Never before has the United States seen a generation that is so diverse, so informed and so well connected as
Millennials;

The generation is so unique that even the name evokes the image of an exotic plant that blooms only once every one thousand years. Millennials are the generation immediately following Generation X with the first members born in 1980 and celebrating their 34th birthday this year.

As the leading edge of Millennials move into their mid-30s, we'll examine the demographic profiles of Millennial adults, their lifestyles, attitudes and motivations as well as their need for connectivity and explain what it means for marketers trying to court the most influential generation since the Baby Boomers.

Millennials are largely optimistic about the future despite the fact that many came of age during the Great Recession, suffering disproportionately higher levels of unemployment just as they were supposed to be building the foundations of their careers.

They're less religious than any other generation and while they hold largely progressive values, there are some important contradictions that are worth noting. Millennials own smartphones at rates exceeding every other generation and account for one out of every two minutes Americans spend using a these devices.

While the rest of adults see smartphones and the Internet as revolutionary, for Millennials, they're just part of the natural order of things. As such, they have expectations about how things should work that may seem unrealistic to those who grew up without such technologies.

Thomas Prendergast, the chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transit Authority in New York, an institution responsible for public transportation networks dating back centuries, nailed it on the head during a recent news conference when he said, "The Millennials' expectations are really things that we thought were luxuries when we first rode the system, but they think are entitlements—and they are our customers." Prendergast added, "Countdown clocks in stations, more timely information, improved technology is not a want, it's a need."

All marketers need to adopt this mindset — being cognizant of the way that Millennials view the world — and adapt accordingly. They need to harness the power of customer data and leverage technology to connect with this incredibly diverse generation in a way that feels personal and authentic. 

Companies that don't operate or communicate in a way that Millennials expect risk being passed over as irrelevant.

Those that embrace the demands of this generation have the opportunity to build loyal brand advocates for years to come.

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