Subject areaProcess and organisation
Digital natives are people who grew up in an already interconnected world and have known digital technology since childhood.
The expression spread in 2001 through an essay by Marc Prensky, who contrasts them with digital immigrants, who came to the internet as adults. It describes an experience of growing up more than a birth date, so it partly overlaps with Generation Z and the younger millennials without coinciding with them.
For marketing what counts is the resulting behaviour: digital natives have developed buying expectations and habits that test traditional models, and they are drawn to content and experiences more than to the product itself. It follows that a brand has to rethink how it gets found and how it talks with them.
Source: Marc Prensky, Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, On the Horizon, 2001.
An example
An electric bike manufacturer addresses digital natives with a test ride booked by phone and a route told by the participants, because this audience is drawn to the experience before the product's technical sheet.
Related entries
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Enrico Giubertoni. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0: you may quote, translate and adapt this entry with the author’s name and a link, stating any changes. For commercial use, write to info@enricogiubertoni.com
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