in cities or suburbs than rural
locales1.
Implication
Millennial identities will be closely tied to
the cities they live in, and marketers need
to customize and target engagement.
1. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs/Population Division
World Urbanization Prospects: The 2011 Revision

Experiences Over Stuff
The economy is forcing Millennials to
delay purchases and demand a new
level of value from the brands they buy.
Implication
Marketers must demonstrate how their
products or services enable life
experiences and deliver value.

Rise (or fall) of the Millennial Dad
Traditional gender roles are shifting.
Six in 10 college students are female1, and
men are taking over more household and
purchasing responsibilities.
Implication
Marketers should lessen the focus on
gender and other traditional audience
segmentation. Appeal to the new blended
nature of humanity and to the audiences
influencing your target.
1. (Digest of Education Statistics, 2010)

Where We’ve Been

In 2010, Edelman launched 8095®,
an insights group founded on an
eight-country study of the
Millennial generation, born
between 1980 and 1995.
The goal? To understand their
relationship with brands, the
actions they take on behalf of
brands and how those actions
create new opportunities for
marketers.

8095 ®
The benchmark 8095® study in 2010 revealed four insights.
Brands are a partnership and form of self-expression
Information is a key to influence
Taking action on behalf of brands is a core value
There is a reverberation effect taking place online, offline and
increasingly on mobile devices

Brands are a Partnership and
Form of Self-Expression
1 in 3 look for
brands to make a
positive impact on
is the #1 personal the world.
identifier Millennials are
willing to share online.
*(Edelman Berland 8095 Survey 2010)

Information is a Key to Influence
Of Millennials consult four or
more sources of information
when making brand purchase
decisions.
*(Edelman Berland 8095 Survey 2010)

Taking Action on Behalf of
Brands is a Core Value
take action
on behalf of their trusted brands.
are brand loyal and
keep purchasing brands they like.
*(Edelman Berland 8095 Survey 2010)

Reverberation Effect Taking Place
Online, Offline And Increasingly On
Mobile Devices
Average number of text messages young
Millennials send every month1.
Weekly volume of word-of-mouth
impressions. Of which, 13.5 billion are
offline and 1.2 billion are online2.
1. The Nielsen Company, 2010
2. Keller Fay Groups TalkTrack, U.S. July 2010 – June 2011

20

®
8095 2.0
In October 2012, Edelman 8095® and
research partner Edelman Berland
surveyed 4,000 Millennials in 11 countries

A Caveat
A challenge in defining Millennials is that they are progressing
through fundamentally different life stages.
Millennials are not a monolithic bloc.
The best Millennial study is directional rather than absolute, and digs
deep into the behaviors and cultural nuances of Millennials in
individual countries.
8095 attempts to give a snapshot of commonalities that tie the
generation together.

8095 2.0 ®
The rise of realism, with a twist.
Compared to the 2010 study, we see a shift in the
ways Millennials perceive their lives and future.
While idealistic and optimistic, there is a new
measure of realism.
Millennials are growing up, and so too are their
views of success. Their aspirations are surprisingly
traditional, but coming of age in the global
recession has forced them to push back typical
stages of adulthood and has created a new breed of
entrepreneurs.
For brands to matter to Millennials, “average” is no
longer enough. A whole new level of engagement,
authenticity and purpose is necessary.

The Global Recession has Created a Mix of
Traditional and Non-Traditional Values for
Millennials, Sparking a New Type of Consumer

The economy sucks for most, and it’s
devastating to Millennials
DEFINED BY DEBT
Average $28,500 in student loans1
WEAK JOB PROSPECTS
Unemployment rates for Millennials are typically double the national average.
• In the U.S., Millennial unemployment is 12+% (7.9% is national average)2
• In Spain, Millennial unemployment is 48% (22% is national average)3
LOW NET WORTH
In the U.S., median net worth of people under 35 fell 37% between 2005 and
2010; those over 65 took only a 13% hit.4
1. (Institute of Education Science 2012)
2. (U.S. Department of Labor) 2012
3. (National Statistics Institute of Spain 2012)
4. (U.S. Census 2012)

Millennials Have a PR Problem
If you follow recent headlines,
Millennials are lazy, self-entitled, or
worse.
We believe much of the criticism is
undeserved. They are coming of
age during one of the hardest
economic and social environments
the world has seen.
They are blazing new paths and
finding a new way through life.

Despite Challenges, They Remain
Optimistic, and Their Aspirations Surprisingly
Traditional
What are your most important life goals?
*(Edelman Berland 8095 2.0 Survey 2012)

Entrepreneurial
of Millennials say that
owning their own business
is a top life goal
76% in Turkey
65% Brazil
61% China
44% US
*(Edelman Berland 8095 2.0 Global Survey 2012)

Sensible
What products or services are Millennials willing to pay a premium for?
Health-related items rule. Beauty and Apparel don’t.
0% 100%
*(Edelman Berland 8095 2.0 Global Survey 2012)

Implications for Marketers
• Millennials aren’t kids anymore. The oldest are 33, the youngest 18.
They are not the next frontier, they are the here-and-now consumer
target influencing the purchase of EVERY brand.
• Shift away from traditional segmentation. Diversity is everywhere and
gender lines are blurred. Speak to your target AND their influencers.
• Marketers need to think about how they assist the generation’s new
life goals and revised timeline of life events.
• Think about how your brand can help Millennials in other parts of
their lives.

Millennials are Alpha-Influencers

Alpha-Influencers
of Millennials think they
influence the purchase
decisions of peers and
those in other generations
*(Edelman Berland 8095 2.0 Survey 2012)

Like Daughter, like Mother
• Children have a strong influence over the
purchase decisions of items used by their
family, such as cars, food and vacations1.
• New research2 also suggests children
influence goods their parents use for
themselves, such as clothing. Many
mothers intentionally mimic their
daughters style.
1. (Mintel “Kids as Influencers” U.S. study 2010)
2. (Journal of Consumer Behavior study, 2011)

Shopping is a Social Activity
For Millennials, shopping is a social activity, and many won’t make
a purchase their friends disapprove.
of Millennials typically shop
with friends, family or
significant other
*(Edelman Berland 8095 2.0 Survey 2012)

Two-Way Dialogue
Millennials think it’s their responsibility to share
feedback with companies after a good or bad brand experience.
*(Edelman Berland 8095 2.0 Survey 2012)

Alpha-Influencers
Millennials crowd-source to make brand purchase decisions.
use at least one outside
source for guidance
use four or more sources of
information
*(Edelman Berland 8095 2.0 Survey 2012)

Inherently Digital, But Craving Offline Conversation
Millennials most often go to search engines as a source to help them
make brand purchase decisions, but face-to-face engagement with
friends and family are the second and third most used sources.
*(Edelman Berland 8095 2.0 Survey 2012)

Implications for Marketers
• Every brand needs to consider Millennials as a core target, or at
least a significant influencer for their target.
• As masters of crowd-sourcing to make purchase decisions,
engage Millennials in surround sound. Online and offline.
• Help Millennials become an expert on your brand, purpose and
story. They have a strong desire to share and learn. Sell unique
and real product benefits and you will drive reverberation.
38

Millennials Are Surprisingly Open To Brand
Engagement and Advertising, But Only If
Brands Have the Right Approach.

Willing to Engage With Brands
While skeptical of brand messages, they are open to
engaging with brands, but…
1. Brands must act and engage differently to get attention
and loyalty. We are in an age of surprise-and-delight. If
you don’t, they will tune you out.
2. Authenticity rules. Focus on selling unique and real
product benefits. Millennials want to share and learn. Give
them messages that show value and are worth repeating.

Willing to Engage With Brands
of Millennials think all
advertising is boring
*(Edelman Berland 8095 2.0 Survey 2012)

8 in 10 Millennials want brands to entertain them.
How do they want to be entertained?
Allow me to influence your products (co-creation)
Answer my questions/comments in real time via social media
Sponsor entertaining events
Create online content such as videos, photos, games and blogs
Connect me to the other fans of the brand/company
I don’t expect brands/companies to entertain me
Partner with a celebrity or public figure I admire
*(Edelman Berland 8095 2.0 Survey 2012)

Millennials want brands to help them in other areas of their lives.
How do they want brands to help them?
Provide me with financial assistance
(e.g., grants, scholarships)
Provide me with the opportunity for more life experiences (e.g., send
me on trips, give me lessons in something I have an interest in)
Provide me with a mentor who can help guide me
Allow me to use your audiences (e.g., Facebook pages, ads, etc.)
to connect with others with similar interests and ideas
Allow me to use your audiences (e.g., Facebook pages, ads, etc.)
to share my message/story with a wide group
*(Edelman Berland 8095 2.0 Survey 2012)

Humor, Value & Engagement Rule
What is the most effective way for a company to
capture your attention?
*(Edelman Berland 8095 2.0 Global Survey 2012)

Implications for Marketers
• It’s not your brand anymore. It belongs to your customers. Be
agile, collaborative and prepared for the worst and best
• Experiences over stuff. Focus on how your brand enables life
experiences. They want to buy into new ideas and share them
with friends and family. Be social and enable sharing.
• “Smart and funny is the new rock and roll.”1 Business is often
serious, but don’t always take yourself so seriously.
1. (Nick Shore, Strategic Insights & Research at MTV)

Continuing the 8095 2.0 Survey
Conversation Methodology
Survey conducted by Edelman Berland
and consisted of online interviews in 11
edelman8095.tumblr.com
countries among 4,000 adults born
Our blog for all things 8095.
between 1980 and 1995.
The survey was conducted in the
following countries: Australia (N= 300),
twitter.com/edelman8095
Brazil (N=300), Canada (N=300), China
Updates and insights in 140
(N=300), France (N=300), Germany
characters or less.
(N=300), India (N=300), Turkey (N=300),
United Arab Emirates (N=300), United
Kingdom (N=300), United States (N=1,000)
with weighting to ensure equal
t.sina.com.cn/edelman8095
representation from each country.
Updates and insights in 140
characters or less.
The survey has an overall margin of error
of 1.55% at the 95% level of confidence.

A Final Reason
Millennials Matter
The iGeneration/Generation Z is
now fully formed, with their oldest
turning 17 years-old. They will
soon become the new “it”
generation.
If we can’t understand Gen Y,
we’ll never get Gen Z.