Move Over Millennials. It’s Time to Meet the Perennials — the Ageless Generation
January 16, 2017
Although the suffix may sound familiar, the perennial generation is nothing like the “M” word that we have all come to know and love. Perennials, unlike Millennials, is an ideal that ignores the notion that same age equals same interests.
The definition of perennial is something lasting or existing for a long or infinite time; enduring or continually recurring. But Gina Pell, founder of “The What,” wants to stretch that definition to a new generation of consumers, one that transcends the boundaries of age and classifies us as those living in the present time — ever changing and regenerating with each passing year.
In a previous article, I discussed how just because Millennials fit within a certain age range doesn’t mean they all share the same ideals or act in the same way. Well, Pell conceptualizes in her article a world in which we start ignoring age and categorizing cohorts based on shared interests, behaviours, and values. And frankly, I am all for it.
Enter “The Perennials.”
Pell defines perennials as “ever-blooming, relevant people of all ages who live in the present time, know what’s happening in the world, stay current with technology, and have friends of all ages. We get involved, stay curious, mentor others, and are passionate, compassionate, creative, confident, collaborative, global-minded risk takers who continue to push up against our growing edge and know how to hustle. We comprise an inclusive, enduring mind-set, not a diverse demographic.”
In today’s landscape, classifying groups of people based on their generation is so limiting. Segregating groups of people based on their age creates more tension than necessary between decades. It also creates missed opportunities for companies that focus all their efforts on Millennials based on society’s ability to coin them as the taste-makers and influencers. By focusing all marketing and sales efforts on one age group, you miss out on countless others who may share the same interests, despite being outside of the neat little age-range society puts on the millennial generation.
Pell cites an article in the ABA Banking Journal that determined “attitudes and habits that are widely thought to be millennial-specific may actually be quite widespread among the general population.”
Similar to the way Amazon uses algorithms to suggest new products, based on past history and buying habits versus customers’ age, companies can benefit from determining who they are targeting using psychographics versus demographics.
It’s time to change the way we categorize generations. Try to be deductive in your reasoning and gather information and draw your conclusions based on data not generalizations.
Pell summarizes it perfectly when she states that “being a millennial doesn’t have to mean living in your parents’ basement, growing an artisanal beard, and drinking craft beer. Midlife doesn’t have to be a crisis. And you don’t have to be a number anymore. You’re relevant. You’re ever blooming. You’re perennial.”
Further reading:
https://medium.com/the-what/meet-the-perennials-e91a7cd9f65f#.7qxwyvkko
https://www.fastcompany.com/3064977/your-obsession-with-millennials-wont-survive-2017
This article was adapted from Gina Pell’s adapted article on FastCo.
Gina Pell is Perennial #1 and the Content Chief of ‘The What’, a clever list for curious people.
