CONTACT:
David A. Morrison
President
(610) 940-5860
PR@twentysomething.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, September 8, 2005, Philadelphia, PA - Traditional incoming freshmen arriving on college campuses right now were born in 1987. To put things in perspective on this group's mindset, TWENTYSOMETHING Inc., a global young adult consultancy, has compiled a list of key notables as today's incoming frosh:

(1) Helped to mainstream tattoos and body piercing

(2) Consider music from the 1980s and 1990s as "oldies" (e.g., The Bangles, Bob Segar, Wang Chung, George Michael, Billy Idol)

(3) Have never known a world without Latin hip-hop, multi-function cellphones, energy bars, MTV's "The Real World", and Prozac

(4) View Chrysler as a super cool automotive brand ("K car, what's a K car?")

(5) Simply accept the wireless Internet as a fact of life

(6) Watched AT&T undergo a rapid death spiral and witnessed the stellar rise of Cingular Wireless to the role of category killer

(7) Witnessed Japanese automakers (e.g., Lexus) define luxury cars and saw Korean firms (e.g., Hyundai and Kia) dominate the entry-level market

(8) Contributed to the success of such apparel brands as Phat Farm, FUBU, Enyce, Lugz, and Timberland

(9) Witnessed the Grammy-winning rise of a Caucasian rapper (Eminem) as well as a record-breaking African-American golfer (Tiger Woods) and African- American tennis champions (Serena and Venus Williams)

(10) Believe that phone land lines and fax machines are essentially passé

(11) Consider economic recession, job instability, war, and natural catastrophe as status quo

(12) Regard the Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Evo as the modern-day equivalent of the 1960s Pontiac GTO muscle car (e.g., affordable and fast)

(13) Believe that shopping at bulk discounters like CostCo is both cool and smart

(14) Watched the retro-design fad with the new Volkswagen Bug, Mini Cooper, Ford Mustang, Dodge Charger, and Chrysler 300 ("That thing got a Hemi?")

(15) Are just as likely to purchase college textbooks online or through a bulk discounter as they are from the college bookstore (if not more so)

"The impetus for creating this compilation is a simple one," says David Morrison, TWENTYSOMETHING Inc.'s president and author of "Marketing to the Campus Crowd".

"First, our list clearly illustrates the generation gap and serves as a key reminder that the Class of '09 has markedly different reference points, life experiences, and need sets. It is frighteningly easy for marketers, faculty, university administrators, and even parents to fall into the natural seduction of drawing on their personal college experiences which are largely outdated." Morrison goes on to explain that even recent graduates are frequently shocked at how profoundly the campus scene can change insofar as student mindsets, language, attitudes, and lifestyles.

"It is business critical to always remember that the college market is rapidly evolving on so many levels," he adds. "Whether in the classroom or at a local retailer, professionals must go beyond innate complacency and take the time to genuinely and intimately understand this audience so that they can truly forge productive relationships."

Or, think of it this way: Today's incoming frosh are far more likely to know of Whitney Houston through her run-ins with the law as well as her current role on the reality TV show "Being Bobby Brown". Many of these iPod-carrying youngsters would be shocked to learn that Ms. Houston is one of the greatest recording artists of all time. Clearly, a lot can happen in 18 years.

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TWENTYSOMETHING Inc. is the world's original young adult consultancy. Founded in 1991, the firm has worked with over 40 Fortune 500s including Time Warner, Pepsi-Cola, Apple, GM, Nokia, Kraft, Toyota, Diageo, Citibank, and Procter & Gamble. Additional clients include leading universities, advertising agencies, and government branches. The firm has worked extensively with the University of Pennsylvania which represents its oldest client. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, TWENTYSOMETHING Inc. maintains a global presence with overseas offices in Mexico City, Seoul, Sydney, and elsewhere.

David A. Morrison is an accomplished strategist, speaker, research consultant, trend analyst, and author. The Washington Post hails him as the "consummate marketing insider". In 1991, he founded TWENTYSOMETHING Inc., the world's first consultancy to focus exclusively on young adults. Morrison has appeared on CBS Evening News as well as NPR and has been quoted in hundreds of international magazines and newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, Nikkei (Japan), U.S. News & World Report, The New York Times, Brandweek, and Advertising Age. Morrison is very much in demand as a consultant and speaker worldwide. David holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (Market Strategy and Consumer Behavior).

"Marketing to the Campus Crowd: Everything You Need to Know to Capture the $200 Billion College Market" (Kaplan Publishing, hardcover, $25.00, 256 pages, 6"x9", ISBN: 0-7931-8600-5) is available at neighborhood and online booksellers worldwide. It is widely regarded as the definitive book on student marketing and has received critical acclaim. The book has been endorsed and/or praised by the Wharton School of Business, Sony Music, Advertising Education Foundation, Saatchi & Saatchi, General Motors, Best Buy, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and many others.

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