The first rule of sales is “Know Thy Audience.”  Anyone who deals with sales and marketing probably knows at least a little about the various generations living today.   For business purposes, there are currently six generations or audiences today.   The frugal Silent Generation, born from 1929 to 1945 and now in their 70s and 80s, grew up during the Great Depression and World War II.   The free-spirited Baby Boomers (born from 1946 to 1964), who grew up during the Civil Rights movement and the Cold War, are now beginning to retire and are redefining what that means.  The GenXers or Boomlets (born 1965 to 1981) were the latch key kids who grew up during the race to Space and the Vietnam War.  Theirs was the first generation to transition from an analog to a digital world.  Generation Y — the now much discussed Millennials (born between 1982 and 1999) — were the first generation to grow up as technology natives and watched terrorism become a global threat.   As the currently biggest generation living (80 million in the U.S. alone), they only want to do meaningful work, aren’t interested in office politics, the status quo or paying their dues.  But there are two more generations emerging.  Meet the iGens and the Alphas.

The iGeneration, also known as Generation Z or Post-Millennials, are those born after 2000 who are not just technology natives but also social media natives.  This generation is comprised of those born roughly between 2000 and 2012.  The oldest of this generation are about to become adults and the youngest are in Kindergaarten.  While most iGens haven’t begun to work yet, they benefit a lot from and have access to their parents’ considerable spending power.  And right on the heels of Generation Z, the next generation is already emerging.  Dubbed the Alpha Generation, they are comprised of today’s babies and preschoolers.  Most haven’t even been born yet.  While this generation has absolutely no buying power and has hardly had time to be shaped or affected by the world around them, some things can already be gleaned about them.  Here’s more about the two newest generations that will be shaping our collective future.

What we already know about Post-Millennials

The I Generation, or iGens, may seem on the surface to be just a continuation of the Gen Y-Millennials that precede them.  They’re not.  This generation has only ever known a world that is hyper-connected. To them, with just a few taps on a smartphone, a pair of pants can be delivered to their doorstep via UPS, Uber or a drone in less than an hour.

iGens are different in a number of ways that are important to anyone who is or will be selling to them.

• The i Generation is highly independent, curious and driven.  They’re growing up in a world with a healthier economy and they are ready to charge into it.  They want to take an active role in their communities and their future.

• iGens require information on-demand.  If they can’t easily and quickly find what they need, they move on.

• iGens turn to social media first to learn about new products before buying them.

• They trust the advice of friends, or even strangers, more than authority figures, organizations, and brands on social media.  Marketing to iGens will be more about word-of-mouth, reviews and referrals than any generation before it.  What people think about a company will matter more than ever.  Poor quality and bad service will kill companies that try to cut corners.

• iGens are totally focused on themselves.  It is a “me” generation.  Although that also was said about GenXers, it is a different kind of fixation on self.  This generation knows what it wants and they want society to understand those interests, hobbies, and goals.  Companies that want to sell to iGens will need to deliver customized experiences and know their audiences better than ever.  Data mining and CRM will be more valuable than ever.  Repeated emails and generic email blasts addressed to “Dear Customer” or “Dear Sir” is an instant turn off for this generation.

• How iGens consume information is vastly different than previous generations. They’re multi-screen-users and are accustomed to consuming large amounts of media from multiple touch points at once.  They take “multi-tasking” — or at least the illusion of it – to a whole other level.  They are accustomed to the incessant “noise” of the digital world.

• Because many iGens live their life online, they are constantly inundated with content from multiple sources. They’re scrolling through news feeds, photos, and videos at rapid speeds. Companies that want to reach iGens should produce content that excites and engages.

• iGens highly filter what enters their world and will only “like” and “follow” companies that represent their ideals.

If we aggregate all this information, we find a generation that knows itself, the world and what it wants better than any previous generation.  And they won’t settle for less.  That makes them a demanding audience.

At this point, what can be surmised about the Alpha Generation?

Many Alphas haven’t even been born yet.  So what can possibly be said about a generation that is still being born and will be for roughly the next decade?  A lot, actually.  Here’s what is clear about the Alpha Generation already.

• The Alpha Generation will be the first generation wholly born in the 21st century.

• There are currently more than 2.5 million Alphas being born globally every week.

• In the U.S., Generation Alpha will be comprised of more minorities than whites.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. is projected to become a majority-minority nation for the first time in 2043. But, by 2023, less than half of the U.S. population under 30 will be white.

• By the time all Alphas have been born in 2025, there will be almost two billion Alphas in the world.   That will be the biggest generation to exist ever.  And there will be more Alphas in India and China than anywhere else in the world.  This gives a whole new meaning to Baby Boom!

• The generation gap that will be felt between all previous generations and Alphas will be even more pronounced in less-developed nations.

• Alphas will be the most formally-educated generation ever.

• The Alpha Generation will also be the most technologically-supplied generation ever.  Alphas will spend the bulk of their formative years completely immersed in technology.

• As the first generation with screens placed in front of them practically from birth, Alphas will use screens as pacifiers, entertainers and educational aids.  Alphas will be the first “screenagers,” earning them the alternate moniker of Generation Glass.

• Globally, Alphas will be the wealthiest generation ever.

Not only is there a lot we can deduce about this new generation just from their environment, there’s also a lot that can be deduced about Alphas by looking at their parents.

• The Alpha Generation’s parents will be older and more culturally diverse than previous generations.

• Globally, the parents of Alphas will also be wealthier and their life expectancy longer than those of past generations.

• The families of Alphas will be smaller than previous generations.   Alphas will have fewer siblings.

• The parents of Alphas will change careers more frequently and have more material wealth and technology.

• The parents of Alphas are also more likely to outsource their children’s care to paid caregivers while they work.

It is time to start making way for the iGen and Alpha Generations.  The iGens are ready and eager to take on the world and will be heading into jobs and colleges soon.  On their heels, we see an even more unique generation on the horizon.  The Alphas will speak a whole different, more diverse and tech-savvy language than any before them, much like their Greek name implies.  It behooves us all to prepare our businesses – sales, marketing, HR and operations – for what’s ahead.

Quote of the Week

“Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.” George Orwell

© 2017, Keren Peters-Atkinson. All rights reserved.