However, I must accept that each generation has certain attitudinal characteristics typical of the time in which they develop, and although there was much talk at the time of the “millennials” and they were tried to label them (often in the wrong way), now the holy grail seems to be Generation Alpha.
Is there something special about this generation? Not really. The correct thing would be to say that each one has had its characteristics that make it special. Perhaps something I would like to highlight is that this generation, the Alpha generation, are the children of the millennials.
Born between 2010 and until 2025, they are those who were born in the digital age, while their parents were considered a kind of digital pioneers who had to adapt to a lot of radical and rapid changes. The “Alpha” will represent about two billion people in three years.
With this basic information, we go on to review what consultants like Deloitte indicate about the characteristics and interests: they are consumers of content and on top of that, they are very prone to Influencer Marketing. Also, they use more devices that use voice recognition (such as personal assistants), they are more used to payments and electronic commerce and here we have to include cryptocurrencies.
Something very attitudinal is that they believe a lot in the “Purpose” and “Convenience” as driving axes of their decisions: selection of profession, companies to work for and products. If there is no clear purpose that is aligned with their expectations, it will be very difficult to connect with them.
They expect a lot of customization and flexibility for their consumption, especially content, which is why we are seeing a very general trend towards OTT / OnDemand services.
With this fairly general panorama, what opportunities do we have with the Alphas? What can we develop in the sports industry?
The importance of data. We have to use data, not to send emails with the personalized name or create contact points. They must be used as a real-time analytical tool for decision-making.
Take advantage of IoT and 5G. Connectivity is important, and having a presence in wearables/devices (Internet of Things) and taking advantage of the advantages that 5G gives us will be key in the near future.
Connect with consumers in virtual environments. The famous metaverses, from Roblox, Minecraft, Horizon Worlds or Decentraland, virtual environments are enabling new experiences and opportunities that are redefining the interaction between consumers and brands. Between fans and their sports.
The benefits of blockchain. Understanding how to create products based on the technology and capacity that blockchain implies, is not only about NFT’s (although it is a good start), but about creating infrastructure and developing capacities to go from Web2 to Web3.
With this scenario, there are many options to develop. We will continue to explore these in future installments.