Almost one-third of world’s 7.7 billion people have been born since ’01
Newest generation is less ‘self-centered’ than millennials
According to yesterday’s news from Bloomberg, Millennials are about to be surpassed by Generation Z. Bloomberg reports: Gen Z will comprise 32 percent of the global population of 7.7 billion in 2019, nudging ahead of millennials, who will account for a 31.5 percent share, based on Bloomberg analysis of United Nations data, and using 2000/2001 as the generational split.
IS MYRTLE BEACH READY FOR THIS NEW MARKET?
The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s new C.E.O., Karen Riordan, takes office this month. According to statements made by former C.E.O. Brad Dean to the Puerto Rican press, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber receives $55 million annually in tax monies to attract new customers to Myrtle Beach.
Riordan previously worked at top creative advertising agencies, including Arnold Worldwide, SmithGifford, Pagano Schenck & Kay, and Hill Holliday in Boston and Washington, D.C. Over the course of her career she has led marketing campaigns for leading tourism brands, including Visit Williamsburg, The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Amtrak, Choice Hotels International and Celebrity Cruises.
Based on her resume, it appears Mrs. Riordan is ready to take on the challenge of attracting this new American majority group to the area. However, questions remain as to if the city is ready? Or if Mrs. Riordan will be given the authority to truly do her job? As a lawsuit filed by Karen Mitchell exposed, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber does the majority of its spending with eight crony insider companies. MyrtleBeachSC news continually points out that these companies have a poor track record of producing new customers.
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Gen Zers have never known a non-digital world and have grown up amid events such as the “war on terror” and Global Recession. Both the leadership at Myrtle Beach City Hall and the town, itself, are outdated in their approach and appearance to this latest generation of consumers.
“The key factor that differentiated these two groups [Millineals and Gen Z], other than their age, was an element of self-awareness versus self-centeredness,” according to “Rise of Gen Z: New Challenge for Retailers,” a report by Marcie Merriman, an executive director at Ernst & Young LLP. Millennials were “more focused on what was in it for them. They also looked to others, such as the companies they did business with, for solutions, whereas the younger people naturally sought to create their own solutions.”
Leaders in our city relate to self-centeredness. However, questions remain as to if they can relate to a generation ready to create their own solutions. Says Bloomberg, The demographic handover is good news for delivery services, gadget makers and the so-called gig economy. Meanwhile, it presents new challenges to educators, event planners, luxury brands and even golfers — a game where the average age of U.S. participants now exceeds 50. Meanwhile Myrtle Beach still has over 85 area golf courses.
“Gen Z are bombarded with messages and are a generation that can quickly detect whether or not something is relevant to them,” stated a recent report by research firm Nielsen Holdings Plc.
E-CIGS AND VAPING
According to the latest article in FamilyCircle.com, In a potentially worrisome development, over the past three years there’s been an almost 800% increase (yes, that’s an 8) in the use of electronic cigarettes—small, battery-powered machines that deliver vapor that is far gentler than tarry, chemical-riddled smoke but still carries a hefty nicotine payload. These are the very products that Myrtle Beach City Council banned on the boulevard just last Tuesday.
ARE WE OUT OF TOUCH WITH THIS NEW MARKET?
The numbers say we are and only moving more so in the wrong direction.
Said the magazine Demilked, Z kids don’t need to bother moms and dads with their questions. They have touchscreen smartphones at their fingertips; Google provides them access to all known answers on Earth. Online video gaming trains our Z gamers in team interaction and problem solving. Similarly, communicating with international participants gives this generation a lead in communication skills as well as tolerance of differences.
To sum it all up, Generation Z is wise beyond its years. Thanks to the internet and google, these kids have an unquenchable thirst for answers. While the world wide web exposes them to the adult reality from a very young age, they mature quickly. Online interactive media and video games keep them close to home. They have replaced rebellious risk-taking with joy rides via the internet. An uncertain world has created cautious children. This might be the first generation since the dawn of the tobacco industry which will choose an e-cig or Vape over a cigarette. After all, they will have to make 40 look like the new 20.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the news for Myrtle Beach City leaders continue to show that they are miles behind the times.
Says the report, we are on the cusp of seeing the first minority white generation, born in 2007 and later, which perhaps we can dub Generation “Z-Plus.”