Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Željka Mićić, Analytic & Development Manager, McCann Beograd
The Truth about Youth study from McCann Truth Central shows a different picture of this generation. The aim of the study was to find out the real truth about young people, about whom so much is spoken and written, by using serious and comprehensive research to discover their strengths and weaknesses and to try to understand what is behind their behavior and opinions. The study was conducted globally in 18 markets around the world, including Serbia. In Serbia, the study included 600 participants aged 16-29 years (a nationally representative sample), and certain themes were further analyzed through in-depth focus groups. In view of the picture that many have of this generation, the study came to a somewhat surprising conclusion, that today’s youth are actually rational, pragmatic, somewhat conservative and not so crazy and carefree … What’s behind it?
The ‘culprits’ are fear and the need for control and safety! This is a natural reaction to the uncertain times in which we have lived for quite some time in this area, and even in some developed markets the basic notion of security has been threatened in the relatively near past. Still, it’s surprising how much the uncertainty of the outside world has affected the attitudes of the young generation, how much it has shaped them and crept into almost every aspect of their lives.
In Serbia, 87 percent of young people believe that today we are faced with many life problems that did not exist in the past, and globally, young people agree that we are going through a period that is quite uncertain. It’s enough that, thanks to technology, today we are informed about events around the world almost at the time of their occurrence, and so we are exposed to negative news 24 hours a day. If we add to this the state of the economy, the inability to find work, climate change, the refugee crisis, terrorist attacks … it’s no wonder that young people today feel that they live in difficult times. And in difficult times security becomes one of the dominant themes. But where to find it?
Most look for it in the family, young people in particular. The primary family is a rare safe place, and parents are the most sincere friends, a safe harbor and trusted role models for this generation. 72 percent of young people said that the family has a greater influence on their decisions than friends. On the other hand, finding the right partner and establishing one’s own family is also a very important goal for this generation. Only 29 percent of our respondents say they feel comfortable with the idea of never getting married, while globally the percentage is much higher – 58 percent. It is interesting that this goal is perceived in the same way by young people of 16-17 years, as it is by those ten years older than them. One could say that the foundation of this strong desire to find a permanent partner at such a young age is not the need for love and a sense of belonging, but a lower hierarchical motive – the motive of safety! This further confirms the attributes that the young prescribe for the ideal partnership, in which they primarily expect trust, support, understanding. In a word, safety.
This theme, and a pronounced rationality in their thinking, pervades all future plans of the young generation, from attitudes towards a career, politics, and the situation in the country to attitudes towards money, purchasing and brands. That’s why today’s young are in many ways ‘smart buyers’, which is again somewhat surprising because they are expected to demonstrate a higher dose of impulsiveness and a carefree attitude when purchasing. However, the lack of money, unemployment and other existential problems have contributed to the fact that 61 percent of youth say they usually go shopping with a list of groceries, and make an effort to stick to it. And 83 percent believe that wise spending is more important than high earnings. The majority don’t think things are nicer and of better quality if they are branded, so this generation doesn’t shy away from shopping in secondhand stores, and 82 percent are not ashamed to say that they buy in ‘Chinese stores’.
Although the need for security is a lot more pronounced in Serbia, for well-known reasons, the increase in the importance of this topic is not unknown even in global, much more developed and ‘safer’ markets. Thus, among the top 10 trends for 2016, Euromonitor International ranked ‘Shopping for control‘, where the main driving emotion is fear. The desire for control and safety very much influences our buying behavior, and brands from many categories are trying to bring back the feeling that at least some things are kept under control. Thus, in recent years, there has been an increasing focus on highlighting the safety and origin of the product, the absence of harmful ingredients, “green” and ethical business practices, the protection of privacy and the like. At the global level there is a large growth in sales of sunscreens, air purifiers, organic food, and in the need for financial advisors, and guards for webcams have become quite a sought-after product in recent years.
The important question that arises for brands is how they can make a balance between these two important human needs – freedom and security! Both are very important, but are often in conflict with one another. This is a field in which brands must be careful, especially if they communicate with youth, in whose essence is the need for freedom and carefreeness, but, on the other hand, this research demonstrates that this generation’s need for security is also strong. Whoever manages to find the right balance between craziness and rationality will be on the right track to success!