Do readers make writers?

David Levithan of Scholastic just spoke at Mega Mashup on the Hunger Games, Harry Potter and the new YA readership phenomena. The Hunger Games became a huge hit for Scholastic in part because it discovered a network of passionate evangelists. With a nod to the quality of the initial product, Levithan spoke of distributing enormous amounts of review qualities, confident in the fact that it would pay off.

Obviously it did, with the first Hunger Games movie now enjoying enormous success. Levithan spoke as well of general trends in the YA space, describing Hunger Games as one corner of the triangle that also included Harry Potter and Twilight. Many young readers now have instant access to books on e-reading devices, and the internet word-of-mouth process allows buzz and fandom to spread quickly.

Interestingly, the popularity of Hunger Games has produced a new glut of “Distopian Fiction” being pitched to the publishing world, (for example, Scholastic has also begun publishing “Tomorrow Girls” as a “Hunger Games-Lite” for the younger set of readers,) but Levithan predicts a resurgence of realistic fiction to happen next as a backlash.

One question that came out of the session: Will this new generation of readers create a new generation of writers? David’s answer was yes, citing NaNoWriMo and online fan fiction communities as examples of a trend in that direction. “The YA books boom fueled an interest in stories,” and we won’t see that trend going away anytime soon.

(Source: iirusa.com)

A Tribute to The Hunger Games at Millennial Mega Mashup

Millennials are the 100 million consumers born between 1982 and 2004, representing today’s tweens, teens, collegians, young adults and the contemporary family with purchasing power of $730 billion. How are you reaching this influential audience?

Lionsgate has tapped into the minds of the Millennial consumer perfectly over the past year, have you? Lionsgate has been leveraging the the power of digital and social media, as well as the traditional marketing channels, to successfully build buzz for The Hunger Games, due out later this week. Find our how in the article: How ‘Hunger Games’ Built Up Must See Fever: http://nyti.ms/GNFpER

Plus, check out The Hunger Games at Millennial Mega Mashup!

Hear from Scholastic’s David Levithan, VP Editorial Director, as he discusses trends in YA literature, where The Hunger Games fits in, the future of YA literature, capturing Millennial attentions and getting them interested in reading.

Download the brochure for the full Millennial Mega Mashup program.

As a reader of our tumblr, we’d like to offer you a 15% discount on the standard registration rate. Use code MASHUP12TUMBLR to save.

Top Reasons to Attend Millennial Mega Mashup

The Millennial Mega Mashup, the leading event focused on Millennials (currently aged 8-30), was designed to future proof your business with a deeper understanding on purchasing behaviors, media consumption patterns, and current and future trends of the most powerful generation yet.

Top Reasons to Attend the Millennial Mega Mashup:

• Our Sixth Annual Conference focuses on Millennials, those aged 8 to 30, who control a massive spending power and are still forming their brand preferences and opinions. They’re an audience you can’t afford to ignore.

• The man who coined the term Millennial, Neil Howe, discusses how the Millennial generation is shaping the future of the United States.

• The Third GennY Awards Winner shares best practices of new and innovative techniques to connecting and communicating with Millennials.

• From the Mouths of Millennials… We’ve brought back our interactive Live Focus Groups, where you can meet tweens and teens, hear what they have to say, and ask your own specific questions.

• All-New Hispanic Millennial Intensive offers a full day on this important group, from “fusionistas” and bilingual influencers to Hispanic shoppers and cultural touchpoints.

• New to the Program! Trenz®Walk: Firmenich’s ‘Trenz Walking’ is a unique system to detect trends in their infancy (mostly 3-4 years before they globally manifest themselves). It allows not only to signal the new trends early, but business opportunities, from branding to product development to delivery. *limited to 30 people

• A Fully Customizable Program so you can focus on what matters most to your business. Choose between two breakout tracks to target your specific needs: Younger Millennials (8-17) and Older Millennials (18-30).

• Generation Innovation & Purposeful Connection. Keynotes from Nick Shore, SVP Strategic Consumer Insights & Research MTV, and Kate Robertson, Co-Founder of One Young World give a glimpse inside the mind of millennials and what drives them.

• From The Hunger Games… our all-star keynotes include the biggest names in youth media: Drake Doremus, Director of the movie Like Crazy, David Levithan, Editor of The Hunger Games, Channon Cook, Vice President of Strategic Insight & Research at Comedy Central, and much, much more.

• …To the X Games. Learn what matters most to Millennials and how to research this fickle group in case studies and presentations from ESPN, Macy’s, Coca-Cola, Smarty Pants, Nickelodeon, Westfield Malls, DoSomething.org and other brands.

• Network with Movers & Shakers in youth media and marketing. From brand leaders to marketing influencers to in-the-know researchers, you never know who you’ll be sitting next to at the Millennial Mega Mashup!

Download the conference brochure for full program details.

It’s an exciting time for marketers, researchers, insights directors and folks alike to explore this rising Millennial generation. As a reader of our tumblr, we’d like to offer you a 15% discount on the standard registration rate. Use code MASHUP12TUMBLR to save. Register today.

Join our communities to stay connected:

https://www.facebook.com/YouthMegaMashup

https://twitter.com/megamashup

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Announcing the Millennial Mega Mashup Event – Full Program Now Available

Join IIRUSA and Ypulse for the sixth annual Millennial Mega Mashup! It’s the only event that explores Millennial culture, how youth habits and attitudes are evolving, and what this means for your brand and business.

Millennials are the largest American generation ever, wielding enormous spending power, and they’re still figuring out their brand preferences and opinions. Unlike their predecessors, this group entered the world as tech smart, media-savvy kids, and they’ve grown up expecting more from the companies and brands vying for their attention.

We’ve assembled and All-Star team of speakers from the biggest names in youth culture to fill you in on what matters most to Millennials:

•             Neil Howe, Founding Partner & President of Lifecourse Associates, coined the term “Millennials”. He discusses how this generation is shaping the future of the U.S.

•             Drake Doremus, Director of the Sundance Award-Winning film Like Crazy, and David Levithan, VP &  Editorial Director for Scholastic and Editor of The Hunger Games, reflect on how each of these stories relate to the Millennial mindset and portray young people’s attitudes towards life, love and happiness.

•             MTV’s Nick Shore, SVP Strategic Insights & Research, and Comedy Central’s Chanon Cook, VP Strategy Insights & Research, reveal how a deep understanding of Millennials has won them loyal audiences of cool kids.

•             Kate Robertson, Co-Founder of One Young World and Group Chairman at Euro RSCG shares how young people are making history through their passions for social change and global responsibility. Andrew Slack, Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Harry Potter Alliance has transformed those passions into actions, encouraging fans of the book to use their talents to help disadvantaged children around the world.

•             William Greenwald, Director of Performance Coaching & Advisory Practice, explains how neuroscience and brain-based studies can be used to drive leadership, collaboration and coaching in the millennial space.

And during a full-day focusing on Hispanic Millennials, “fusionistas” and bilingual influencers, we’ll hear from:

•             Gary Bonilla-Latoni, SVP Executive Integrated Strategy Partner for McCann Erickson, discusses the diverse Millennial generation, which embraces its individual differences as a way to broaden its influence and power.

•             Jeffrey Pearlman, CMO of Zumba Fitness, shares how Latin inspiration grew the company from video games to kids programs and beyond. 

Download the conference brochure for full program details.

Future proof your business with a deeper understanding the most powerful generation, with a focus on purchasing behaviors, media consumption patterns, and current and future trends. It’s an exciting time for marketers, researchers, insights directors and folks alike to explore this rising generation.

As a reader of our tumblr, we’d like to offer you a 15% discount on the standard registration rate. Use code MASHUP12TUMBLR to save. Register today.

Join our communities to stay connected:

https://www.facebook.com/YouthMegaMashup

https://twitter.com/megamashup

http://linkd.in/ymE5Yu