Is this you? A tech-savvy, future-focused, mature Millennial …

Colour blurs with today's Millennials

I’m confused. I’m a Baby Boomer, born after the Second World, who inherited many of the traits of that generation. We’re self-starters; mostly independent and responsible for ourselves. We get on and do.

Now meet the Millennials – today’s student generation, aged 18 to 34. Who are you?

At Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), you are our number one stakeholder, or to put it very simply, the reason why we exist. Without students, we would not be here.

And so it’s pretty darn important that the old-timers among us (the Baby Boomers, the Silent Generation before us and Generation X after us) understand just what makes you tick.

If I have done my research correctly, you’re pretty chilled when it comes to gender (blurring), modern families, race and with living alongside gran and gramps.

You believe in causes; endeavour to be ethical; are mature; seek solutions and sustainable values.

But you also, if what the experts are saying is true, like to set yourself apart with your lifestyle, the way you dress and even where and when you go on holiday. You like to volunteer and share, be it online or materially. This comes naturally to you.

You aren’t in a hurry to marry or have children and you have developed some excellent life skills just because of the period in which you have lived (a recession).

The Millennials or Generation Y  are set on seeking solutions

What amazes me most about you, however, is your ability to handle technology, lots of it, all at once. You can use five screens; think in 4D and not just multi-task, but hyper-task. Apparently, the latter has seen your brains evolve to process more information at even greater speeds.

Now that’s fairly frightening for someone who methodically likes to do one thing at a time, but we’re willing to try to understand you. Furthermore, I’d like to vouch that the Baby Boomer Generation and Generation X (aged 34 to 54) are all at pains to meet your needs (you are, after all, either in or about to enter the workplace and earn the stuff that makes the world go around - money).

So we’ll be trying to reach and inspire you as marketers by:

· Talking to you in images

· Keeping our communication tight and bright

· Talking to you as adults

· Tapping into your entrepreneurial spirit (come on, we want to help you find solutions to all the stuff we messed up – like our environment)

· Feeding your curiosity and

· Asking for your guidance

Yes, I am asking for your guidance. How do we connect with your generation?

We need your help in marketing to Millennials

Will Instagram and Twitter do it? Or should we showcasing the good deeds of NMMU – the outreach programmes that see borderline maths pupils pass with a distinction for Matric maths or our involvement in seeking renewable energy solutions. Or what? What can we do to ensure that NMMU becomes a university of first choice?

Tell us. Show us. Please be part of sharing the NMMU success story.

And end my confusion.