PPB December 2018

FEATURE | PPAI Exclusive Research The research shows that, in general, most promotional products companies employ at least one Millennial (80 percent) and more than half of those employees are in leadership roles (52 percent). Supplier companies are more likely to have Millennial employees; 95 percent indicate having one or more on staff compared to 76 percent of distributor companies. While 47 percent indicated they have six or more Millennials on staff, 83 percent of companies employ five or fewer in leadership roles (Figure 2) . Overall, 13 percent of companies indicated that the owner(s) of their companies are under the age of 37. See sidebar for complete generational context. Millennials are more likely to own business service companies (25 percent), than distributor (14 percent) and supplier (six percent) companies in the promotional products industry. Results trend in company sizes as well, with many Millennial owners (31 percent) generating $50 million or more in promotional products sales compared to just nine percent of Millennial owners of companies doing less than $1 million in annual revenue. As quoted by Pew Research Center, “generational cutoff points are not an exact science” and the birth year ranges often differ among published works from researchers, journalists and policymakers. The definition of the Millennial generation was formally introduced by the Association in the May 2017 issue of PPB magazine under the headline “Millennial Spotlight,” which broadly reflected anyone born between 1981 and 2000. For purposes of this article, the following portrays the newly revised definition of generations to include Generation Z, under which Millennial birth years end in 1995. Note that Generation Z, much like Millennials, is not a universally accepted category and may be described as Post-Millennials, iGeneration, Digital Natives, Gen Tech and Centennials, as well. Generation Cohorts Generation Z Born After 1995 23 years old or younger Millennials Born 1981-1994 Between 24-37 years old Figure 2. Number Of Millennial Employees Staff [1] Leadership [2] Sources: [1] PPAI Research, February 2018 Poll Results (n=123) [2] PPAI Research, April 2018 Poll Results (n=70) None 20 % At Least One Millennial Employee 80 % None 48 % At Least One Millennial Employee 52 % 27 % 42 % 41 % 17 % 26 % 47 % 6 Or More 2-5 1 6 Or More 2-5 1 Of Companies That Have At Least One Millennial On Staff Of Companies That Have At Least One Millennial In A Leadership Position 64 | DECEMBER 2018 |