Millennials, also called Generation Y or digital natives, are people born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s (to be more exact, Generation Y extends from 1984 to 1996 according to the Harvard Business Review ). They succeed Generation X and precede Generation Z.
The expression “generation” is always to be taken with a grain of salt because it obviously does not correspond to a homogeneous class of individuals with the same consumption patterns, the same passions and the same desires. Rather, we are trying to identify general trends here.
They were born during the infancy of the Internet, played Tekken 3 on the Playstation 1, experienced the breakup of the USSR, the release of the album History of Michael Jackson and the movie Forrest Gump in 1994. It’s an ultra-connected generation, rocked by the pop-culture of the 90s. 98% of digital natives in developed countries use their mobile to go online at least once a day. Moreover, their purchases are mainly made on the web.
Half of the working population in the world are of this generation. Through their number and their voice on social networks, millennials are forcing brands to reinvent themselves. Knowing their state of mind, their expectations and their behavior is essential for companies in order to last over time, but also for investors wishing to follow consumer trends. With most of their business years to come, companies that cater to millennials should be better positioned to benefit from growing purchasing power than their peers.
But these new generations are not limited to their skill in front of a screen. They have different tastes, habits and vision of the world, which influence their economic behavior and, in particular, their way of consuming. Millennials are searching for meaning in a complex world. They want to consume better, seek pleasure, value authenticity and transparency and attach more importance to novelty. Meaningful, committed brands with distinct personalities and positioning take advantage. They are also more distrustful of speech and more discerning in their consumption.
The Zonebourse experts have created for you a thematic list of companies targeting this generation. They belong to a wide range of sectors and are expected to generate significant revenues in the areas of entertainment, social networks,a health, fitness, fashion, catering, travel, leisure, housing and household goods as well as new generation financial services. These companies were selected based on their sector of activity, the percentage of their revenues generated by millennials and the appeal of digital natives for their favorite brands.
Discover the thematic list by clicking here