Meet the post-Millennials, Generation Edge—the children of Gen-X parents who’ve only known a world teetering on the brink of economic, political and environmental collapse. The Edge is reactionary, it’s the result of being forced to carve an identity out of uncertainty and complexity. Unlike their Millennial cousins, Generation Edge is more realistic, resilient and resourceful and these characteristics will have a huge impact on your business going forward. The Sound Research, www.thesoundresearch.com, a strategic research and brand consultancy, has coined the term for those born from 1995 until now – Generation Edge (www.generationedge.com). This newest group of consumers to come of age are the children of Generation X and grandchildren of Boomers. Gen-Edge stands on the edge of political and economic collapse, and the days of the self-entitlement of their older cousins, The Millennials, are no more. Gen-Edge goals and aspirations are being anchored in a new reality. These young men and women are wise beyond their years to give themselves the edge they need to face the world’s uncertain future. The Sound experts found that with parents living through a recession and no guarantee of higher education, when it comes to making it, Gen-Edge is not expecting it to be easy. They don’t mind sparing a little elbow grease to make things happen. They are stepping up to the plate and forming a unique identity out of uncertainty and complexity. They have seen 9/11, war, serial natural disasters, foreclosures, celebrity public meltdowns – all live, then again on video on demand – and lived to tweet about it. Gen-Edge ‘coolness’ comes from their ability to roll with the punches from the get-go. This new generation has got a lot of character – they are realistic, resilient and resourceful. Millennials grew up believing they were going to be the next billionaire or social media founder. Whereas, the world Gen-Edge is growing up in … well, let’s just say optimism is in short supply. Using a methodology of online engagement, video diaries and experts, The Sound determined that Gen-Edge is fast-tracking their lives – putting them well on their way to becoming one of the largest (*74 million and counting) and most influential group of consumers ever. What does this mean for advertisers and marketers? A specialist in understanding “growing up” at whatever age that happens, Ian Pierpoint of The Sound will tell you.

1. UNDERSTANDING A
NEW GENERATION
WWW.THESOUNDRESEARCH.COM
Strategic Research & Brand Consultancy
THE WORLD IS ABOUT TO GETGENERATION

2. LIVING IN A
MILLENNIAL
WORLD
WHAT MAKES
THE SOUND HEADED TO UK, CANADA, AND
USA TO EXPLORE THE NEXT GENERATION OF
CONSUMERS…
THE YOUNGEST EVER MILLENNIAL IS NOW
19... A NEW GENERATION ARE COMING AND
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THEM

3. MILLENNIALS RULED THE WORLD...
A LARGE & INFLUENTIAL GENERATIONAL COHORT,
MILLENNIALS ARE DEFINED BY CRISES AND OPPORTUNITY...
AND BOOMER PARENTS
OPTIMISTIC
CONFORMIST
ACHIEVEMENT
OBSESSED
TECHNOLOGY
ASPIRANTS
IDEALISTICFUTURE
FOCUSED
COLLABORATIVE
EXTENDED
ADOLESCENCE
BORN
BETWEEN
1980 AND
1994
& 76 MILLION
STRONG

4. BORN FROM
1995 TO PRESENT
75 MILLION
& COUNTING
BUYING POWER OF $312.3 BILLION &
INFLUENCE $600 BILLION IN FAMILY
SPENDING
AND A GENERATION VERY DIFFERENT
TO MILLENNIALS...
THE WORLD OF MARKETING,
INNOVATION & RESEARCH IS
ABOUT TO CHANGE.
INTRODUCING
GENERATION EDGE...
1. WILLIAMS K. (2010) MARKETING TO THE GENERATIONS
1

5. WHAT’S GIVEN THIS GENERATION EDGE?
ECONOMY SOCIAL
POLITICS
CONTEXT SHAPED A NEW GENERATIONS VALUES
AND ASPIRATIONS
A GENERATION
BORN INTO A
WORLD ON THE
EDGE OF
COLLAPSE...
THEY IN TURN
NEED EDGE TO
SURVIVE TECHNOLOGY

6. WHAT MAKES
EDGE?
THE ECONOMY...

7. IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID
GENERATION EDGE TEENS HAVE ONLY KNOWN RECESSION
& BLEAK GROWTH...
1987 1990 1995
REAL GDP GROWTH // US ECONOMY
SOURCE: IMF
-2
0
2
4
-4
2000 2005 2010
NEGATIVE GROWTH
POSITIVE GROWTH
MILLENNIAL FORMATIVE YEARS GENERATION EDGE FORMATIVE YEARSVS.
“IT’S REALLY HARD FOR PEOPLE IN MY GENERATION NOT TO
FEEL COMPLETELY DEFEATED BY THIS ECONOMY.”
UNEMPLOYED COLLEGE GRAD// BLOGGER LANCE FULLER, 26 NEW YORK TIMES // 18 DECEMBER 2012

8. IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID
A COFFEE SHOP IN THE UK RECEIVED 1,700 APPLICANTS
FOR EIGHT JOB OPENINGS — OR 212 APPLICATIONS
FOR EACH POST
DAILY MAIL // FEBRUARY 19, 2012
GENERATION EDGE ARE HAVING TO GROW UP FAST AND BE
REALISTIC ABOUT THEIR FUTURE
"AFTER 16 YEARS OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, THE
PROBABILITY IS THIS GENERATION WILL HAVE EXPERIENCED
QUITE SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC TURMOIL BEFORE THEY GET
TO ADULTHOOD AND IT’S GOING TO MAKE THEM A LITTLE
MORE MEASURED, RESERVED AND CONSERVATIVE."
BERNARD SALT, KPMG DEMOGRAPHER

9. ECONOMIC IMPACT ON EDGE
UNLIKE MILLENNIALS, GENERATION EDGE ARE BEING FORCED
TO THINK OF ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF MAKING IT IN THE
WORLD... MAKING THEM RESOURCEFUL
“WHERE PREVIOUS GENERATIONS HAD TO RELY ON A
PARENT OR TEACHER OR SUPERVISOR TO EXPLAIN
SOMETHING, THIS GENERATION ISN'T BOUND BY THOSE
CONSTRAINTS AND CAN ACCESS THE INFO THEY NEED
WHEN THEY NEED IT AND GET TO WORK.”
MARKETING TO THE GENERATIONS // K.WILLIAMS // 2010

10. WHAT MAKES
EDGE?
UNIQUE PARENTING &
EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT

11. PARENTING MATTERS
BOOMER
PARENTS ARE
OPTIMISTIC
EMPOWERING
HELICOPTERING
“I WANT MY CHILDREN TO
BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES,
ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS...
AND I’LL BE THERE TO HELP
THEM ALL THE WAY”
BOOMER PARENT
“I DON’T EXPECT LIFE TO BE
EASY FOR HIM, BUT I THINK
I’VE GIVEN HIM THE TOOLS;
THE REST IS UP TO HIM”
GEN X PARENT
GEN-X
PARENTS ARE
CYNICAL
CHALLENGING
PREPARING
VS.
UNLIKE MILLENNIALS AND THEIR OPTIMISTIC BOOMER PARENTS,
GENERATION EDGE ARE BEING RAISED BY GEN-X

12. SCHOOLING FOR LIFE
GEN-EDGE HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP IN AN EDUCATIONAL
SYSTEM THAT EMPHASIZES THE PRACTICAL VS. THEORETICAL.
EXPECT CALLS FOR EVEN MORE REFORM TO READY THEM
FOR THE ‘REAL’ WORLD…
“IT IS NO SECRET THIS SYSTEM OF STANDARDIZED TESTING IS
TURNING US INTO MINDLESS DRONES. A STUDENT CAN BE
VERY BOOK SMART AND PASS THEIR MCAT. BUT DOES THIS
MEAN THEY HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO SAVE A LIFE?
...AND NO, THROWING A FEW IPADS IN THE MIX ISN’T GOING
TO CUT IT
BEHSHID BEHROUZI, GR. 10 STUDENT, TEDX WINCHESTER TEACHERS, 2013

13. WHAT MAKES
EDGE?
INSTITUTIONAL COLLAPSE

14. INSTITUTIONAL TRUST COLLAPSE
THE TARP BILL SAW $475 BILLION PAID
TO BANKS, INSURANCE COMPANIES
AND CORPORATIONS
US CAR INDUSTRY RECEIVED $24.9
BILLION DOLLAR BAILOUT
BILLIONS PAID IN BONUSES TO
BANKERS SINCE BAILOUT
FACEBOOK PAID NO INCOME &
FEDERAL TAXES IN 2012 DESPITE
HUGE PROFITS AND RECEIVED $429
MILLION REFUND
OVER 25 MILLION HOMES
REPOSSESSED OR FORECLOSED
ON SINCE 2007
7 MILLION JOBS LOST DURING
RECESSION (US)
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
HAS DROPPED 8.2% SINCE 2009
GLOBAL INCOME TAX RATES HAVE
BEEN INCREASING SINCE 2008
“I THINK WHAT PEOPLE OFTEN FORGET IS THIS ALL HAPPENED
BEFORE. MY GENERATION [GEN-X] NEVER HAD IT EASY—WE
GREW UP IN TOUGH TIMES TOO ... BUT WE SURVIVED AND SO
WILL OUR KIDS.”
PARENT OF GEN-EDGE // CHICAGO // ETHNOGRAPHY INTERVIEW
“THEM” “US”VS.

15. UNLIKE MILLENNIALS, GENERATION EDGE AREN’T
CONFORMIST AND ACTIVELY CHALLENGE INSTITUTIONS &
BRANDS ... THEY’RE FOCUSED REFORMISTS
“DURING OCCUPY WALL STREET A BROOKLYN
MOTHER ORGANIZED A SLEEPOVER FOR MORE THAN 80
PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN. A MAKESHIFT LIBRARY WITHIN
THE PARK HAD A COLLECTION OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS FOR
PARENTS TO USE. MANY BELIEVED THEY MUST SEIZE THIS
"TEACHABLE MOMENT" TO EDUCATE THEIR KIDS ON INCOME
EQUALITY AND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST.”
CNN BLOG // APRIL, 2012
INSTITUTIONAL TRUST COLLAPSE IMPACT ON EDGE

16. WHAT MAKES
EDGE?TECHNOLOGY

17. TECHNOLOGY IS A TOOL
FOR GENERATION EDGE, TECHNOLOGY JUST IS— THEY’VE
NEVER KNOWN A WORLD WITHOUT IT AND INNOVATION IS
EXPECTED
"TECHNOLOGY DOESN'T MAKE ME WHO
I AM, IT LETS ME BE WHO I AM."
JILL // 16, CHICAGO // SOUNDING BOARD PARTICIPANT
“I AM BETTING THAT THE POST-MILLENNIALS WILL NOT BE
AS ENAMOURED WITH TECHNOLOGY, MULTI-TASKING,
COLLABORATION, SELF-PROMOTION AND OTHER TRAITS
WE IDENTIFY WITH KIDS TODAY.”
ROB SALKOWITZ, AUTHOR OF GENERATION BLEND & YOUNG WORLD RISING

18. WHAT’S
COMING?

19. A NEW & DIFFERENT GENERATION
IDEALISTIC
CONFORMIST
ACHIEVEMENT OBSESSED
TECHNOLOGY ASPIRANTS
FUTURE FOCUSED
COLLABORATIVE
EXTENDED ADOLESCENCE
REALISTIC
REFORMIST
ACHIEVEMENT REDEFINED
TECHNOLOGY USERS
NOW FOCUSED
INDIVIDUAL
ACCELERATED ADULTHOOD
MILLENNIAL GENERATION EDGE
ENTITLED HARD WORKING
VS.

20. WHAT DOES
THIS MEAN
FOR BRANDS?

21. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDS
CONNECTING WITH GENERATION EDGE WILL BE VERY
DIFFERENT TO MILLENNIALS...
“MARKETING TO MILLENNIALS RESULTED IN AN ENDLESS QUEST
FOR BRAND AUTHENTICITY. GENERATION EDGE WILL BE
ENGAGED BY ANOTHER ‘A’ WORD. THE ALTERNATIVE.”
IAN PIERPOINT, PRESIDENT THE SOUND
THE BRANDS THAT
WILL THRIVE WILL
BE THE BRANDS
THAT APPLY EDGE
TO THEIR
STRATEGY...
THE WORLD
IS ABOUT TO
CHANGE.
DOES YOUR POSITIONING ALIGN WITH
EDGE’S ALTERNATIVE ASPIRATIONS?
DOES YOUR INNOVATION STRATEGY MEET
EDGE’S NEED TO SURVIVE?
DOES YOUR COMMUNICATION HAVE
ENOUGH EDGE TO GET NOTICED?

22. UNDERSTANDING A NEW GENERATION
A THE SOUND PARTNERSHIP STUDY FEB 2013
WWW.THESOUNDRESEARCH.COM
ian@thesoundresearch.com