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October 29, 2010

Generation C: The Connected Listener

Teen The generation alphabet soup just got a little bigger. To the X, Y, and Z generations, Nielsen has added the C generation, the Connected Generation:

Gen C are teens and 20-somethings that have been "hatched' out of social media. Gen C is not a target audience but a community of digital natives. 

Nielsen’s list of what makes Gen Cs tick reads much like the teen behavior of any generation, but it is a useful reminder for any radio station that targets teens and 20-somethings. Their recommendations are also a useful checklist for every morning show:

To successfully market to Gen C consumers, brands must create fresh, cultural capital for Gen C to talk about - a process which also gives them "status" within their cohorts or "tribes" and social networks:

  • Keep it relevant, useful, and entertaining.
  • Enhance social status within tribes.
  • Ask for a reaction and have a fun social interface.
  • Connect Gen C members with each other.
  • Enable Gen C to participate in, play with, or produce themselves.

Read Nielsen’s post here.

Posted by on October 29, 2010 at 03:12 PM |

Tags: audience segmentation, Generation C, Harker Research, Nielsen, social media

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