And that’s exactly it.  By the time he and his fresh-faced GenY companions are firmly entrenched in the workforce, they’ll work globally and live abroad more than any generation before them.  This nomadic lifestyle has great appeal to socially curious, adventurous youth who aren’t confined by geographic boundaries.

After all, they were weaned on high voltage internet, mySpace, YouTube, photo sharing on Flikr and instant messaging.  They have perfected the art of social networking within tribes, pods and communities based on lifestyle and taste rather than national affiliation. And that cute guy ahead of me?  He’s probably building a virtual empire on Second Life as we speak!

How does all this affect you?  Forward-thinking fashion executives should consider the following ways GenY culture could help grow a global business:

• Track how the GenY lifestyle affects the way we all shop, live & market goods
• Harness the tech-savvy agility of this population to drive innovation on your team
• Consider their unique “quick-change” perspective on a world that’s ever-changing
• Focus these natural multi-taskers on a wide range of projects and assignments
• Develop opportunities for multiple career paths and roles within your organization
• Recognize the importance of work-life balance and flexible scheduling
• Redefine the norm of what and where you consider “the workplace” to be
  (In the future it may be a cellphone, a plane, a laptop or a collaborative pod)
• Embrace a culture of change and innovation – then watch your business grow! 

Remember, the GenY demographic represents 50% of the world population and will probably change jobs more than 19 times during their lives.  So ask yourself, what new needs for clothing, housing and hotels will arise from this nomadic population?  How can your company tap into the benefits of a skilled, temporary workforce?  As a trend analyst I coach business owners on creating actionable correlations between these global trends and real business growth opportunities.  If you’d like to know more, let’s talk!

Craving another dose of consumer insight?  Read my style blog, TrendAgitator.com and watch for upcoming trend and branding seminars on the FBI events calendar.  To learn more about how global trend affect your business, email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

- Debra Stevenson 

First Published 4/07