Marketing to the millennial generation, or Generation Y, will become increasingly important for businesses. This group of consumers is highly influential (PR firm Edelman calls Gen Y alpha influencers) as they’re constantly sharing their feedback, engaging with brands through social media, and swaying purchase decisions of friends and families. For brands, this means that by winning over the millennial generation, they’ll be able to gain major brand advocates. An example of a company that has capitalized on Generation Y’s instinct to share is Nike. The sports apparel company released the Nike+ Running app this June, allowing users to track runs and share them on Facebook. This in turn has enabled Nike to interact with more consumers in a more personal, engaging way.