#ryanderfler

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It's Not Just About Millennials

Yes, the word millennial is pasted across the front page of this website, and I reference it more than any other demographic by far. Yet, every principle I'm espousing as a consultant reaches far beyond millennials. 

To be really upfront, I only use it because it strikes a cord with lots of other generations who (mostly) admit they don't understand "younger generations." And, when I dig deeper into the issues, what I see is that it has more to do with the technologies and social practices that these younger generations adopt more readily. 

This is nothing new, really. We've just gotten much better at labeling the generations and, yes, the technological gap is widening faster than ever before. So, it's true, there is a gap between boomers and millennials, and it is widening. 

To illustrate my point, look at social media, perhaps viewed as one of, if not the defining characteristic of millennial technology use. However, all the research shows that the two generations just ahead of millennials (GenX and Boomers) sign up for and use social media only slightly less than millennials.

The principles I employ to improve customer experience, storytelling, events, and earned income revenue generation are a hit with millennials, but they're a hit with other generations too. My work is simply sensitive to the current widely adopted (and sometimes leading edge, when necessary) technologies and social practices that resonate with people and generate a return on investment (ROI).

I say millennial because I am one, I understand them, and I effectively bridge the gap between generations...a practice as timeless and necessary as ever.