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Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, has taken a decidedly more grown-up approach to their target audience by inviting an exclusive group of Gen Y consumers to www.generationbenz.com, a password-protected website. MediaPost (reg. required) reports that the site is an attempt to mine the select Gen Y sample for insight towards their "attitudes, lifestyle and brand preferences" through questionnaires, polls and live chats. Ultimately, the company "hopes to get a new group of consumers into the brand and shape the brand for the future." Sure, it doesn't have the wow factor involved in a puppet production, but it's a pretty smart game plan. During these trying times when it comes to making a big financial decision like buying a new car, we want facts not farce. It's unclear what incentives the company has promised participants for their contributions. But if they're able to draw out honest opinions about what twentysomethings want from their next car and then apply them accordingly, they will have done well. Sounds like a win-win situation.

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