Mar 28, 2024
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Front Page, Industry News

THE BRIEF: The ‘Maddening’ Millennials and the one business that just might be perfect for them

By TO411Daily Columnist
Linda Chandler

They’re so high maintenance, we hire consultants just to help us deal with them. We thoroughly resent their audacious expectation for work/life balance. How long have they been working, 5 minutes? Their famous “sense of entitlement” literally drives us to smoke (again) – and all that self-esteem and optimism we (boomer parents) instilled in them because our parents didn’t – OMG! It stuck! An article in the Harvard Business Review entitled “Mentoring Millennials”* confirms our experience that this generation really does want “a constant stream of feedback.” And that they are in an unrealistic hurry for success and the respect that comes with it. But can you blame them? Just last Saturday the world was coming to an end!

The kids are all right. Harvard Business School Professor, Bill George has encouraging facts about our millennial colleagues. He says these “Young adults study harder and more often, engage in more community service, participate in a greater numbers of extracurricular activities, and hold a more optimistic outlook on the future than any other generation in modern history.”*

Which is a gift when you consider how little genuine opportunity is coming their way. Jane Bongers, Coordinator of the Advertising/Copywriting Program at Humber College says, “We impress on graduates that there is a big difference between an internship, a job and a career. Careers take time; they’re a strategic process. Our grads are well prepared to move into the process of building a career and all the while survive the rigours of the advertising industry.”* Which can sometimes add up to one unpaid internship after another. This could be conceived as tough going.

Five interns who make it sound easy: Jordan Gabriel and Julia Lynch are copywriters and Jordan Dunlap, an art director, all interning at Lowe Roche. They got their internships Portfolio Night at the same agency. Daniel Gerichter is a copywriter interning at Grip Ltd., and Jacob Greer is interning as a copywriter at TAXI. Three out of five interns graduated from Humber College. One from George Brown and another from Mohawk College in Hamilton. The Brief asked them lots of question via e-mail and was delighted to get immediate, thoughtful, and irreverent responses.

The Brief: Why did you choose advertising?

Julia Lynch: I didn’t chose advertising. Advertising somehow convinced me to become a copywriter, and then for some reason I bought new Nikes.

Jordan Dunlap: I’ve always been the type of person that likes to have my work up in a public space. I love being able to drive by something on the street and say, “Hey, I did that!” Before advertising, I was painting murals, making artsy videos, and always trying to create something new. Originally, I wanted to become a graphic designer, but I see myself as an idea person as well as an artist. Advertising was the thing that combined all the things I love into one awesome industry.

The Brief: What surprises you most about working in the “real world?”

Jacob Greer: It’s really a fun time to be working in advertising. Consumers are gaining so much power and everything is going digital and mobile. People in general are so much more ad savvy it really raises the bar for good creative and pushes the industry to do new things. Brands are becoming so accessible to the average person and to be able to flourish a brand these days needs to have a strong identity. A good brand story and good creative is so much more important now than even just a few years ago and it is really exciting that I get to help create it.

The Brief: Do you feel like this (advertising) is your passion?

Julia Lynch: It has replaced my social life, my family life and my cat. Well, not my cat, that’s ridiculous.

The Brief: Where do you think the industry is heading?

Daniel Gerichter: I think the industry is better than it ever was at tapping into people’s passion, hopes and dreams. I think it’ll only get better as it goes forward. Also, in the future, I think the hipsters are going to make a concerted effort (in the interest of being ironic) to bring back HAM radio. Once that happens, the floodgates will open for a whole new advertising medium. You just watch.

The Brief: Hey Daniel, seriously speaking, would you say you’re 100% digital, social media, interactive?

Daniel Gerichter: Nah. I’d say I’m 75% social media et al, 20% traditional; and 5% soy.

The Brief: How would you define your generation?

Julia Lynch: I’d define my generation the way that my idol, Dr. Phil McGraw, would. We are the “Me First” generation. Or something. I don’t really watch Dr. Phil; I think he’s an ass. But I would say we need instant gratification, and that’s something that hugely impacts advertising every day. Websites, microsites, QR codes, AR codes, mass texting, online contests, corporate Facebook pages, viral videos… the list of awesome things that advertisers can use and experiment with grows almost daily. And that’s fun for us, and, hopefully, fun for consumers.

The Brief: Any advice for newbies?

Jordan Gabriel: The one thing I would advise people who are crafting a student book is this: be prepared to be on brief and on brand.

The Brief: You guys sound like you’re learning a lot and you’re happy.

Jordan Gabriel: I knew the pace would be tough, but that’s what I was hoping for.

The Brief: There’s no business like the right business.

The Brief wishes to thank all the “kids” who generously answered my e-mails. And to remind us ‘boomers’ that any new generation is a pain in the ass. So were we. 

SOURCES

  • Jane Bongers, Humber College School of Media Studies, Program Coordinator, Advertising Copywriting jane.bongers@humber.ca

—–

Comment to Linda at this address: thebrief@to411.com.
LinkedIn // Facebook // Twitter

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Front Page, Industry News

THE BRIEF: The ‘Maddening’ Millennials and the one business that just might be perfect for them

By TO411Daily Columnist
Linda Chandler

They’re so high maintenance, we hire consultants just to help us deal with them. We thoroughly resent their audacious expectation for work/life balance. How long have they been working, 5 minutes? Their famous “sense of entitlement” literally drives us to smoke (again) – and all that self-esteem and optimism we (boomer parents) instilled in them because our parents didn’t – OMG! It stuck! An article in the Harvard Business Review entitled “Mentoring Millennials”* confirms our experience that this generation really does want “a constant stream of feedback.” And that they are in an unrealistic hurry for success and the respect that comes with it. But can you blame them? Just last Saturday the world was coming to an end!

The kids are all right. Harvard Business School Professor, Bill George has encouraging facts about our millennial colleagues. He says these “Young adults study harder and more often, engage in more community service, participate in a greater numbers of extracurricular activities, and hold a more optimistic outlook on the future than any other generation in modern history.”*

Which is a gift when you consider how little genuine opportunity is coming their way. Jane Bongers, Coordinator of the Advertising/Copywriting Program at Humber College says, “We impress on graduates that there is a big difference between an internship, a job and a career. Careers take time; they’re a strategic process. Our grads are well prepared to move into the process of building a career and all the while survive the rigours of the advertising industry.”* Which can sometimes add up to one unpaid internship after another. This could be conceived as tough going.

Five interns who make it sound easy: Jordan Gabriel and Julia Lynch are copywriters and Jordan Dunlap, an art director, all interning at Lowe Roche. They got their internships Portfolio Night at the same agency. Daniel Gerichter is a copywriter interning at Grip Ltd., and Jacob Greer is interning as a copywriter at TAXI. Three out of five interns graduated from Humber College. One from George Brown and another from Mohawk College in Hamilton. The Brief asked them lots of question via e-mail and was delighted to get immediate, thoughtful, and irreverent responses.

The Brief: Why did you choose advertising?

Julia Lynch: I didn’t chose advertising. Advertising somehow convinced me to become a copywriter, and then for some reason I bought new Nikes.

Jordan Dunlap: I’ve always been the type of person that likes to have my work up in a public space. I love being able to drive by something on the street and say, “Hey, I did that!” Before advertising, I was painting murals, making artsy videos, and always trying to create something new. Originally, I wanted to become a graphic designer, but I see myself as an idea person as well as an artist. Advertising was the thing that combined all the things I love into one awesome industry.

The Brief: What surprises you most about working in the “real world?”

Jacob Greer: It’s really a fun time to be working in advertising. Consumers are gaining so much power and everything is going digital and mobile. People in general are so much more ad savvy it really raises the bar for good creative and pushes the industry to do new things. Brands are becoming so accessible to the average person and to be able to flourish a brand these days needs to have a strong identity. A good brand story and good creative is so much more important now than even just a few years ago and it is really exciting that I get to help create it.

The Brief: Do you feel like this (advertising) is your passion?

Julia Lynch: It has replaced my social life, my family life and my cat. Well, not my cat, that’s ridiculous.

The Brief: Where do you think the industry is heading?

Daniel Gerichter: I think the industry is better than it ever was at tapping into people’s passion, hopes and dreams. I think it’ll only get better as it goes forward. Also, in the future, I think the hipsters are going to make a concerted effort (in the interest of being ironic) to bring back HAM radio. Once that happens, the floodgates will open for a whole new advertising medium. You just watch.

The Brief: Hey Daniel, seriously speaking, would you say you’re 100% digital, social media, interactive?

Daniel Gerichter: Nah. I’d say I’m 75% social media et al, 20% traditional; and 5% soy.

The Brief: How would you define your generation?

Julia Lynch: I’d define my generation the way that my idol, Dr. Phil McGraw, would. We are the “Me First” generation. Or something. I don’t really watch Dr. Phil; I think he’s an ass. But I would say we need instant gratification, and that’s something that hugely impacts advertising every day. Websites, microsites, QR codes, AR codes, mass texting, online contests, corporate Facebook pages, viral videos… the list of awesome things that advertisers can use and experiment with grows almost daily. And that’s fun for us, and, hopefully, fun for consumers.

The Brief: Any advice for newbies?

Jordan Gabriel: The one thing I would advise people who are crafting a student book is this: be prepared to be on brief and on brand.

The Brief: You guys sound like you’re learning a lot and you’re happy.

Jordan Gabriel: I knew the pace would be tough, but that’s what I was hoping for.

The Brief: There’s no business like the right business.

The Brief wishes to thank all the “kids” who generously answered my e-mails. And to remind us ‘boomers’ that any new generation is a pain in the ass. So were we. 

SOURCES

  • Jane Bongers, Humber College School of Media Studies, Program Coordinator, Advertising Copywriting jane.bongers@humber.ca

—–

Comment to Linda at this address: thebrief@to411.com.
LinkedIn // Facebook // Twitter

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Front Page, Industry News

THE BRIEF: The ‘Maddening’ Millennials and the one business that just might be perfect for them

By TO411Daily Columnist
Linda Chandler

They’re so high maintenance, we hire consultants just to help us deal with them. We thoroughly resent their audacious expectation for work/life balance. How long have they been working, 5 minutes? Their famous “sense of entitlement” literally drives us to smoke (again) – and all that self-esteem and optimism we (boomer parents) instilled in them because our parents didn’t – OMG! It stuck! An article in the Harvard Business Review entitled “Mentoring Millennials”* confirms our experience that this generation really does want “a constant stream of feedback.” And that they are in an unrealistic hurry for success and the respect that comes with it. But can you blame them? Just last Saturday the world was coming to an end!

The kids are all right. Harvard Business School Professor, Bill George has encouraging facts about our millennial colleagues. He says these “Young adults study harder and more often, engage in more community service, participate in a greater numbers of extracurricular activities, and hold a more optimistic outlook on the future than any other generation in modern history.”*

Which is a gift when you consider how little genuine opportunity is coming their way. Jane Bongers, Coordinator of the Advertising/Copywriting Program at Humber College says, “We impress on graduates that there is a big difference between an internship, a job and a career. Careers take time; they’re a strategic process. Our grads are well prepared to move into the process of building a career and all the while survive the rigours of the advertising industry.”* Which can sometimes add up to one unpaid internship after another. This could be conceived as tough going.

Five interns who make it sound easy: Jordan Gabriel and Julia Lynch are copywriters and Jordan Dunlap, an art director, all interning at Lowe Roche. They got their internships Portfolio Night at the same agency. Daniel Gerichter is a copywriter interning at Grip Ltd., and Jacob Greer is interning as a copywriter at TAXI. Three out of five interns graduated from Humber College. One from George Brown and another from Mohawk College in Hamilton. The Brief asked them lots of question via e-mail and was delighted to get immediate, thoughtful, and irreverent responses.

The Brief: Why did you choose advertising?

Julia Lynch: I didn’t chose advertising. Advertising somehow convinced me to become a copywriter, and then for some reason I bought new Nikes.

Jordan Dunlap: I’ve always been the type of person that likes to have my work up in a public space. I love being able to drive by something on the street and say, “Hey, I did that!” Before advertising, I was painting murals, making artsy videos, and always trying to create something new. Originally, I wanted to become a graphic designer, but I see myself as an idea person as well as an artist. Advertising was the thing that combined all the things I love into one awesome industry.

The Brief: What surprises you most about working in the “real world?”

Jacob Greer: It’s really a fun time to be working in advertising. Consumers are gaining so much power and everything is going digital and mobile. People in general are so much more ad savvy it really raises the bar for good creative and pushes the industry to do new things. Brands are becoming so accessible to the average person and to be able to flourish a brand these days needs to have a strong identity. A good brand story and good creative is so much more important now than even just a few years ago and it is really exciting that I get to help create it.

The Brief: Do you feel like this (advertising) is your passion?

Julia Lynch: It has replaced my social life, my family life and my cat. Well, not my cat, that’s ridiculous.

The Brief: Where do you think the industry is heading?

Daniel Gerichter: I think the industry is better than it ever was at tapping into people’s passion, hopes and dreams. I think it’ll only get better as it goes forward. Also, in the future, I think the hipsters are going to make a concerted effort (in the interest of being ironic) to bring back HAM radio. Once that happens, the floodgates will open for a whole new advertising medium. You just watch.

The Brief: Hey Daniel, seriously speaking, would you say you’re 100% digital, social media, interactive?

Daniel Gerichter: Nah. I’d say I’m 75% social media et al, 20% traditional; and 5% soy.

The Brief: How would you define your generation?

Julia Lynch: I’d define my generation the way that my idol, Dr. Phil McGraw, would. We are the “Me First” generation. Or something. I don’t really watch Dr. Phil; I think he’s an ass. But I would say we need instant gratification, and that’s something that hugely impacts advertising every day. Websites, microsites, QR codes, AR codes, mass texting, online contests, corporate Facebook pages, viral videos… the list of awesome things that advertisers can use and experiment with grows almost daily. And that’s fun for us, and, hopefully, fun for consumers.

The Brief: Any advice for newbies?

Jordan Gabriel: The one thing I would advise people who are crafting a student book is this: be prepared to be on brief and on brand.

The Brief: You guys sound like you’re learning a lot and you’re happy.

Jordan Gabriel: I knew the pace would be tough, but that’s what I was hoping for.

The Brief: There’s no business like the right business.

The Brief wishes to thank all the “kids” who generously answered my e-mails. And to remind us ‘boomers’ that any new generation is a pain in the ass. So were we. 

SOURCES

  • Jane Bongers, Humber College School of Media Studies, Program Coordinator, Advertising Copywriting jane.bongers@humber.ca

—–

Comment to Linda at this address: thebrief@to411.com.
LinkedIn // Facebook // Twitter

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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