Tumblr, J. Walter Thompson and Campaign US to 'decode Generation Z' at Advertising Week XII

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, Campaign US editor-in-chief Douglas Quenqua will lead a discussion titled "Decoding the Habits of the Post-Millennial Generation" at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square, New York as part of Advertising Week XII.

Joining him will be Jeff D’Onofrio, president and COO of Tumblr, and Lucie Greene, worldwide director of The Innovation Group, a part of J. Walter Thompson.   

As the fastest-growing social network among 16- to 24-year-olds, Tumblr is uniquely positioned to understand the digital habits of the generation that came of age in the smart phone era. How are they accessing the site? What sort of content do they create or engage with? And what does their preference for Tumblr’s hyper-visual, rapid-fire news feed say about their relationship to the culture at large?

Greene, an internationally recognized expert on what she has labeled "Generation Z," will use her decades of experience forecasting generational trends to help decipher the Tumblr data. A frequent commenter for CNBC, CNN and Brand Republic Television, Greene has most recently been quoted in the New York Times Sunday Styles feature,  "Move Over Millennials, Here Comes Generation Z."

With all the focus on Millennials and their digital habits, it can be easy to forget that they’re no longer the youngest generation engaging with brands and publishers online, Quenqua said.

"Too many people in advertising have failed to notice that Millennials long ago ceased to be ‘them,’" he said. "They are part of the working world now. They are ‘us.’  Meanwhile, the next generation is already showing signs of tuning out brands that don’t speak their language. I’m excited to hear what Jeff and Lucie have to say on the topic."

The session will be held at the Hard Rock Café, 1501 Broadway, at 5 p.m.

Read all Advertising Week XII coverage from Campaign's team in New York.