“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something–your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” — Steve Jobs
Been hearing about the Gen Z a lot in the news in India and they were a united force becoming a real catalyst of positive change, inspiring inclusive support and therefore driving their agenda with great success. They say, that this might not have been possible with the earlier generations, with the previous generation cluster. In reality today, human evolution has been galloping faster ahead. This has happened because of rapid development especially in the digital world, technology advancement, the pandemic experience and above all a quicker and more intense route of evolution. Actually, each generation cluster had their own values, beliefs and priorities. Marketeers who did not map the generation mindset change quickly enough, lost customers, market share and brand equity. I was inspired therefore to look back quickly at generations gone by, the present active generation as well as the generations in transition today, the Alpha and Beta generation.
At the end of it, mindset = mindshare=market share (Author)
Understanding the standard modern generation timeline first
A generation is a group of people born at roughly the same time, usually grouped by a 20-year time interval, according to Deborah Carr, PhD, professor and chair of the sociology department of Boston University
- Greatest Generation: Born 1901–1927
- Silent Generation: Born 1928–1945
- Baby Boomers: Born 1946–1964
- Generation X: Born 1965–1980
- Millennials (Gen Y): Born 1981–1996
- Generation Z: Born 1997–2012
- Generation Alpha: Born 2010–2024
- Generation Beta: Born 2025–2039
Imagine, each generation had their own mindset, as I have said before, which changed with the passage of time.
Let’s look at the possible mindsets of Millennials and Generation Z. Generation Alpha are still in their teens and forming their mindsets. The Generation Beta are born but still in their cradles!
The Millennial Mindset
Millennials (aka Generation Y) lived through 9/11, remember when Amazon only sold books, and are also the first generation to know a childhood both with and without the internet, which now plays a significant role in their personal lives When it comes to parenting, millennials are more likely than prior generations to encourage their children to live as their authentic selves, and they’re leading the movement to help gender-nonconforming kids be happy with who they are (Author Sarah Kottrel)
The millennials were the real bridge from one generation to the other, they laid the foundation of the beliefs of the Generation Z. However, this generation really saw the leap quantum leap forward. Some of them still remain uncomfortable with digital technology including Smartphones!
The Generation Z
Generation Z (iGen) kids are the first to be born into a world where they know nothing besides constant connection to one another, albeit through phones, screens, and tablets. However, like millennials before them, Gen Z’ers are often environmentally conscious, inclusive and accepting of others, and extremely politically aware. (Author Sarah Kottrel)
The Gen Z, specially in India are difficult to be dictated, they would rather buy advice which is heavy in logic than just being told. However, the Gen Z has brought in a renaissance of human values and sensitivities. They have redefined quality of output from hours worked to outcomes. They believe in work life balance as well as the importance of mental health. Their decision making is no more just by peer group validation but by their own research. They are secular and actually believe in religion and spirituality
The world is changing and so are our customers and their mindsets. Generation Alpha and Beta are emerging customers!
‘Major decisions of generational significance aren’t given, they’re earned’
Wes Moore
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The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
