Alpha gen: Listen to your kid, suggest your bid.

What you’re reading now are thoughts and predictions. But those thoughts and forecasts are based on research and statistics from various sources. Below presented paragraphs are analyses of those data. Presented thoughts and analyses may change your perception of the market, advertising, and consumption.

Who represents Alpha Gen?

If you were born somewhere in 2010–2020 — congrats, you are an Alpha. If you still haven’t — you have 4 years. 2010–2024 is the era of Alpha Gen representatives. That means the oldest Alpha living on this earth does not ask his/her parents questions anymore. Instead, an average Alpha googles them on his/her smartphone. The Alpha moves to the future with his/her preferences. The word “influencer” is not only familiar to Alphas, but it is an ordinary profession for them.

After 2024, when the last Alpha will be born, a new generation era will start — Beta Generation. By that time, most of the world population (among generation divisions) will be Alphas — approximately 2 billion. The last Alpha will give the race baton to the new generation. That said, 5 years left before the Alpha revolution to take place at its full range. But our protagonists need to be at the focus center now. According to the latest polls, every fourth parent asked the child for their opinion before buying an equipment.

We should follow and satisfy our Alphas now because their parents have already changed their consumer behavior to please them.

How did that happen?

The formation of Alphas happens in front of the screens (big or small — doesn’t matter).

The transition from the “mommy’s finger, mommy’s finger, where are you?” to online courses, cartoons, games, social media, and VR. In short, Alpha is the most digital-native generation. Based on that, we should take into consideration that our future communications will transform drastically.

Big ideas, simple executions (not in terms of technique), and thoroughly chosen platforms will become the main guarantees of successful advertising communications.

How to react? What should we do?

For the most part of our lives, we are consciously or subconsciously trying to adopt. This situation is not an exclusion. Now I will try to give my vision based on statistics, international surveys, audits, and insights.

1. Coronavirus and Lockdown prepared us for the Alpha age. Alphas appreciate unification, multifunctionality, and responsible consumption. It means the accent should be on business digitalization, speed, delivery systems, and marketplaces.
2. The 18th century’s Industrial Revolution crucially damaged nature, and it will take another 10 generations, like Alpha and Beta, to rectify the situation. The environment, social responsibility, environmental pollution will still be relevant. And it will directly influence consumer behavior.
3. We should keep it fresh. It’s not only about being trendy, ’cause soon we’ll scroll new trends every hour. And that will influence the Alpha’s behavior. That said, Alphas will use streaming services, live broadcasts, podcasts, and other up-to-date tools even more.
4. The movies about the future are filled with clichés. But we don’t imagine how close those clichés are to our reality. So if you see the flying taxis, wars with blasters, and holographic partners in 5–10 years, don’t be surprised because it’s the new reality that is unavoidable. There is only a matter of time.
5. Some fields will either change or disappear. Luxury products are already losing their trendiness. Cars are becoming usual electric devices for people. Fast food is evil. According to research, 65% of Alphas will work in professions that don’t even exist now.
6. Alphas won’t live as we do now. Unlike our capitalist generation, they won’t live with the motto “comfort zone is evil.” They will love the comfort and will suffer from “fear of missing out” syndrome (FOMO). That means that as long as they have benefited from different situations, they will use it as a base for their comfort.
7. “Cars for boys, dolls for girls.” That format won’t work for them. Any gender definition will disappear, and they will have their part in that. In this context, the logic of advertising (particularly — messages and targeted audiences) will transform.
8. If millennials and zoomers prefer video format, then audio communications will prevail for Alphas. Based on the Australian survey, 41% of Alpha respondents choose a voice assistant on the “how would you shop if you had money” question.

Does that mean that offline and traditional online are dying?

Long story short — no. But classic communication platforms have to adapt to digital and scientific innovations in order to survive. As for Armenia, this reality will come to our country later, but it won’t let us wait too long. All we have to do is to adapt and identify all the national, historical, and cultural features. That can develop and make Armenian products considerable for global consumption. In other words, in order to properly meet the future, we must create a setting where Alphas will feel comfortable.

So with the birth of the first Alpha in 2010, we welcomed the new generation. The generation that’s going to change reality and carry on our civilization. Interestingly, Instagram and the first iPad were created during the same year — 2010. They became the primary tools and symbols of the ideology and lifestyle of the Alpha Generation. All we have left is to sip a glass of water, breathe deeply, and listen because it’s time when Alphas speak.