NBCU's New Curve Films Presentation Sizes Up Millennials

A new unit, recently formed by NBCUniversal, will create
videos to better illustrate demographic data on various audience segments to
marketers. Called Curve Films, the unit is a product of the NBCU integrated
media group and its goal, according to John Shea, executive VP and CMO of the
group, is to make research data more compelling and entertaining.

Rather than read through a lengthy whitepaper report, agency
folks can sit back and watch a video; films will come marked along the timer
stream so that a viewer can click on a dot to freeze the image and see a
research factoid.

Curve is hoping to send out one video per quarter via email
to 1,000 or so employees at media agencies around the country. The beginning
segment of the first one, titled Y Now,
was sent out this past Monday. Plans were for a separate four- or five-minute
segment to be emailed out each day this week.

The film interviews nine different millennials, or
Generation Y men and women in the 18-34 year-old age category. Each represents
a different lifestyle segment, and during the interviews, different research
data is posted on the screen applying to that particular lifestyle.

The first three segments featured interviews with a
traditional married mom, a stay-at-home dad, a 26-year-old man who moved back in
with his parents, a single poet and a woman who started her own business.

The film is packed with various data points that give
insight into the 76 million millennials living in the U.S. Given that size
potential customer base, any additional research is a boon for marketers. Among
the figures:

  • 68% of Gen Y moms would rather be stay-at-home parents than
    work at an outside job
  • 70% of Gen Y dads agree with this statement: "My life completely revolves
    around my children."
  • 61% of Gen Y dads believe that in the next decade, there will be as many
    stay-at-home dads as there are stay-at-home moms
  • Multigenerational households have nearly doubled in the U.S. in the past 50
    years from 26 million to 49 million
  • 24% of young adults who lived on their own have moved back in with their
    parents
  • 69% of Gen Ys would prefer to pursue passion over a paycheck
  • 54% of Gen Ys either want to start their own business or already have started
    one
  • 66% of Gen Ys would rather earn $50,000 in a dream job than $200,000 in a job
    less fulfilling
  • 68% of Gen Ys would rather be called a "hipster" than a "yuppie"
  • 83% of Gen Ys expect freelancing to be part of their careers
  • Only 27% of Gen Ys say they'd prefer traditional employment over freelance
  • 6 out of 10 Gen Ys have already changed careers at least once
  • A majority of Gen Ys (53%) consider six months to a year of employment as being
    loyal to their employer
  • 70% of Gen Ys say they may change jobs as the economy improves
  • 66% of Gen Ys say it is likely they will switch careers at some point, compared
    to 55% of Gen Xers or 31% of baby boomers
  • 65% of Gen Ys think making it easier to start a business should be a priority
    for Congress