© 1 2014

Youth TRU-isms

QuickFacts

What’s Changing

What’s in a Name?

Formative Events

Now What? Brands &Marketing

Quotesof Note

OtherResources

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CENTENNIALS

© 2 2014

QuickFacts

An assortment of facts and figures providing a quick viewof Centennials

Born in or after 1997; the oldest Centennials are 17 in 2014 23% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau) 52% Non-Hispanic White; 24% Hispanic; 14% African American; 5% Asian American (U.S.

Census Bureau) Centennials’ parents comprise both Xers and Millennials equally (42% for each; Boomers

account for the remaining 14%) 63% own smartphones; 48% own tablets; just 22% own basic cellphones (TRU Youth

MONITOR Consumers & Consumers 2014) 64% consider themselves “savers” rather than “spenders” (TRU Youth MONITOR Consumers &

Consumers 2014) 82% report their fathers are employed full-time 49% report their mothers are employed full-time 47% live in the suburbs (TRU Youth MONITOR Perceptions & Priorities 2014) 85% are single; 8% are seeing someone casually; 6% are seeing someone seriously

CENTENNIALS

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What’s Changing

Shifting dynamics that businesses and brands must understand and address in reaching Centennials

LESS SELF-ABSORBED,MORE SELF-ASSURED

VIGILANT OUTLOOK, TEMPERED EXPECTATIONS

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VIGILANT OUTLOOK, TEMPERED EXPECTATIONS: Born in a time of trials and traumas, Centennials’ parents have begun to shift from the Millennial-era emphasis on self-esteem and self-expression to a focus on resilience and integrity. This group plans for the future and tends to avoid frivolity and unnecessary risk.

BACK

What’s Changing

Shifting dynamics that businesses and brands must understand and address in reaching Centennials

30%

of Centennials agree: “I like to do things considered risky or dangerous” (versus 44% of Millennials in 2004)

60%

of Centennials would rather have the guarantee they would never become poor rather than the possibility they might become rich

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LESS SELF-ABSORBED, MORE SELF-ASSURED: Millennials were taught to value communication, cooperation and collaboration. As young people, they tended to aim for alignment with their peers, showcasing individual strengths as a way to stand out slightly from the crowd. Centennials’ world has always been fragmented, and they feel less compelled to conform.

BACK

What’s Changing

Shifting dynamics that businesses and brands must understand and address in reaching Centennials

Reactions to peers’ “different” or “unusual” clothes (12-17s) (2013 TRU Youth MONITOR)

I care a lot whether my clothes are in style (among 12-15s)

CENTENNIALS

2000 2014

62%

49%

65%

29%

22%

22%

4%

4%

Say or do nothing

Compliment them

Ask where they purchased clothes

Assume they're being fashionable/trendy

Make fun of them to their face

Make fun of them behind their back

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We expect Centennials will be a generation smaller in scope than their Millennial predecessors. The Millennial cohort was a demographically large generation that came of age at the turn of the millennium. Young Millennials’ formative years were a time of plenty. The Centennial cohort—a product of falling birth rates—was born near the turn of the century and is intimately familiar with scarcity. If Millennials were taught to dream big, Centennials are learning to buckle down and work on the things they can control.

LOWER BIRTH RATES GROUNDED EXPECTATIONS

What’s in a Name?

Values shaped by shared experiences in Centennials’ formative years

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LOWER BIRTH RATES:• The Xer generation’s birth rate bottomed out in 1975 when the U.S. birth rate

hit 14.6 per 1,000 population. (U.S. Census Bureau)

• At the Millennial generation’s peak in 1990, the U.S. birth rate hit 16.7 per 1,000 population. (U.S. Census Bureau)

• In 2002, five years into the Centennial generation, the U.S. birth rate fell to just 13.9 per 1,000 population. (U.S. Census Bureau)

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CENTENNIALS

What’s in a Name?

Values shaped by shared experiences in Centennials’ formative years

5

10

15

20

25

19.4

14.6 15.6

16.7

14.2 13.9

Births per 1,000

1969 1979 1997

1975

1990

Gen X Millennials Centennials

2002

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GROUNDED EXPECTATIONS:

As children, Millennials dreamed big dreams of wealth and fame. Early data suggest Centennials are adopting a more tempered outlook and smaller, more manageable expectations. Although Centennials will drive many of the changes we see going forward in the new century, Centennials aren’t saddled with impossible dreams.

BACK

CENTENNIALS

What’s in a Name?

Values shaped by shared experiences in Centennials’ formative years

Better About the same Worse

77%

19%

3%

59%

40%

2%

Standard of living compared to parents (among 12-15s)

2005 2013 71%

of Centennials agree: “Always having new stuff is overrated when what I have already is good enough”

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Centennials as teens and Millennials as adults will share similar challenges and opportunities; the difference will be the way each cohort addresses them. Many of these differences trace back to generation-specific formative experiences.

Didn’t touch this section

SOCIAL:

NEAT vs. NUANCED

CENTENNIALS

Formative Events

Values shaped by shared experiences in Centennials’ formative years

TECHNOLOGICAL:

EXPLORATION vs. SECRECY

ECONOMIC:

ROBUST vs. AT RISK

POLITICAL:

RESOLUTION vs. REVOLUTION

© 10 2014

SOCIAL: NEAT vs. NUANCED

For young Millennials, depictions of life were often pretty and polished. The Babysitter’s Club books, Saved by the Bell and Clueless featured problems that verged on trivial and were solved in due time. For Centennials raised on a diet of Lemony Snicket, The Fosters and Hunger Games, life is nuanced and messy. Centennials were never offered the false sense of security Millennials were; instead they’ve seen the celebration of grit and resilience.

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CENTENNIALS

Formative Events

Values shaped by shared experiences in Centennials’ formative years

Centennial pop culture

Millennial pop culture

© 11 2014

TECHNOLOGICAL: EXPLORATION vs. SECRECY

Vigilance is second nature to Centennials, and it helps distinguish them from prior cohorts. Centennials and their parents have learned from the mistakes of digital pioneer Millennials—and so have brands. As a consequence, in addition to their lifestage sensitivities, Centennials have developed workarounds and altered their sharing practices to circumvent monitoring and show a healthy distrust of the darker sides of digital life.

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CENTENNIALS

Formative Events

Values shaped by shared experiences in Centennials’ formative years 35% 52%

Very/somewhat comfortable meeting someone in real life you only knew from online

Centennials (12-17) Millennials (18-29)(2013 TRU Youth MONITOR)

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ECONOMIC: ROBUST vs. AT RISK

In 2000, when many Millennials were 12 to 17 years old, the economy had enjoyed a long period of expansion. Teens at the time had only ever known economic plenty, and overworked parents often coped by over-scheduling their kids. Fourteen years later, Centennials’ experiences reflect the opposite: time is relatively plentiful—money, not so much.

 

BACK

CENTENNIALS

Formative Events

Values shaped by shared experiences in Centennials’ formative years

Not enough money Not enough sleep

26%24%

37%

17%

Complaints about daily life:(among 12-17s)

2000 2014

(2014 TRU Youth MONITOR)

© 13 2014

POLITICAL: RESOLUTION vs. REVOLUTION

Millennials’ post-Cold War foreign relations, like their entertainment, seemed neat and tidy, and the generation’s attention was largely focused inward.

The Centennials have grown up with interminable ground wars and social upheaval around the world. Frosty relations between Russia, China, and the West suggest a future of instability and risk. Centennials seem surprisingly aware of the uncertainty in the world around them, but they’re determined to persevere.

 

BACK

CENTENNIALS

Formative Events

Values shaped by shared experiences in Centennials’ formative years 54%

of Centennials agree: “I really like to keep up with what’s going on in the world(Top 2 Box)

86%

of Centennials agree : “I enjoy and celebrate life despite its many obstacles and challenges”(Top 2 Box)

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EXPERIMENTATION & SENSATION-SEEKING

SELF-DETERMINATION &

CONTROL

The journey from childhood to adulthood hinges on forging independence and identity. The immense task takes place one step at a time. Using trial and error in a series of interrelated experience areas, teens build their identities on a foundation of personal growth, learning, and sharing. We call these areas “Youth TRU-isms,” because although individual experiences may differ, the process is a nearly universal one in the youth lifestage.

SELF-EXPRESSION & STATUS-SEEKING

CENTENNIALS

Youth

TRU-isms

Three universal quests that define the teen years and the youth lifestage.

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SELF-DETERMINATION & CONTROL:

While Millennials were told they were each special in their own way and that their futures were essentially assured, the younger cohort takes nothing for granted. Centennials are already concerned that they are not adequately prepared for the future. Centennials have adopted a level-headed consumption orientation.

BACK

CENTENNIALS

Youth

TRU-isms

Three universal quests that define the teen years and the youth lifestage. of Centennials say they worry

about not being prepared for the future rather than saying they’re too young to worry about it

68%

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EXPERIMENTATION & SENSATION-SEEKING: Millennials’ formative years were a time of relative prosperity; frivolity ruled the day and there seemed little reason or motivation to take on adult responsibilities and concerns early. Centennials’ experiences thus far have been completely different. Even as teens, they have a more sober relationship with the concept of “fun.”

BACK

CENTENNIALS

Youth

TRU-isms

Three universal quests that define the teen years and the youth lifestage.

2000 2014

52%

26%

Agree: “We’re about fun”(among 12-17s)

2004 2014

44%

30%

Agree: “I like to do things that could be considered

risky or dangerous”(among 12-17s)

(TRU Youth MONITOR)

© 17 2014

SELF-EXPRESSION & STATUS-SEEKING: While Millennials pioneered the use of social networks to amplify one’s personal brand, there’s less emphasis on “show” and more on “tell” among Centennials. Millennials helped Facebook become the ultimate see-and-be-seen platform and have remained steadily engaged despite eroding privacy protections. Centennials are trading Facebook for smaller, more private virtual ecosystems.

BACK

CENTENNIALS

Youth

TRU-isms

Three universal quests that define the teen years and the youth lifestage.

Centennials Millennials

52%

77%

44%37%

16%9%

31%26%

Facebook as most-used social network to connect with friends

Facebook Instagram Vine Snapchat

(TRU Youth MONITOR Consumers & Commerce 2014)

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Now What?

A roadmap for developing strategies related to Centennial lifestyles

WHAT’S YOUR ISSUE?

WHAT IS THE CENTENNIAL MINDSET?

WHAT DOES CENTENNIAL SELF-EXPRESSION LOOK LIKE?

WHAT CHALLENGES WILL CENTENNIALS POSE FOR ME?

CENTENNIALS

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What factors inform the Centennial mindset?

1 32

Centennials are comfortably ensconced in the youth lifestage—with all its attendant interests, wants, and needs. They’re eager to tackle the same milestones and quests that helped shape prior generations.

Still, how this cohort interacts with these new frontiers and rites of passage has much to do with the world around them. Their current attitudes reflect a more sober take on fun and risk than Millennials showed at a similar age.

Look for Centennials to temper youthful exploration with vigilance and temperance. This balance of marvel and maturity could result in a more nuanced and complex—and trickier—target than youth marketers are used to.

LIFESTAGE COHORT MINDSET

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CENTENNIALS

Now What?

A roadmap for developing strategies related to Centennial lifestyles

© 20 2014

How are Centennials changing the timeless youth need for self-expression?

1 32

Though Millennials aren’t overly preoccupied with rigid conformity, they still appreciate the audience, attention and acclaim they find in broadcasting themselves. Centennials seem less focused on self-promotion and the Facebook hive-mind.

Raised amid unprecedented diversity, Centennials assume everyone comes to the table with different strengths. As such, they give wide latitude for differences in taste, style, and ability. They expect the same courtesy.

Centennials are less compelled than their Millennial peers to find a platform and message that reaches the largest possible group. They don’t need to spend precious time convincing people they’re unique; they’d prefer to speak their mind and their truth.

CULTURALLY INTELLIGENT

SELF-POSSESSED

BACK

CENTENNIALS

Now What?

A roadmap for developing strategies related to Centennial lifestyles

COMFORT WITH NON-CONFORMITY

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What does the generational shift mean for the marketplace—and my brand?

1 32

Much of the exciting technological progress that mobile-native Centennials see has come at a cost to the traditional market. If Millennials were savvy consumers expert at working the system, look for Centennials to be bold consumers ready to change it.

Millennials were largely respectful of institutions and the marketplace, but Centennials may be less patient. An ever-growing number of tools allow them to create their own workarounds if your brand doesn’t spot and eliminate friction before they do.

Centennials may not even give you a warning sign before they identify a solution—potentially one that doesn’t involve you. Be ready to give up some control and work with this generation to drive your strategies and tactics—or risk them taking you out of the equation.

EXPECT EMBOLDENMENT

OPEN THEIR PATH

INVITE THEM IN

BACK

CENTENNIALS

Now What?

A roadmap for developing strategies related to Centennial lifestyles

© 22 2014

Brands &Marketing

Brands and campaigns that resonate with the values and lifestyles of Centennials

Prudential Insurance: If Millennials often dreamed huge dreams but lacked concrete plans to achieve them, Centennials seem willing to down-shift their expectations and work out a strategy for success. Prudential shows consumers how baby steps they take today can add up over the long haul. VIEW AD

Snapchat: Group-minded Millennials flocked to Facebook; it was a virtual stage from which they could broadcast their lives for public consumption and approval. Centennials, it seems, are looking for smaller, more intimate virtual environments. Using Snapchat, they’re able to communicate honestly and without much pretense to a limited group of their own choosing. VIEW AD

Modern Family: One of the ABC comedy’s youngest characters, Manny Delgado, thrives in a rollicking polycultural family with poise and maturity beyond his years. In true Centennial style, he’s less frivolous and more industrious than youth stereotypes suggests he should be, and he’s outgoing without any of the self-consciousness so common to the youth lifestage. VIEW VIDEO

CENTENNIALSAndroid: Apple is still winning with Centennials, but Android’s new campaign “Be Together. Not the Same” is custom-built for the Centennial generation. The ad in question celebrates boldness, personal bravery, and the power of millions all doing their own thing together—all Centennial attributes. VIEW AD

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Quotes of Note

Useful snippets of relevant content about Centennials to add color to these insights

“[The Centennial generation] is innately liberal, overwhelmingly supporting gay marriage and transgender rights, for instance. Fifty-five percent of teenagers surveyed believe anyone should have the right to become a U.S. citizen regardless of how that person came to the U.S. And 64 percent say the U.S. gets involved in too many wars. That may reflect youthful idealism—previous generations, too, have started out as leftists and slid gradually toward the center—but [Centennials] may be different in being genuinely bigotry-proof. It may be the first generation for which diversity is a natural concept that will not be ruined by anything older people do or say.” (Will Gen Z Disconnect? Bloomberg)

“Although I do have a Facebook, none of my other friends do. My friends just thought it was a waste of time. I decided to get a Facebook just to see what it was all about. I soon discovered that Facebook is useless without friends. My only friend is, like, my grandma. Teens are followers. That’s just what we are. If all my friends are getting this cool new thing called Snapchat, I want it, too! We want what’s trending, and if Facebook isn’t trending, teens won’t care. In the end, Facebook has been trying too hard. Teens hate it when people try too hard.” (I’m 13 and None of my Friends Use Facebook. Mashable)

“Teens today might have a mixed reputation, but there’s no denying their influence. They command millions of fans on Twitter and Vine, start companies with funds they raised on Kickstarter, steal scenes on TV’s most popular shows, lead protests with global ramifications, and even win Nobel Peace Prizes.” (The 25 Most Influential Teens of 2014. Time)

“Centennials are growing up with a less idealistic and more pragmatic edge. They’re facing situations that the Millennials didn’t have to deal with until early adulthood, and as a result, Centennials are growing up more savvy, in graver times when everybody doesn’t win and when choices are limited and success is harder to come by.” (Erik Medina, Head of the TRU Youth MONITOR, The Futures Company)  

CENTENNIALS

© 24 2014

MONITOR Download Download on Millennials

MONITOR LIVE Spotlights November 2014:

The Millennials Have Left the Building: Introducing a New Generation of Youth

MONITOR Minute Growing Up Gritty Meet the Mamaculturals

OtherResources

Links to additional content on Centennials

Other Sources

Report Says YouTube Overtakes Facebook Among Teens, Mashable Will Generation Z Disconnect? Bloomberg Millennials Are Old News—Here’s Everything You Should Know About

Generation Z. Business Insider

Will Generation Z Disconnect? Bloomberg Gen Z Has Grand Ambitions for Homeownership. Entrepreneur Quiz: Me and Gen Z. Marketplace Portrait of Generation Z. Northeastern University Survey Finds Generation Z To Be Motivated Lot. Boston Globe Will Gen Z Be The Startup Generation That Never Retires?

Upstart Business Journal

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TRU Youth MONITOR

The preeminent youth syndicated-research offering

fully connects clients to U.S.

teens and twenty-somethings Learn More

© 25 2014

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All data are from the 2014 TRU Youth MONITOR, unless

otherwise noted

CENTENNIALS