What is a Gillennial?
Millenials – the generation that’s speaking up to higher management regarding the benefits they want in the workplace in order to feel satisfied in their careers. They’re the generation that would often rather rent than buy, and they’re also the age group with the highest book sales. The term Millennial is one we’re starting to hear more and more as an identifier for the younger generation that is starting to grow into their own. But now there seems to be a new identifier for the untraditional individuals in this age group who are taking marketers by surprise. Cue entrance of… the Gillennial?
Introduced during a communications’ team meeting with Ford Motor Company, the term Gillennial is defined as a Millenial or even a member of Generation X who is getting their grounding in the professional world and facing important milestones in their life. While most people in their early 30s are assumed to be looking towards marriage and settling down, Gillennials are trailblazers and not ready to conform to the norm, living by the catchphrase “the new normal.”
In many ways, Gillennials are doing things differently than their predecessors, and that’s what sets them apart. They may engage with friends via Twitter and Facebook rather than email or phone call. Numerous news outlets have run stories on their growing content to rent condos and participate in car sharing rather than make long term commitments associated with purchasing a home or financing a car. They’re more concerned with living life and living it in the moment as opposed to having everything pre-meditated. They aspire to travel and see the world, and for better or worse, they crave instant gratification.
What this means to you and your business
So what does this mean for your business? Rather than get caught up in why this moniker was created, your time would be better served grasping what it is that fuels this particular group of people. Gillennials are experiential and want to engage with causes, places and brands that get who they are. They don’t fall for smoke and mirrors, they crave authenticity and are used to getting what they want, when they want it. So listen to their thoughts and opinions, connect over issues they’re passionate about and quickly provide solutions that will be relevant and provide value rather than temporary niceties that won’t get a second look.
This isn’t the generation who is sold on hyperbole and fluff; they’ll bypass a split-level house with a plush lawn and head straight for a small New York studio apartment in a building with numerous other tenants because it’s what makes them happy. So listen to them, tap into what excites and drives them and get ready to take your business a little bit further into the new normal.
