it's Josip not joseph

Tag Archive: social networking

The Power and the Significance of Your Name

Written on February 27, 2011 by Josip Petrusa

The one defining characteristic we all share, the one unique and profound element of each and everyone of us is the name we are given. From the reason to why we were given such a name to the historical lineage and significance of what a name has come to represent, our name, beyond it’s objective purpose, encompasses what and who each of us is. It’s essence is at the very heart of our existence.

It signified what tribe you came from. It represented the language and dialect you spoke. It made others aware of the region you came from. And grew into characterizing the nationality you came from. It effectively describes us in a manner more than we truly understand or choose to realize. It was the mark you put down when coming to the New World, the signature that made your home and the last thing that is ever read in a letter by the one you love. Your name is utterly more powerful and significant than simply the characters that represent it.

It represents every transaction you make. From bank notes to ownership, business relations to pay checks, marriage, authorship and beyond. And in a growing world based in text, online search and social profiles, the purpose of your name has expanded and become more imperative than it ever has before. It simply doesn’t represent who you are. It is who you are.

With the unprecedented growth of social networks, social media and mobile technology, the context of the name has evolved into something that is truly beyond the physical individual. It is the title in your friend’s BlackBerry contacts. It is the quintessential component which makes the social world possible. Our name is the underlying signifier of everything that is the composition of our social profiles and everything that lives in an interconnected world.

The implications here are fascinating. Our names are the titles of our virtual self and they are becoming the key-indicators to our real self. Our social media behaviour attributes our name to the ambassadoring of the smart phones we use, the Facebook “likes”, the brands, causes and marketing we support, the tweet links we share and the statements we make. It glorifies, humanizes and broadens human tendencies into the unnatural ultimately culminating the unnatural to become natural everyday components and necessities of life.

Rather than focusing on the negatives and many supposed downturns the impact of our name has had in instances of the online world, we should embrace and represent who we are. We’re all utterly enthralled and mystified by the negative simplicities that our name attributes to us in a growing world of online search and social profiles. The negatives clearly exist as we participate in the emerging dynamics of our new world but the positives are undeniable beneficial and life-altering.

Our name, both in the physical and virtual worlds, is immortal and will outlast each and every one of us. It’s up to us to decide how you will make the greatest impact through one of the most significant and powerful characteristics we all have. Will you rise above yourself for the happiness of others? Will you influence the world with positive actions? Will you empower yourself to somehow change the world? Even on the smallest of scales. Your name is and will always be the everlasting testament of who you are.

The Millennials and Their Differing Social Media Paradigms

Written on November 11, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

1 Comment

The Millennials and social media have always been understood to be just that, Millennials and social media. Though it seems that one can hardly move away from the other, the reality would suggest otherwise. Millennials and social media are not as synonymous as people think. Ok, let me take a step back and say that the “Millennials” are the most significant users of “social media”. But neither really represents simply one element, characteristic or entity.

Social media is often understood and mistakenly perceived to be one single entity. And thus, since a significant majority of the Millennials are social media users, from numbers ranging from at least 80-90% and even suggestions of complete saturation, it is also understood and mistakenly perceived that Millennials are social media users across all platforms.

There are two significant distinctions that must be addressed here. The first being that social media is not simply one network or paradigm. It is a large and eclectic series of platforms, networks and webs of connections. Now the second point is, and just as important to understand, though Millennials are significant social media users they don’t not represent all social medias.

Their usage can easily span Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Foursquare without every Millennial ever using all four and yet still represent an understanding that all Millennials use all social media.

This all brings me to the point of my article at hand. What relationship do the Millennials have with social medias such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Foursquare? And how could be benefit from understanding this? The most immediate reality here is that not all Millennials use every kind of social media. Equally, each social media is not perceived to be the same and nor should it be.

So without further hesitation, a Millennial breakdown of the Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Foursquare paradigms.

Facebook

If there is one social media network all Millennials use, it would be Facebook. Often understood by many Millennials as the beginning of the social media movement, Facebook has become the online home to many of us over the years. It’s where we’ve shared our most intimate experiences and prized moments. It’s where we act as if we’re talking to each other person. And it’s probably the only network where we’ve actually met all our “friends” in person at one point or another.

The influence here is high, simply due to the nature of our immediate-friendships. It’s very personal and very personable. Not only is it an aspect of everyday life, it is a mutual meeting grounds, and place of both opinion and conversation. So be weary of intruding this space. It can’t be expected for us to simply “like” everything. Unless the offer is right of course. It could be as simple as representing the expression of who we are. Or a way to stay up-to-date to our friends that are brands. Or a straight-up tangible offer. No one just “likes” for the sake of liking.

Twitter

The undisputed referral king of the web, Twitter probably see’s the most conversation. Though something that was not originally picked up by the Millennials, Twitter has come to represent a notable number of Millennial users. Most interestingly is the fact that Millennial networks established via Twitter are quite the opposite of the ones established in Facebook. The majority of Twitter users have hardly ever met in person. Strangers are readily more accepted here than anywhere else. Not that there is something wrong with that, as online friends are coming to represent real friendships.

What’s fascinating here is the substantial influence we receive from other Twitter users, who more often than not are complete strangers. What’s equally as fascinating is the purposes behind Millennial Twitter use. Some jump on the Twitter bandwagon. Some are really interested behind all the tweeting. Some are looking to promote themselves. Etcetera. The reasons are, well, endless. You have the feed watchers, the retweeters, spammers, thought-givers, conversationalist, and complainers. All tweeting to a series of individuals that they’ve probably never met. Yet at one point or another we’re all interested by their tweets. We’re all greatly influencing everyone and being influenced by them.

Considered to the networking site for professionals, LinkedIn is quite easily the least active yet most intimidating social media platforms amongst Millennials. Many find absolutely no use from it as many Millennials themselves have infant or no professional network. So contacts and the prized recommendations are hard to come by. Once you add this with LinkedIn’s very stringent spamming protocols, you find many Millennials with blank profiles, for those that haven’t deleted it yet, or weak presences.

And you can’t really blame them. Compared to very simple to use and network building sites like Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn seems like a lot of effort for nothing in return. It’s a great place to look for work however most of those jobs here are out of the reach of many Millennials, even when they have the recommendations, experience and connections to suggest otherwise. So, if none of my friends or colleagues don’t use it and if connections for new-inexperienced LinkedIn users are hard to come by, why would Millennials want to use it? They might have a pretty concrete point. Where’s the benefits? And no, Millennials will not willingly pay monthly for premium services,

Foursquare

Oh, Foursquare. Still very young, and not used by very many at all. However, we are hearing more and more about place media and location based services. And though like Twitter, it’s users have heightened activity and influence in just about every category, why would any Millennial want to use Foursquare when most of their friends and colleagues only use Facebook on a regular basis. Foursquare does have it’s place, don’t get me wrong. But in it’s current state I can whole-heartedly say the Millennials at this point in time really don’t care about Foursquare.

Even on the basis of possibly getting something for free, many have already perceived it to be a ludicrous idea because who really wants to tell other people where they are and why would we want to care where are friends our. Considering, chances are we already know where are friends are. And you thought the barriers were up for adding strangers to Facebook, I can hardly imagine any Millennial just adding a complete stranger to Foursquare. Why would they? It seems beyond taboo to be stalked in a sense. Does it have its place? Of course it does. Just don’t expect any vast Facebook or Twitter effect amongst the Millennials.

Although this post is longer than I expected it to be, it is a clear layout of how many Millennials perceive and understand different social medias to be. The paradigms are clearly different across all categories. And the principles within those categories are just as different. Of course, you’ll find Millennials who use all four. I use the first three myself. But I’m more savvier and aligned with social media than many choose to be.

The fact of the matter is that social media doesn’t simply encompass everything social. Equally, the Millennials are social media users across a vast spectrum and use each for varying reasons. Like everything else, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and even Foursquare do all have their purpose. The question you should be asking yourself is whether the Millennials are finding purpose for them.

(Photo credit)

Are You Ready for the Millennials and the Social Workplace?

Written on October 22, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

0 Comments

Yesterday morning, I had the absolute pleasure and delight of being a panelist for IBM’s Smarter Leaders vPanel. The topic at hand and discussion to follow was based around the idea of whether we are all ready for the impact that the social web and social technologies will have in the workplace.

Aptly titled “[Are You] Ready for the Social Workplace?”, the panel was consistent of 3 brilliant individuals and myself, the “rock-star” Millennial. And since I was given that characterization, I guess I’ll take it! Here are the panelists:

Jennifer Okimoto – (moderator of panel) Associate Partner, IBM Strategy & Transformation at IBM Global Business Services, Organization & People
Dr. Jennifer Deal – Senior Research Scientist at Center for Creative Leadership
Sameer Patel – Partner at the Sovos Group, Enterprise 2.0, Organizational Leadership & Collaboration Strategist
Josip Petrusa – Me, just being myself as a Gen-Y and Millennial Blogger here on my blog.

Looking at the social workplace takes on a different tone when you begin to involve the Millennials and how social computing has not only changed the workplace but how there has been a drastic transformation occurring as a result of it. It’s not a matter of whether companies can adjust and innovate effectively to such deep changes in the nature of work. Rather, it’s truly and simply a matter of when and how these companies will change.

There has been a few competing ideologies here. The first suggests that Millennials in fact will regress into the typical and traditional worker. The worker and employees we’ve always known. The second suggests, and the one I most certainly resonate with, is that Millennials will have a significant influence to the workplace. And for better or worse, we will undoubtedly change the dynamics of everything work related, in one degree or another.

Hyperconnectivity and disruptive innovation will be the catalysts that alter our viewpoints of collaborative natures and employee relationships in the workplace. Equally, many elements of the personal and professional divide are being forever redefined and blurred. Much of which can be attributed to what encompasses the very essence of the Millennials.

Organizational cultures are being challenged. Collaborative structures are growing. And social networking tools are increasingly becoming strong elements of the every day workplace.

As tribal and group thinkers, Millennials will create a level of unprecedented efficiency. We really do want to work. We also really want to do a great job. And in the midst of economic crisis, our mindset has forever only cemented this mindset even further into what only represents our young careers.

Over the next 5 years, the Millennials will represent a significant portion of the work force. And over that time, we’ll have to adjust, readjust and innovate the operation of every structure, as the Millennial mentality will constantly question it. We have to embrace and channel their abilities in order to achieve mutually beneficial results.

The workforce itself won’t simply represent a large mass of Millennials keen on social networking all the time. Rather each Millennial and each aspect of the social web will rise to a particular situation and dictate it within a certain manner. As we can hardly use every element of the social web at once, simply because it’s not practical, and as all Millennials will not represent the same strenghts, the growth of mass collaboration, crowdsourcing and collective intelligence will dictate results and reward individuals accordingly.

However, before much of this can even begin to take place, necessary recourse is absolutely imperative into understanding who the Millennials are. Rather than focus on over-emphasized negatives, current corporate cultures can not simply impose on a down ward scale. Yes, we Millennials believe in having fulfilling relationships with those older than us. And yes, we will have conversations with you and share our thoughts whether you agree with it or not. This will continue to take place whether it’s right or wrong, and regardless of if you like it or if you don’t.

Not only will mentoring be an essential aspect to creating a positive environment, reserve-mentoring will be arguably the most crucial aspect of all. Millennials have exemplified that relationships are important to their very nature. This can be seen across the social world. Building powerful relationships amongst the ranks can have definitive benefits. Something that can only be accomplished if serious notions of reserve-mentoring are put into adoption and use.

Getting ready for a social workforce will take finesse, patience and embracing this new and changing world. The Millennials are undeniably living in one of the most disruptively innovative times ever experienced by our current societal structures. As Millennials continually embrace and grow with these disruptions, they will ultimately innovate as they go along. You may not be ready for the social workplace but it appears that the Millennials might already be.

The State of Millennial Smart Phone and Apps Culture

Written on October 13, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

0 Comments

The mobile explosion of recent years has been nothing short of extraordinary. Aside from the juggernaut of social media and networking, the mobile world has become an imperative and defining element to the reality of the Millennials. It’s how we maintain our relationships. It’s how we connect. It’s how we get our information. It’s how we pretty much do everything.

Smart Phoned Millennials

For Millennials, cell phones themselves have had an interesting trending shift. Once seen as objects for emergency use were then transformed to become one of recreational behaviour. Now, that recreational behaviour has made cell phones an object of necessity and an object prevalent to everyday Millennial life.

A recent report completed by Forrester has found that 88% of those aged 18-30 own a cell phone. Further, 23% of those aged 18-30 own a smart phone. The fascinating aspect here is not the fact that there is an overlap, which can be attributed to a variety of different reasons. Rather, it’s the fact that Millennials lead the mobile adoption curves across all demographics. They have also begun to use a new mobile mediums before the previous ones has even passed complete saturation.

Smart phones are not simply the future, they are now. They’re not simply for the privileged, they are for everyone. In general, as Nielsen predicts, smart phones will overtake cell phones by the end of 2011. Something of which has already had double digit growth over the last 2 years, and something that is expected to surge with the general population as a whole.

Even all that said, Millennials are already leading the smart phone wave and expect their smart phone numbers to grow exponentially in the coming years. With roughly 1 in 4 owning a smart phone, the question for many Millennials it’s not a matter of IF you’re going to buy a smart phone next but WHEN you’re going to buy that smart phone.

Millennials and mobile phones have always gone hand-in-hand. And smart phones have only amplified that relationship to great extents. They have become personal representations of who we are. They are the most personal extension of the Millennial self. They are and will continue to become the most used objects of our lives.

And how could they not have such a significant effect? The impressive capabilities smart phone represent absolutely cater to the lives of the Millennials. This is something that can most evidently be understood through the vastly growing apps culture. And one that can’t deny the value and significance apps bring to everyday life.

App Happy

Apps are allowing us to pretty much do anything. You can quite literally have access to and do everything you find necessary without more than a few movements of your thumbs and fingers. You want your news? Check. You want your shopping deals? Check. You want the weather, sports scores, games and local restaurants? Check. And how could I forget our beloved Facebook and Twitter. Check and check.

The reality of the situation, according to Pew Research, 79% of 18-29 years-olds use the apps they have on their phones, with the average Millennial having 22 apps. Further, app-usage skews towards men, representing 57%, and Millennials, disproportionately represent 44% of all app-usage.

Once we take a deeper look into these dynamics, we find that that those 29% aged 18-24 use apps multiple times a day compared to 44% of those aged 25-34. Equally, of those who downloaded Twitter and Facebook apps, 18-24 years-old use each 75% and 57% respectively each day. While 25-34 year-olds use the same social media apps 52% and 69% respectively. To dispel any confusion here, the reason why I mention these older demographics is due to the fact that Millennials arguably represent those currently as old as 29-31 years old, all depending on who you speak with.

Millennial Culture is a Smart Phone and Apps Culture

A world of smart phones and apps is quite apparent when you brake it down by strict research numbers. But it’s also more apparent that Millennials absolutely love their smart and apps as they lead a clear majority of many of the numbers represented. And this really shouldn’t be seen or interpreted as the new “it” thing.

Not only are they cool, they are functional and efficient. They are both time savers and time wasters. They not only represent who we are, they allow us to be who we are. I can hardly think of a moment when my BlackBerry isn’t in arms reach. And I’d highly doubt that this same closeness couldn’t be applied to all Millennials.

Even as smart phones and apps are still part of a very early and infant state, we are absolutely captivated by them. From our first glimpses in our waking minutes, through our daily activities and the final moments before we go to bed, smart phones and apps have become to exemplify, personify and present everything that is Millennial. Equally, Millennials in turn have humanized them. This is the state of smart phone and apps culture. This is the state of the Millennials.

(Photo credit)

Embrace the Gen-Y Stereotypes

Written on October 8, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

3 Comments

We’ve all heard the Gen-Y stereotypes. The typical argument suggests that many of these characteristics are negatively impacting these young individuals. And everywhere you turn, everyone seems to be yelling from the roof-tops that we’re too connected, too privileged, too entitled, we share too much, we’re too technologically savvy, we’re too young for anything.

Youthfulness often does imply ambition, optimism and a know-it-all attitude. However, with Gen-Y, like everything else, we’ve taken it to another level. As a result, we’re too impatient, we do too much multi-tasking, we’re too youthful and we’re told we’ll fail with these mindsets. And this sentiment is becoming widely common amongst the media and even professionals.

What I find truly fascinating here is that we are roaring-forward regardless of the situations we face. I think it’s safe to say most of us were promised the world as we were growing up. And even in these troublesome times we’re still looking to fulfill those promises. But then the arguments of being naivety come into play. The popular agenda seems to be a put-down agenda.

But I can’t help but wonder the absolutely positive and powerful elements these stereotypes carry with them. It’s not often that stereotypes actually have a significant plus-side to them. Rather than shy-away from these supposed weaknesses, embrace Gen-Y for who they are. Embrace the stereotypes for the strengths and opportunities they present.

So with out further hesitation, here are the characteristics you should be embracing.

Connecting: The emergence of social media, social networking and the advances in mobile technologies has made the world a seemingly smaller place. Not only have these elements become common place to Gen-Y, they’re imperative to our daily routine.

There has never been a time in history where this much individual-to-individual communication has taken place. That means if you’re not talking to us, we most likely won’t know you’re there. That also means we are very focused on our conversations. We get answers and responses quickly. We influence and are influenced faster than ever. 15% of 12-17 year olds and 18% of 18-24 year olds send over 6000 text messages a month. So are you a part of that relationship? Are you in their conversation?

Sharing: For anyone that has been truly paying attention to the sharing habits of Gen-Y you would have realized by now that it’s about being “status update worthy.” And as I so eloquently put it as when I introduced the idea, we, Gen-Y, are looking for something to share.

From those who barely use anything to share a thought, a moment and an experience to those who are as savvy as they come, the fact of the matter is we are sharing. I have a great friend who refuses to be part of the social media world but yet, even without him being part of Facebook, he is still inherently effected by all those around him who use Facebook. No matter which way you approach it, we all share. And we all share more than compared to pre-social media and pre-mobile times. The question is what are you giving us to share? Will we say it’s good or it’s bad?

Multi-tasking: Chances are members of Gen-Y are doing more at once than is truly conceivable by everyone else. And this has resulted in notions of being elusive, over-ambitious, and even the famed notion of entitlement. The reality is, we do many things at the same time and we do them well. The problem is everyone else believes in doing one thing at a time.

We simply don’t shop, work or walk. We compare, confirm, analyse, search, research, connect, share, respond, text, tweet, Facebook update, examine the mobile website, get answers from everywhere possible for the best situation possible. And it’s not a matter of having to, it’s simply because we just want to.

With that all being said, I can already picture the arguments of over-zealousness coming. Just face the facts. If it was up to me, I would have 3 computer screens in front of me instead of doing everything the hard way on a single laptop. I’ve never headed into a purchasing decision without knowing everything else first. If I don’t know, I’m, texting, BBMing and looking at everything I can find on the web. And when I walk, I don’t bump into things. But I do glance at a my BlackBerry and send off of messages if I can.

There is so much unused power in truly understanding who Gen-Y really are. No, we won’t become robotic drones. And our souls aren’t controlled by Facebook. Are their implications to these actions? Of course there are. Though, when aren’t there implications to a particular action. The power, effectiveness and significance of connecting, sharing and multi-tasking can’t be denied. It’s almost as if we all put Gen-Y down because we can’t embrace their great qualities and abilities in being, well, great. Imagine the productivity, free-marketing and advertising, heightened abilities and everything else they provide simply by being themselves. There is no room for negativity here. Embrace the stereotypes. Embrace Gen-Y.

(Photo credit)

Are You Looking for Gen-Y? Or Are You Waiting to Be Found?

Written on October 6, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

0 Comments

It’s becoming more obvious and apparent that traditional marketing and advertising efforts are not yielding the same traditional results. And this is something I’m been preaching for a while. We, Gen-Y, are different. It’s just that plain and simple. No matter which angle you approach it at, or what perspective you choose to believe, you would be a fool not too know that this generation is different.

For some reason, there is much dissent and debate to how strong these differences really are. And if anything at all, is Gen-Y that much different from everyone else. Truly, you would have to be blind not to understand the hurdles Gen-Y has created, both actively and passively.

The reality of the situation is that in a whole new world old tricks don’t necessarily always apply. With many aspects of the internet such as social media and video streaming, to the rapid emergence of the mobile sector and even the changing state of television, simply keeping on the same marketing and advertising path will lead you to over-expenditure of budgets compared to earlier years.

The issue at hand here is whether you are actively looking for your Gen-Y customers and consumers or whether you are simply waiting for them to come to you. Not only is this distinction imperative to understand, playing hide and seek with this generation can be extremely costly. We look where we choose to look. Not where you tell or want us to look.

We’re no longer subject to simply watching TV and waiting for the commercial to be over. If I’m not watching TV, I’m on my laptop. And if I’m not on my laptop, I’m on my BlackBerry. And if I’m on my laptop and BlackBerry, I’m not watching what’s on the TV. The most fascinating point in all of this is the only advertisement I remember is the cute one my girlfriend posted on my Facebook wall.

It’s fascinating because like most members of Gen-Y, I’m always connected with the platforms of TV, the internet and mobile. In any situation, we’re most likely on one of the three. And when it comes right down to it, I can hardly recall a time when a friend wasn’t more influential than an ad. If you want my opinion, you should hire Gen-Y to reach Gen-Y.

Nothing stands out more on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, well in any circumstance, than a personal touch. Amidst all the clutter and noise, you have no choice but to eventually become personal in your relationships. Whether you like it or not, you’ll have to make that effort. It’s never good to assume anything, but just like everyone assumes the internet provides the answers to everything, everyone also assumes that everyone else is “social”. And this is slowly catching on with in the world of apps. “How come they don’t have an app?!”

So if you’re waiting to be found by Gen-Y, there’s a really good chance you’ll slip through the cracks. It’s not about presence. It’s about engagement. With everything we have technologically available, we actually know about everything before it comes out. And we’ve already made our decision before you’ve even began advertising to us. And we’ve made our decisions known to everyone around us. It’s an interesting cycle and endless cycle.

I’m not the doom and gloom type nor am I suggesting Gen-Y is unreachable. In fact, this is probably greatest moment in time when you can actually reach who ever you like. And it’s not an issue of great content. Great content has always existed. You just have to jump into a Gen-Y frame-of-mind. You have to be interesting, different and use what we use. You have to come looking for us.

(Photo credit)

Using the Millennials to Your Uncharacteristic Advantage (Part 2)

Written on October 1, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

1 Comment

The Millennials have had an unprecedented impact on just about everything. Their behaviour, actions and mode of thought are significantly different from anything we’ve seen before. And as I suggested in my previous article, the strength of the Millennials is more profound than often perceived. While they create a digital gap between themselves and their parents at one moment, they at the same time close that gap by actually being the providers of technological necessity.

Though the parents of Millennials are amongst the largest growing segment in area’s such as social media, they do not hold that same inherent behaviour and savyness that Millennials bring. As I alluded to in my previous article, though you might not understand the technological behaviour of the Millennials or even agree with it, you will undeniably use their strengths when needed. And as a result, they’ve single-handedly become the biggest influencers of their parents and those seeking answers Millennials can quickly find.

Beyond this, Millennials hold an established and significant level of influence over their Millennial colleagues. From aspects such as personal opinions, shared emotions, growing networks and instant communication, their level of influence on each other is overwhelming.

The traditional friend-to-friend, acquaintance-to-acquaintance and even person-to-person influence was always reserved for those few individuals you would always interact with. Just 5 years ago, before the mainstream boom of social media and mobile devices, our group associations were smaller, more intimate and based on established relationships. But thanks to technological advances, everything has been redefined and amplified.

Though the value of relationships has stayed the same, the way we approach and build them has changed forever. Just 5 years ago, our influence would only reach those simply around us on a daily basis. Now, each individual, each Millennial is a network in themselves. At any given moment, each Millennial is being influenced by the hundreds of different networks that are encompassed within all their supposed friendships.

From the ongoing publicly viewed conservations, shared thoughts and experiences, and pure but simple personal opinions, these characteristics have become the growing and defining moments of many of our decisions. As a result, the slightest influence will either persuade or dissuade our decisions and choices. By no means should we be considered naïve. Rather, we’re merely highly informed to just about everything that happens.

This should be no wonder as Millennials lead the way in many areas of social networking and mobile phone usage. The value and significance is known. And success always sounds like stories of lore from times past, since no one has been able to truly keep a sustainable effort. There have been flashes of brilliance with viral marketing campaigns. But like biological viruses themselves, these viral successes come and go only to be talked about as “remember when…” thought pieces for the future conversations.

What we know is that Millennials connect, share and absorb. Yes, absorb. To borrow a misquoted line from the Field of Dreams, “if you build it, [he] they will come.” And as usage rates increase in just about every field with the Millennials, the analogy does relatively hold true. So how do you penetrate the Millennial mind? How do you influence these influencers from the inside?

The reality is there is no straight answer but that shouldn’t suggest it can’t be achieved. It’s rather difficult to market and advertise to us because we’re looking where we want to look and not where you want us to look. A starting point would be to think like a Millennial. Understanding what values Millennials hold would be the next step. But the underlying factor in all of this is that Millennial-to-Millennial influence can’t be de-emphasized or misunderstood. Good or bad, the Millennials networks will decide everything for you.

Everything is always just one Facebook share, one tweet, one text away from a decision.

(Photo credit)

Will The Millennials Out-Run Technology?

Written on August 31, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

3 Comments

For all the negative acclaim Millennials receive, I may be pretentiously adding another “negative” characteristic to the list. To think that the Millennials are dictating technology as opposed to technology dictating our lives is absurd and crazy. Isn’t it? Well not really, at least from a Millennial’s point-of-view. Nor are these projected “negatives” really that negative from our point-of-view either.

The Cause

Over the last few days, I experienced a series of revelations. Well, actually two revelations. The first, was the result of a friend’s birthday. And the second, was the result of my broken BlackBerry and my ability to semi-use it. The combination of the two inspired the words below.

To follow the order of things, let’s begin with the birthday. Like many celebrations, we hit the city. And after reaching our destination and after we all got acquainted with each other, I slowly began to observe and realise that what seemed to be so obviously apparent, wasn’t really that obvious at all.

In a location full of seemingly single individuals, with the alcohol flowing, the music pumping, the sense of promiscuity raising, the pheromones stimulating, the primal urges growing and yet, to see an extraordinary amount of people on their [smart] phones wasn’t just shocking, it was absolutely amazing to see.

And this has hardly been the first instance I’ve seen of this. Slowly as the days go by, you realise how many people use their phones while being amongst those they’re connected to, while having coffee, a beer or simply hanging out. Whether it is a matter of needing attention, giving attention, haste, instant ability, time management, multi-tasking, the idea of “now” and many other inclinations, the Millennials and technology are building a self-perpetuating cycle.

The beautiful thing here is how gracefully my second revelation ties into the story. In the same period over the last few days, I’ve lost the ability to use the track ball on my BlackBerry. And until the situation betters itself and though I still have limited abilities to contact people, I’ve felt lost. The passing days seem like a blur. No email access. No Facebook and Twitter access, etc. Again, I was absolutely amazed and perplexed that even though I have a fully functioning laptop I’m [always] on, losing the functionality of my BB was interesting to say the least.

Though my words seem more dramatic then I intend them to be and though different people will build different perceptions from my words, it can’t be denied that the Millennials are living a significantly different and technologically based life compared to those older than them.

The Effect

Can you really blame them though? Growing up, we’ve been immersed into rapidly expanding technologies. Where once product lifecycles existed for years in previous generations, the world of today hardly has them exist for a year. It took three decades to reinvent the television set. And since, televisions have been reinvented almost yearly.

The same can be said for many technological areas. From the leaps mobile devices have taken in the last few years to the advances of the web with social media and networking sites, the last 5 years have been nothing short of stellar innovation. But where does that leave us now? Where does that leave the Millennials? Where does that leave technology?

As our ambitions towards technology continue you to grow, our demands and wants for technology grow as well. It’s no wonder that many Millennials face problems with internet literacy. Everywhere we look, we’re told to head to the web. At some point in time, our mental capabilities have understood the words on the web might not be the truth, accurate or real. But why lead us to these lies then? If enough people read something and if enough people accepted it, isn’t it true, accurate and real? Or is it just great SEO at work.

The internet has also groomed the Millennials into a constant need for now, immediate and instantaneous thinking. Last week I read – and I can’t find the article itself – that 74% of consumers believe they should be responded to within 24 hours via social media for their questions, comments or concerms. Not only do Millennials expect an immediate response, this same mentality has been extended to many aspects of life.

It’s no wonder why when people are in social settings they’re concerned about checking their phones. They had that thought now. They want to have that conversation now. They want to see that now. How different everything was only 5 years ago when people didn’t want to pay for messaging and didn’t have access to online abilities. We all waited to meet up with each other. We all waited to get home to see what happened online. Waiting no longer exists. If it was up to us, we would’ve done it yesterday if we could. Even “now” is starting to feel slow.

And this is where it gets interesting. Millennials and all of us in fact have come to a point where expecting “now” is the bare minimum. All communication has to be as quick as a text. All information has to be available at a moments notice. Does this create problems? Of course it does. Not only does it change the way we mentally process everything, it creates a constant need for everything. Amongst many other issues.

From a consumerism standpoint, it begins to create gaps amongst the people. With adoption cycles beginning to pattern more like waves than a nice curve, we now begin to see divides due to affordability, technological necessity and want, and capability. These gaps create problems simply because you can’t reach everyone anymore. This will be the very reason why brands and companies will spend more on marketing and advertising than ever before. And the very reason, they’ll have to severely rethink their strategies. With all that, everyone still wants the same abilities that we’ve all been promised by technology.

The Outcome

The technological innovation during the time of the Millennials has not only defined them but it is something the Millennials helped define. It’s the good old “chicken and egg” dilemma. Regardless of your choice in the dilemma, I believe we’re approaching a time where technology itself will reach a plateau, again. Although technology itself has been experiencing tremendous innovation and advancement, frankly, it has delivered to Millennials what they’ve expected years ago. The things we want always seem to come years later. There’s things I’ve thought of that are hardly imaginable in the coming years – but maybe that’s just me.

Our ability to think of new ideas and pull them to the centre will slow, simply as a result that we have used many of these outlier thoughts in hopes of bettering our situations quickly in recent times. The wants of Millennials can hardly be met by technology. The outcome of this will see the continuing boom in social media and smart phones. Until there finally is a bust in the next decade. We can’t all be expected to “like” the 1000s of brands that exist and buy a new smart phone every year. Just as similarly, you can’t all be expected to reach us through every means available. That would be impossible. We all use technology differently. And we all experience levels of technology differently.

Our ambitions have created a series of technological promises that are both right and wrong at times, while at the same time we’re still encouraged to use them. Equally, these promises have taken Millennial wants to new heights. With all this going on, what did you expect from us? To be delayed, unresponsive, unwanting and simply sit back? Of course we were going to us it. And of course it was going to effect the Millennials. We can’t imagine a life without any of it. Imagine being without your phone for the night or a few days? Was there ever such a time?

As innovation is continually exhausted, as greater amounts of outlier ideas are dragged to the centre, as wants for “now” even grow further, maybe it shouldn’t have been a question of whether if the Millennials will out-run technology. Maybe it should’ve been a matter of technology keeping up the Millennials.

(Photo credit)

Why We Will Ultimately Break-Up with Social Media

Written on August 26, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

8 Comments

Over the last week or so, I’ve spent some considerable time reflecting about social media. What is it? Why do we use it? How long will it last? These were only but a few questions that came to mind. And the more I thought about it, the more I began to realise. And the more I began to realise, the more I began to wonder and question what relationship actually exists between us and social media.

For some years now, social media has been ragging forward. And since it’s inception, much of the social media world has drastically changed. Many of us have also changed as a result of it. The early days of Facebook saw all of us grasping to connect with any “friend”, even though we could hardly call them friends in person. Suffice to say, the slightest interaction at a bar, back in high school, a friend’s party and anywhere else warranted an “add” to friendship.

As years went by, many of us still have that list of friends we’ve hardly interacted with. Except for moments of exchanging birthday wishes, leaving the congratulatory comments and further connecting on Farmville, many of us will never interact with the other 80% of our Facebook being. But even the 80/20 rule seems too optimistic for our sake. With 350 “friends”, that would suggest that I’ve interacted with 70 people beyond the “Happy Birthday!!” and “Congratulations” messages. I can hardly say I’ve even come close to that number. And I can hardly say I could even tell you who those 350 friends even are.

Why continue with this hypocrisy then? It’s use has lost meaning just as it has with many other social networking sites. The true essence of social media has been lost to the numbers game. Sharing has been thrown out the window. And connecting has become second to the idea of getting the connections, followers and likes. Few hardly develop any form of relationship. While many seek to artificially create a sense of influence through Twitter diets, demanding “likes” and retweets but hardly reciprocating and blatantly message their entire list of LinkedIn connections for a recommendation.

I can’t speak for everyone else, but I believe in a sense of online etiquette. Individuals have presumably adapted how they act to their environments. It’s the reason why we see a Facebook mentality, a Twitter mentality, a LinkedIn mentality and so on, on top of offline mentalities. Of which few individuals interchange them and act the same throughout. And though the online world allows us to establish and actually build great relationships without ever meeting these great people also providing us with great opportunities, we begin to emerge as individuals that believe we can quite frankly do whatever we like online. Since there are no consequences. Right?

Apart for the obvious notions of someone seeing something online about you, the consequences hardly exist. You can only lose what you built up. Ultimately, the idea of social media itself loses. It’s so interesting to see how many Twitter dieters stop following other people. Not that I was offended in being unfollowed. Rather, in many of these scenarios these so-called dieters unfollowed a vast majority to give themselves a favourable ratio of following-to-followers. And they then still expect our support on their fan pages and LinkedIn profiles (ironically enough I was surprised how many individuals were “dieting” and even after being unfollowed they still keep connections with me via fan pages and LinkedIn. Anything to keep the numbers up).

Social media and networking does not simply travel in one direction. It’s not a one-way discussion. It is the gathering of multiple relationships, conversations and thoughts. It is the encompassment of everyone else. The self is important. But building, establishing and developing the relationships is absolutely imperative. And this is something many have forgot to realize or even acknowledge. You are only as great as those that follow you and what you can deliver back to them.

This is where social media has lost its touch. At some point in time over the last few years, everything became about the numbers. The more flattering those numbers became, the more unrealistic it all starts to seem. Our social hypocrisy has turned curiosity into pleasure and pornography. We are all encouraged to follow, connect, share and like. But to what end?

Eventually, a time will come when we decide that “liking” every brand is useless. What’s the point when it only congests our news feed and we receive nothing but a quick corporate promotion out of it. We’ll realize that our true friends and colleagues are only a call, SMS, text or email away. Why bother having 350 friends? Why bother following those who decided to stop following you? Why connect with those who only expect personal gains from your relationship? Why be in this relationship?

Are we all scared of having a meaningless social media existence if we start rationalizing our behaviours? After all, having all these connections, likes, friends and followers means something, doesn’t it? What would be the point of having Facebook if I only had 20 “friends”? Wouldn’t that be boring? 350 “friends” does sound and look better.

Should we have expected any of this? Who’s to say. You should know not to really expect anything at all.

“Dear social media…”

(Photo credit)

8 Trends To Keep in Mind When Building Millennial Marketing Strategies

Written on August 23, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

3 Comments

Social media, m-commerce, app and all new media strategies are creating a headache for the marketing, advertising and PR worlds. Change and innovation are outpacing our abilities to keep up with the times. Technologies are being built and advanced at a rate far beyond from what we can consume. Meanwhile, we’re all just trying to keep up.

It’s no wonder that any kind of strategy can fall short. They often do. Segments are evolving. Sub-segments are growing. And Millennials are changing the smallest aspects of everyday life. Ones that are proving to have the largest impact.

I know some of you might think that I’m overstating the trends. So I’ll let the trends speak for themselves. Between 65%-68% of marketing executives and 52%-68% of advertising executives state they find it very or somewhat challenging to “stay current on social media trends.” And I can only imagine how they would feel about innovating ideas such as location based apps, QR codes and the idea of blog communities.

Unfortunately for many of them, they’ll have to face these challenges. Whether they like it or not. Creating and building a successful strategy will be reliant on many of these factors, especially when it comes to the Millennials. The times are shifting and changing rapidly, and the Millennials are seemingly keeping with up it. But are you?

So with no further adieu, here are 8 trends you should keep in mind when building your Millennial marketing and advertising strategies.

1. QR Codes

Known as quick response codes, they are those strange looking square-shaped and pattern images you are beginning to see more often. Each image itself is encrypted with unique information. What’s significant about this is that these barcodes can be optimized for smart phones. And it goes beyond just scanning for information. Just imagine the possibilities you could offer.

2. Location Base Apps

The app-world is alive and well. Not to mention that it’s absolutely thriving. With smart phones, pads and tablets becoming the norm, apps deliver an immediate presence like no other. Now shift gears to specific apps tailored to the locations you frequent. From social network check-ins on Foursquare to passive retail checking-in on Shopkick, any kind of “extra” deal might be enough to bring foot traffic your way.

3. Blog Communities

What’s ironic about blogging is that at the same time when blogging has been on the decline it has been projected to increase amongst companies. And it will increase. Everyone is always looking for answers and solutions. Company social networking profiles don’t necessarily always fulfill that. Equally, company blog’s will become the “go-to” place simply because it will be perceived as the most genuine form of interaction between the customer and brand. And it simply won’t be typical company “push” efforts – for the smart ones at least. They’ll realize it doesn’t have to be the company who only blogs on their blog. Customers have more to say than you think. It’s a powerful and interesting thought.

4. Personal Customization

Customization is becoming a growing trend even though many of us don’t see it. And it goes beyond the previous notions of getting something customized. The reality is that we are all buying products and all those products have extras attached. We’re continually adding on what we like while our ability to “add-on” is growing larger. And we’re growing to having everything customized our way.

Take smart phones for instance. We buy the smart phone and it comes with it’s basic functions and abilities. But we add everything else to our customized tastes. Whether that be apps, extra services or both, smart phones become unique personal items that we’ve tailored to ourselves. At first glance, they all look the same. But I doubt any one smart phone is the same or even used in the same manner.

5. Instant Communication and Response

Our growing reliance on technology has ingrained an idea into our head that suggests that all communication should be instantaneous. With the growing ability to reply at a moments notice, not only does this imply quick responses, but we begin to expect it. Is this problematic? Definitely. But communicating with the customer quickly is the difference between keeping them and losing them.

6. Engagement a.k.a. Building Relationships

The companies and brands that have always tended to build some kind of relationship have always done well. And with the Millennials, it will be a trend that will only grow. Since we now have the greater ability to reach individuals at more intimate areas of their lives, that reach will have to be just as intimate. Remember, our areas of social networking are built on personal experiences. Can’t use the same old tricks here.

7. Tribal Thinking

With greater ability to connect, segment and sub-segment tribes begin to emerge – if you don’t believe me, ask Seth. As niches grow, so does a very-fragmented set of “wants”. And it’ll be something that will continue to grow with the collaborative-minded and team-orientated Millennials. Strategizing for niches is nothing new. But rather than strategizing for each individual, why not do something different for the whole tribe. I’m no expert, but even I know getting two customers for the same effort versus one is better. And I’m not talking about 2-for-1 deals here. Use your imagination. I’ll give you a hint: doing things in groups is fun.

8. Advanced Multi-Platform Ideas

I’m amazed at how traditional the multi-platform approach has been, especially with all the different forms of media available. I understand the effects and strengths of continually showing the same advertisements and even spreading those same messages across the platforms. At the same time, I see major marketing dollars increasing but not showing the same return.

We have the capacity to do almost anything. Breaking down and re-establishing your efforts could be highly worth it. Traditional efforts always carry their traditional weight but we’re not in traditional times anymore. There’s a growing number of new-ways to market and advertise, I suggest you think of more clever ways to reach us.

(Photo credit)