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Elements of inspiration that went on to become my new book, What’s the Future of Business, Changing the Way Businesses Create Experiences

Blame it on the youth they say. Indeed, there’s a great assumption that the future of technology falls in the hands of emergent generations. The youth of today will someday represent the majority of consumers, employees and citizens. That’s always the case, but what we don’t yet fully appreciate is just how different young adults think today. We don’t yet understand what it is they value and why. We’ve not yet assimilated how they make decisions and what factors influence their daily activities and journeys.

Generation Y, also referred to as Millennials, and Generation Z represent those individuals born in the late 1970s or the early 1980s to the early 2000s. They follow Generation X, my generation, and they are already a powerful force in the future of the global economy and politics.

70 million people in the U.S. belong to the Millennial Generation aka Millennials today. Millennials also represent 35 percent of the workforce today, and by 2014, they will comprise of almost half of all employed professionals. In a separate study conducted by Millennial Branding, it is expected that by 2025, Generation Y will represent 75 percent of the workforce.

Right behind them is Generation Z. And as they grow up, they too will have a profound impact on society. In fact, they already do. In the United States, Generation Z is said to already control up to $30 billion in spending.

What’s different about these generations than those before them? Gen Y and Z were born with digital in their DNA. While that may seem like a given, it is the very detail that separates them from their parents, teachers, businesses, governments, and any organization other than those already run by Gen Y and Z. As a result, our society splits into two camps, those who “get” these connected generations and those who do not or will not.  READ MORE

Photo Credit: FSR.comIf you don't live under a rock, you've noticed that social media has changed the business landscape in recent years. Proprietors who don't take advantage of it — especially restaurant owners — are missing out on countless emerging avenues to market their business and reach customers.

Sure, you can open an account on Facebook and Twitter and write the occasional post, but in order to get the most out of your social media efforts, it's important to understand the many ways you can leverage them to impact your bottom line. Times have changed and you can bet your competition has changed with them. If you learn some simple skills, you can use social media to greatly improve your profits.

1. Expand your presence

To get the solid results you want from your social media outreach, investigate some trends that haven't gone mainstream yet. Facebook and Twitter can be useful, yes, but for a sensory industry like foodservice, apps like Pinterest and Instagram provide rich visuals that can be more effective in hooking potential customers. Other social media platforms like Google Plus and StumbleUpon can help expand your presence, as well.  READ MORE

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The year prior, Nicolas Jammet, Nathaniel Ru and Jonathan Neman had been frustrated. The three friends, then at the start of their senior year at Georgetown University, together planned to do something about it. "We were very sick of the food options around D.C.," Neman told The Huffington Post recently. "We wanted to create something, not just go back to school and class."

Inspired by well-balanced, tasty foods they'd enjoyed abroad and on the West Coast, they began developing the concept of what would become Sweetgreen, a fast-casual eatery offering salads, wraps and yogurt.

Since the opening of the M Street location, Sweetgreen's mini-empire has grown to 16 total stores in D.C., Virginia, Maryland and Philadelphia. The company also holds an annual food and music festival, Sweetlife, which in the past has attracted headliners the likes of The Strokes, Phoenix, Passion Pit and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Sweetgreen plans to open stores in New York City and Boston this summer and fall.  READ MORE

Fast Casual has certainly given other segments in the restaurant industry a run for its money within the past few years, and it’s no surprise that this segment has become the fastest-growing. The combination of fresh, made-to-order, customizable and less costly food is more appealing in terms of healthiness, transparency, and cost-saving options. But most recently, we’re seeing Casual Dining trends increase as well, with consumers visiting Casual restaurants even more than Fast Casuals, proving that a little competition can be a good thing. In terms of LBA (location-based actions) activity, such as check-ins and geo-data via smartphone, there’s been a huge jump in casual dining LBAs, from -23.4% in 2012 to now 4.8% more than fast casual consumers. By taking notes from its quick and fresh counterpart, Casual Dining has stepped up its competitive game in terms of quality, menu, performance and innovation.

Bottoms Up

Casual Dining upturn can be attributed to a few things, but ultimately boils down to offering consumers things that the Fast Casual sector does not. One of the biggest differences is that most Casual restaurants offer liquor menus beyond beer and wine. While some Fast Casuals offer the standard beer, wine and wine-based margaritas, it’s certainly no full bar.

Most Millennials - those born between 1982 and 1998 - which are the largest generation to date (read: the most influential for brands and marketers), are now of drinking age, where it’s cool to get a drink with dinner, or even to just meet up with friends at a restaurant bar.

“Millennials are absolutely driving some of the biggest trends in adult beverage and will continue to do so for the next few years,” said David Henkes, VP at Technomic, a Chicago-based market research firm for the restaurant industry.

According to the 2012 Technomic Report on Special Trends in Adult Beverage for Millennial Consumers, this group contains a lot of frequent drinkers, with eight in 10 survey respondents admitting to having had at least one drink within the past week in a restaurant or bar. And though Millennials are known to be willing to pay more for better quality items, they are still a bit frugal on spending, which is why Casual Dining additions, such as cheaper bar bites, 2-for-1s, and happy hours, are winning this generation over.

Mobile Madness

Two of the Top Five Casual Dining brands with the most mobile-friendly consumers are Yard House (No. 3) and Red Robin (No. 2). Research data pulled for this segment is based on Super Users for the restaurant business - those who have a minimum of five mobile actions per month with a casual restaurant brand. 

Whether their own mobile offerings are related to this data or not, both brands have nailed their mobile presence. Red Robin’s app allows guests to customize their meals, and provides up-to-date nutritional values. Yard House’s mobile site includes a beer finder, a Chalkboard Beer Series, and features music playlists from specific Yard House locations.

Flavors of Love

Though social and digital strategies are vital for consumers to indulge in a full 360 brand experience, at the end of the day, your brand must deliver a quality product. The Casual Dining Social 100 Report lays out the Top 10 Brands with the “Best Food Sentiment.” Sentiment is broken down into three categories that resolve against tens of thousands of key words based on Service, Food and Overall Brand Experience. The score is then averaged for an overall sentiment.

At No. 10 is Yard House, with a 58.94 sentiment score. Whether it’s their food or beer menu, Yard House covers the whole gamut. They boast one of the largest selections of draft beers in the country, with everything from ciders and floral ales to spiced and malty varieties. The food menu houses offerings from sushi, truffle burgers and ribs, to street tacos, salads, and a full selection of vegetarian options. 

For an in-depth look at the other Top Brands, make sure to check out DigitalCoCo’s 2013 Casual Dining Social 100 Report, where we dive into the Big Data of Casual Dining brands, including which have the most mobile-connected consumers, what the top consumer demographics are for the segment, and more. To view the full report, please click here.

DigitalCoCo is the proprietary owner of the largest consumer index for the restaurant and hospitality industry at over 42 million social consumers related to the industry, and tracking more than 4,700 restaurant brands.

Photo Credit: New York Times

A PIONEER in what has become a hot trend on Madison Avenue — going beyond the realm of traditional advertising and into the world of editorial and entertainment known as content marketing or branded content — is hoping to ramp up its efforts by joining forces with a content specialist.

The PepsiCo Americas Beverages division of PepsiCo is teaming up with Complex Media on behalf of one of its biggest soft-drink brands, Mountain Dew, for a sponsored-content initiative that will be housed on a new Web site, Green-Label.com. The site will replace several Web sites and a YouTube channel that have been overseen by PepsiCo Americas Beverages since 2007.

“We have a lot of heritage” in content creation, said Jamal Henderson, senior brand manager for Mountain Dew at PepsiCo Americas Beverages in Purchase, N.Y. “This new digital destination will align everything we’ve done into a hub for youth culture.”  READ MORE

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McDonald’s is on its second go-round with promoted hashtags gone awry, this time with #UnwrapWhatsFresh. The hashtag was created to support McDonald’s new Premium McWrap, which features chicken (grilled or crispy) and fresh vegetables served in a warm tortilla. 

The hashtag was promoted on Twitter, but instead of talking about healthy eating, a number of people were tweeting these sweet nothings: READ MORE

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In our multitask-heavy culture, chatting on social media networks while watching television has become the order of the day. We love sharing our thoughts in real time about the shows we're watching. And as social media becomes more of a platform for like minded audiences to gather, it's also becoming a vehicle for driving e-commerce. Brands are starting to wake up to this untapped resource and are trying to turn loyal audiences into loyal customers.

Nearly 88% of U.S. homes own at least one device that can be used as a second screen; 87% of consumers says they use at least one device while watching television, according to the consumer market research firm NPD.  READ MORE