Teenagers between the ages 13-17 are talking far less often about car brands than teenagers six years ago, according to new research.
A study was carried out by Keller Fay Group which potentially signals a major change for the automobile industry and the broader automotive culture.
2016 ranks the first year when those born at the beginning of the 21st century will have the opportunity to get their driver’s license.
According to Keller Fay’s research there was a 27 percent decline within the last six years in the number of people talking about cars on a daily basis among the millennial demographic of teens from ages 13-17, indicating a very different relationship with cars than the generations before them.
“Keller Fay’s research demonstrates a profound change in the marketplace which raises the question of whether this current trend will turn out to be teenagers going through a phase based on their life stage, or whether this trend will become a long-term, generational change,” said Brad Fay, chief research officer at Engagement Labs and chief operating officer at Keller Fay Group.
“For the last few years, leading automotive brands have seen a decrease in sales among older millennials and have wondered why this age group was buying fewer vehicles than expected,” said Bryan Krulikowski, vice president of business development at Morpace. “This six year decline in daily conversations about cars among millennial teens is evidence that this generation overall does not find them as interesting as they once were to baby boomers. Given the long-term nature of this decline and the resurgence of urban areas, the trend towards ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft and autonomous vehicles will have staying power — they are not just passing fads.”
