I think the Generation Y article has a lot of interesting points, and was a good to prelude to where 'Generation Y' was going at the time it was written. But I also think it makes a too much of the fact that teens and young adults have always and most likely will always seek fashions, activities, gadgets, etc., that are different and more hip than the fashions and activities their parents and grandparents are engaging in. I think it is a characteristic of growing up--a certain amount of rebellion against classic, mature, or outdated ideas. For instance, the greasers and Tbirds in the 40s and 50s, the hippies in the 60s and 70s...as every generation ages, it attempts to develop its own sense of character, style, personality. I think some of the comparisons the BW article makes a little obvious, for instance, obviously a 13 yr old girl isn't going to get dreamy eyed about Harrison Ford when Leonardo Dicaprio is an option. And the Gap and Delia's comparison i find interesting, because I have always thought of my generation at the generation of the Gap Kid. And though I remember when Delia's became popular, I thought of it as a fad, shopped the catalog maybe a couple times, but Gap was one of my favorite staple stores at least through Junior High School.
I think a major trend or theme the article doesn't explore is with the internet and the ridiculously quick proliferation of fads, trends, and ideas, I think that my generation attempts to differentiate on an individual level more. Popular TV now features stars who aren't psudo-cheerleader-jock-cookie cutter hottie, but are quirky, weird, endearing stars with spunk. I think this reflects our generations' need to be seen as individuals in a highly digital world, and the explosion of customization in personal choices--music (itunes), clothing/shoes (design your own online), media (blogging), etc--aids my generation in not only the age old sentiment of 'sticking it to the man' i.e. rebelling against the establishment, but also a deeper need to really escape the overwhelming, almost robotic technological age that is developing.
I think marketers have to really understand that generation Y consumers don't necessarily want to join or be apart of every trend and fad, but they want to create their own fads. Generation Y consumers have become accustomed to being much more proactive consumers--they search for their own music, technology, and clothing digitally--and so the possiblities are endless. In order words, to merely ride the current band wagon trends would be lazy with all of the search tools at our disposal.
I also think that online social networking is a powerful tool, but I think it is very misunderstood as an advertising venue. No one (that I know of) pays the slightest attention to any advertising done on Facebook, unless (perhaps) it is a message sent out by a friend who is involved in the product. I think search engine advertising is more effective because that is when the consumer is engaged and open to looking for products.
The Generation Y article sums up some interesting points about our generation and makes some telling predictions, but when it comes down to why generation Y is edgy, controversial, or resistant to typical marketing techniques, I think it takes a somewhat surface approach and ignores the deeper influences of the unlimited education, communication, purchasing, and individualization opportunities that generation Y not only utilizes, but combats.
