Yahoo! Live Makes Webcasting the Next Big Thing for Gen Y

One of the big stories today on the social news site digg.com is the new Yahoo! Live service.

Fast forward to 2008 and we see this new service put together by Yahoo!. We now have the infrastructure to support video streaming, and YouTube and other video sharing sites has been exploiting that for some time. Yahoo! has decided to take out the lag time between capture and connect by allowing users to broadcast themselves live to whoever is out there to view.

We've pondered here on Gen Y Voodoo whether people will pay to put themselves out there - a dollar to rise to the top of a social network. That may not work as well in the US because we want to see instant gratification - and that is what Yahoo! Live provides.

Anyone can open up their Webcam-equipped MacBook and broadcast for a half an hour between classes and make new friends, or just be goofy. They can create their own channel (a la YouTube) and even pull a regular audience with a simple url: live.yahoo.com/username. Niche groups can even recapture the synchronous qualities of television that we have all lost to bring people together at a set time to learn and interact about things that they love.

In the minutes that I spent checking it out today, I played rock, paper, scissors with a guy in Korea who was wrapped in what appeared to be toilet paper (some people will do anything for attention) and attempted to communicate with a kitty who somehow figured out how to use a webcam (he didn't respond however, he must not have mastered the keyboard yet). Did I mention niche audiences?

With the opportunity to embed these feeds, it opens up a lot of opportunities. Did you ever expect to go to someone's MySpace page and actually see them hanging out - live? I can't wait to see what other opportunities sprout from this and what will be developed when Google tries to one-up this service.

Portable Data - Is It Good for Gen Y?

Almost any member of Gen Y can account for a dozen or more places that they are required to log-in online - their email, online banking, MySpace, etc. And in the average workplace, they might be asked to remember more disparate logins than they can count on one hand!


The last thing that we want to do is to have to remember multiple passwords, but do we really want to put all of our eggs in one basket? A new concept - OpenID is asking us to do just that. In the same way that logging into your Yahoo! email also logs you into Flickr, or logging into Blogger opens up Google, OpenID is looking to take that a step further.

If the roll-out goes through in full force, those who opt-in (assuming that it will be optional) will be able to enter their data and be logged into nearly all of their personal accounts online (except for sites with more sensitive data - such as their banks).

And to take it one step further, the real meat behind it is not to resolve the multiple login procedure, but rather to allow data to be ported from one source to another. It essentially would serve as the user's digital identity. In doing so, your likes and dislikes, photos, videos and likely many other things will able to be shared across multiple platforms. In the same way that Trillian simplified things for people on multiple IM networks (by allowing them to login to AIM, Yahoo, MSN and ICQ in one window), OpenID will make it more convenient to have a presence and communicate across multiple social networks and have a larger reach.

So it will allow users to more easily manage their social relationships across the Web, but what's the downside? Some say that security will be a risk. With all of that data moving from one place to another, it will provide more points for a user's data to be exploited from.

Who will set the standard? From the past, we already know that some companies like Amazon will sell your information - straight from their terms of service. Will OpenID or other initiatives require that this not be allowed? And who will police it?

It seems like a good idea, but until their are standards, it might not be the best idea for Gen Y. In the meantime, there are tools in place which already help manage multiple profiles, and many tech-savvy Gen Y'ers can explore them without difficulty. RSS feeds can be used to aggregate information from multiple areas into one home base, and tools such as Flock - the social media browser - allows users to more easily access and share their data, while allowing users to be in control of their own security on their own machines without worrying about other players' intentions.

Will Gen Y Pay to be Seen Online?

Online social networking plays a large part in the lives of many members of Gen Y. Some strive to gain as many friends as possible and would "just die" if they weren't listed in a friend's top ten.

To what lengths will they go to gain exposure and contacts? Would they pay? A relatively-new social networking site, badoo.com, thinks that they will.


It sounds odd at first, but is it really? Professionals will pay to make contact on LinkedIn already, and young people are already used to dropping a dollar on an MP3 or a ringtone without thinking twice.

In place of advertising, badoo.com is supported by users who are willing to drop a buck (or a pound or euro depending on their location) to appear on the front page using feature that they call "Rise Up". Adage.com notes that "20% of its users access the function once a month and some pay eight or nine times a day to Rise Up."

It's kind of like they didn't really ban advertising - they just opened it up to the users. Now, instead of seeing what some might think of as SPAM, they see relevant content that they came to the site for in the first place. They came to find friends and check out content, right? It's kind of brilliant.

But will they pay? Overseas is where the site sees most of its popularity at this time. In the US, MySpace and Facebook have already been ingrained into Gen Y's consciousness with more than 100 and 60 million users, respectively. Therefore, it might be a little harder to gain a foothold. The site currently has over 12 million users, so it does pack some power, and could at least enjoy a cult following in the States.

If they do wish to make an impact here, they are going to need to come up with an effective strategy to spread awareness. There seems to be a lot that could be done with the message - "What's a friend worth to you... how about a buck?" But where could it go... facebook application anyone? They'd have to be extra sneaky to pass that one off! It will be interesting to see where they are a year from now...

Writer's Strike to Have a Lasting Impact on Gen Y Online Video Consumption?

For some of us, it's been hard lately - with the writer's strike looming, keeping our precious TV shows at bay. What are we to do? Spend quality time with our families? Go outside and get some fresh air? Homework? Oh the horror!


Gen Y will still want to unwind, even if their favorite show isn't on the air. They are already quite familiar with online video, but for most it hasn't gotten to the point where it is replacing a significant amount of their television watching "time budget".

However, when they're sitting at home with nothing but reruns, where do you expect them to turn? Their YouTube sessions may get just a little bit longer. They might spend more time seeking out new venues for the familiar video content that they have grown accustomed to using to fill their downtime, to relax and to take them away from their everyday lives.

Ironically, one of the issues which the strike is about - compensation for online media - may grow even more prominent as boredom forces users online to seek out content, driving higher demand for the medium.

Will the strike have a lasting effect on online vs traditional video consumption? Surely it will, but to what extent? Will it be enough to give rise to new players online or to have media outlets rethink the importance of online delivery? Unless the strike goes on for a long time to come, it might not single-handedly cause this shift, but it is likely to play a significant role in quickening the process.

What These Gifts Say About Gen Y

This year, maybe more than ever, the holiday gifts that Gen Y desire reflect highly upon defining them as a group.

One of the top gifts that is popular among Gen Y, as well as the younger generations, is Guitar Hero (and its copycat, Rock Band). Gen Y is growing up, moving into their roles in the business world and starting to get an idea of the path that they will be taking over the next decades. They are coming to the realization that they aren't going to be celebrities or rock stars. But they're not ready to give up the fantasy.


The level of immersion that Guitar Hero gives - the guitar-like controller in hand and the illusion of actually being a talented musician - is far beyond what video games have offered in the past. No one played Super Mario Brothers and felt like a real plumber or left Final Fantasy thinking that they could shoot lightning from their palms. Gen Y appreciates the low learning curve and sense of accomplishment in the short term from this game. They can feel like a virtuoso without dedicating hours that they might not have, yet still have the opportunity to bump it up to the next level at any point when they need a challenge.

The next big Gen Y gift is the Nintendo Wii. The Wii is fun alone, but it really shines when you can get a few friends together. Gen Y is all about building relationships which is why both social networking and the Wii are popular in this age group. Spending this type of memorable quality time interacting with friends is seen as invaluable. In addition, the customization and personal identity of characters - Nintendo calls their characters Miis - is attractive as well. Gen Y is independent, they feel that their identity is something that they have built and enjoy the reflection upon themselves.


Another gift that ANY Gen Y member would love to be given for the holidays is the iPhone (or any iPod for that matter, but more than anything, the iPhone). It takes everything that Gen Y would like to keep on top of and puts it is one small package that can be taken anywhere, yet fits cleanly into any pocket. It also has a slick, stress-free interface that Gen Y has developed the sense to appreciate.

The iPhone allows the busy Gen Y member to do everything that they would otherwise struggle with between their full work schedules and social lives. The initial iPod musical portion lets them keep up with the hottest music without even having to sync to their home computer (which they might not even see for days on end). The phone itself allows them to keep in touch and the new voice mail system allows them to pick what message they want to listen to without wasting time listening through chronologically. The browser and multimedia functions allow them in the 30 minutes that they might have between work, the gym and a night on the town to have nearly the same experience they would sitting in front of their own computer at home - catching up on the recent news, their RSS feeds or anything else on the Web.


Other top Gen Y holiday gadgets also echo this desire to stay mobile and productive (the combination of socially and professionally productive), such as the new Eye-Fi Wireless SD Card. This device allows Gen Y to bridge their social life on the town to their social networking on the Web. They can take photos and wirelessly not only transfer them to their computer, but directly to their Facebook or Myspace account, taking out the steps of sitting at the computer, logging in, uploading, et cetera. Many Gen Y'ers don't have the free time that they had just a few years ago. They are moving into higher more demanding positions which might require more of a time commitment from them - making time saving devices such as these highly desirable.

Surely there are a plethora of other devices which say a lot about Gen Y. Overall, they tend to reveal roughly the same insights to Gen Y as a whole: the need for access on the go, ease of use to open up free time and allow for easy social network integration and to relieve stress that might build up from the gaining responsibilities that Gen Y has been handed down from the Baby Boomers. Gen Y will continue to drive the visionaries behind these companies as they take over the workforce within the coming years.

Catching the Eye of Gen Y Through Interactive Stunts

Have you heard of Snowglobe Boy?

As a promotional stunt, McKinney put Ben Eckerson, a 24-year-old production coordinator for the company, into an inflatable snowglobe for over three days.


They planned to set a world record for the longest time spent in an inflatable snowglobe, with the reigning champion being... well... no one actually. Note that he was allowed 51 minutes per day outside of the globe to deal with "personal needs".

The feat was streamed on the Web live for the entire period, and gained media attention as well.

Sitting in a globe, Ben had plenty of time to promote the project. The level of interaction didn't exactly make it to that of Trevor the Mentos Intern, but it do a decent job out of reaching out to Gen Y audiences. A Facebook page was even created - give Ben a poke if you like!

This worked out as a relatively effective way of capturing Gen Y's attention. These kind of stunts and challenges work well for bringing them in. In this case, it appears that McKinney is looking to interest young adults in their company in order to build a strong workforce. This stunt served to show them that McKinney is a fun place to work, and should be on the top of their list. As Tara Lamberson outlined in her article "How to Hang on to Digital Talent", Gen Y needs to know that they are going to be able to have fun in the workplace and enjoy the time they spend with their co-workers.

Since this record isn't actually too ridiculous, and because Ben was allowed to leave the bubble for a short period of time, it will be interesting to see who will be willing to take this to the next level. A consumer brand could gain a lot of attention by breaking this record over the next holiday season. A creative touch could be used to give it an enticing spin and generate even more media attention. Why not put a VP in there or three people? What would happen if they couldn't leave at all? Or will an individual look to take it on themselves? If that is the case, with the right strategy, a sponsorship could prove to be quite valuable!

What other stunts can be done? Does your company have the time an resources to make it happen? If Gen Y is your target, it might be a good time to give it some thought!

Make Your Message Stick to Gen Y

It's not always easy to catch the fast-moving Gen Y audience, especially on a Saturday night. While out on the town, they're bombarded with fliers and other marketing messages, but who knows if they'll remember them the next day (or even remember anything the next day in some cases)!

There's a new innovative idea that might give them something to wake up next to that won't make them wish that they stayed in the night before. HandvertisingUSA is now offering the service of distributing marketing messages by stamping them directly on the consumer's hand.


The idea is that the person goes out to a club or venue and has to step out for a smoke, a talk or to just roam along to the next stop. Their hand is stamped as a means to re-enter the location without having to pay the cover charge once again.

For this reason, those to be stamped will likely not mind. However, it is possible that some will - it's almost like giving a tattoo without asking. For that reason, it might be good if they are offered an incentive. This could be a dollar off of the cover charge, or even a free sample of the product being advertised. And allowing them to opt-out can relieve possible negative impact on the brand in the blogosphere.

Obviously, beverages are the first perfect fit that comes to mind for this type of promotion, but other products can fit as well. Note that this also gives the advertiser the opportunity to have their URL displayed in a prominently viewable location. Since it will probably be around the next morning when the person gets up to check their email, or upload last night's photos to Facebook or MySpace, they'll be right in front of the computer with the URL to access your site.

To ensure that they make the jump to the site, it might help to keep the marketing message cryptic. Find and buy an interesting URL that begs them to solve the mystery. Look at the success of Fox's TV show Lost - Gen Y loves a good mystery!

This is quite a creative idea that, when used properly, has a good likelihood to connect with valuable Gen Y audiences (those who are cool and trendy that others tend to follow). It would be interesting to see what viral campaigns could be interwoven with this strategy and how it could enhance the campaign's value. This new medium could have some very interesting applications with the right creative mind behind the wheel!