DEARBORN, Mich. -

Stemming from an assumption that more than 11,000 U.S. millennials turn age 16 every day, Ford insisted that it recognizes the importance of addressing the values and needs of the country’s youngest drivers.

As a result, Ford went to Barbara Bylenga, founder of Outlaw Consulting, to learn more about the millennial mindset. The automaker said Bylenga specializes in identifying millennial values and has been telling major companies what the “coolest of the cool kids want” since 1994.

OEM officials shared a sample of what Bylenga discussed with them.

“Gen Y has a strong set of values that shows in lots of ways, in how they live, how they choose their careers, how they buy,” Bylenga began.

“It’s very easy to talk to them about their values because they’re living it and like to express it,” she continued. “At Outlaw, we find young people who are living a forward life style and also are very articulate about their lifestyle and hover over their generation and really explain to us why they do things and why their peers are thinking and acting in certain ways.”

With that commentary in mind, Ford wanted to know how it applies to the automaker and what it needs to do so it will appeal to millennials. According to Bylenga, Ford needs to think in terms of functionality and not just status symbols.

“A car, for boomers, has been a status symbol in that it’s often a way to show your success, by how expensive it is or how flashy it is,” she indicated.

“For this generation, it’s a way to give them experiences,” Bylenga continued. “So it’s a tool almost. The more that a car is associated with helping you have interesting experiences, live the life that you want and do the things you want, the more it becomes a status symbol for you.

“It’s not about flashy or snazzy. They want to show their values. They want to show their success in different ways than in overt flashiness or snazziest,” she added.

Ford thinks it’s not to say a Mustang BOSS 302 would not appeal to Gen Y. Bylenga told the company it’s about a vehicle that performs a function is an instrument that represents success.

“When a car gives them the ability to be connected, get more done, do more things, then it’s part of what success and status is to them,” she explained.

“And you could go on it, could be how they can store all their things, get around quickly, be cost efficient, be fuel efficient, saving money for other things, for more experiences,” Bylenga went on to say. “The more that it helps and enables them to live life, rather than be a symbol for their success, the more it’s desirable to them.”

Bylenga expressed this desire in another way when she recalled a Generation Y comment about flashy versus functionality.

“Here’s an interesting quote from one of our trend setters: ‘Ya know, it’s ok to have flashy gadgets and nice clothes, but a flashy sports car makes you seem like maybe you’re trying a little too hard,’” Bylenga shared.

Bylinga also expressed her optimism for the future because of Generation Y. She believes the country now has a generation of 80 million people who have grown up as a connected generation and are accustomed to working together to resolve issues.

“In school, they were taught to be team players, forming group consensus and technology has just propagated that even further in terms of Facebook and social networking,” Bylenga surmised.

“So they’re connected on a daily basis with people that stretch way back to childhood, and they will remain connected to them and so they almost have almost a tribe behind them or a silent army that is there for them and they use their network to get things done,” she continued.

Bylenga also told Ford that millennials, like generations past, want to make a difference in the world. She is convinced their values are in the right place, and Ford is on the same wavelength with its products as evidenced by programs like the Fiesta Movement.

“The social networking on the campaign in terms of introducing it and having it so well known before it even came out on the market using pioneering social networking in order to do that,” Bylenga said. “And I think the new models coming out are very impressive, as well.”