Read on for the four surprising finds of the 2020 holiday season.

“Generation Z only knows a world that is hyper-connected, where by the tap of a smartphone, a pair of shoes can be delivered to their doorstep via Uber or a drone in less than an hour. To Generation Z, a phone will be broken if they cannot see the other person on the other end. It’s a brave new world that Generation Z is growing up in.” Ryan Jenkins

According to Laura Stack at TLNT, the first batch of kids born in Y2K is starting college in large numbers and their slightly older siblings are nearing graduation or have graduated.

The first few members of Generation Z , born from about 1996 to 2016, have entered the workforce.

By all indications, they’ll prove themselves just as practical and capable as Millennials.

Read more to learn what Gen Z wants from employers and what we can expect from them.

Half of teenagers in the United States (45%) are online for almost all their waking hours. But where are they and how do marketers reach them?

The social media landscape, in fact the entire internet, looks so different than it did just three years ago. And while Facebook has still remained the giant, it has new competition for teen’s time.

Pew Research revealed that 51% of teenagers (13-17) use Facebook—a drop of 20% from three years ago. Which was a drop from years before that, too.

The Pew Research’s survey also highlights a priority for images and videos to capture teens’ attention. They are embracing visual- and mobile-first platforms.

Read on to learn what platforms they prefer and how to capture their attention there.

Here at Garden Media we are huge fans of talk radio and NPR is our favorite.

So when the podcast medium went through a resurgence, we were thrilled. Our fascination started with Serial and grew with the countless episodes of How I Built This, by Guy Raz.

We've written an entire blog about why you should start podcasting. And we've created a list of our favorite garden podcasts. But today, we are going to dive into our favorite business podcasts to listen to. And, we want to hear from you, too! What are your favorites podcasts? What are your favorite episodes? Let's hear it!

Read on for our eight favorite business podcasts of 2018.

As millennials step into becoming homeowners, Home Depot sees them ringing up more do-it-yourself projects at its stores.

With Black Friday behind us, who do you think will be the big spenders this holiday?

According to a recent survey by The National Retail Federation (NRF), young adults ages 18-24 plan on spending more this holiday season compared to last year.

54 percent of consumers overall, plan to spend about the same as last year, while 24 percent plan to spend more. Among those aged 18-24 — which includes the oldest members of Generation Z — 46 percent say they will spend more than last year.

“As Gen Z and Millennials get older, their purchasing power increases, and the rise in disposable income is sure to be seen by retailers,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “This group of consumers has spent time carefully researching gifts for friends, family and themselves, and are ready to begin knocking out their shopping lists.”

What do these holiday spending trends mean for garden businesses?

Read more to find out how to ensure these big spenders are shopping your products or store.

At a recent Hubspot conference, creative director Katie Dubow learned the importance of getting different perspectives for your idea, brainstorm session or project.

"You can't think in new ways if there isn't diversity of perspective and experience," said Elaine Welteroth, editor-in-chief, Teen Vogue.

The new collaboration between Vogue and Vice is a perfect example of this because as the new Project Vs tagline says, "opposites attract.”

Learn more about Project Vs, set to launch in 2018, and how going outside the box can attract new audiences and strengthen your brand.

Every brand and company wants to reach new customers. Brand builders will help you define your exact target audience, identify competition, and develop strategies to create repeat customers. But, there may be bad news. 

New research shows that more than half of millennials have no use for big brands.

Don't worry, there's hope for small brands yet, (even the big brands can still survive the millennial itch) if you understand what makes this generation tick and how to reach them.

Learn how to appeal to the Generic Generation.

Generation Z, born between 1997-present, are not the new Millennial. People often believe this cohort closely resembles Gen Y, however, this is merely a misconception.

These dynamic young consumers control $44 billion in spending power and are already cultural disruptors in their own right.

To engage Gen Zs, marketers need to address the characteristics, priorities, and ideals that are driving their decision-making, and will continue to throughout their lives.

Brands must update their practices to better accommodate Zs’ distinct generational traits, habits, and lifestyles in order to be market leaders today—and remain relevant tomorrow.

Keep reading to learn more about this powerful generation and how to reach them.

What’s the best way to learn how to use a new software or brush up on the ones you already use? Tutorials are available for every software application out there and it’s worth brushing up your skills every now and then.

You probably have a software program you’ve worked with for years and it still meets all your needs. You’ve used it so long you know all the shortcuts, or do you?

Recently, I took an online tutorial for MS Excel, a program I’ve used more than half my life. Before taking this course, I thought I knew the bulk of what the program could do l and that I was completing the processes in the best possible way. However, I learned so much in just one hour that will save me a significant amount of time in the long run.

We too often resort to the phrase, “Been there. Done that.” When any systems get updated, we should still take the time to learn what’s new.

Continue reading to learn why it’s important to teach an old dog new tricks.