OLDER people are not the only ones to try too hard to be hip and youthful. Long-established firms can, too.
年长者并非唯一努力让自己看起来时髦年轻的人。老牌企业也会如此。
Just look at Procter& Gamble (P&G), one of the world's largest consumer-goods firms,
宝洁公司（P&G）是世界最大日用消费品公司之一，
which this year applied to America's federal patent office to trademark LOL, NBD, WTF and FML,
今年宝洁公司为商标LOL、NBD、WTF以及FML向美国联邦专利局申请专利，
abbreviations commonly used in text messages and social media.
这些缩写在短信和社交媒体中经常用到。

Some large companies have made dramatic changes.

一些大型公司做出了巨大改变。
ConAgra, an American food giant, has simplified its recipes and eliminated all artificial ingredients from many of its snacks and ready meals.
美国食品巨头ConAgra简化了其配方，剔除了多数小吃和即食餐中的人工原料。
After years of falling sales, it is growing again; millennials now account for 80% of its customer growth.
在经历多年销售额下降后，其销售额再次增长；现在千禧一代占他们顾客增长的80%。
"Bringing in these folks has been absolutely critical to growing the brands," says Bob Nolan, ConAgra's senior vice-president of insights and analytics.
“吸引这一代人对品牌增长非常关键，”ConAgra公司洞察分析高级副总裁鲍勃·诺兰说到。
Millennials' appreciation of experiences over "stuff" is also real.
千禧一代对“事物”经历的喜好也是真实的。
Online platforms such as Airbnb have capitalised on youngsters' taste for splurging on holidays, dinners and other Instagrammable activities,
网上平台，如爱彼迎，利用了年轻人对度假、吃大餐和参加值得拍照分享活动的喜好，
but so too have some older bricks-and mortar firms.
但一些老牌房产公司也是如此。
In 2016 JPMorgan Chase, a bank, launched Sapphire Reserve, a premium credit card that offers generous rewards for spending on travel and dining.
2016年，摩根大通推出Sapphire Reserve信用卡，在旅游和进餐时刷这种卡就可以获得优厚奖励。
Touted as "a card for accumulating experiences", the $450-a-year product has been a hit with well-off millennials, who represent more than half of cardholders.
这种450美元每年的产品，被捧称为“用于积累经历的卡”，该产品颇受富裕千禧一代的欢迎，他们占了持卡人的一大半。
Younger consumers also have more debt, fewer assets and less job security than previous generations. In this regard, flexibility matters.
相比上几代人，年轻消费者背的债更多，所持资产更少，工作安全感也更低。就这一点而言，灵活性很重要。
Ally Bank, a subsidiary of Ally Financial, the former financial wing of General Motors, for example,
例如，前通用汽车金融分支，联合汽车金融公司子公司Ally Bank就
does not charge its current-account customers any maintenance fees or require them to hold minimum balances.
没有向其往来帐户客户的收取管理费或是要求他们在卡中留有最低余额。
Such features have earned it the loyalty of millennials.
这样的特点为公司赢得了千禧一代顾客的忠诚。
Business models are being revamped to serve commitment-phobic millennials.
商业模式被修改只为迎合恐惧承诺的千禧一代。
Big carmakers, including GM, Volvo and BMW, offer subscription services for their cars,
包括通用、沃尔沃、宝马在内的汽车制造商推出了订阅式租车，
offering access to new vehicles without lengthy financial obligations.
不用背负沉重的债务就能开上新车。
Yet many firms still have too homogeneous a view of millennials, says Laura Beaudin, a partner at Bain & Company, a consultancy.
但很多公司仍对千禧一代有着同种看法，贝恩咨询公司合伙人劳拉表示。
"If you want to resonate with a group that prides itself on diversity, having a one-size-fits all solution does not make sense," she says.
“千禧一代以自己的多元化而自豪，如果你想和这样一群人产生共鸣，那么这样一刀切的观念根本行不通，”她说。
Some firms do embrace customers' individuality—in May, Gucci, an Italian fashion house,
一些公司确实接受了顾客的个人特性—五月，一家意大利时装商店Gucci就在其
introduced customised versions of a popular tote bag and pair of sneakers as part of a campaign called Gucci DIY.
在Gucci DIY活动中推出了定制版手提袋以及一款运动鞋。
Gucci reportedly maintains a cadre of under-30 staffers to advise its boss. Expect more companies of a certain age to hark back to youth.
据报道称，Gucci保留了一批30岁以下的骨干员工，为老板提供建议。期待有更多老牌公司能够重返青春。

来源：经济学人