Young people: genetically wired to trendspot?

Last Tuesday, we enjoyed soaking up nuggets of wisdom over beers on the boat at Leith Barge. The theme of the session was young people: how and why they make us better at our jobs. 

Take the lead from young people

For Claire Wood (Leith), young people hold the answer to how people think. It is no secret that young people are adept at finding out the very latest thing, embracing it and making it part of their lives. Understanding how they go about doing this is useful, so that we as marketers can replicate their method of discovery and anticipate trends.

Prototype

Charlotte Gross (National Theatre of Scotland) and Gavin Bell (Blue Cliff Media) gave us an insight into the brilliant benefits of the ‘apprenticeship model’ or ‘learn by doing’. Just doing relieves your ‘entrepreneurial symptoms’ and makes you better. Prototyping gets you to constantly evolve, try out new things and not rest on your laurels. 

It’s not all about you

Gavin Bell points out that most people make the mistake of only creating content about themselves. However, to grow audiences (other than your family and friends), you need to create content around things that others are interested in. He pointed to checking out the latest trending apps as a useful source for this.

Now not future

Charlotte Gross told us that young people are tired of being referred to as ‘the future’. Instead, they are ‘the now’. Involving them is not about preparing for the future, it’s about the value they can bring to the table today. 

Misleading badges 

Christie Warren (Leith) discussed how unfair it is to fit people into narrow definitions such as ‘narcissistic millennials’. Each person is a hybrid: influenced by our parents and the world in which we grew up. For example, the so called ‘Gen Z digital natives’ still appreciate the value of reading a good book and a handwritten thank-you note.

Co-creation

Charlotte Gross told us that by co-creating with communities to tell their stories, theatre can change people. Ensuring the voices of young people are heard is also a key component of the Scottish Government’s Year of Young People initiative. Year of Young People (8-26 year olds) celebrates one of Scotland’s core strengths. Gregor Urquhart (Scottish Government) spoke about promoting a more positive perception of young people by demonstrating the value they add to society. Year of Young People has provided such a platform by bringing young people together to co-create, showcase their talents and ensure they have a voice in decision-making and policy design. 

Thank you to Marketing Society Scotland and Lux Events for arranging this wonderful event and to Leith for hosting it. It was a fun and thought-provoking evening and we’re already looking forward to the next Trendspotting session.

By Germaine Fagan, Junior Planner at The Union.

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