The New Generation-C

First came the Baby Boomers - those born between 1946 and 1964. Then came the Gen-X People (the baby boomers' children?) - those born in the 1960s and 1970s. Next came the not-so-publicized Generation Y (the baby boomers' grandchildren?) - those born during a baby bulge in the 1980s and 1990s.

Within this Generation Y group, there's a niche generation of youngsters born between 1988 and 1993 called the Generation C.

Here are some excerpts:

"C" stands for CONTENT, and anyone with even a tiny amount of creative talent can (and probably will) be part of this not-so-exclusive trent. (More on "Creativity" here.)

The four other C's are: Creativity, Casual Collapse, Control and Celebrity.

Creativity: let's face it, we're all creatives, if not artists! (Notice we didn't say talented artists ;-)

Casual Collapse: the ongoing demise of many beliefs, rituals, formal requirements and laws modern societies have held dear, which continue to 'collapse' without causing the apocalyptic aftermath often predicted by conservative minds.

Control: besides the need to be creative, control is one of mans' other fundamental needs. To be in charge, to be master of one's own destiny (or at least have the illusion of control ;-), is a holy grail for many. So... to make a big leap to the world of business: consumers happily find they increasingly have control over what they buy and who they buy it from.

Celebrity: Most people still entertain the thought of being a celebrity, even a minor one. What has changed though, is that the implied waiting-time to get one's precious (and short lived) celebrity moment is over: members of GENERATION C can produce, display and then distribute to millions their own images, their creations, their 'content'.

OPPORTUNITIES:

In order to profit from the GENERATION C trend, as a professional or organization, make sure you not only provide consumers with the means to create and distribute content (from USD 999 professional cameras to the free global distribution network that is the internet), but also acknowledge deep human needs for control and for exposure. Get your customers involved with the design of your goods and services, have them deliver input on your processes, allow them to customize and personalize your offerings. And above all, never underestimate how much creativity is hidden deep down in all of them. Only 10 years ago, to most companies, the C in GENERATIOn C would most likely represent consumption.

Times have changed.

So... be creative!

~from Trendwatching.com