Our future in the hands of the

iGeneration

Image taken from ram reddy (Flickr)

By Jared Aronoff

The term iGeneration refers to anyone born after 19951*

*although there is some debate over the exact year Image taken from danielhedrick (Flickr)

The “i” can refer to1 • The overwhelming

presence of Apple products in the lives of this generation (ie. iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc)

• Their rising narcissism (as in, all about “I”)

• Independence, in contrast with the helicopter parents of the previous generation

Image taken from Fancesca Lafferty (Flickr)

The iGeneration is also known as:

• iGen1

• Digital Natives4

• Post Gen4

• Generation Z1

• And more

There is much disagreement on what is the most appropriate name.

Image taken from TF28Itfaltings.de (Flickr)

The name Generation Z refers to the iGeneration’s

relation to its predecessors,

Generation X and Generation Y

Image taken from Sam Howzit (Flickr)

Generation X represents the parents of most of the iGeneration

This generation grew up with MTV and the rapid growth of technology

Often shares tastes in music, fashion, and technology with the iGeneration1

Image taken from singleparents.about.com

Technology is very important to the iGeneration

Image taken from Mervi Eskelinen(Flickr)

In 2011…

iGeneration teens (age 13-17) sent on average more than 3,000 text messages, more than twice as many as Generation Y (age 18-24)1

Image taken from Peter Dedina (Flickr)

Because of the iGeneration’s fascination with technology, some more traditional media

services are becoming overshadowed

Image taken from Susan E Adams (Flickr)

Children’s TV networks (including Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network) are falling out of fashion as kids take a

preference to content from their devices1

Image taken from Loren Javier (Flickr)

These devices are significant to the iGeneration

In a 2011 survey of top brands for children aged 6-12, the Nintendo Wii was in the #1 spot above Oreo, McDonalds, and Disney1

Image taken from Joachim S. Müller (Flickr)

The iGeneration is also conscious about Climate Change2

Image taken from Stephen Thomas (Flickr)

And they are expected to put pressure on corporations to promote Green Products2

Image taken from @Doug88888 (Flickr)

The iGeneration is also less trusting of large corporations and organizations since the recent economic downturn2

Image taken from vonderauvisuals (Flickr)

And are not brand loyal2 Image from captcreate (Flickr)

Rather, they judge products on a more individual basis2

Image taken from Tormod Ulsberg

iGeneration kids are more likely to trust product

recommendations from their friends or peers than from television advertisements1

Image taken from sean dreilinger (Flickr)

In this way, the iGeneration starts to act like their own gatekeepers3

Image taken from Dave Gingrich (Flickr)

The iGeneration does not care about carefully crafted marketing

campaigns2, and as a result, advertisers can no longer count on traditional methods to reach this generation

Image taken from Jordan.Halliday (Flickr)

To sell to the iGeneration advertisers need to learn how to effectively use social media and

other online tools2; something they have already started to do.

Image taken from PictureYouth (Flickr)

In this way the iGeneration is demonstrating a major influence on advertisers and corporations, forcing them to keep up with their quickly

changing values and attitudes

Image taken from i.images.cdn.fotopedia.com

Which makes me wonder….

What will the iGeneration be doing when they, one day,

are running these corporations?

Image taken from englishlife.uz

Citations 1Bulik, Snyder Beth. “The iGeneration: There’s a Market for That – and It’s a Big, Influential One, Too.” Advertising Age. 17 October 2011. At: http://adage.com/article/news/igen-influential-peers-household-buying-decisions/230427/

2Raymond, Art. “Here Comes Generation Z.” April 2012. At: http://search.proquest.com.proxy.queensu.ca/docview/1441703655

3 Cosgrove, Bill. “Marketing to the iGeneration.” 14 September 2013. DealerNet Services. At: http://dealernetservicesonline.biz/3/category/marketing%20to%20the%20igeneration/1.html

4Horovitz, Bruce. “After Gen X, Millennials, what should the next generation be?” USA Today. 4 April 2012. At: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/advertising/story/2012-05-03/naming-the-next-generation/54737518/1

Image taken from Massimo Valiani (Flickr)