This year, maybe more than ever, the holiday gifts that Gen Y desire reflect highly upon defining them as a group.
One of the top gifts that is popular among [#%0#2]Gen Y[/#%0#2], as well as the younger generations, is Guitar Hero (and its copycat, Rock Band). [#%0#3]Gen Y[/#%0#3] is growing up, moving into their roles in the business world and starting to get an idea of the path that they will be taking over the next decades. They are coming to the realization that they aren’t going to be celebrities or rock stars. But they’re not ready to give up the fantasy.
The level of immersion that Guitar Hero gives – the guitar-like controller in hand and the illusion of actually being a talented musician – is far beyond what video games have offered in the past. No one played Super Mario Brothers and felt like a real plumber or left Final Fantasy thinking that they could shoot lightning from their palms. [#%0#4]Gen Y[/#%0#4] appreciates the low learning curve and sense of accomplishment in the short term from this game. They can feel like a virtuoso without dedicating hours that they might not have, yet still have the opportunity to bump it up to the next level at any point when they need a challenge.
The next big [#%0#5]Gen Y[/#%0#5] gift is the Nintendo Wii. The Wii is fun alone, but it really shines when you can get a few friends together. [#%0#6]Gen Y[/#%0#6] is all about building relationships which is why both social networking and the Wii are popular in this age group. Spending this type of memorable quality time interacting with friends is seen as invaluable. In addition, the customization and personal identity of characters – Nintendo calls their characters Miis – is attractive as well. [#%0#7]Gen Y[/#%0#7] is independent, they feel that their identity is something that they have built and enjoy the reflection upon themselves.
Another gift that ANY [#%0#8]Gen Y[/#%0#8] member would love to be given for the holidays is the iPhone (or any iPod for that matter, but more than anything, the iPhone). It takes everything that [#%0#9]Gen Y[/#%0#9] would like to keep on top of and puts it is one small package that can be taken anywhere, yet fits cleanly into any pocket. It also has a slick, stress-free interface that [#%0#10]Gen Y[/#%0#10] has developed the sense to appreciate.
The iPhone allows the busy [#%0#11]Gen Y[/#%0#11] member to do everything that they would otherwise struggle with between their full work schedules and social lives. The initial iPod musical portion lets them keep up with the hottest music without even having to sync to their home computer (which they might not even see for days on end). The phone itself allows them to keep in touch and the new voice mail system allows them to pick what message they want to listen to without wasting time listening through chronologically. The browser and multimedia functions allow them in the 30 minutes that they might have between work, the gym and a night on the town to have nearly the same experience they would sitting in front of their own computer at home – catching up on the recent news, their RSS feeds or anything else on the Web.
Other top [#%0#12]Gen Y[/#%0#12] holiday gadgets also echo this desire to stay mobile and productive (the combination of socially and professionally productive), such as the new Eye-Fi Wireless SD Card. This device allows [#%0#13]Gen Y[/#%0#13] to bridge their social life on the town to their social networking on the Web. They can take photos and wirelessly not only transfer them to their computer, but directly to their Facebook or Myspace account, taking out the steps of sitting at the computer, logging in, uploading, et cetera. Many [#%0#14]Gen Y[/#%0#14]’ers don’t have the free time that they had just a few years ago. They are moving into higher more demanding positions which might require more of a time commitment from them – making time saving devices such as these highly desirable.
Surely there are a plethora of other devices which say a lot about [#%0#15]Gen Y[/#%0#15]. Overall, they tend to reveal roughly the same insights to [#%0#16]Gen Y[/#%0#16] as a whole: the need for access on the go, ease of use to open up free time and allow for easy social network integration and to relieve stress that might build up from the gaining responsibilities that [#%0#17]Gen Y[/#%0#17] has been handed down from the Baby Boomers. [#%0#18]Gen Y[/#%0#18] will continue to drive the visionaries behind these companies as they take over the workforce within the coming years.
Have you heard of Snowglobe Boy?
As a promotional stunt, McKinney put Ben Eckerson, a 24-year-old production coordinator for the company, into an inflatable snowglobe for over three days.
They planned to set a world record for the longest time spent in an inflatable snowglobe, with the reigning champion being… well… no one actually. Note that he was allowed 51 minutes per day outside of the globe to deal with “personal needs”.
The feat was streamed on the Web live for the entire period, and gained media attention as well.
Sitting in a globe, Ben had plenty of time to promote the project. The level of interaction didn’t exactly make it to that of Trevor the Mentos Intern, but it do a decent job out of reaching out to Gen Y audiences. A Facebook page was even created – give Ben a poke if you like!
This worked out as a relatively effective way of capturing [#%0#2]Gen Y[/#%0#2]’s attention. These kind of stunts and challenges work well for bringing them in. In this case, it appears that McKinney is looking to interest young adults in their company in order to build a strong workforce. This stunt served to show them that McKinney is a fun place to work, and should be on the top of their list. As Tara Lamberson outlined in her article “How to Hang on to Digital Talent”, [#%0#3]Gen Y[/#%0#3] needs to know that they are going to be able to have fun in the workplace and enjoy the time they spend with their co-workers.
Since this record isn’t actually too ridiculous, and because Ben was allowed to leave the bubble for a short period of time, it will be interesting to see who will be willing to take this to the next level. A consumer brand could gain a lot of attention by breaking this record over the next holiday season. A creative touch could be used to give it an enticing spin and generate even more media attention. Why not put a VP in there or three people? What would happen if they couldn’t leave at all? Or will an individual look to take it on themselves? If that is the case, with the right strategy, a sponsorship could prove to be quite valuable!
What other stunts can be done? Does your company have the time an resources to make it happen? If [#%0#4]Gen Y[/#%0#4] is your target, it might be a good time to give it some thought!
