the internet is an integral piece of the puzzle for any brand. period.

check out the most recent post on viget’s marketing blog, engage. brilliant… and so true. the “coveted 18-34 demographic” that mary referred to in her recommendation has been proven to expect companies to interact with them via social media platforms.

my question is, why are most companies overlooking this completely!? us “young bucks” want, need, and crave the internet. we live on the internet. we are constantly logged into aim or google talk, we check our email, update our twitter, and look up the score of the game on our blackberries and iphones, we are always connected; and so incredibly easy to reach, yet for some reason, we are considered “hard-to-reach” consumers and seem to present companies with this big conundrum.

hello! instead of passing right over the resume of a 22-year-old recent graduate (ahem, almost 23… three weeks), take a look at it. chances are that almost 23-year-old holds the key to reaching those so-called unreachables. chances are that almost 23-year-old is pretty smart, pretty connected, and pretty valuable to your business.

the honest to goodness truth is that without a generation y-er on board, companies aren’t going to be able to successfully reach us. the problem isn’t that we’re unreachable, the problem (well, most companies see it as a problem, we quite like the way we are) is that we’re stubborn and we want things our way. we’ve grown up with a sense of entitlement, resent us for it if you’d like, but you need us. you need us to re-vamp your image, and in order for us to pay attention to your company and what you have to say, you’ve just gotta speak our language.

what most folks don’t seem to realize is that we’d love to be reached, but i guess you could say that we play “hard to get”. it’s really quite easy to figure us out – here are a few companies who have caught on:
facebook (i mean, duh… facebook might just be the future of the web… browsing, shopping, networking…)apple (no surprise here)google (another duh)red bull (they’ve almost mastered “gen-y speak”)southwest airlines (really, they’re on their way to cracking us… in my opinion, anyway)chipotle (not just because their burritos are heavenly)i’m sure there are dozens more, but those are just my chosen few (and now i’m craving a delicious, steaming, foil-wrapped barbacoa burrito with peppers and guacamole). if you feel so inclined, log into your facebook account (you don’t have one? shame on you.) and check out their fan pages… pretty smart, if you ask me.if you’re still not convinced, just take one teensy glance at mark zuckerberg, who at 23 years old has a net worth of $1.5 billion and has been compared on several occasions tobill gates, himself.anyhow, read on – don’t miss “my boss likes me, here’s her recommendation” and “hire me.” they’re the reason i started blogging in the first place. and, while you’re still reading… go down there and click “comment”… pick my brain, engage me in conversation, or invite me in for an interview. ps – read “so yesterday” by scott westerfield.