Marketing to Millenials
Here are excerpts from an article at Deliver Magazine:
You might think of them as the tech generation. They’re the folks who said in a survey they’d give up their sense of smell before saying goodbye to their smartphone. They are “The Millennials,” otherwise known as Gen Y, the Echo Boomers and the Net Generation, born roughly between 1985 and 2004. In other words, if a consumer is currently between the ages of 7 and 26, he or she is a Millennial. At 100 million strong, they’re the largest generation in U.S. history. And if they’re not your customers now, they will be — if you’re successful.
They are also among the most coveted. Their purchasing power is estimated at more than $200 billion. According to one study, they influence as much as half of all spending in the economy. They are nothing less than the key to the long-term survival of your business.
Do you really know what makes them tick?
Tech-savvy may be their defining trait — more than 80 percent say they sleep with a cell phone — but ask one if they like to get mail. You might be surprised by the answer.
According to one study, Millennials say 75 percent of the mail they receive is valuable, and 73 percent of them have used direct mail coupons.
In our conversation with four Millennial-generation subjects (see sidebar), we explored their thoughts on how best to communicate to their generation. A common theme emerged:
“Gimmicks don’t lead to sales.”
“Please, no tricks or smoke-and-mirrors advertising.”
“We see right through you.”
“Millennials seek authenticity,” says Leah Reynolds, a consultant specializing in communicating across generational borders. “It’s not the mechanism that’s key — various forms of communication will work — it’s the voice. It’s the laser focus on their situation and their needs that will resonate.”
So how can you tweak your direct mail campaigns to better connect with this generation? Honoring the rules on how to speak to them is important, of course — and that also means giving them a chance to talk back.
Spencer Albers, an interactive strategist at Mudd Advertising, says that his group has found the need to increase the number of possible response channels in a campaign when reaching out to Millennials. “They want the opportunity to respond by following a link, using a QR code or sending a quick text message,” he says. “Many are more than willing to try new methods with the hope of an advanced user experience. What I think is important to note, however, is that while they are more willing to try new things, they are also faster to drop you if it doesn’t work as planned.”
For her part, Cynthia Fedor, marketing team lead and senior copywriter at QuantumDigital, insists that marketers keep their eyes on the most relevant parts of their message. Do not squander this group’s time with fluff: “Relevancy and personalization is important — they need to see how your product or service directly relates to them and why it matters.”
(via Deliver Magazine)