Overstepping Boundaries

It seems every school has its group of athletic-minded jocks, academic-minded preps, make-up minded popular girls, and of course the geeks and outcasts. With Generation Y the groups continue to multiply and increase in their complexities, intensifying the difficulty for marketers to reach within the segments. So diverse are the groups that intergroup conflict may occur if your brand is seen on the wrong Gen Yer.

While determining the base for dividing Generation Y, we discovered that brands that reach Gen Y actually define their groups. Skaters and surfers who listen to the latest underground punk band better not see the typical "prep" while out at their concert, because, "They can't listen to our music". The popular girls wouldn't dare wear a brand that the "smart nerd" wears. They are brand loyal generation, holding negatives and positives for marketers. Overstep your boundaries too often and you may cause abandonment.

It's important to determine not only the basic demographics and psychographics of Gen Yers you are trying to reach, but their group association. Many Gen Yers recognize their group stereotype and proudly affiliate themselves. A current interview unveiled the groups at a local high school ranging anywhere from "gothics" those listening to dark music and wearing all black, to "ghettos" those who listen to hip-hop, to the punks, skaters, and surfers. If you don't skate, don't even think about wearing a "Spitfire" t-shirt, a popular brand of skateboard wheels.

Watching the MTV show MADE, which takes a teenager stuck in one group and gives them chance and assets to "fit in" with another group, reveals the tensions and uneasiness as a Gen Yer tries to make the transition. So far the show has changed anywhere from a preppy girl to a skater, a nerd to an athlete, a geek to a rapper, a jock to an opera singer and even a punk to a prom queen, all highlighting the difficulty of gaining acceptance.

Generation Y Traditionalists

Dividing Gen Y Into 4 Main Groups: Above the Equator

Last Friday's blog discussed the division of Gen Y into four main groups, segmented by "rebellion" and "tradition." I mentioned the broad characteristics typically fitting Gen Yers below the line and this week's highlights the characteristics from above. After getting a broad idea of the groups, its easier to look at the trends occurring now and apply them to the appropriate target.

Above the Equator

Mainstream Tradition
Directly above the dividing line would be those Gen Yers following pop culture, Mainstream Tradition. They make conscious efforts to fit-in and do not necessarily strive for popularity, but they enjoy being looked at as "cool." They follow trends in pop culture magazines, such as Cosmopolitan or YM, more specifically they would be the "What's Hot" article readers. An important thing to note is that although they may see the trends in magazines or on television if it isn't happening around their school, city, local hangouts, they are less likely to follow it. They follow the trends set by the Tradition Leaders.

Example
Abercrombie & Fitch or American Eagle. Abercrombie & Fitch might not always be attainable, but is a solid example of a brand popular with the Mainstream Traditionalists. They started as a brand appealing to the Tradition Leaders with their racy advertisements, high price, and selective locations. As the brand increased in popularity with the Tradition Leaders it began to be followed by the Mainstream Traditionalists. The brand has not reached market saturation, due to their selectivity and price. American Eagle would be another brand that coincides with the classic and traditional image portrayed by this segment, as it is affordable and has high availability. Keep in mind, the closer the brand to the dividing line, the closer it is to market saturation.

Tradition Leaders
At the top of the spectrum are the Tradition Leaders. As with the Rebellion Leaders this segment is significantly smaller and even further away from the "mainstream" equator line. They are the pop culture innovators who search for the "first on the market" brands. Once the brand reaches a peak popularity they are moving to the next innovation. They typically have the availability of assets to be the Tradition Leaders, as I will list common assets creating a division between leaders and followers in upcoming blogs.

Example
Louis Vuitton. Louis Vuitton started as a brand appealing to the Tradition Leaders who had the resources to purchase the high priced, very selective products, especially purses. Do to the high amount and easily accessible counterfeit version of these purses, many Mainstream Traditionalists have picked up these items and are pushing Louis Vuitton further into the mainstream market.

*These brands are an example of Gen Y segmentation. They are relative to location, availability, and assets and may differ in throughout different regions.

Rebellion From Generation Y

Generation Y in its entirety proves difficult, if not almost impossible, to market to as a whole. Throughout our research we divided Gen Y into four main groups, possessing subgroups within those. The line of separation, think of it as an equator, serves as what's "mainstream" with Gen Y, typically a product or brand reaching market saturation. Groups falling below this equator are associated with "rebellion" with groups above the equator associated with "traditionalism." Today's blog details the two main groups falling below, while next week's blog will follow the above.

Below the Equator

Mainstream Rebellion
Directly below this dividing equator lies the Mainstream Rebellion segment, the fiery outcasts that purposely choose the brands and products with images opposite of pop culture. Although they are following the trends that defy this traditionalism, they are choosing the brands and products that are popular with other Mainstream Rebellers.In essence they still want to fit-in, but with a group other than the average "popular" individuals.

Example
Hot Topic. Their clothes are dark, the music is heavy, and the image basically says "Look at me. I'm not pop culture." Typically, members fitting into this segment of Gen Y do not innovate their own trends, yet follow the trends set by the Rebellion Leaders and popular "rebellious" brands. They are Mainstream Rebellion.

Rebellion Leaders
Follow the spectrum even lower and you reach the Rebellion Leaders. This segment is significantly smaller and even further away from the "mainstream" equator line. They are the rebellion innovators, who defy any form of pop culture trends. They are the hardest segment to reach, as your brand or product cannot become popular with the general public. You immediately lose their interest once it does, and they will look for other new, "anti-pop culture" brands and products.

Example
Marilyn Manson started with attracting the Rebellion Leaders. As they began wearing his shirts and promoting his music more, however, Manson quickly moved into the Mainstream Rebellion segment. Once saturating that market, showing up on MTV and making VH1 News Headlines, the Rebellion Leaders quickly began searching for the next newest thing. They are Rebellion Leaders.

Keep in mind that these groupings are a generalization. Many factors can influence how Gen Y acts or conforms together such as geographic location and availablity of resources. Friday's Gen Y blogs will continue to peer further into these varying groups and their influencing factors.