Generation ... C?

Check this out, Nielsen study about Millennials, or ‘Gen-Y’, or people aged 18-34, proves that their a generation about connections and communication. They make up 23% of the population but make up nearly 27% of online video/social network consumption. Even more crazy to think about 33% of them own tablets and 39% of them own smartphones.

(Okay, let me be honest 39% seemed a little low but I have to remind myself that my friends and I are the exception.)

Nielsen writes: “Their ownership and use of connected devices makes them incredibly unique consumers, representing both a challenge and opportunity for marketers and content providers alike…Generation C is engaging in new ways and there are more touch points for marketers to reach them.”

Pretty interesting facts for a Wednesday, huh?

Here’s a link to the report.

Brand Identity Through Pinning

Everyone these days wants to be heard; that's why Twitter and YouTube are so popular. We have opinions. We want to be understood. We want to show the world what we can do, what inspires us and what we're interested in. Perhaps that is whythe hottest Palo Alto start-up, Pinterest, has been on the lips of nearly every media source for about a week and a half.

We get it. Pinterest is hip.

It's a step beyond 'traditional' social media: it shows rather than tells. Users follow boards of like products grouped together by category and posted by their own personal board of trusted, opinionated influencers. It's basically a highly evolved form of raiding a friend's closet, desk or fridge.

People are more visual now than ever before and we're entering an age where digital is as much about utility as it is about art. Brilliant content is everywhere and anywhere.

Call me crazy, but there seems to be an alternative application to Pinterest where brands can leverage their personality through curating rather than displaying products and offers.

With Pinterest, brands like Gap and Chobani are so much more than retailers or manufacturers-they're showing followers how to work out, what to make for dinner, how to stay on top of the latest style ideas and trends and more. It's an opportunity to personify the brand in a way that lets followers discover their identity organically, letting consumers peek behind the scenes and gain a rounder understanding of what the brand is all about.

Check out how these four brands are using Pinterest in innovative ways (click images to visit pinboards and explore):

Chobani

Modcloth

Gap

Travel Channel