"All failure is failure to adapt. All success is successful adaptation" - Max Mckeown
In today's world everything appears to change at hyper-speed: schools are moving online, cheques can be deposited via mobile apps, text messages are the new phone calls, and Instagram has replaced photo albums. So much of our world is online -- the way that people connect and communicate has changed drastically and if we want to successfully engage the next generation, we must be willing to adapt to the lifestyle of the Millennials.
Who are the 'Millenials'?
The term 'Millennials' refers to young adults between the ages of 17 and 36 years old. According to the International Association for Public Participation (IAPP), Millennials are highly educated, media savvy, misinterpreted and represent 1/4 of the total Canadian population. Despite common assumption, the IAPP suggests that Millennials are extremely optimistic about the power of collective action and that they are seeking authentic opportunities to particiate in their communities. Millennials want to be involved and provide meaningful input on causes that they are passionate about.
How can we engage them?
Engaging Millennials should be a priority for any group seeking to create lasting social change and we must recognize that engaging this generation requires a new perspective, and a different set of tools. We must be willing to adapt in order to succeed.
Ipsos Public Affairs conducted a survey in August of 2015 and the results demonstrated that Millennials may be missing-in-action because they simply do not have the time to engage in the ways other generations have. They require engagement that is more flexible. Based on these results the IAPP came up with three major conclusions:
- The Obstacle is Methodological - Traditional tools are not adapted to the Millennial lifestyle. Online options should always be
available and up-to-date - Make it Meaningful - Use compelling, relevant messaging to attract Millennials
- Empower Them! - Millennials are creative and intelligent. We must empower them to become leaders
Looking for more information on engaging the Millennial generation?
- Explore Why Instagram is so important to Millennials
- Find out what 3 core values and 3 core traits you should appeal to
- Check out Millenials and the Social Sector: What's Next? from the Stanford Social Innovation Review
Happy Learning!
