I had the opportunity to speak on Tuesday, February 23rd in front of the CAAE (Council of Alumni Association Executives) in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was a really engaged group and I had a great time talking about a client that is near and dear to my heart – Illinois State University – and all of the many ways they have forged a path with digital marketing initiatives in the higher education space.


The presenter right before me is a well known social media expert, Jeremiah Owyang from Altimeter Group. I have followed Jeremiah’s blog for a long time and was excited to have a chance to meet him, (although I’m not sure I would have chosen to speak AFTER him, had I been given the choice!).

Crazily enough, Jeremiah and I ran into each other on the way out of the hotel, so we rode to the airport together. We had a good chat about what’s next in the social media/digital space, and what we feel is a wide open opportunity for universities to engage their alumni and raise funds.

We also struck up a conversation about the demographics of today’s social media user and we debated an interesting question… If Facebook would have come around 10 years ago, would it have been as successful? Clearly, we have evolved as internet and mobile device users, and it’s hard to say whether Facebook would have or could have worked in the year 2000, technology-wise. However, my contention and my belief is that – while the platform advancements have been interesting – it really took off because the user demographic finally caught up to the technology.


What I mean is this….the Millennial Generation has always had a bit of the “herd” mentality. They went to KinderMusic and Mommy and Me classes together, they were graded on a curve, they received participation ribbons in a group instead of “MVP”, Most Improved, etc. Many of the things they did were done in groups. Now, although all generations have done things together, this generation took it to a new level. According to demographic researchers Neil Howe and William Strauss, “The Millennials spend so much time with other people, they are more likely to be team players than previous generations. They favor group activities in the classroom and are likely to volunteer or do some form of community service through their churches, schools, or on their own. While they are more cooperative, they do tend to seek out homogenized peer groups (although more tolerant of diversity in all forms than their elders)”.


What Facebook (and MySpace prior) offers this generation (and by halo affect – anyone who is related to/friends with a person of this generation) is a digital platform to come together. I’ve always called it the “New Front Porch”. Where I came from, that’s where you gathered to learn about what was happening in your neighborhood, with people who had similar experiences, likes and dislikes – mostly driven by geography. Social Media platforms have taken the geography out of the picture and created opportunities for connection beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. So what happens next? Where does it go from here? Can this level of social media participation continue? Stay tuned for news, musings and more……