From 'My Generation' to 'My Media Generation:' Yahoo! and OMD Global Study Finds Youth Love Personalized Media

In the 1960s, television and FM radio launched a generation ofyouth bent on creating new forms of community and self-expression,forcing advertisers and marketers to adapt. According to an in-depthstudy of 13-24 year olds in 11 countries titled, "Truly, Madly, DeeplyEngaged: Global Youth, Media and Technology," released today by Yahoo!Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO), a leading global Internet company, and OMDWorldwide, one of the world's foremost leaders in communications, inthe 21st century, youth's use of interactive and wireless technologieshas created a global generation highly accustomed to personalizingtheir experiences with interactive media. This so-called "My MediaGeneration," driven by a desire to personalize their media, has givenrise to very different attitudes and responses toward advertising andmarketing messages. The results will be released today at Yahoo! andOMD's event for marketers at the Reuters Building in New York as partof Advertising Week 2005.

Like the youth celebrated in The Who's classic song "MyGeneration," the "My Media Generation" is highly motivated by the needfor community and self-expression. But the Internet, mobile phones,and the availability of digital music have allowed that community togo global for the first time.

What really sets today's youth apart is the expectation that theycan customize and personalize everything in their world and dailyexperiences in ways previous generations never could. From individualplaylists on MP3 players to personalized avatar wardrobes on instantmessaging programs, to wallpaper and ring tones on mobile phones, theMy Media Generation demands products and services that suit theirmoods and desires. And, they will actively search for, modify, orcreate their own tailored products and services. As one studyparticipant put it: "Using an Avatar, you can express your mood toother people and what you feel at that moment."

"We've moved from broadcasting to podcasting in just a shortperiod of time," says Wenda Harris Millard, chief sales officer,Yahoo!. "The My Media Generation increasingly filters the flow ofadvertising messages -- letting in only those that are relevant,entertaining, or delivering value. While that raises seriouschallenges for marketers, it also brings the promise of new, morepowerful channels for reaching youth and having them willingly andenthusiastically engage with brands."

The study showed that as advertising channels become morepersonal, receptivity to seeing or hearing advertising through thatchannel decreases. Advertising in traditional media is generallyconsidered more acceptable to youth than advertising in new mediachannels. However, receptivity to advertising via "their" media(established media), vs. "our" media (the Web) vs. "my" medium(personal devices) varies considerably by country. In fact, in somecountries, receptivity to advertising in new media is higher thanreceptivity to advertising in some traditional media outlets. Sixtythree percent of Indian youth agree that it is okay to see advertisingon web sites, while only half (51 percent - 52 percent) foundadvertising acceptable on outdoor, movie theaters or radio.

Multitasking and "Media Meshing"

The study has also revealed that members of the My MediaGeneration have developed an immense capacity to multitask.

"A key finding from this study is that members of the My MediaGeneration can fit up to 44 hours of activities in just one day," saidJoe Uva, president and CEO, OMD Worldwide. "Their ability to performup to three tasks simultaneously, using multiple technologies, allowsthem to potentially increase their media consumption during theiraverage waking hours. Combine this with the demand forpersonalization, and there's a clear message for marketers on the needto personalize and possibly increase the frequency of their messagesin order to reach today's youth."

According to the study, on average the global My Media Generationperforms approximately three to four other tasks while surfing theInternet and approximately two to three other tasks while watchingtelevision. Young people who live in Mexico, the United Kingdom,Germany, and Australia perform the highest number of other activitieswhile surfing the Internet.

Globally, the My Media Generation finds itself faced with moretasks than time to accomplish them -- on a daily basis -- and, as aresult, has become highly adept at multitasking and "media meshing."

Media meshing is a behavioral phenomenon that occurs when peoplebegin an experience in one medium, such as watching television, thenshift to another, such as surfing the Internet, and maybe even athird, such as listening to music. The explanation for this behavioris the constant search for complementary information, differentperspectives, and even emotional fulfillment.

Music, the Internet, and Mobile Devices

My Media Generation's three core needs: community,self-expression, and personalization, are best met through music, theInternet, and mobile devices. Traditional media (television, radio,and print), are still heavily used by this generation, serving vitalbut increasingly niche functions. Traditional media are often pushedto "background" status in the "media-meshing" hierarchy. In eachcountry, the Internet or mobile phone ranked highest for the mostessential media to the My Media Generation.

As a constant presence in young people's lives, music continues tobe a critical tool for meeting the needs of community andself-expression; although, with this generation music has taken on anew twist: personalization.

-- The Internet has surpassed radio as the preferred medium for music among youth in all countries. This preference is especially pronounced outside the United States. Specifically, among American youth, 47 percent prefer the Internet for music compared to 27 percent that prefer the radio. In many other countries, approximately 60 percent of youth prefer the Internet for music compared to 20 percent that prefer the radio.

-- Favorite music styles and artists are used to express specific identities to the outside world. Music is featured in online profiles, homepages, and ringtones as important means of self-expression.

-- Listening to music no longer means merely tuning in to the radio or buying CDs. Young people create music experiences for themselves that are highly personalized. Music downloading, custom playlists, and podcasting allow youth to listen to music on their own terms. And, they can continuously modify their playlists to suit their moods for the day or the activities in which they are participating.

The Internet has become integral to young people's daily lives andis used for a variety of different activities from homework and factchecking to shopping, entertainment, and making new friends. Given itsheavy usage, the Internet provides youth with limitless opportunitiesfor community, self-expression, and personalization. Avatars,emoticons, personal homepages, and blogs allow youth to express theirpersonalities and thoughts with others. Blogging is much moreprevalent among Asian youth than American or European youths and isused as a primary means of self-expression and community.

The My Media Generation doesn't recall a time before virtuallyeveryone had mobile phones. According to one female study participant:"Without having a cell phone, I would just feel completelydisconnected ... I'd be worried about people trying to contact me ...It would just be a disaster." (Female, Chicago, age 21)

Mobile phones accompany young people everywhere -- and they aren'tused just for talking. They are seen as personal appendages thatenable self-expression, personalization, and community in a variety ofways.

-- Decorations, such as charms, stickers, cases, ringtones, and wallpapers, are outward expressions of personality and style.

-- Handset choice is personalized and made to suit the user's needs.

-- And, mobile phone calling and text and picture messaging allow young people to constantly keep in touch with friends and stay connected to their social groups.

Importance of Traditional Media

While young people are increasingly turning to the Internet forcontent and functions traditionally served by other media outlets,they are still active users of TV, radio, magazines, and to a lesserextent, newspapers. TV serves as a mechanism for escape andentertainment. It is frequently on in the background, and "must see"shows like "The OC" are popular topics of conversation. For comedy, TVis the most popular medium, cited by almost 50 percent of youth, whilefor fashion, magazines are the clear No. 1 choice.

Global youth read magazines that reflect their interests andmoods, and they like the fact that they can share pages or issues withfriends with similar interests. In fact, magazines are the No. 1choice for young people who want to learn about fashion and trends.Radio, given the importance of music to young people, is a popularoutlet. It helps introduce youth to new artists and creates commonbonds with peers around popular songs. Although newspapers are theleast used form of media, they are still considered to be a goodsource of information for local news and events.

Advertising Receptivity -- Variances by Region

The global My Media Generation is highly optimistic and looksforward to the future. While technology is perceived as an enabler offuture success, especially in less developed countries, thisgeneration is not made up of techno-utopians.

-- Youth in mature online markets, such as the United States and Western Europe, are in some ways jaded about technology's ability to create a brighter future. The very ubiquity and familiarity of technology has shifted it somewhat from foreground to background in these more affluent and Web-penetrated markets.

-- In developing countries, including Mexico, Russia, China, and India, this generation is much more likely to agree that technology will create a brighter future for them than youth in Western Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

With these different attitudes, it isn't surprising to see markeddifferences in receptivity to advertising; although, advertising isn'tnecessarily always perceived as a nuisance by this generation.

-- Youth in developing countries are more receptive to
advertising:

-- 55 percent in Mexico, 54 percent in China, and 68 percent
in India agree that advertising is a good way to learn
about trends and things to buy

-- The picture in developed countries is a little different:

-- Only 30 percent in France, 32 percent in Germany, and 35
percent in the United States agree that advertising is a
good way to learn about trends and things to buy

Insights and Implications

The My Media Generation is the first to fully leverage thefreedoms that new technology has provided and they are putting itinto practice in all aspects of their lives. Because this age group isless set in their ways, they've been able to quickly and easilyintegrate new tools into their lifestyles. Freedom involves havingfewer limits and restrictions on what they can do and when they can doit. They have an expectation that their access to people, media, andinformation will be unfettered and "always on."

-- Interpersonal Freedom. Friends are reachable 24/7 through a variety of channels, with each medium having its own specific application. Scheduling gatherings, arranging dates, or getting together casually has become much quicker and easier.

-- Media Freedom. Unlike the old days of waiting for a program or song to "air," young people have taken media programming into their own hands. They aren't abandoning media content by any means, but they are seeking ways to schedule that content to meet their needs. Traditional media networks are giving way to personal networks, informed by blogs and programmed with media from a variety of online and offline sources.

-- Information Freedom. News and information have been released from the confines of newspaper, magazines, or TV broadcasts to be available at any time. Also, the advent of blogging means that information content doesn't have to come from media conglomerates, allowing for new voices.

"Some of these behaviors and drives are intrinsically tied to thisspecific age group. For example, who doesn't remember being 18 whenmusic meant everything?" said Michele Madansky, vice president ofresearch, Yahoo!. "But it's our belief that many of these attitudesand media perceptions will carry through into this group's adultlives. As future generations grow up with the Internet and an array ofself-programmable personal devices, all marketers, not just youthmarketers, will need a clear understanding of how these behaviorsimpact advertising and marketing."

Methodology

The two-phased market research study included qualitative focusgroups and in-home ethnographies, as well as a quantitative onlinesurvey.

"The study uncovered the rapid growth and evolving nature of newmedia. This means marketers don't have nearly enough data yet toeffectively 'model' new media the way they do established media," saidMike Hess, director of Global Research and Communication Insights, OMDWorldwide. "To find what works and at what levels, we will have totest, test, test our way in these new areas. Marketers that take thetime to test will be rewarded by being first to determine the causeand effect relationships between the new media vehicles and sales,and, in turn, ROI."

The qualitative phase, conducted by TRU -- Teenage ResearchUnlimited -- consisted of 16 focus groups and 15 in-home ethnographiesin six countries. The research sessions were conducted in Chicago,Mexico City, London, Berlin, Seoul, and Shanghai. Participantsrepresented teens, aged 15-18, and young adults, aged 20-22. Focusgroup and ethnography discussions centered on youth values, attitudestoward and usage of different media, and the role of digital media intheir lives.

The quantitative online survey, conducted by Ipsos, included atotal of 5,334 respondents, aged 13-24. Surveys were collected in Julyand August 2005. The sample was drawn from the Ipsos online panel andpartner global online panels. Respondents represented Internet usersin urban markets around the world. The survey contained questionsregarding technology ownership and usage, traditional and digitalmedia usage, media choices, receptivity toward advertising channels,and overall attitudes and values.

About Yahoo!

Yahoo! Inc. is the No. 1 Internet brand globally and the mosttrafficked Internet destination worldwide. Yahoo! provides onlineproducts and services essential to consumers' lives and offers a fullrange of tools and marketing solutions for businesses to connect withInternet users around the world. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale,Calif.

About OMD Worldwide

OMD (www.omd.com) is one of the largest and most innovative mediacommunications specialists in the world, with more than 140 offices in80 countries. In 2005, OMD had the distinction of winning more mediaLions than any other media agency at the Cannes InternationalAdvertising Festival. The agency network is a unit of Omnicom GroupInc.