“Boss : You all, Jump !
X-Gen : Yes, Sir (and they jump)
Millenial : Ok, Sir but what next after we jump?
Boss : Just Jump! I’ll explain later.
Millenial : Ok, but after you sir.“
PR Agency – Imogen PR. The illustration above was told by a friend, a CEO of a local start-up, when chit-chatting about his employees who are mostly Millennials. Unlike the X generation who are always ready to command, Millennials are more critical and always ask for examples from their leader.
For X generation who currently leads many companies, working with Millennials requires more patience and understanding. Their stereotype is critical but lazy, more selfish, narcissistic, disloyal, and many others. If counted, there are more negatives than positives things.
But, that’s a stereotype. The views made by previous generations are always filled with a priori. Like in the past Gen-X has also been accused of negative things by Baby Boomers.
We all understand that different generations have different ways of thinking. Many people have negative stereotypes about Millennials. Though often that is not necessarily true, we are only too premature to accuse the new generation.
In fact, some stereotypes attached to them will actually help the work of Public Relations (PR) in PR Agency. Therefore, besides start-up, Millennial also works a lot in the PR Agency. Why does Millennial fit in the PR Agency and is it useful to help project clients? Here are a few facts:
1. Easily Distracted = Can explain complicated things simply and briefly
They are the generation that has “short attention spans”, as know as easily distracted. This weakness can turn into strengths for this instant generation. To do story pitching to the media, for example, we cannot use the wordy word. It must be fast, concise, compact. Because the media also don’t have much time to listen to our explanations at length. Millennial is used to making text in 140 characters on Twitter. So the business of arranging long stories to be shorter, shorter and simpler is daily food for them.
2. Can not be separated from the gadget = Know how to use all social media platforms
They were born when the internet was booming in Indonesia. They are Digital Natives, the term. When it first came out in the world, Millennial babies were already surrounded by gadgets and the internet. At least his mother’s gadget.
So as they grow up, they are exposed to digital technology, know how to use various social media platforms and how they are different. Use their strengths to provide recommendations for clients, what social media is right for them to use as a PR campaign platform in PR agency. They know the latest trends, know who influencers have to be invited to deliver company messages.
3. More like typing messages than talking = good copywriter in PR Agency
Generation X and earlier prefer to meet face to face and talk directly. This generation of Google prefers to type alias texting messages. Even though limited to only 140 characters they can convey the message. So actually millennials are a good copywriter. How do they type messages quickly with the brief main message but effective.
Those are three examples of Millennial stereotypes that can be seen from a more positive side. If you look for it again, maybe there could be more. But clearly, Millennial generation’s understanding of digital will really help the PR agency run client projects that use multiplatform The Global Communication Report 2017 reveals that going forward PR is not just media relations, but how to use social media and other digital platforms such as websites, blogs, vlogs, etc.
To deliver company messages. Digital Story Telling, Social Media and Social Listening will be the PR trend for the next five years. Match with this Digital Native people.
One interesting insight they have is Millennials want to play a role in changing the world for the better. This also matches the PR Agency. I always tell the Imogen PR team, which is mostly Millennial, that this work is useful for the wider community. When companies come to us, they must been troubled with problems that we need to help by find the solution. Millennial feels happy if they are considered to play an important role in a client project. They believe on what they are doing is changing the world to be better than before.
