Michèle Paulin

Posted on December 5, 2014

“Selfish” may be the adjective most often attached to millennials. But new research by Concordia's Michèle Paulin shows that the young men and women who make up the millennial generation aren’t so self-centred when it comes to supporting charities — as long as marketers use the right tactics for each gender.

The forthcoming study in The Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing confirms stereotypes and reveals an important paradox. When asked to support charitable causes, millennials — those born between 1980 and 2000 — respond best to social media campaigns emphasizing how others benefit rather than how they benefit themselves. While the innate empathy of women spurs them to action, men need to be approached with an emotional appeal.

The research was featured in Le Journal de Québec, canoe.ca, Argent, Press-News, (e) Science News, phys.org, Big News Network,First Post and vancouverdesi.com. It will also be featured in Le Devoir later this month.