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. THE WORLD IS ABOUT TO GET
UNDERSTANDING A NEW GENERATION
MARCH, 2013

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

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

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

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

6. WHAT MAKES
EDGE?
THE ECONOMY

7. IT’S THE ECONOMY STUPID
GENERATION EDGE TEENS HAVE ONLY KNOWN
RECESSION & BLEAK GROWTH…
4
POSITIVE GROWTH 2
0
NEGATIVE GROWTH -2
-4
MILLENNIAL FORMATIVE YEARS VS. GENERATION EDGE FORMATIVE YEARS
1987 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
REAL GDP GROWTH // US ECONOMY
SOURCE: IMF
“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
GENERATION EDGE ARE HAVING TO GROW UP FAST AND
BE REALISTIC ABOUT THEIR FUTURE
A COFFEE SHOP IN THE UK HAD 1,700 APPLICANTS FOR
EIGHT JOBS—OR 212 APPLICATIONS FOR EACH POSITION
Daily Mail // February 19, 2012
"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
UNLIKE MILLENNIALS AND THEIR OPTIMISTIC BOOMER
PARENTS, GENERATION EDGE ARE BEING RAISED BY GEN-X
“I WANT MY CHILDREN TO
BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES, GEN-X
ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS... PARENTS ARE
AND I‟LL BE THERE TO CYNICAL,
HELP THEM ALL THE WAY” CHALLENGING,
BOOMER PARENT
& PREPARING
VS.
BOOMER
PARENTS ARE
OPTIMISTIC, “I DON‟T EXPECT LIFE TO
EMPOWERING, & BE EASY FOR HIM, BUT I
HELICOPERTING THINK I‟VE GIVEN HIM
THE TOOLS; THE REST IS
UP TO HIM”
GEN-X PARENTS

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?COLLAPSE
INSTITUTIONAL

14. INSTITUTIONAL TRUST COLLAPSE
“THEM” VS “US”
THE TARP BILL SAW $475 BILLION OVER 25 MILLION HOMES
PAID TO BANKS, INSURANCE REPOSSESSED OR FORECLOSED
COMPANIES AND CORPORATIONS ON SINCE 2007
US CAR INDUSTRY RECEIVED $24.9 7 MILLION JOBS LOST DURING
BILLION DOLLAR BAILOUT RECESSION (US)
BILLIONS PAID IN BONUSES TO
BANKERS SINCE BAILOUT MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
HAS DROPPED 8.2% SINCE 2009
FACEBOOK PAID NO INCOME &
FEDERAL TAXES IN 2012 DESPITE GLOBAL INCOME TAX RATES
HUGE PROFITS AND RECEIVED $429 HAVE BEEN INCREASING SINCE
MILLION REFUND 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

15. INSTITUTIONAL TRUST COLLAPSE IMPACT ON EDGE
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. MANY BELIEVED THEY
MUST SEIZE THIS "TEACHABLE MOMENT" TO EDUCATE
THEIR KIDS ON INCOME EQUALITY AND THE RIGHT TO
PROTEST.”
CNN BLOG // APRIL, 2012

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

20. WHAT DOES
THIS MEAN
FOR
BRANDS?

21. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDS
CONNECTING WITH GENERATION EDGE WILL BE VERY
DIFFERENT TO MILLENNIALS...
DOES YOUR POSITIONING ALIGN WITH THE BRANDS
EDGE‟S ALTERNATIVE ASPIRATIONS? THAT WILL
THRIVE WILL BE
DOES YOUR INNOVATION STRATEGY THE BRANDS
THAT APPLY EDGE
MEET EDGE‟S NEED TO SURVIVE? TO THEIR
STRATEGY.
DOES YOUR COMMUNICATION HAVE
ENOUGH EDGE TO GET NOTICED? THE WORLD
IS ABOUT TO
CHANGE…
“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

22. THE WORLD IS ABOUT TO GET EDGE:
UNDERSTANDING A NEW GENERATION
THE SOUND PARTNERSHIP STUDY // MARCH 2013
www.thesoundresearch.com