Marketing to the 'We' generation

Tor Myhren opened the conference with a talk about marketing to millenials. Photo by: Marc Bryan-Brown

Tor Myhren says that millenials, the generation that marketers most want to reach, are all about “we”, and not about “I.” During the opening panel for the 10th annual IMG Sports Marketing Symposium, Myhren, president and chief creative officer at Grey New York, said that could mean eventual changes to everything from government (perhaps a Congress whose members of different parties would actually work together?) to a rebuilding of the middle class, but in the meantime should determine how brands, leagues and companies approach the young but influential group. That could be as simple as promoting groups of average, more relatable, athletes rather than just a few superstars. “These people in the middle have incredibly passionate fan followings,” he said. “And with that incredible magnifier, which is the Internet, these fans become Paul Reveres, and they’re shouting it as loud as they can.”

Quick Hits:

On sports still capturing live TV audiences, especially the Super Bowl: “I call it America’s last campfire, because it’s the only day where we all get together and sit around one place and we all experience that story together. It never happens other than that.”

On the importance of creativity: “I hope nobody in this room has ever uttered this phrase, because I work at an ad agency, and I hear it all the time. ‘I am not creative.’ Think about how I started this talk. 1,500 of the top CEOs in America value creativity as the No. 1 leadership competency for the future. So don’t ever say this if you ever want a job.”