Sport-SOS since 1994

Cause-related client is committed to increase awareness and help raise funds for specific worthy causes. Not only does this apply to demographic segments, but it also relates to the selection and the buying process of the different personality types. This understanding is the foundation from which all Sport-SOS strategic and tactical decisions were built.

Wealth & Philanthropy

Affluent, High-Net-Worth and Ultra-High-Net-Worth individuals and families are optimistic, content and charitable. Good health and relationships with family and friends continue to be the chief contributors to their overall happiness.

Baby Boomer

• Born between 1943-60
• 72 million.
• Shaping events: space race, women’s liberation, Vietnam conflict, and the 60s
  

Gen X

• Born between 1961-79
• Shaping events: Watergate, AIDS rise, Just Say No, Challenger disaster, birth of MTV
  

Gen Y

• Born from 1979-1997
• Aka. Echo Boomers
• Children of Baby Boomers
• Oldest just out of college; youngest in grade school
• Nearly 80 million in population
• Ethnically diverse – sensitive to diversity
• 34% are Black, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American
• One in four live in single–parent households
• 75% have working mothers

Gen Y Consumer Profile

• The next dominant generation of Americans
  
• It’s predicted that by 2010, the Gen Y population will be 32% of total population.
• Spending is already making an impact on the economy
• Big Spenders - $170 million of own and parents money
• Average weekly spending by teenagers = $84 per week ($57 of own; $27 or parents)
• Annually: $25B of own money and influence another $187B in purchases
• 66% have savings accounts; 22% have checking accounts; 18% have their own stocks and bonds
• Dollar savvy with adult buying habits and sophisticated tastes
• Majority grew up in dual income families
• Afforded Gen Ythe opportunity for more sophisticated tastes in clothing, dining and recreation
• Grew up in media saturated, brand conscious world = raised as consumers
• Fostered a distrustful and cynical view of advertising as a whole
• Support "cause-related" marketing
• 83% willing to switch brands for a good cause if price and quality were equal
• Fiercely brand loyal for a month, then switch to a more current brand
  

Technology

• Get news on the latest and greatest, what’s hot and up-to-the-minute cool from the Internet – their primary media vehicle
• 1/3 of life on the Internet
• The average student has 2 email addresses
• First generation to grow up with computers in the home
• Using computers since nursery school
• Email is preferred form of communication
• If you can’t communicate on email…what’s wrong with you?
• Very tech savvy – totally "plugged in"
• Video games
• Cell phones, PDAs
• Music downloads, MP3 players
• Instant messaging
  

How do Gen Yers think?

• Conceptual Abilities
• Parallel (rather than linear) thinkers
• Higher input/output
• Apt to begin tasks randomly – perhaps in the middle – as opposed to a traditional starting point
• Graphics oriented, see text as supporting visual material
• A picture is worth a thousand words
• Thrive on change
• Variety = a few things that change frequently
• Demand quick, if not instant, gratification
• Psycho-Social
• Upbeat and confident
• Self-Esteem generation
• Positive thinkers
• Self-reliant: Used to doing it (and many other things) themselves, multi-taskers
• Asserting their "intellectual authority" over parents, teachers because they are more techno-savvy and capable of accessing greater breadth of information quickly
• High value for education
• 90% of HS seniors expect to attend college
• Strive to continue education through life
• Motivated and Goal-Oriented
• Diverse and Tolerant
• Strong dislike for racism in any form, sexism and homophobia
• High in Volunteerism
• Invest in the social and community causes

What do Gen Yers value most in life?

• Appreciate family, country, planet, traditional values
  
• Unlike the Baby Boomer generation, Gen Yers value things other than income and status as being primary in life
• Appreciate family, country, and planet
• Distrust of media, politics, and politicians
• 64% of Gen Y believe government is run by a few big interests
• In 1996, less than half of 18-24 year olds registered to vote
• Apathy, rather than civil disobedience
  

Work Behaviors

• Desire to work in highly motivated and committed teams
• Need to be challenged
• Strive to work hard and do well
• Up to 20% of their time is spent alone
• Includers – they make people feel welcome and involved
• Lofty financial goals – remember they are spenders!
• Trained to be "Doers and Achievers"
• Jobs for life are replaced with short-term contracts
• May have many different "careers"
• 1 in 5 will be self employed
• Old age postponed by "senior participation"
• 1 in 5 Gen Y women will choose to remain childless
  

How can you reach them?

• Through SportSOS;
  
• With Less Traditional Marketing;
• It’s lifestyle: relaxed and fun;
• Sell a Lifestyle; Not a Product;
• Brand conscious: yet prefer to figure it out for themselves;
• Prefer directness over subtlety, action over observation and cool above all else.

How do you "be cool" without looking like you are trying to hard?

• Go back to what they are thinking – get inside their heads.
  
• Build your brand with values that match theirs.
  
• Show them how to be confident, empowered, and independent with your brand.

Build Trust and Create emotional connections.

• It’s not about reaching the masses; it’s about building a community
• Work with leaders and build grassroots advertising.
  
• Communicate at popular websites, hangouts and locations.
• Use targeted email advertising, website tools and advisory committees
  

Technology

• Use the Internet!
• Internet is the Gen Yer media of choice.
• Build interactive websites with convenient information, sign-ups and link to other helpful sites.
  
• Communicate through targeted emails with very few words.
  

Provide Social Awareness

• Support cause-related marketing
  
• Recognize the causes and ideas that are most popular and program around those issues

Provide regular reinforcement.

• Be sure to recognize: The "Nintendo"generation requires positive reinforcement 50-100 times greater than adults now.
• Provide feedback on their level of performance to motivate them to keep going
• Provide opportunities for personal development
  

Provide Constant Change

• Be Innovative. Gen Yers need change. They thrive on it. Variety to them isn’t lots of things; it is a few things that change frequently.
  
• Offering new products and services give them ownership to advertise to their friends if they like them.
  
• Word of Mouth is the most powerful form of advertising
  

Speak their Language

• Speak Gen Y!