As discussed in an earlier post, Canadian Millennials are opting to travel abroad rather than domestically. But where are they staying during their backpacking adventures? Ask any Millennial and they’ll all tell you the same thing – hostels!
The more affordable counterpart to traditional hotels, hostels are distinguished by their communal facilities and younger guests. And according to a recent study, millennials are driving the hostel business into the stratosphere.
Why the Millennial interest in hostels? Well, aside from the evident cost efficiency, hostels appeal to Millennials’ desire for travel as an experience. Hostels, with their communal-based designs, are ideal for meeting other young travellers to go on excursions with. Some hostels even facilitate this, with some going so far as to offer bike rentals.
An excellent example of a hostel chain that has cornered the Millennial market is St Christopher’s Inn. Marketed as “the best backpacker’s hostel”, St Christopher’s has 20 locations across Europe that draw a younger crowd. To learn more about St Christopher’s, visit their website.
Based on Millennial attitudes, we can expect the hostel trend to continue. For example, the same study found that 87% of Millennials saw travel as a very important aspect of their lifestyle, and 86% planned to travel the globe as much as possible in their life.
With no end of Millennial travel in sight, hostels may enjoy success for years to come.
For assistance evaluating your company’s millennial appeal to employees and customers, learn about our Millennial Audit.
What Millennial Type is Most Likely to go Backpacking: The Spark
A new Abacus Data poll shows that a large majority of residents of British Columbia support or say they can accept BC Hydro’s Site C Clean Energy Project, which began construction last year.
The province-wide poll found:
• Awareness of the Site C project has reached a new high of 77% across the province and is stable at 90% in the north/northeast region.
• Across the province 73% either support Site C (49%) or can support it under certain circumstances (24%), while 25% oppose the project.
• In the north/northeast region of the province, 69% of those surveyed either support building Site C (47%) or can accept it under certain circumstances (22%), while 26% oppose the project.
Public inclination to support the project is tied to a broad view that the province will need more power in the future (89%) and that a new hydro electric dam is one of the better ways to generate that power.
Support for this project is also dependent on public confidence that parallel efforts are made to promote conservation, that the project goes through a thorough and independent environmental review, and that efforts are made to listen and respond to local impact concerns.
Majorities of those surveyed continue to feel that these conditions are being met as this project has moved forward.
According to Bruce Anderson, Chairman of Abacus Data, who designed and analyzed the poll:
“Any major project of this sort will encounter healthy public scrutiny and debate, and it’s not unusual to see growing resistance as these debates evolve. Given this, what stands out for me is the fact that people broadly believe that more power will be needed and that a new dam is probably one of the best ways to meet growing demand.
It’s not that people don’t have any anxieties about the impacts of this project, but that a better alternative is not obvious, and a certain degree of comfort has developed that this project is being handled with appropriate diligence.”
Methodology
The province-wide telephone poll of 1,000 people took place from April 15 to 24, 2016. The margin of error for the study in the province-wide sample is 3.1 per cent.
As Millennials, we have a reputation for being, shall we say, more sensitive than previous generations. A new study suggests this emotionality extends to everyday coffee purchases.
Our Millennial love of coffee is well known- after all, Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Lattes are the undisputed trademark for an entire subset of Millennial women. However the study by S&D Coffee and Tea, indicates that our infatuation with the beverage goes beyond taste into experiential terrain.
Part of our coffee drinking experience is a desire for sustainability. But as VICE points out, we may not know exactly what that means.
On the topic of valuing sustainability, VICE’s Nick Rose writes, “for some Millennials it meant organic, while for some, it meant environmentally friendly, and for others, it meant better taste or aroma”.
Though our definitions may differ, it is clear that a regular old cup of joe no longer meets Millennial needs. Companies are having to adapt to connect with this new generation of consumers.
Take for example Peet’s Coffee & Tea, a long standing coffee company that has acquired smaller ‘craft’ coffee producers to appeal to the Millennial crowd. By focusing on a more ‘local’ feel, Peet’s has had tremendous success reaching their desired demographic.
Given our emotional attachment to the drink, it seems that for millennials, coffee (not breakfast!) may be the most important meal of the day.
Millennial consumers have a unique perspective on food and drink. To read our research on Millennial consumer behaviour, click here.
What Millennial type is most likely to value sustainable coffee?: The Spark
With the Raptors’ exciting Eastern Conference run officially at a close, we asked Canadians how closely they were following a number of professional sports in mid-May.
Here is what we found:
26% of Canadians at least somewhat closely followed the NHL playoffs, followed by 25% who were following the Blue Jays regular season. The Raptors’ playoff run came in at third, with 24%.
There was a marked drop off when asked about PGA Golf- only 11% of Canadians said they were following it at least somewhat closely.
In contrast, the Giro d’Italia professional cycling race finished last with only 3% of respondents reported that they followed it at least somewhat closely.
Despite the absence of Canadian teams, the NHL playoffs was still followed by more Canadians than the Raptors’ playoff run or the Blue Jays’ regular season.
NHL hockey was particularly popular in Quebec, where 30% reported watching at least somewhat closely.
The only region that showed notably less interest than the national average was the Atlantic Provinces, where 54% of respondents told us they did not follow the NHL playoffs at all.
Half of Canadian Millennials reported that they followed the NHL playoffs at least a little. Older Canadians reported slightly more enthusiasm with 54% of 30-44-year olds and 59% of 45-59-year olds that reported following at least a little. The eldest cohort of 60+ was largely the same at 54%.
Men were more regular NHL viewers, with 35% following at least somewhat closely compared to 18% of women who reported the same.
After a successful and exciting 2015 season, half of Canadians we surveyed in May say they were following the Blue Jays at least a little, with one in four following the team somewhat or very closely.
The Jays were by far most popular in their home province of Ontario, where 67% of Ontarians reported following the Jays at least a little.
Quebecers were the least likely to report following the Blue Jays. Over two thirds (69%) reported not following the regular season at all. Still pining for their long lost Expos, perhaps?
The Jays were least popular among millennials (63% do not follow at all), with popularity rising alongside the age of viewers. Popularity hit its peak in the 60+ cohort- almost 3 of every 5 respondents (57%) reported following the Jays at least a little.
There was a significant gender gap in the Jays’ following- 60% of women say they don’t follow at all compared to 40% of men.
The Toronto Raptors’ ultimately unsuccessful playoff run gained them national attention – close to half (45%) of the nation reported that they followed the team at least a little:
However regionally, there were significant differences. In their home province of Ontario, 39% followed at least somewhat closely. This number dropped 30 points in Quebec, where only 9% of respondents followed at least somewhat closely.
Support was fairly consistent across the rest of the country with particular support in Saskatchewan (48% at least a little) and Atlantic Canada (44% at least a little).
The Raptors were most closely followed by Canadians aged 30-44 (25%) and aged 45-59 (27%). However Millennials and the 60+ also showed interest- 21% of each cohort followed the playoffs at least somewhat closely.
Similar to the Blue Jays, the Raptors displayed a gender gap of about 20 points. 65% of Canadian women did not follow at all compared to 45% of men.
PGA Golf proved significantly less popular than the NHL, MLB, or NBA:
71% nationally reported they did not follow PGA Golf at all. These numbers were even higher in Alberta (74%) and Quebec (75%). The remaining regions were closer to the national average.
BC is home to the most loyal following- 15% of respondents reported that they followed it at least somewhat closely.
Golf appeared to be significantly more popular with older generations. 41% of Canadians aged 60+ reported they followed PGA Golf at least a little compared to only 12% of the 18-29 cohort.
PGA Golf was the least popular sport among women of those surveyed. More than 4 out of 5 women (82%) reported that they did not follow the league at all, compared to 3 out of 5 men (61%).
THE UPSHOT:
As to be expected, the good old hockey game remains the most popular among Canadians across the country. However other pro sports teams, namely the Raptors and the Blue Jays, are catching up in popularity.
Though they have significant support in their home province of Ontario, the Raptors and the Jays do not enjoy quite the same nationwide attention as NHL hockey, even without any Canadian teams contending for the Stanley Cup. Particularly in Quebec, the teams do not have large local followings that monitor the teams closely, as with the NHL.
While we do not have data on interest in the Raptors in previous seasons, it is likely that the Lowry-led playoff run has led to increased attention. If this continues, we can expect basketball to give baseball and hockey a run for the money in terms of interest and an audience in the coming seasons.
Gender is also a significant factor, with women trailing on average 20 points to men when it comes to following pro-sports.
Age is most relevant in sports like golf, where the 60+ cohort makes up the largest fanbase.
In short, Hockey remains the most universally popular across region, age, and gender, but other pro-sports are building significant followings in sub-groups that may catch up to our nation’s favourite game.
Methodology:
Our survey was conducted online with 2,000 Canadians aged 18 and over from May 17 to 20, 2016. A random sample of panelists was invited to complete the survey from a large representative panel of over 500,000 Canadians.
The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association policy limits statements about margins of sampling error for most online surveys.
The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of 2,000 is +/- 2.2%, 19 times out of 20.
The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.
Abacus Data Inc.
We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and value added insight. Our team combines the experience of our Chairman Bruce Anderson, one of Canada’s leading research executives for two decades, with the energy, creativity and research expertise of CEO David Coletto, PhD.
With the Raptors’ exciting Eastern Conference run officially at a close, we asked Canadians how closely they were following a number of professional sports in mid-May.
Here is what we found:
26% of Canadians at least somewhat closely followed the NHL playoffs, followed by 25% who were following the Blue Jays regular season. The Raptors’ playoff run came in at third, with 24%.
There was a marked drop off when asked about PGA Golf- only 11% of Canadians said they were following it at least somewhat closely.
In contrast, the Giro d’Italia professional cycling race finished last with only 3% of respondents reported that they followed it at least somewhat closely.
Despite the absence of Canadian teams, the NHL playoffs was still followed by more Canadians than the Raptors’ playoff run or the Blue Jays’ regular season.
NHL hockey was particularly popular in Quebec, where 30% reported watching at least somewhat closely.
The only region that showed notably less interest than the national average was the Atlantic Provinces, where 54% of respondents told us they did not follow the NHL playoffs at all.
Half of Canadian Millennials reported that they followed the NHL playoffs at least a little. Older Canadians reported slightly more enthusiasm with 54% of 30-44-year olds and 59% of 45-59-year olds that reported following at least a little. The eldest cohort of 60+ was largely the same at 54%.
Men were more regular NHL viewers, with 35% following at least somewhat closely compared to 18% of women who reported the same.
After a successful and exciting 2015 season, half of Canadians we surveyed in May say they were following the Blue Jays at least a little, with one in four following the team somewhat or very closely.
The Jays were by far most popular in their home province of Ontario, where 67% of Ontarians reported following the Jays at least a little.
Quebecers were the least likely to report following the Blue Jays. Over two thirds (69%) reported not following the regular season at all. Still pining for their long lost Expos, perhaps?
The Jays were least popular among millennials (63% do not follow at all), with popularity rising alongside the age of viewers. Popularity hit its peak in the 60+ cohort- almost 3 of every 5 respondents (57%) reported following the Jays at least a little.
There was a significant gender gap in the Jays’ following- 60% of women say they don’t follow at all compared to 40% of men.
The Toronto Raptors’ ultimately unsuccessful playoff run gained them national attention – close to half (45%) of the nation reported that they followed the team at least a little:
However regionally, there were significant differences. In their home province of Ontario, 39% followed at least somewhat closely. This number dropped 30 points in Quebec, where only 9% of respondents followed at least somewhat closely.
Support was fairly consistent across the rest of the country with particular support in Saskatchewan (48% at least a little) and Atlantic Canada (44% at least a little).
The Raptors were most closely followed by Canadians aged 30-44 (25%) and aged 45-59 (27%). However Millennials and the 60+ also showed interest- 21% of each cohort followed the playoffs at least somewhat closely.
Similar to the Blue Jays, the Raptors displayed a gender gap of about 20 points. 65% of Canadian women did not follow at all compared to 45% of men.
PGA Golf proved significantly less popular than the NHL, MLB, or NBA:
71% nationally reported they did not follow PGA Golf at all. These numbers were even higher in Alberta (74%) and Quebec (75%). The remaining regions were closer to the national average.
BC is home to the most loyal following- 15% of respondents reported that they followed it at least somewhat closely.
Golf appeared to be significantly more popular with older generations. 41% of Canadians aged 60+ reported they followed PGA Golf at least a little compared to only 12% of the 18-29 cohort.
PGA Golf was the least popular sport among women of those surveyed. More than 4 out of 5 women (82%) reported that they did not follow the league at all, compared to 3 out of 5 men (61%).
THE UPSHOT:
As to be expected, the good old hockey game remains the most popular among Canadians across the country. However other pro sports teams, namely the Raptors and the Blue Jays, are catching up in popularity.
Though they have significant support in their home province of Ontario, the Raptors and the Jays do not enjoy quite the same nationwide attention as NHL hockey, even without any Canadian teams contending for the Stanley Cup. Particularly in Quebec, the teams do not have large local followings that monitor the teams closely, as with the NHL.
While we do not have data on interest in the Raptors in previous seasons, it is likely that the Lowry-led playoff run has led to increased attention. If this continues, we can expect basketball to give baseball and hockey a run for the money in terms of interest and an audience in the coming seasons.
Gender is also a significant factor, with women trailing on average 20 points to men when it comes to following pro-sports.
Age is most relevant in sports like golf, where the 60+ cohort makes up the largest fanbase.
In short, hockey remains the most universally popular across region, age, and gender, but other pro-sports are building significant followings in sub-groups that could give the NHL a run for its money.
Methodology:
Our survey was conducted online with 2,000 Canadians aged 18 and over from May 17 to 20, 2016. A random sample of panelists was invited to complete the survey from a large representative panel of over 500,000 Canadians.
The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association policy limits statements about margins of sampling error for most online surveys.
The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of 2,000 is +/- 2.2%, 19 times out of 20.
The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.
Abacus Data Inc.
We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and value added insight. Our team combines the experience of our Chairman Bruce Anderson, one of Canada’s leading research executives for two decades, with the energy, creativity and research expertise of CEO David Coletto, PhD.
Abacus Data is pleased to offer Canada’s first comprehensive syndicated bi-annual study of Canadian Millennials – The Canadian Millennial Report.
While previous studies focus on Canadian youth, our studies track this key generation over time; capturing changes in attitudes and behaviour by tracking responses to important issues.
Each report will delve into different themes that correspond to subscriber interests and input, allowing significant flexibility with our service. Specific study areas will include but are not limited to:
Communication. The study will track the use of telecommunication services (TV, mobile, internet) as well as device ownership, social media use, and OTT streaming services.
Media Consumption. The study will examine where and how Millennials get their news about current affairs so that subscribers understand how to inform and engage them.
State of mind. The study will explore the state of mind of the generation including their satisfaction with life, what they are optimistic about, what they worry about, and what their top personal priorities and concerns are.
Public Policy Priorities. The study will track the specific policy priorities of the generation. It will provide a comprehensive look at policy priorities around employment and training, housing, the environment, climate change and energy policy, tax policy, health policy, energy policy, and justice issues.
Reactions to Policy Initiatives. The study will also measure Millennials’ reactions to the policy initiative areas identified above and alternatives, as well as the effectiveness of government programs and services and communications.
Financials & Housing. Housing affordability, employment stability, and family finances are key issues for this generation. The study will track perceptions about these issues and focus on the demographic and regional differences in responses.
Perceptions on Economy. The study will explore how Millennials feel about the current and future economic circumstances
Sample Plan
Canadian Millennial Report surveys a nationally representative sample of Canadian Millennials between the ages of 16 and 35. A total of 2,000 young Canadians will be surveyed as part of this study.
The proposed regional breakdown for the sample is:
[table id=1 /]
The proposed breakdown between the age groups for the first study is detailed below. Future studies will shift the age range to align with the Millennial cohort’s 1980 to 2000 birth years.
[table id=2 /]
Contact Us
For more information on how to subscribe, please contact us at:
Is your governance board struggling to understand your consumer base? Having trouble staying on top of the latest trends in tech and employment? One author suggests that the answer may be generational diversity.
In an op-ed for Forbes, Avery Blank argues that adding Millennials to governance boards can significantly benefit corporations.
According to Blank, from a strategic planning perspective, Millennial board members make perfect sense. She writes, “Call it risk management or a security, succession, or organizational resiliency lens. The knowledge and perspective of millennials are critical to an organization’s existence.”
Blank points out that the dialogue on boards is further ahead on the question of gender diversity. Over the last number of years, corporate governance boards have recognized the value that women bring to the table. Now we need to expand our definition of diversity to include Millennials, too.
Adding a Millennial member to a board is not without precedence. Blank references the case study of Starbucks, which boasts a Millennial member in the form of 34-year old Clara Shih, CEO of Hearsay Social.
Blank concludes that, as Millennials, we need to stand up and demand a place at the table. With an estimated $200 billion of direct purchasing power, we have a compelling case to make.
Millennial board membership is only one way your business can better understand Canada’s largest and most influential consumer group. For assistance evaluating your company’s Millennial appeal to employees and customers, learn about our Millennial Audit.
Our latest survey of Canadian public opinion shows broadly positive impressions of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, six months after his election victory.
• On all 12 different measures we tested for, substantial majorities express positive feelings about Mr. Trudeau.
• At the top of the list of positive perceptions: “he projects a good image of Canada around the world” (79%), “he’s intelligent” (85%) he”sets a good example for young people in Canada” (77%), “genuinely cares about other people” (81%), “works hard at his job (81%) tries to do the right thing for the country” (86%), “open to new ideas, willing to listen to others” (78%).
• Slightly less positive ratings for the PM were for “knows how to lead” (69% agree), and “setting the right priorities for the country” (64%) “personal values are similar to my own” (62%)
• A large part of the public opinion support from the Prime Minister has happened because he has won substantial support among NDP voters. The positive ratings for Mr. Trudeau are 70% or higher on all 12 items tested. Among 2015 NDP voters, 72% say he’s setting the right priorities for the country, 84% say he genuinely cares about other people, and 85% say he tries to do the right thing for the country.
• Another interesting aspect of the public opinion mix is how Conservative voters have come to see Mr. Trudeau. In the run up and through the last election campaign, very few Conservative voters had a positive feeling about Mr. Trudeau.
But today, a solid half or more of those who voted CPC in October have some good feelings about Mr. Trudeau: 63% say he’s intelligent, 52% say he projects a good image of Canada around the world, 59% say he works hard at his job, 61% say he genuinely cares about other people. Where Conservative voters have the most critical views of Mr. Trudeau: “personal values are similar to my own” (23% agree), “knows how to lead” (33%), “setting the right priorities for the country” (23%)
THE UPSHOT
The last couple of years featured many determined attacks on Justin Trudeau by his political opponents, and he went from first to third and then back to first in the public opinion polls.
These numbers suggest that some fundamentals have begun to form about the new Prime Minister. Voters broadly see him as intelligent, capable and empathetic.
His agenda has won broad support among voters on the left, presenting an even more serious challenge to the NDP. Conservative voters don’t agree with his priorities, but only half seem to dislike his personality.
According to Bruce Anderson: “For prospective leadership candidates of the NDP and Conservative parties, there are a number of implications.
First is that repeated criticisms about Mr. Trudeau being indolent, lacking intelligence or being obsessed with himself has been remarkably unsuccessful as political strategy. Voters don’t buy these characterizations.
The more important implication, is whether Mr. Trudeau’s image today is evidence that relentlessly negative campaigning, which has been the prevailing approach in politics for a long time, is no longer the only approach that may be rewarded by voters”.
Methodology
Our survey was conducted online with 2,000 Canadians aged 18 and over from May 17 to 20, 2016. A random sample of panelists was invited to complete the survey from a large representative panel of over 500,000 Canadians.
The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association policy limits statements about margins of sampling error for most online surveys.
The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of 2,000 is +/- 2.2%, 19 times out of 20.
The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding.
Abacus Data Inc.
We offer global research capacity with a strong focus on customer service, attention to detail and value added insight. Our team combines the experience of our Chairman Bruce Anderson, one of Canada’s leading research executives for two decades, with the energy, creativity and research expertise of CEO David Coletto, PhD.
A study published by the Harvard Institute of Politics is showing that a surprising number of millennials support US Presidential candidate, Donald Trump.
The poll showed that 25% of people under 30 intend on voting for ‘the Donald’ if Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic nomination.
However (as expected) Democratic nomination candidate, Bernie Sanders, remains the most popular among Gen Y, with 80% of respondents saying they would vote for Sanders should he win the nomination.
The reason for their support? Economic pressure following the recession, says one expert.
In an interview with Fortune, senior fellow at the University of Southern California, Morley Winograd, explained “Young voters think: “‘The system is rigged, I need somebody to totally overthrow the system’ and that’s what Trump says he’s going to do and that’s what Sanders says he’s going to do”.
However, a poll we recently conducted at Abacus Data demonstrates that Canadian Millennials are different.
When asked who they would vote for in a Clinton versus Trump election, only 17% of those under 30 indicated Trump.
The results were even more dramatic with a Trump versus Sanders race, with support for Trump dropping to 14%.
One thing is clear, if Canadian Millennials had their say, ‘the Donald’ would not be moving into the oval office any time soon.
To read the findings from our study about Canadian sentiments on the US Presidential election, including what Millennials think, click here.
Would you like to know more about Millennials as citizens? Contact us to discover our full range of research and analytical services.
“If not the most important thing, opportunity is definitely near the top of things Millennials look for in the workplace according to David Coletto, the 34 year-old CEO of Abacus Data and who leads the company’s Canadian Millennial Research Practice.
Coletto explains most Millennials were raised to believe “that anything is possible, so we have high expectations and we look for opportunities to make a contribution and have an impact at work”. “
