{"id":7202,"date":"2020-02-18T16:30:29","date_gmt":"2020-02-18T21:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/?p=7202"},"modified":"2021-03-10T11:46:44","modified_gmt":"2021-03-10T16:46:44","slug":"who-is-generation-alpha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/who-is-generation-alpha\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is Generation Alpha, and What Do You Need to Know?"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\">4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>\n<p>With Generation Z primed to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewsocialtrends.org\/2018\/11\/15\/early-benchmarks-show-post-millennials-on-track-to-be-most-diverse-best-educated-generation-yet\/\">transform the workforce<\/a> and the youngest Millennials now reaching adulthood, marketers are turning their attention to the new consumer at home. Generation Alpha (or Gen A), comprised of children under the age of 10, is already proving to have an outsized impact on household spending and the future of consumer experiences with technology.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mccrindle.com.au\/insights\/blogarchive\/why-we-named-them-gen-alpha\/\">Coined<\/a> by the Australian social researcher Mark McCrindle, Generation Alpha includes anyone born between 2010 and 2024, the first \u201cgeneration\u201d to be born entirely in the 21st century. And that cohort is predicted to be \u201cthe most formally-educated generation ever, the most technology-supplied generation ever, and globally the wealthiest generation ever,&#8221; as McCrindle told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2015\/09\/19\/fashion\/meet-alpha-the-next-next-generation.html\">the <em>New York Times<\/em><\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/03\/img_6048f2b259aee.png\" alt=\"\" \/><figcaption><em>An infographic showing a preference for tablet usage among children age 3-4. <\/em><br><em>Source: <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ofcom.org.uk\/__data\/assets\/pdf_file\/0023\/190616\/children-media-use-attitudes-2019-report.pdf\"><em>Ofcom<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Alphas are coming of age in a time of unprecedented technological growth\u2014they\u2019ve seen the rise of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and driverless cars. In many ways, <a href=\"https:\/\/adage.com\/article\/cmo-strategy\/move-gen-z-generation-alpha-watch\/316314\">the influence of Generation Alpha<\/a> on the market is no different from Gen Z and the Millennials before it\u2014the trend of creating more personal, immediate experiences continues to grow. But the Alpha worldview is even more extreme. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotwireglobal.com\/feature\/understanding-generation-alpha-2-us\">a 2018 report<\/a> from Hotwire, kids will surpass their parents in terms of their tech skills by age 8. And as they get older, that gulf of experience will only become more apparent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Tiana Toys and Me Unboxing Cry Babies Magic Tears - Smyths Toys\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5mEh6zys0ec?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.ceros.com\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption><em>Tiana of ToyandMe, a 12-year-old influencer with over <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC6sSkkemzPjmrzS0Y0V_2zw\"><em>11 million YouTube subscribers<\/em><\/a><em>. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>So, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/christinecarter\/2016\/12\/21\/the-complete-guide-to-generation-alpha-the-children-of-millennials\/#309d5c973623\">what can brands do<\/a> to appeal to this tech-savvy clientele and to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC6sSkkemzPjmrzS0Y0V_2zw\">the kid influencers<\/a> who have their ear? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Hold Their Attention<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Alina Redkina, a designer at the creative production agency <a href=\"https:\/\/kworq.com\/\">Kworq<\/a>, explains that in a world where everything is constantly at one\u2019s fingertips, \u201cthe biggest challenge will be holding their attention.\u201d The best way of doing that, Redkina says, is to establish a gradual connection, \u201cunobtrusively, and in a way that piques their curiosity and development.\u201d In other words, trust has to be built over time\u2014in a way that\u2019s so personable, it almost seems incidental. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was confirmed by a 2017 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/317927536_Hey_Google_is_it_OK_if_I_eat_you_Initial_Explorations_in_Child-Agent_Interaction\">pilot study<\/a> from the MIT Media Lab in which researchers watched 26 children, ages 4-10, as they interacted with several different AI \u201cagents\u201d\u2014Alexa, Google Home, the pet robot Cozmo, and the conversational Julie Chatbot\u2014to see how kids would respond to these different technologies over time. What <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotwireglobal.com\/feature\/genalpha3\">they found was<\/a> that, for the most part, children understood these AI bots as friendly, trustworthy, and smart. One seven-year-old even thought that the Google Home she was interacting with was smarter than Alexa, because it could produce more information on sloths.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Cozmo&#039;s getting an upgrade.\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wfqQcF3rbZ4?start=35&#038;feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.ceros.com\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption><em>Cozmo, the adorable pet robot<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Go Deep, Even on Shallow Things<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The kids\u2019 perceptions of these devices\u2014as being smarter than themselves\u2014meant that they went off-book, treating these AI agents as if they were people or pets, expecting a depth of interaction that the AI couldn\u2019t actually sustain. This lays out part of the challenge for brands in winning the loyalty of Alphas, who will look to create even deeper relationships with technology as they get older.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, Generation Alpha will likely see the replacement of the screen and keyboard with voice, AI, and gestural interfaces\u2014they are more relational. The shift is already underway: In the last year alone, the use of smart speakers among children aged 5-15 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ofcom.org.uk\/research-and-data\/media-literacy-research\/childrens\">doubled<\/a>. And in its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotwireglobal.com\/feature\/understanding-generation-alpha-2-us\">2018 report on Gen Alpha<\/a>, Hotwire found that 81% of U.S. parents had their children help in a tech purchase. In other words, Gen A kids are already in the same tech ecosystem as their parents, and their power of the purse is only growing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is part of the reason that Hotwire recommends that brands focus less on finding ways to appeal to kids, and instead try to make their existing products more family-friendly, with \u201cscalable safety features.\u201d For example, Fitbit\u2019s new <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2018\/03\/13\/fitbit-is-launching-a-fitness-tracker-for-kids\/\">wearable fitness tracker for kids<\/a> age 8-13 is the same product, but with the inclusion of parental controls. Incidentally, kids wearables also tie into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotwireglobal.com\/feature\/understanding-generation-alpha-2-us\">the greatest concern<\/a> among the Millennial parents of Gen Alphas, 70% of whom, in the U.S., believe that their kids screen time is detrimental to their health\u2014with 48% worrying about how much exercise their kids are getting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/03\/img_6048f2b4143dc.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><figcaption><em>The Fitbit Ace 2, the activity track for kids age 6+. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Make It a Family Affair<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This speaks to the delicate balance that brands face when tapping into the Alpha market: finding ways to appeal to both kids and their parents. Krista DiBerardino, a VP of marketing at Canadian toymaker Spin Master, <a href=\"https:\/\/adage.com\/article\/cmo-strategy\/move-gen-z-generation-alpha-watch\/316314\">told AdAge<\/a>, \u201cFamilies are consuming, engaging, and buying together,\u201d she says. So, what\u2019s the trick? Becoming a brand known for content as much as for product.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take Crest Kids\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Gimlet-Media-Chompers\/dp\/B079WCGTKX\">Chompers<\/a>, for example: a twice-daily, two-minute podcast from Gimlet Media and Oral B to make brushing teeth more enjoyable. The immediate benefit of the skill is the encouragement of better dental hygiene by telling jokes and sharing fun facts designed to motivate young children. The podcast also helps to establish trust between Procter &amp; Gamble\u2019s Crest and the whole family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/03\/img_6048f2b4aade8.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/gimletmedia.com\/shows\/chompers\"><em>Chompers<\/em><\/a><em>, from Gimlet Media.&nbsp;<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s still much that\u2019s unknown about the impact that this early exposure to technology will have on Generation Alpha\u2019s development. Stefania Druga from the MIT Media Lab study doesn\u2019t think there\u2019s any reason to worry about that just yet. Children, she explains, are more open-minded than their parents. \u201cI think a lot of our assumptions of what a young child today could understand or do are yet to be challenged,\u201d she told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotwireglobal.com\/generation-alpha\">Hotwire<\/a>. We\u2019ll just have to watch this space.<\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"myclass\">Move over, millennials and Gen Z: there&#8217;s a new crew in town. Here&#8217;s what marketers need to know about Generation Alpha (Gen A), comprised of kids born between 2010 and 2024.<\/div>\n<p><!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":7221,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Who is Generation Alpha? A Guide to Winning Over Gen A - Ceros Inspire<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Move over, millennials and Gen Z: there&#039;s a new crew in town. Here&#039;s what marketers need to know about Generation Alpha (Gen A), comprised of kids under 10.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/who-is-generation-alpha\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Who is Generation Alpha? A Guide to Winning Over Gen A - Ceros Inspire\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Move over, millennials and Gen Z: there&#039;s a new crew in town. 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