1. Young people see technology as intrinsic and fundamental, with half willing to give up a human sense to keep their connection to technology. 2. The influence of social media and connections to friends is shaping a new "Social Economy" where experiences and social usefulness are valued over traditional economics. 3. Young people are seeking truth and substance from brands, distrusting marketing as "disgusting" and looking for authenticity through a brand's real actions.

1. The
Truth
about...
YOUTH
1

2. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
The Truth
About Youth
What motivates young people around the world today? Money? Fame? Justice?
What makes them different from every generation that has come before?
We asked 7000 young people around the world and harnessed the collective genius of
Quantitative research conducted in US, UK, China, India, Spain, Mexico
and Brazil.
Qualitative research conducted in US, UK, China, India, Spain, Mexico,
Brazil, Singapore, Malaysia, Chile, South Africa, Italy, Germany, Korea, Japan,
Australia and Philippines.
2

3. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
Exploring
motivations
Contact
The need for emotional
Justice Flight Order
The need for so The need to release
cial or
tranquillity / peace / quiet in a
Muscle
Commune Surge The need to exe rt
Journeying The need for visceral
relationships and
Gauntlet
Authenticity
The need to see Mutiny Membership The need to compete
The need to rebel The need to be in-the-
and push against the
Becoming Assurance
The need for personal Props Cocoon The need to avoid mistakes
independence an The need for personal The need for
safety and a feeling
3

4. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
Global citizens
Commune
Justice
the need fo
r social or
t ty
Authentoici
ed see
the ne
4

5. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
1. Technology
as a fifth sense
those aged 23-30 would give up their own sense of smell if it meant they could keep an
Youth see technology as Plah-Doh – something they use in an utterly malleable and
deep relationship with technology that is shaping their attitudes towards community and
5

6. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
2. The Social
Economy
30% How would you most like to be remembered? A. As a person who was loved by many people
B. As a person who looked after their friends and family
C. As a person who changed the world in a positive way
25% D. As a person who made everyone laugh
E. As a very generous person
F.
20% G. As a very powerful person
H. As a very beautiful or attractive person
15%
10%
5%
0%
A B C D E F G H

7. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
Experience Economy
versus Social Economy
capture not only the thing which consumers are placing more and more emphasis on when
The influence of friends
From belonging to
connecting; redefining
friendship in the Social
Economy
7

8. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
The friends arms race
To make you look more popular
Your audience awaits…
journey can cause anxiety because this is like being without one of your senses for

9. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
Pics or it didn’t happen
possible result in social media for young people is when someone else uploads a photograph
Creativity and
competition
to mass self-expression and connectivity is the ability to continuously measure your own life

10. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
Being socially useful
The most successful brands have a deep understanding of what being social means to young
…Broadcast
…Manage their
…Share connections
…Entertain …Beat their friends
…Make new …Narrate their lives
connections
…Be chameleons
45%
40%
35% Which of these values do you seek in a best friend?
30%
25%
20%
15%
Approachable
Open Minded
10%
Adventurous
Spontaneous
Affectionate
Charismatic
Motivated
Generous
Energetic
Outgoing
Talkative
Credible
Genuine
Sociable
Truthful
Humble
Helpful
Mature
Unique
5%
0%
10

11. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
5). HUMBLE –
of brands which clutter up their feeds with useless and inane information
4). MATURE –
they value brands that are worthy of their respect and demonstrate a compelling and
3). SOCIABLE –
2) GENUINE –
1). TRUTHFUL –
“I’m actually friends with TopShop,
but I want to get rid of it as it does
my head in. I did it a few years ago
and they constantly send you
messages and come up
on your homepage”
UK
11

12. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
3. The Truth Hunters
Why is the truth so
very important to this
generation?
Idols come down to earth
When I grow up I want to
be…not famous
12

13. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
To always be healthy
| The Truth About Youth
To be successful in my career
To meet my mate/ stay with
my current partner forever
To look after my family
To travel the world
| McCann Worldgroup
But even in the
To be rich
To make the world a
better place for others
To start my own business
| May 2011
To have children /
Please choose three wishes from the list below
have more children
To have lots of friends
In India, however, we see
a different attitude to fame
ultimate celebrity cultures…
To have a great sex life
To be famous
To be more successful
than my parents
To be beautiful
13
McC
ann

14. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
Brands of substance
activity for any signs of ulterior motives and then decide according to real actions and
This is a generation who pride themselves on their ability to distinguish right from
“What corporate people want
to do good? They don’t really
care. They are only doing it
to make them look good. It’s
disgusting”
Singapore
14

15. 2011
A year of Social Justice

16. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
4. Justice
Re-Imagined
ce:
1. Social Justi
do
The need to
what’s right
2011: A year of justice for society
country around the world we see people joining groups and registering their discontent
2. Person
al
Justice: T
he
Social media and justice; need to d
what’s rig
o
a complex relationship for me
ht
New York Times

17. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
Re-imagining
personal justice
eal
“I wouldn’t st uld
o
a car but I w
sure as hell
e
download on
if I could”
roup
Facebook G
Older generations Younger generation
see as wrong…. see as right…
Downloading isn’t stealing. they’ll download
Stealing is taking anything you
haven’t earned supporting artists they like
It’s not where you take things from
Using someone else’s it’s where you take things to
idea is plagiarism (Jim Jarmusch) - welcome to a world of
rehashing, remashing, remixing.
Acting before you think Ask for forgiveness not permission
is a recipe for trouble (5 minutes late is 5 minutes too late- tweet
now think later)
Staring at a screen Looking away from a screen
in company is rude is rude to your friends
Not working at work Work can be disrupted by play
is a disciplinary issue and play can be disrupted by work
17

18. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
The more time young people spend living their lives online the more the culture of
Business beware
What is a justice brand?
top ten demonstrates the importance of optimism and the spirit of carpe diem for

19. Summary
1. 2.
Technology
1. The
2.
as a
Technology Social
The
Fifth Sense
as a Economy
Social
Fifth Sense Economy
intrinsic and fundamental that half of young people would
sooner give up one of their human senses than give up
3. 4.
The
3. Justice
4.
Truth
The Re-
Justice
Hunters
Truth Imagined
Re-
Hunters
with the truth when they exist in a world of curated
Imagined
Young people around the world are reinventing the
level young people believe they have a strong notion
and they are seeking substance from brands and this is increasingly informed by the values of the
transform everything around us from the laws that

20. | The Truth About Youth | McCann Worldgroup | May 2011
Brought to
you by the
collective
genius of
McCann
Worldgroup 20