Connected Generation

In 2012 Brian Solis defined it as a unique group of "connected consumers" and brought it into light. In our study conducted by Censuswide, 1002 desk-based office workers were quizzed on their attitudes to web, technology and the workplace.

Generation C is not defined by their age, unlike Generation X, Y, Millenials and Baby Boomers. Instead, we describe Generation C as a ‘psychographic group’, who are defined by their behaviour, values, attitudes and digital lifestyle.

Gen C is always connected, computerised and clicking. They are social media savvy, with 86% using social networking sites to interact with friends, family and peers, and 90% create content for the net at least monthly.

This is the dawn of Generation C, where “C” represents a connected society based on interests and behaviour.

Not surprisingly, Gen C will own an abundance of devices including tablets, laptops, smartphones and smart TVs. It’s not just the fact that Gen C own these devices – they’ll quickly become bored of them too, with almost 80% admitting they’ll buy a new gadget even if there is nothing wrong with the old model. This desire to stay on top of the latest digital trends defines Generation C.

Generation C is collaborative, community-orientated and appears to be good problem solvers. The respondents of the survey describe themselves as inventive, ‘continually coming up with new ideas and different ways of approaching problems’. Encouragingly for employers, the study also found a positive correlation between being a part of Generation C and being driven at work. Gen C appear to want to go the extra mile to help the organisation succeed.

Despite their positive effect on businesses, it appears Generation C is not being catered for in the workplace. Over half of the respondents said that their IT systems at work are only ever updated occasionally, and many complained of outdated and slow systems.

The time wasted on searching for lost documents is costing British businesses up to a staggering £15 billion per year.

Gen C values the ability to work flexibly and using the technology of their choosing. This means not only do they need easy access to their content and documents, but they also want to be able to access them on the go and from the device of their choosing.

Generation C is a very strong driving force in the market. They are digital natives who are constantly communicating, computerised, community-orientated and always clicking. As the connected generation, it’s not surprising that Generation C spend much of their time online; they live in a digital world ignoring the traditional media like tv, radio, and print. Not only is Gen C carrying out all of these activities and more online, but they’re also using a multitude of devices. They want to access this online information whenever and wherever they want, whether that’s from a desk or anywhere out and about.

Generation C lives in a digital world and gives little to no attention to traditional media like tv, radio, and print

The internet is a completely immersive part of their lives. 86% of Generation C are using social media sites to interact with family and friends, and their immediate circle aren’t the only ones influencing their behaviour. Due to their desire to collaborate, Generation C is also the most likely consumers to reach out to their peers across the world through forums and social sites, where they can communicate with other Gen C’ers outside of their immediate circle.  Over 75% of Generation C survey respondents listed ‘being able to contact a company easily through different channels’ as important to them.

It’s obvious that Generation C values interactivity highly and appreciate a two-way dialogue with brands rather than being bombarded with sales messages.