Millennial are NOT a segment, but a Generation
Research has shown that the demography of this region (the Middle East) is dominated by a young population. Over 70% of the population is between the ages of 14 and 34 and thats the millennials. More and more I hear how they are the future of all things ahead and this is the population segment to market to. But is it a segment. How can teens just entering puberty compare with young couples with new babies and mortgages. One bunch worries about how t spend their pocket money and whats the music trend on You Tube, while others are making career and academic choices, falling in love and worrying about financial independence and the list of diversity continues. This is not a segment, it is Generation and they need to be treated like that.
The millennials are the future no doubt and what links them is their digital presence. So when everything is digital, we might as well as drop the word digital from it. There is no such thing as digital marketing anymore, it is marketing. Even traditional ATL channels have become digital no? After al we are watching TV, reading papers and seeing news on our smart handhelds on 3G now. So whats NOT digital?
This generation is going to be consuming digital health and services in a manner that we could never imagine before. They are not going to wait in queues, they are not going to be satisfied with “maybe” and “possibly”. They want all the information they can get and they want it now. They will be making decisions in partnership with their care providers, not taking instructions passively. They have the mobility, mind set, the spending power and even the lifestyle aspirations that demand a healthy body and mind. They will drive more and more adoption, but not just any adoption. They will be seeking solutions and services that encompass meaningful adoption and then they will be continuously putting pressure on the system to deliver even better and even faster.
That is where our connected devices, AI systems and robots will become the lynchpin of this digital revolution that is coming, even in a conservative, cautious and highly regulated sector like healthcare.
