Stetoscope

One of the current feature about gen Y is that it is the first generation that have grown up in a highly marketed world. Thanks to Naomi Klein and Bret Easton Ellis, this generation is supposed to know about the pain and frustrations marketing generate. Moreover, this generation spent a lot of time on TV or the Internet and so is able to detect every manipulation behind images. Today, gen Y does not makes choice under the (evil) influence of marketing but freely through friend recommendations.

Last week, while I was browsing around, I suddenly paid attention to a strange ranking : “The most trusted brand named by trend setters aged between 21-27 years old“.

1. Apple
2. Traders Joe
3. Jet blue
4. In-N-out burger
5. Ben & Jerry’s
6. Whole Food
7. Addidas
8. American apparel
9. Targets
10. H&M clothing stores
11. Levi’s
12. Volkswagen
13. Converse
14. Vitamin water
15. Red stripe Jamaican beer

The least, we can say is that those brands cannot claim to be marketing-free. Most of it, are known in the advertising agency as the most prestigious budget of the world : Apple, Addidas, Volkswagen, Levi’s, Converse, … Ad agencies would kill to have these names in their references. That is also because those brands are really innovative as for their products or services, as for their marketing strategies.

In my opinion, Gen Y is not really marketing savvy but only resistant to old marketing. I mean resistant to “Procter&Gamble” marketing. This generation do not want fake demonstration and big promise anymore. Gen Y are looking for simplicity, authenticity, honesty and not being that serious. And Red stripe commercial has exactly caught this spirit.

I love great innovative marketing, says the beautiful gen !