Activating Millennial Consumers
- Kelly Hope Saltzman
- Apr 17, 2017
- 3 min read
With technology constantly changing, marketers are over coming huge hurdles to constantly engage with millennials and catch their attention. Where should marketers engage this group and how. A three second attention span that Millennials have poses an issue. I mean... I'm a millennial, I have written 4 sentences and have already changed the song I'm listening to twice, and stopped twice to eavesdrop on the ladies chit chatting beside me.
Millennials are a digital demographic, and officially the biggest generation in the USA. They also aren't as dependent on mom and dad anymore, they are part of the work force, and since they aren't having children yet, they don't have to spend ridiculous amounts on diapers, so they have money to spend. According to a study my Mintel, in the USA, millennials will have spent $1.4 trillion by 2020, that is huge purchasing power. Brands want a piece of this pie, and are ready to focus on millennials. But...how?
T.V ads?
According to a Nielsen report, less than 2% of millennials will actually change the channel during commercials while watching T.V. Surprised? Yes? Initially, I was, too. But then, I thought about my experiences with T.V ads. Typically, I am on the couch with my phone in my lap. When a commercial comes on, do I reach for the controller? Absolutely not - that requires energy: Hi Instagram! Instead, I pick up my phone, tune out the T.V., and check social media to see if anything has changed in the last 8 minutes. This was confirmed by the Nielsen report: 18-34 year olds have the lowest engagement of ads with less memories by 10 points compared to GenX. So does this mean marketers shouldn't use advertisements?
Interestingly, millennials understand the necessity of advertisements to increase brand awareness: they don't dislike ads... they just don't pay attention to them.
So, how are brands engaging and attract them?
Studies show that millennials prioritize their spending on experiences rather than products. When looking for a product, it's not the physicality of it, but how it will add value to their lives, and the experiences they part-take in. Personalizing the brand, and finding ways to be friends with their consumer is key. Millennials are more in tune with the world of marketing and what it all means. According to a study by Yahoo/DigitasLBi/Razorfish/TumblrA, millennials will interact with your ad, just as long as it is not deceiving them. Millennials want to learn about your brands, and engage with it IF your brands values align with their own. So they are looking for truthful, meaningful messages.
If you read my 'about me' section, you'll know I have a strong interest the brain. So I am taking a quick detour to discuss the brain of a millennial. Different from previous generations, the digital generation is constantly on their phones, navigating the online world. This has physically changed the wiring of their brains and they absorb information differently. They are attracted to rewarding and quickly delivered messages.
This means brands need to engage with a millennial consumer through their means of communication: social media, and your brand must do it in a quick and emotionally connecting manner.
A Yahoo/DigitasLBi/Razorfish/Tumblr(2) study produced some great insights into communicating with us, millennials. The study gave 5 key strategies to activate consumers.
1. Be honest. Millennials vibe with genuine messages. Not only will it attract that single viewer, it also intrigues them to share your advertisement. Double whammy!
2. Be their friend. If they feel your brand is evolving with them, that it has a personality, and relatable, then you've got their love.
3. Be humorous. The most watched content online is funny. So, be funny and be able to laugh at yourself! Emotional engagement is very important, and if you can get them to laugh, you'll get them to buy!
4. Be Zen. Millennials like encouraging and supporting each other. They don't judge a self-expressive state. Hold your judgements, it's 'in'!
5. Join the community. Millennials thrive on being part of a 'global community'. With technology making the world a tiny place, it's easy to join a community that shares their values. A community isn't necessarily related to a postal code.
(1) http://hispanicad.com/sites/default/files/web_booklet_2_.pdf
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