What You Need to Know Helping to Connect

What You Need to Know… Helping to Connect with Students or Generation What ? USPS Educational Department Annual Meeting Jacksonville FL 2014

Is this the typical face of a USPS member?

Generation What ? Or are these ? ?

The times they are a- changin’ Even Bob Dylan looks different now than when he recorded the song We need to recognize the changes

Generations Who are they ? Baby Boomers Generation X Generation Y, Echo Boomers or Millenials Generation Z

Generation What ? Why is this important ? The 4 generations include individuals with: Different Values Different Ideas Different Ways of Getting Things Done Different Ways of Communicating

Baby Boomers Born: 1946 -1965 Age 2014: 49 -68 Current population: 77 million Witnessed & ushered social change College Graduates 29 % Married 67% Homeowners 80% Support adult children 59% Work past retirement Only 11% plan to totally retire

Boomers Major Influences • Suburbia • TV • • • Characteristics • Idealistic Vietnam, Watergate Protests: Civil Rights and Women’s movements Drugs, Sex & Rock ‘n Roll • Competitive • Question Authority Optimist Slogan: “Live to Work”

Generation X Born 1966 -1976 Age 2014: 38 -48 Current population: 41 million Exposed to daycare ; latchkey kids ; children of divorce Skepticism – “what’s in it for me? ” Lowest voting participation of any generation Educated – 29% Bachelor’s Degree or higher Pragmatic

Generation X Major Influences • Sesame Street, MTV • Game Boy • • PC /Mac Divorce rate tripled Latch-key children Left alone Characteristics • Eclectic • Resourceful • • • Self-reliant Distrustful of institutions Highly adaptive to change & technology Skeptic Slogan: “Work to Live”

Generation Y Born 1977 -1994 Age 2014: 20 -32 Current population : 71 million Sophisticated Technology wise Immune to most traditional marketing pitches Racially and ethnically diverse Less brand loyal Dual income or single parent families 1 in 9 has credit card co-signed by parent Short attention spans

Generation Y Major Influences • Expanded technology • Natural disasters • • • Violence; gangs Diversity Coddled by parents Characteristics • Globally concerned • Realistic • • • Cyber-savvy Suffer “ADD” “Remote control kids” Realist Slogan: “It’s all about me”

Generation Z Born 1995 -2012 Age 2014: 10 -19 Current population : 23 million and growing Diverse environment High technology use All born after the advent of the internet Future ? ?

The End of Membership As We Know It By Sarah Sladek 19

Generation What ? • we cannot simply accept what has been done before and carry on hoping for the best • societal changes: • volatile economics, • demographic shifts, • rapidly changing technologies

• Four Critical First Steps: One • Focus on real benefits (remember technology) vmembers joined because of our ability to provide boating benefits, or said another way, vmembers joined because USPS fulfilled an expectation providing them something valuable vmembers renew memberships when benefits meet expectations 21

• Four Critical First Steps: Two • Identify needs to develop better benefits, vrecognize changing membership needs vprovide value to your members in the way they want to access it now vmember marketing plans are very important • please remember that word of mouth remains effective but not as effective as … 22

• Four Critical First Steps: Three • The Importance of Marketing vfocus on our customers/members vtarget their needs (ASK WHAT THEY ARE!) vmake our products or services more widely known vdifferentiate the real value of USPS! 23

• Four Critical First Steps: Four • Innovation is a must v “The world we've made, as a result of the level of thinking we have done thus far, creates problems we cannot solve at the same level of thinking. ” 24

Generation What ? Even though we are not marketers… Marketing and promotion are integral to our continued success and must work in a coordinated fashion with course and seminar development to ensure we provide the right course or seminar to the appropriate group and location

Generation What ? Gen X is on the cusp of supplanting Boomers - in the workforce - is the target market for our new members - primary focus Gen Y longer range plans once Gen X addressed - they are impatient and do not want to wait -start thinking now USPS needs to - recognize and understand this societal evolution - act to take advantage of the opportunities - modify and develop programs that meet the needs of Gen X, Y and other key demographic groups: women & Latinos

Generation What ? Exercise: Exercise (5 minutes) Pick one current course and discuss how to tailor it to accommodate the particular characteristics of the target audience – Gen X, Gen Y, Women , Latinos

Generation What? Exercise: Group Discussion • Course structure • Delivery Modalities Gen. X Gen. Y Women Latinos • Duration • Evaluation/Assessment • Other ?