Experts in Brand Building Research

By Mike Murphy, Chief Energizing Officer, BrandIQ, Los Angeles

Cultural Openness and Millennials

There is a new trend that blends cultural diversity in American culture. The medium is today’s pop media.

There are lots of influences from different countries such as Asia and Europe, which have become part of entertainment in America. American teenagers are drawn to anything popular, especially in music. Asian and European pop media have been more present in American culture, such as music artists like Adele and the X Factor, which are both UK-derived. There is also a growing trend with Asian pop music, such as K-Pop, that is becoming widespread in popularity in major urban American markets among American teens. If you have never heard of The Wonder Girls, Shinee, 2ne1, Big Bang or Rain, you should check them out. You won’t believe it.

Young people are still discovering their identity and are much more open to new things than people in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Teens especially are using unique content to explore and experience different cultures. Another large group in America is Asian teens; they are also using Asian pop to reconnect with their Asian roots.

This mobile generation needs multi-dimensional interaction to engage them. In recent research we learned that many of these young people describe the perfect day very differently than I would. It is one where ‘they can stay in bed until afternoon in their pajamas watching TV streaming onto their laptops while they listen to music, post on Facebook, write in their electronic journal, chat with people on a social networking site, and shop for fashion or other things all at the same time’. When you understand this multi-tasking orientation you quickly can see why brands need to create a broader multi-faceted relationship with these young people.

Technological advances have helped increase popularity in pop culture. Teens are heavy mobile users and grew up sharing their interests in music and learning with friends and especially through social media and many aspects of the internet. These young people are drawn towards free access to lots of unique content anytime/anywhere. Younger audiences are watching video content on the Internet and Mobile and are not watch TV content in a linear fashion. Watching TV at convenience, such as through the internet or digital cable recorded playback is preferred.

The internet enables younger generation’s greater exposure to many types of multicultural media from around the world.

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