YouthNation

Youth is no longer an age—it's a commodity

YouthNation is an indispensable brand roadmap to the youth-driven economy. Exploring the idea that youth is no longer an age—it's a commodity that's available to everyone—this book shows what it takes to stay connected, agile, authentic, and relevant in today's marketplace. Readers will learn the ins and outs of the new consumer, and the tools, methods, and techniques that ensure brand survival in the age of perpetual youth. Coverage includes marketing in a post-demographic world, crafting the story of the brand, building engaged communities, creating experiences that inspire loyalty and evangelism, and the cutting-edge tricks that help businesses large and small harness the enormous power of youth.

The old marketing models are over, and the status quo is dead. Businesses today have to embody the ideals of youth culture in order to succeed, by tapping the new and rapidly evolving resources n business and in life. When everything is changing at the pace of a teenager's attention span, how do businesses future-fit for long-term success? This book provides a plan, and the thoughts, strategies, and brass tacks advice for putting it into action.

• Use New-Gen psychographics to target markets
• Build stronger evangelism with a compelling brand narrative
• Create loyal communities with immersive and engaging experiences
• Navigate the radically-changed landscape of the future marketplace

In today's hyper-socialized, Facebook fanatic, selfie-obsessed world, youth is the primary driver of business and culture. Smart companies are looking to tap into the fountain of youth, and the others are sinking fast. YouthNation is a roadmap to brand relevancy in the new economy, giving businesses turn-by-turn direction to their market destination.

Foreword: By Antonio Lucio ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Disclosures xvii

How to Connect with Me and Learn more about YouthNation xix

Introduction: Forever Young xxi

Chapter 1 From Status Symbol to Status Update 1

Chapter 2 From Things to Thrills 13

Chapter 3 The Rise of Electronic Dance Music 35

Chapter 4 Access over Ownership 45

Chapter 5 The Communal Table 55

Chapter 6 The Peer-to-Peer Economy 67

Chapter 7 The Power of the Crowd 81

Chapter 8 Free Agency 97

Chapter 9 Lifehacking 115

Chapter 10 The Field Guide to Lifehackers 131

Let’s Pivot to Brand Building 146

Chapter 11 TV, the NFL, and the End of Demographics 149

Chapter 12 The Game-Changing Science of Media 157

Chapter 13 Big Data 101 173

Chapter 14 People Are Brands 183

Chapter 15 Brands Are People 213

Chapter 16 A StoryWorth Sharing 223

Epilogue 249

Endnotes 259

Index 267

"Throughout the chapters, excellent, to-the-point vignettes and candid interviews vividly illustrate the ways in which today’s diverse organizations creatively embrace the integration of technology and social networking into their marketing mix. From advertising to the mantra of "you only live once," Britton has his finger on the pulse, whatever it may be called, of the shifting ethos and ideals that is and will be the manifesto and road map of this new culture." (Choice Connect 2016)

MATT BRITTON is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MRY, (formerly known as Mr Youth) a global marketing services firm which has helped the word's leading brands use creative technology solutions to reach America's youth. In 2013, MRY was named Digital Innovator of the Year by Mashable.

Matt also helped spearhead the creation ofCrowdTap an advertising technology company named as one of America's Most Promising Companies by Forbes magazine and one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States by INC magazine.

Matt is continually featured as an expert on youth marketing and social media in leading media outlets around the world including the Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, Bloomberg, and the New York Times. Matt is also a Fox Business Network ongoing contributor.

We are all bearing witness to a radical cultural shift in America. Our nation's youth has collectively transformed from a fringe counter-culture to THE culture of our nation. In doing so youth has become the preeminent driver of all markets, trends, and disruptions, which are rapidly evolving the American business landscape. This is the new status quo, and youth marketing expert Matt Britton calls it YouthNation.

In YouthNation: Building Remarkable Brands in a Youth-Driven Culture, Britton explains how we got here, where we are headed, and why youth has now become a commodity that's available to everyone. This commodity transcends industries and demographics, and is the new and unstoppable force behind all innovation and global competitive advantage. Businesses that want to compete in YouthNation need to understand the technologies and movements sweeping our land. Traditional models no longer apply amidst a new world where revolutions can ignite and enterprises can be created by anyone with an iPhone.We are now playing with a new set of rules which must be adhered to if we want to flourish in this youth-driven economy.

And the time to get on board is now. Youth culture changes at light speed and it is way too easy to be left in the dust. YouthNation provides readers with a playbook that will enable them to survive and thrive in these ever-changing times. Covering all the essential topics of 21st century brand building, this book introduces readers to the power of big data, consumer advocacy, crowdsourcing, the experience economy, content marketing, the peer-to-peer economy, and more. By commanding these change agents, readers will be able to navigate the complex roadmap of YouthNation to success.

Over the course of his 20 year career as a globally renowned youth marketing specialist, Matt Britton has had his finger on the pulse of youth culture and driven marketing strategies on behalf of over one hundred Fortune 500 Organizations including Coca-Cola, Microsoft, and Johnson & Johnson. Through this experience, Matt has uncovered powerful trends and movements within America's youth that have broader implications on every business and to consumers of all ages. In YouthNation, these valuable insights are distilled into a resource that brands large and small will find indispensable. The dominant impact of America's youth shows no signs of slowing as the technological revolution has empowered tomorrow's leaders to change the world today.