• 38% of cell owners used their phone to call a friend while they were in a store for advice about a purchase they were considering making
• 24% of cell owners used their phone to look up reviews of a product online while they were in a store
• 25% of adult cell owners used their phones to look up the price of a product online while they were in a store, to see if they could get a better price somewhere else

Taken together, just over half (52%) of all adult cell owners used their phone for at least one of these three reasons over the holiday shopping season and one third (33%) used their phone specifically for online information while inside a physical store—either product reviews or pricing information.

Detailed findings—online product reviews and calling friends for purchasing advice

There are a number of demographic patterns in these survey findings. Specifically:

• Cell owners ages 18-49 are significantly more likely to use their phones for online product reviews than are cell owners ages 50 and older. Cell owners ages 65 and older are especially unlikely to do this—just 4% did so this holiday season.
• Urban and suburban cell owners are roughly twice as likely as rural cell owners to have recently used their phone to look up online reviews of a product they found in a physical store.
• Non-white cell owners are more likely than white cell owners to look up online product reviews, and those who have attended college are more likely to do so than those who have not.

Detailed findings—cell phones as a tool for online price matching

Online price matching and looking up online reviews frequently go hand in hand. Overall, of the 33% of cell owners who used their phone recently in a store to look up either product reviews or prices online, roughly half (representing 17% of all cell owners) used their phones to engage in both of these activities.

As a result, the same groups that use their phones to look up online product reviews—such as cell owners under 50 years old, non-whites, those with at least some college experience and those living in urban or suburban areas—are generally the same ones that use their phones to look up online pricing information.

One in five “mobile price matchers” ultimately made their most recent purchase from an online store, rather than a physical location

When asked what happened on the most recent occasion where they used their phone to look up the price online of a product they found in a store, these mobile price matchers point to a range of outcomes:

• 37% decided to not purchase the product at all
• 35% purchased the product at that store
• 19% purchased the product online
• 8% purchased the product at another store

Since one quarter of cell owners looked up the price of a product using their phone in the 30 days preceding our survey, that works out to 5% of all cell owners who purchased a product online this holiday season after looking up its price online from a physical store. An additional 9% of all cell owners searched for the price of a product they found in a physical store but ultimately purchased it at that store.

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SOURCE Pew Internet

On the first day Friday (today), officials were surprised at the amount of media interest in the Dia de Reyes event: Fourteen Spanish-language television outlets, both international and national, either broadcast on site or aired live segments from Disneyland. One English language station, KTTV, also came out, as well as a few print journalists for a morning media demonstration.

“We were pleasantly surprised,” said Claudia Cespedes, associate marketing manager for the Disneyland Resort. “It was so welcome. Everybody was really excited.”

Plus, the event drew crowds when it opened to guests Friday morning.

Dia de Reyes, or Three Kings Day, is traditionally celebrated in Latin American countries 12 days after Christmas to commemorate the day when the three kings brought gifts to Jesus in Christianity. Disneyland’s version of the holiday includes traditional foods, entertainment by Mariachi Divas and folklorico dancers and kids’ activities in Frontierland’s Zocalo Park.

“It’s kind of a fine line,” Cespedes said. “We want to be mindful and show the cultural tradition, more so than the religious part.”

Dia de Reyes is part of Disneyland’s effort to market holidays to the Latino community. For the past two years, Disney also has reached out at Latino events to promote the Halloween season, bringing characters to perform and running a vote-for-your-favorite-villain campaign. See a previous story about Disney’s Halloween promotion.

“It is a part of our regular campaign. Whatever we do for the general market, we do for the Hispanic market,” Cespedes said.

For Dia de Reyes, Disneyland is selling traditional foods: A mini Rosca de Reyes, a ring shaped sweet bread, is for sale on a cart for $5.50 each, as well as strawberry churros for $3.75. Two types of tamales are available at the Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante.

Visitors can pose for pictures with Mickey and Minnie Mouse dressed in festive attire, as well as the Three Caballeros, who are rarely seen in the park.

Claudia Mejia, 26, of Anaheim, came to Disneyland with family and friends specifically for the Dia de Reyes celebration, especially because of the music and Rosca de Reyes. Her four-year-old daughter, Jacklyn, got her face painted with a yellow crown and decorated a purple, paper crown with stickers.

Her family usually honors the day with a party at home, but they decided to celebrate at Disneyland instead.

“We really hope they continue doing this tradition because it’s really fun and we love it,” Mejia said.

Disneyland is the first Disney park to try out the event, although Disney World officials are watching to see how it works. Disneyland officials have yet to decide if they will continue the celebration next year after evaluating this weekend’s success.

The event runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

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SOURCE ocregister.com

But what do you really know about the Patriots fans? And — when you think about it — can you adequately describe a typical Giants follower?

Consumer marketers can — and to a shocking degree of detail.

The average Patriots fan is a beer-drinking, Old Spice-wearing single male who watches “The Family Guy” and Will Ferrell movies and digs the hard-boiled crime thrillers of James Patterson, according to MicroStrategy, a research firm in Virginia.

The average Giants fan? Also a single male — though a little older and a little richer — who watches “Family Guy.” But the Big Blue fan prefers Hennessy cognac to beer, lists Chapstick as a must-have beauty aid and poet Maya Angelou as his favorite author.

“Isn’t that an Oprah writer?” scoffed Dave Vizza, 48, of Stockholm, a Giants fan who was drinking a beer — no Hennessy in sight — with his friend Edward Natoli, 45, at the Blackthorn Restaurant and Irish Pub in Parsippany one night last week.

As the Giants and Patriots get ready for Sunday’s rematch in Indianapolis, many of their fans are talking trash to each other, playing up the differences between their teams. Winners vs losers. Champs vs chokers. Dynasty vs Cinderella team.

Marketing firms are doing the same with the fans.

To them it isn’t about the game. The Super Bowl is big business, and there are countless corporations that see fans as marketing turf. As a result, scores of research firms scour social media sites and conduct surveys to help billion-dollar corporations target likely consumers.

Some of it makes sense, like identifying total income. According to Scarborough Sports Marketing, 42 percent of Giants fans have household incomes of $100,000 or more, and 9 percent have incomes of $250,000 and up. That makes them wealthier than the Patriots. Only 34 percent of New England fans have incomes of $100,000 or more, with 5 percent at $250,000 or more.

Not surprisingly the Giants have gained fans since 2008, when Big Blue stunned heavily favored New England in Super Bowl XLII, winning 17-14 and ruining New England’s perfect season to boot. The corollary to “everyone loves a winner?” That’s right. The number of Pats fans declined since that disastrous defeat.

Some of the research is just plain odd. Outside of Lipton headquarters (originally in Hoboken, now London), does anyone care that Giants fans choose Lipton Brisk tea as their favorite (non-alcoholic) drink and that Pats fans favor Gatorade? Or that Patriots fans prefer the juvenile humor of Will Ferrell (“Elf”) over the juvenile humor of Bradley Cooper and his “Hangover” pals?

And some of it is fascinating. Scarborough found Giants fans are older and more male, while more Pats fans are slightly younger and include significantly more women. Giants fans are more racially diverse. Scarborough reports 12 percent of Giants fans are Hispanic, compared with 5 percent of the Patriots’ base, and Big Blue’s audience is 13 percent African-American, compared with 4 percent of New England fans.

Using the wisdom.com program from MicroStrategy, data can be mined from the profiles and preferences of millions of Facebook users to create its profile of the two teams’ fans. Its research found a bigger percentage of Giants fans are college grads — which could explain the choice of Angelou — and twice as many are Democrats compared with Republicans. Those political lines are repeated for Patriots fans, who also hail from a blue — though not Big Blue — state.

The profiles are fodder for watercooler conversations, but they are also important tools for retailers, according to Don Roy, a professor of sports marketing at Middle Tennessee State University.

“There is so much data out there, on user characteristics, and their behavior online,” Roy said. “It has removed the mystery.”

Roy found the Facebook data significant as much for its similarities as its differences. “Patriots have more followers, more people posting online,” he said. “But in characteristics, they match up pretty well.”

About 45 percent of fans of both teams are employed full time, with 46 percent working white-collar jobs and 21 percent blue-collar jobs. Both frequent Dunkin’ Donuts, place Disney World at the top of their favorite travel spots. Both enjoy rap music: Giants fans favor Jay-Z, and the Pats Eminem.

“Wouldn’t that be Springsteen, or Bon Jovi, or Southside Johnny?” Napoli asked. “Jay-Z?”

A greater percentage of Patriots fans than Giants fans describe themselves as “outdoorsy,” and slightly more Pats fans describe themselves as “techies.” Patriots fans are more health-and-beauty conscious than Giants followers — though that still doesn’t explain Big Blue’s penchant for Chapstick.

Or convince Patriots fan John Smith of Newark that Old Spice is really Pats’ fans scent of choice.

“Yeah, my Old Spice is in my car,” cracked Smith, 38, who was wearing his Patriots baseball cap as he finished his beer at T.G.I. Friday’s in West Orange.

Smith’s drinking buddy, Katie Smith (no relation) of Carteret, called the marketing profiles “some weird research.” A Giants fan decked out in a blue sweatshirt, Smith started to describe her fellow fans when her friend interrupted.

“Cocky” he said with a know-it-all grin.

“The Patriots are cocky,” she replied. “And they don’t even realize the Giants already beat them.”

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SOURCE nj.com

The compact ILX is aimed at “Generation Y” drivers who are turning 30, Honda said at a briefing in Las Vegas this month. The sedan will start “well under $30,000” when it goes on sale in early 2012 and will be shown next month at the Detroit auto show, said Vicki Poponi, assistant vice president for product planning at Honda’s U.S. unit.

“The brand is in trouble,” said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst for researcher Edmunds.com. “The consensus for many of the current models is, the vehicles just look bland. They have to do something to capture peoples’ emotions with styling.”

Acura, like the Honda brand, is struggling this year from reduced production triggered by natural disasters and a model line that hasn’t drawn as much attention as those of Volkswagen’s Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Acura sales slid 6.7 percent through November, compared with gains of 15 percent for Audi, 12 percent for BMW and 12 percent for Mercedes’ luxury models.

With its new models, Tokyo-based Honda plans to tout Acura’s lineup as “smart luxury” vehicles that combine fuel efficiency, driving performance and value for money.

Sales for Acura will rise in 2012, buoyed by the ILX and a revamped RDX compact utility vehicle that’s also to be shown in Detroit in January, said John Mendel, Honda’s executive vice president of U.S. sales.

Honda expects to sell 40,000 ILX sedans annually. Acura brand sales totaled 110,170 this year through November. Mendel declined to provide Acura’s volume goal for next year.

While baby boomers account for the majority of luxury sales, Acura is preparing for their children, who are entering the auto market, said Michael Accavitti, Honda’s vice president of U.S. marketing. The group, born since about 1980, covers as many as 80 million people, he said.

“Gen-Y consumers aspire to luxury still, but they need some help getting there,” he said. “They are projected to be the first generation in the modern era to earn less than their parents.”

The ILX will be available with three powertrain options: a 2-liter engine with an automatic transmission; a sportier 2.4-liter, manual transmission model; and a hybrid version with a 1.5-liter engine, Poponi said. The ILX will be built at Honda’s Greensburg, Ind., plant, which makes Civic compacts.

The revamped RDX also goes on sale next year, receiving a new V-6 engine in place of its current turbocharged 4-cylinder model. The new version will have both higher horsepower than the current RDX and “much improved” fuel economy, Poponi said.

Acura also plans other, more-expensive models as it revamps its lineup.

A concept version of the NSX, Acura’s two-seat supercar that left the line five years ago, will also be shown in Detroit. A concept version of the RL, Acura’s current top-end sedan, will be shown in New York in April, Poponi said.

After its 1986 start as the first premium Japanese auto line, Acura grew rapidly on U.S. demand for entry-level Integra sedans and midsize Legend sedans.

Acura has been on a “wandering road” since the 1990s, Jeff Conrad, the brand’s manager, said in Las Vegas. That’s the result of “inconsistent” product introductions, he said.

Sales peaked in 2005 at 209,610 on demand for Acura’s MDX sport-utility vehicle and midsize TL sedan.

“Acura is almost restarting themselves back to square one, and that’s not a bad thing” said Edmunds’ Caldwell. “But at the end of the day, styling is also critical, so if it’s not a nice-looking car, no one is going to buy it.”

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SOURCE The Columbus Dispatch (Bloomberg news)

Brands that want to reach ethnic minorities online are not doing a very good job, according to some research. An April 2011 survey by Yahoo!, Mindshare and Added Value found that according to Hispanics, blacks and Asian-Americans, digital advertising does not engage them. When asked for three brands doing a good job reaching them, most said they couldn’t name even one.

One big reason was that respondents felt their ethnic groups were poorly represented in messaging. Some 78% of blacks, 74% of Hispanics and 72% of Asians surveyed agreed that diversity in ads is the best reflection of the real world. And nearly as many in each group said ads should show more of that diversity.

Diversity in appearance in ads is important, but it’s not enough. “One thing we heard is not to just take an ad that has white people in it and replace them with an Asian family,” said Lauren Weinberg, vice president of strategic insights and research at Yahoo!, whose group conducted the study.

“They said brands are picking people who may look like me, but they are not speaking to concepts that are relatable to me,” Weinberg explained in an interview with eMarketer. Respondents said they would prefer to see “someone who is not famous but who is authentic” as a spokesperson for a brand, not just “white-washed celebrities.”

One way to be authentic is to reflect consumers’ core values and interests. The study found particular cultural “drivers” important to ethnic groups. For about half of blacks surveyed, music and beauty were significant. For Hispanics, a big driver was food and recipes, and for Asian-Americans, restaurants that reflect their tastes were key.

Hispanic respondents, for example, pointed out that an ad with a Hispanic family sitting down and enjoying a meal together shows that the brand knows what is important to that group, Weinberg explained.

Black respondents indicated that they would like an ad for a beauty product directed specifically to them, showing actors that look like them, listening to music that would appeal to them.

Why have marketers been slow to understand the importance of ethnic authenticity? Weinberg said that brands do understand the importance of multicultural advertising, but “one of the fears is that if you make a misstep in this area, the backlash is really negative.”

But, she added, “I think we will see a lot more multicultural marketing in the coming years. Brands want to get it right.”

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SOURCE eMarketer

Social Media Examiner decided to tap the knowledge and expertise of top social media pros for a glimpse of what we can expect in the new year. Here are their predictions of where social media is headed in the next 12 months.

#1: Businesses consolidate social media activities

As the social media landscape becomes more crowded in 2012, businesses will pick their battles and dig in. What used to be simply Facebook and Twitter is now Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter (and who knows what’s next). On top of this, you have many specialty networks like Foursquare, Yelp and Instagram.

The old mantra of “be everywhere” will quickly be replaced with “be where it matters to our business.”

The major four players have all gone through massive changes in preparation for the battle for users. But don’t let a shiny new wrapping be the motivation to focus on social network A or B. Instead, it will be essential to focus where you’ll see results. And that may not necessarily be Facebook or Twitter for your business.

- Michael Stelzner @mike_stelzner

#2: Photo and video social networks will blossom

We’ve been nibbling around it for a while, but 2012 will be the year of the multimedia social network.

Photo- and video-based social interaction will grow. There is more meat on Instagram and Viddy and Tout than bun, and that enables the whole point of social networking—making and perpetuating connections and seeing the world through someone else’s eyes.

I don’t expect these services to dethrone Facebook, as many people simply are not comfortable with multimedia. But already you’re seeing power users reduce their Facebook (and Twitter) musings in favor of multimedia, where a picture (or video) speaks louder than 140 characters.

Given that the camera on your smartphone is almost as good as your actual camera, the multimedia-driven social networks are here to stay and will be an emerging force for brands in 2012, too.

- Jay Baer @JayBaer

#3: Brands embrace real time

Brands should move to agile marketing and real-time thinking. Gone are the days when it took 6 months to develop and launch a campaign or 5 days to answer a disgruntled customer.

Brands need to master the art of opportunistic marketing and the art of real-time response. To break through the online noise, they need to stand out with their creative thinking around capitalizing on current buzz and trends.

For that, brands need the right infrastructure and agile processes that will allow them to intuitively and immediately pick up on the marketing opportunities. They need agencies that can adapt, react and support them in real time as well.

- Ekaterina Walter @ekaterina

#4: Strategy takes center stage for social media

I firmly believe that 2012 is the year most business start to turn the corner on embracing and understanding social media marketing and using it more strategically. We’ve had enough of the hippie, tree-hugger, Kumbaya nonsense and want to start using social media as a strategic business driver.

Now is the time. Businesses will start to show their chops in 2012.

- Jason Falls @JasonFalls

#5: New apps help with content overload

I believe that 2012 will be the year that we will see a lot more apps and companies come forward to help free us from content overload. This hopefully means both to make reading content and sharing it more meaningful and less cluttering.

I think this will come down to throttling, filtering and optimizing the content that reaches our eyes and that we share. Especially if Zuckerberg’s Law of sharing holds true, this will be an amazing opportunity.

I am sure there will be some fabulous new inventions coming to the social media world regarding this in 2012.

- Leo Widrich @leowid

#6: Businesses outsource content creation

As social media becomes more mainstream, content will continue to play a bigger role. However, stretched marketing teams will continue to struggle with adding content creation to their already full plates.

Therefore, marketers will need to find a sustainable model for creating amazing content, which may include more outsourcing. As social media matures, efficiency will become an increasingly important factor.

- Nichole Kelly @Nichole_Kelly

#7: Advanced analytics are coming for the masses

Today a lot of what we call social media analytics is actually social media metrics, which is a lot of data telling a story of the past using great data visualizations.

Advanced analytics are already being performed inside large agencies, brands and social networking sites. Data analysts and scientists, many with advanced degrees in statistics and computer science, primarily do the work.

In 2012, we will see social media analytics companies releasing simplified SaaS (software as a service) tools for smaller agencies and brands to perform similar, less complex analytical functions. The tools will tell a story of not only what happened, but also of why it happened, and to model and predict the future.

- Dag Holmboe @dagh

#8: Regularly creating unique content becomes essential

For a company or brand to be successful marketing with social media in 2012, two main things will need to happen.

1. Create unique content. So many brands and individuals are creating amazing content that you will need to do something not only amazing but unique, so that you gain the attention you’re looking for.
2. Be consistent. You can’t just create this unique content a few times; you need to create a schedule for yourself to come out with unique content on a consistent basis.

If you fail to do both of these, someone else will gain your customers’ attention.

Lewis Howes, co-author of LinkedWorking: Generating Success on the World’s Largest Professional Networking Website and founder of Sports Executives Association and SportsNetworker.com events.

- Lewis Howes @LewisHowes

#9: Businesses learn to choose the right channels

In 2012, I think that much of the overzealousness currently in social media will be replaced by a nuts-and-bolts focus on getting the most out of the channels that fit your business.

Companies will focus on fewer channels, and they’ll want to dominate them instead of being diluted across all channels. The adage of “master your craft” will ring true for the companies that stay focused.

- Ryan Malone @RyanMalone

#10: Facebook’s growth inspires unique Facebook marketing experiences

In early 2012, Facebook will hit ONE BILLION users. With one billion users, you can’t deny the numbers. Facebook is by far the social media powerhouse.

The hype that will surround the one billion milestone will only draw more attention to Facebook. Not only will we see a boom of small businesses setting up shop on Facebook, but also those businesses already on Facebook will feel the heat to get even more creative and strategic with their fan activity.

Facebook is getting crowded, and those businesses that create unique user experiences will stand out from the masses. More sophisticated, interactive third-party apps, expanded live video capabilities and greater flexibility with page customization will all play a big part as fan growth and engagement become the most vital components for Facebook success.

- Amy Porterfield @amyporterfield

#11: Competition on Google+ rises

I see social networks getting even more competitive with Google+ trying to dominate the market in 2012!

The top networks (Twitter and Facebook) will be looking to compete by adding even more features. Google+ will continue adding similar creature comforts to their network for page functionality and looking to develop hangouts into something more useful for businesses.

The social network that will come out on top will be the one that listens to their users and allows each user’s messages to receive equal exposure without internal ranking systems judging which news goes to the top and which news gets hidden.

- Kristi Hines @kikolani

#12: YouTube provides a social experience

YouTube will (finally) get recognition and significant use as a major social network.

Google’s social focus demands tighter integration between YouTube and Google+. Google wants to change YouTube consumption from a passive experience to a social one and is primed to do so.

Recent feature additions (like YouTube video viewing in a Google+ hangout) prove that Google will do whatever it takes to make the transition. Those paying attention will respond by focusing on their own personal YouTube networks.

Video production is not required as YouTube members in the content curation and video aggregation space will hold as much sway, if not more, than their content-producing counterparts. Those who do both will, obviously, rise to the top quickly.

- Paul Colligan @colligan

#13: YouTube takes the lead

My prediction for social media in 2012 can be boiled down into one word: “video.” …as in, more of it!

At just over six years old, YouTube has just recently made some big changes, and they have a lot in store for us in 2012. Their most recent design and layout changes (including YouTube’s home page, which looks strikingly similar to Facebook’s Live Feed function) begin to indicate that YouTube wants to behave more like a social networking site.

The YouTube audience (not just the content creators) will now have more fun, engagement and interaction while on YouTube. The more activity you as a user (or channel) have and receive from your videos, the more opportunity your content has to get viewed and go viral.

YouTube is becoming highly intuitive. By observing your search and viewing behavior online, YouTube will continue to improve and impress us all with how they display relevant and related content in an efficient manner.

Also, with YouTube’s investment in their 100+ channels of “original content creators,” the video-sharing giant has also waged war (and is winning!) against the big TV networks, as they continue to blur the line separating “offline television” and online entertainment.

Combine this with an ever-decreasing barrier of entry for the average person to quickly become a video-producing master, and you’ll notice that in 2012, video quality (picture and sound) and entertainment quality will rapidly increase across the board. This will inevitably result in higher standards and expectations from the average YouTube viewer and leave those who are resistant to using video in their marketing scrambling to catch up.

- James Wedmore @JamesWedmore

#14: YouTube rises to top of mind

Most people might think that G+ will get the most attention in the Google suite of services, but I think YouTube will be top of mind. Why? With the latest redesign, YouTube is cleaning up its Wild West image and coming into alignment to be a grown-up social environment.

If your business is not there yet, make haste and set up your channel and start reaping the benefits of the second-largest search engine on the Internet.

- Phyllis Khare @PhyllisKhare

#15: More social players will join in

I predict that the social media landscape will become more poated with new and powerful players like Pinterest in 2011.

As social media continues to evolve there are opportunities for more multimedia social platforms.

Don’t underestimate the potential for these new sites to start majorly influencing social sharing and traffic—nearly overnight.

- Casey Hibbard @Casey_Hibbard

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Read more at SocialMedia Examiner

Workplace mentors used to be older and higher up the ranks than their mentees. Not anymore.

In an effort to school senior executives in technology, social media and the latest workplace trends, many businesses are pairing upper management with younger employees in a practice known as reverse mentoring. The trend is taking off at a range of companies, from tech to advertising.

The idea is that managers can learn a thing or two about life outside the corner office. But companies say another outcome is reduced turnover among younger employees, who not only gain a sense of purpose but also a rare glimpse into the world of management and access to top-level brass.

Reverse mentoring was championed by Jack Welch when he was chief executive of General Electric Co. He ordered 500 top-level executives to reach out to people below them to learn how to use the Internet. Mr. Welch himself was matched with an employee in her 20s who taught him how to surf the Web. The younger mentors “got visibility,” he says.

Fast forward a decade and mentors are teaching their mentees about Facebook and Twitter.

At Ogilvy & Mather, world-wide managing director Spencer Osborn, 42 years old, says his younger mentors have taught him how to jazz up his Twitter posts, which had a reputation for being “very boring,” and tell him what’s hip on playlists these days. He finds the knowledge valuable in the fast-moving business of advertising and says he believes the program has also helped boost morale and retention at the firm, with many young mentors saying they feel their voices are now being heard.

The younger mentors have learned how to ask candid questions of their mentees. One young mother asked Mr. Osborn for his input on balancing her career with motherhood and child care.

Ultimately, Mr. Osborn says he envisions making Ogilvy’s reverse mentoring program global, using Skype and videoconferencing to connect mentors and mentees at the firm’s more than 450 offices.

Technology and global thinking are changing so quickly that older executives want to catch up, says Lois Zachary, president of Leadership Development Services LLC, a Phoenix-based consulting firm that helps companies implement mentoring programs. “But it also helps younger people get comfortable in a company. It promotes loyalty, it generates trust.”

That’s got younger employees at Hewlett-Packard Co. clamoring for reverse mentoring. While some workers there have already arranged their own informal reverse-mentoring relationships, the company’s Young Employee Network says it wants to formalize the process in the next few months, starting with the several thousand members who belong to the world-wide group. Logistics haven’t been ironed out yet, but they will likely involve virtual communication over the Web.

“This is a great avenue to speak with decision makers,” says Odile Kane, who sits on the network’s leadership board.

Andrew Graff, CEO of Allen & Gerritsen, a Watertown, Mass., ad agency, says he was one of the first to volunteer when his company launched a reverse mentoring program last year. Under the program, mentors and mentees meet every three weeks for 90 minutes over lunch or coffee.

The 47-year-old has since come to lean on his mentor, 23-year-old Eric Leist, for guidance on everything from the latest smartphone apps to the layout for a new office. Mr. Graff says the most important lesson he has learned is how to be flexible, including allowing employees to work unconventional hours and to check in from home or a coffee shop.

“There’s an assumption that if you’re senior, you have a lot to teach, and if you’re junior, you have a lot to learn, and I’m saying let’s challenge the status quo,” he says.

Mr. Leist says he was surprised when Mr. Graff began sharing management tips during their lunch sessions. “This allows me to take a step back and see what he sees,” says Mr. Leist.

When Cisco Systems Inc. started its Gen Y Reverse Mentoring Program nearly two years ago, “it became a badge of honor,” says Jeanette Gibson, director of social and digital marketing. “When the word got out that a few execs had a [junior] mentor, others wanted one, too,” she says.

Still, it’s not all smooth sailing. Many older workers bristle at the idea of being mentored by someone younger, especially since they usually have many more years of career experience, says Sanghamitra Chaudhuri, a senior lecturer at Ohio State University who recently co-wrote a research report on the topic.

“It’s a mind-set,” Ms. Chaudhuri says.

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SOURCE wsj.com