Gen Y-ired

As cable marketers struggle to figure out "millennials," also known as Generation Y, a few themes surfaced at CTAM NY‘s Wed breakfast focused on this multitasking, group-thinking, social networking horde. According to Jill Rosengard Hill, svp at Frank N. Magid Associates, the millennial generation is already bigger than the Baby Boomer crowd and "will dominate the 18-49 demo" in a few short years. But this largely "coddled" group behaves nothing like previous generations: They have zero patience for mass marketing, demanding total customization and personalization; their networked gadgets are like "an umbilical cord to their family and friends"; and—here’s one for an episode of "Fear Factor"—some 25% of 26-year-olds still live at home. "I think the millennials have changed everything," said Digitas CMO Seth Solomons, adding that they reject marketing that comes "at" them. "You need to find a way to market with and for millennials." That means asking their help to virally spread—and even shape—marketing messages because "they are obsessively tuning out all of us." Omnicom Media Group pres Steve Grubbs said cable marketers must "infiltrate" the social networking ecosystem to truly reach Gen-Y. Easy, right? Welcome to the future.