The document discusses the results of a large survey conducted by MWW Group to understand what matters most to Americans across different demographic groups. The survey assessed the relative importance of 48 life priorities to nearly 10,000 adults. Key findings include:
1) Spending time with family, being true to yourself, and feeling safe and secure were among the top priorities overall.
2) There were some differences in priorities between generations. For example, Millennials placed more importance on standing out and being fashionable, while Boomers prioritized having a sense of purpose more.
3) Marketers should leverage these generational differences by positioning brands and messages to be relevant to each group's unique aspirations. For Millenn
4. 5
MWW conducted an online survey of nearly 10,000 adults across the U.S. in spring
2014. Fielded by Critical Mix, the survey was distributed to segments mirroring the
overall population of the U.S., with appropriate weighting by age, gender, geography,
income and other standard demographic factors.
METHODOLOGY
The survey was designed to assess the relative importance that individuals
place on 48 distinct priorities encompassing nearly every aspect of adult
life—work, technology, travel, health, family, and so on. The questions were
presented in 24 trade-off scenarios, randomized for each respondent using
the MaxDiff methodology.
MWW applied statistical analysis and highlighted the specific priorities that
are most important within certain customer segments and examined the
priorities which rated highest. The margin of sampling error for the total
sample is plus or minus 1% at the 95% confidence level.
The priorities were derived from all of “Reiss’s 16 motives1
” or basic desires:
acceptance, family, competition, curiosity, food, honor, idealism, independence,
influence, order, physical exercise, romance, saving, social contact, status
and tranquility. These motives are defined by Ohio State University Professor
Steven Reiss in his book, “Who Am I? The 16 Basic Desires That Motivate
Our Actions and Define Our Personalities.” In this book, Dr. Reiss describes
his theory of 16 Basic Intrinsic Motivations: That humans are motivated by
intrinsic psychological drives, and that these drives are ends in themselves.
The combinations of these 16 motivations describe the variability of human
personality. These 16 motivations are irreducible, in that any other described
drive or motivation can be expressed by the fundamental 16.
1. Reiss, Steven. “Who Am I? The 16 Basic Desires That Motivate Our Actions and Define Our Personalities.” August 2002.
6. 7
In our first study, we identified customer segments and industries containing priorities
that differentiated themselves versus the average consumer and thus will be the most
useful for marketers.
Within each we provide both demographic and priorities data that will best enable
marketers to build effective communications strategies that foster deep emotional
connections, customer experiences and relationships.
CUSTOMER SEGMENTS
WHAT REALLY MATTERS
MILLENNIALS GEN-X BOOMERS
8. 9
WHAT MILLENNIALS
PRIORITIZE HIGHER
THAN THEIR
PARENTS
STANDING OUT
FROM THE CROWD
BEING
FASHIONABLE
BEING A
TRENDSETTER
COMPETING
TO BE THE BEST
STAYING AT THE
FOREFRONT OF
TECHNOLOGY
While there are tremendous similarities in priorities across generations as
a result of cultural norms, it is the differences that communicators should
leverage to maximize their target’s perception of relevance. For example,
Millennials are the only demographic for which “saving for the future” is a top
priority. This is reflective of the group’s aspirations as well as their knowledge
that retirement is no longer something that can be assumed.
Millennials also show a major difference in those priorities that matter least
to them; they consider playing by the rules to be among their least important
priorities. While this may seem to indicate a lack of respect or selfishness, it
is important to consider that Millennials have come of age in the era of reality
TV and Internet billionaires. To them, being referred to as a “disrupter” is a
compliment, and those who adhere to the rules get left behind. Meanwhile,
those making the rules seem to be those who get ahead.
6x
4x
4x
3x
2.7x
10. 11
When looking at the relative weight given to priorities, Millennials placed a much
higher emphasis on those that reflect the desire to be an influencer and rise above the
rest of the population. In order to pursue these priorities, the group places considerably
less importance on more community-related priorities.
MILLENNIALS
A STRONG DRIVE FOR INFLUENCE, WITH LESS CONCERN FOR OBEYING RULES
MILLENNIALS IN THE WORKPLACE
Millennials are also an important segment for business leaders. Today 45 million
are employed2
, and by 2025, they will make up 75% of the U.S. workforce. For
employers looking to recruit and retain the best Millennial talent, look to these
priorities as guidelines by which to treat individuals in this group – both during
the hiring process and throughout their careers.
• Build a workplace culture with opportunities to take on leadership roles
• Promote a fair work/life balance
• Recognize well-performing employees through monetary and non-monetary
rewards
MARKETING INSIGHT OPPORTUNITY
On the surface, one could surmise from this data that Millennials are selfish,
with disregard for society as a whole; however, one must view these findings in
the context of their relative inexperience with many things in life as well as the
culture in which they have grown up. Much like the Baby Boomer generation
did before them, they have an optimistic world view and believe they can
reshape the future on their terms. For marketers, messages should be relevant
to Millennials’ aspirations; for example, position your product or service as
one that will inspire the admiration of others and promote ideas that connote
independence and/or uniqueness.
In addition, Millennials value and prioritize more things than other generations,
including priorities that may appear to be at odds; for example, they prioritize
both self-reliance and helping others. Millennials’ eclectic collection of priorities
requires that marketers branch out beyond a black and white point of view,
keeping in mind that Millennials see many “colors” in terms of their priorities.
HIGH PRIORITY*
• Maintaining an even
work/life balance
• Making a lot of money
• Having achievements
recognized
• Being a leader
LOW PRIORITY*
• Playing by the rules
• Being tolerant
• Acting ethically
2. Forbes. “The Business of Doing Good: How Millennials Are Changing the Corporate Sector.” June 18, 2014.
* Relative to other generations
12. 13
Born between 1964 and 1981, Generation X (Gen-X) is the bridge generation between the
Millennials and Baby Boomers. In comparison to Millennials and Boomers, the priorities
deemed most important by this group reflect a pragmatic and balanced generation that
has been heavily influenced by the Boomer generation. This is the “MTV generation,”
which saw the emergence of everything from music videos and video games to hip-hop,
the Internet and AIDS.
GENERATION-X
CONTEMPLATING THE FUTURE WITH BALANCE AND PRAGMATISM
Studies show this is a highly educated group; active, balanced, and family-
oriented, with a high tendency for volunteerism. Unlike their parents, who
challenged leaders with an intent to replace them, Gen-X is more likely to work
toward long-term systematic change through economic, media and consumer
actions. Their world view is based on the need to combat corruption, and a
search for human dignity and individual freedom. Now approaching middle age,
this group is starting to contemplate their futures while still trying to enjoy today.
MARKETING INSIGHT OPPORTUNITY
Marketers should not discount the pragmatism of Gen-X combined with their
desire to help others. The materialistic, disenfranchised slacker stereotype
associated with this generation does not seem to hold. This is a group that
prioritizes a sense of belonging and acting ethically over more selfish notions of
being a leader and having one’s accomplishments recognized. Thus, messages
tailored with a “me first” angle or suggesting radical shifts will be met with
suspicion. Rather, messages that ring true to Gen-X as authentic, even altruistic,
such as social good campaigns, will be much better received.
Similarly, focus messaging around the idea of individual freedom, particularly
regarding work/life balance and the importance of making time for fun and
enjoyment, but be cognizant of the fact that for Gen-X, individual freedom
does not come at the expense of caring for others or behaving ethically.
HIGH PRIORITY*
• Maintaining an even
work/life balance
• Time for play and fun
• Living by a budget
LOW PRIORITY*
• Practicing your
religious faith
• Trusting others
• Having high
aesthetic standards
* Relative to other generations
14. 15
Baby Boomers are the largest generation in U.S. history. Born between 1946
and 1964, this demographic makes up approximately 25% of the total U.S. population.4
Still controlling a majority of consumer spending power, Boomers will continue to be
an important part of the economy and a vital demographic with which organizations
want to connect.
BOOMERS
THE ANTI-MILLENNIALS
While Gen-X is a generation influenced by their elders and influencing their
juniors, the results of our Matter More survey reveal that Boomers are essentially
the Anti-Millennials, valuing the exact same things the Millennials de-emphasize.
These priorities largely pertain to functioning as a peaceful society. There is
also more preference among Boomers for what might be considered traditional
values. The survey also revealed that Boomers place higher importance on fewer
priorities, meaning their top priorities are strongly so. This is another area where
they can be called the Anti-Millennials, who placed high importance across many
more priorities.
MARKETING INSIGHT OPPORTUNITY
For marketers, this means there are fewer priorities that will be relevant and
appeal to Boomers, increasing the chance for authentic, emotional connections,
but at the same time requiring a more targeted approach. Boomers have a
loyalty to tradition and traditional brands, meaning the very same messages
that might turn off Millennials as “old-fashioned and boring” will resonate
with Boomers. In turn, brands or messages viewed as too “outside the box” or
tailored for the “in crowd” may not attract Boomers, as they are not a group that
easily gravitates toward the latest trends. Baby Boomers also value playing it
safe and following the rules, so an organization that’s trying to reach this group
should do the same.
4. CNN. “Baby Boomer Generation Fast Facts.” November 6, 2013.
* Relative to other generations
HIGH PRIORITY*
• Living in a just society
• Being tolerant
• Being loyal to cultural
traditions and
traditional priorities
• Playing by the rules
LOW PRIORITY*
• Maintaining an even
work/life balance
• Having an active
sex life
• Making a lot of money
16. 17
The similarities we found among such a vast array of
adults demonstrate that we as Americans share a set
of core priorities that are deeply ingrained and culturally
driven. The failure to respect these priorities can cause
considerable backlash. Yet we have also identified
interesting differences among groups in what they
consider most important, such as Boomers favoring
the very priorities that matter least to Millennials.
These indicators allow us as marketers a window into
how we can achieve a stronger emotional connection
and achieve greater relevance.
When push comes to shove, when instinct overrides rational argument, when,
in the silence of our thoughts, safe from the pressures of our peers, we decide,
it is our priorities that have emotional resonance. By figuring out what really
matters to consumers, we can Matter More™. In the coming months, MWW’s
Matter More™ Project will delve more deeply into how emotionally-driven
consumer priorities correlate with specific behavioral actions such as affinity,
product consideration, or purchase of a product or brand. We will also examine
the priorities that are most likely to elicit a desired behavioral response. We hope
the results of our study help you to Matter More™ to consumers.
CONCLUSION
WHAT MATTERS MOST
“When push comes to
shove, when instinct
overrides rational
argument, when,
in the silence of our
thoughts, safe from
the pressures of our
peers, we decide, it is
our priorities that have
emotional resonance.
By figuring out what
really matters to
consumers, we can
Matter More™.”