Calling all Millennials. I need to pick your brains.

[pstall]

It seems companies are borderline obsessed with reaching Millennials yet never seem to grasp how to do so. 

Tell me. If a company was trying to sell you something or meet you where you are in terms of values and what is most important to you, how would you like to be connected with?

How do you think you are misunderstood or what assumptions are there that you just shake your head at when a biz claims to know you.

All i can offer is pie and really strange analogies.  

[KSpan]

I think they're trying way too damn hard, so much so that it's just obnoxious. If your product is something I want then I'll seek it out, but if I've seen an ad for it then that's usually an immediate decrease in odds of purchase. Last thing I want to do is cover your advertising budget.

Advertising in general is just a huge turn-off anymore.

[Hotsauce]

Market plan for millennials is simple:

Make it free and/or easy to obtain. 

 

 

In all seriousness I'm boarderline millennial in age only. I wouldn't consider myself one. Some of my friends are "more millennial" than others. Some things I think appeals to them is the whole vintage/craft/homemade concept. Probably simpler is better. Big name corporations/name brands and flashy ads probably don't have the same appeal that they do to other demographics. 

I hope this helps. 

[Jangler]

Put a beard on it.

[scpanther22]

I think corporations greatly underestimate how adept younger people are to tuning out ads.  I know way too many business that spend their money on PPC ads for google and I tell them at least for younger people its not gonna work. They will just ignore it.

Personal marketing is a better route for a lot of products. People want to feel a connection to someone, or something. That or you bank on the 1 in million chance you create something that goes viral(Dollar shave club) but for most a real personal connection is how millennial's get into brands.

[imminent rogaine]

The campaigns that deliver a message of positivity and inclusivity seem to do a pretty good job. That's probably easier to do with a brand or an image rather than a product but there are examples out there where the product is still the focus - Samsung comes to mind. I think portraying  open mindedness and social responsibility are both key.

[PhillyB]

29 minutes ago, Hotsauce said:

Market plan for millennials is simple:

Make it free and/or easy to obtain. 

 

 

In all seriousness I'm boarderline millennial in age only. I wouldn't consider myself one. Some of my friends are "more millennial" than others. Some things I think appeals to them is the whole vintage/craft/homemade concept. Probably simpler is better. Big name corporations/name brands and flashy ads probably don't have the same appeal that they do to other demographics. 

I hope this helps. 

try again, millennials are a decade from controlling most of the wealth in this country

[Zaximus]

Millennials dodge and ignore ads all the time.  The only place we are forced to watch ads is sports.  Live TV?  Nope, DVR or other means.   Radio?  Switch stations, if we're not already just listening to Spotify over bluetooth.   Web ads?  Ad-block is your friend.  

Simple is better.   Don't tell me what you think I want or what you think I need.  That doesn't work anymore, this isn't Mad Men.   Show a product, and let me decide if I want/need it.   If it's good enough, it'll sell.  

Though I'm at the very tail end of being in this group so I probably identify with GenX as much as millennial to be fair.  

[pstall]

Good stuff so far. What about financially speaking? What's top of mind?

I know if you are single chances are life insurance isn't on the radar. But what about credit or debt or investing?

 

[pstall]

1 minute ago, Zaximus said:

Millennials dodge and ignore ads all the time.  The only place we are forced to watch ads is sports.  Live TV?  Nope, DVR or other means.   Radio?  Switch stations, if we're not already just listening to Spotify over bluetooth.   Web ads?  Ad-block is your friend.  

Simple is better.   Don't tell me what you think I want or what you think I need.  That doesn't work anymore, this isn't Mad Men.   Show a product, and let me decide if I want/need it.   If it's good enough, it'll sell.  

Though I'm at the very tail end of being in this group so I probably identify with GenX as much as millennial to be fair.  

This is what i say as well. Don't trip over yourself in an effort to relate. Sure be approachable but if it's a good product that's worthwhile, it will sell.

[pantherphan96]

26 minutes ago, Zaximus said:

Millennials dodge and ignore ads all the time.  The only place we are forced to watch ads is sports.  Live TV?  Nope, DVR or other means.   Radio?  Switch stations, if we're not already just listening to Spotify over bluetooth.   Web ads?  Ad-block is your friend.  

Simple is better.   Don't tell me what you think I want or what you think I need.  That doesn't work anymore, this isn't Mad Men.   Show a product, and let me decide if I want/need it.   If it's good enough, it'll sell.  

Though I'm at the very tail end of being in this group so I probably identify with GenX as much as millennial to be fair.  

This. I don't watch live TV except for sports. Why listen to the radio when I can just plug my phone into the AUX? Went to ESPN.com without ad block one time and was shocked at how intrusive the ads were.

[Ivan The Awesome]

Make a 10 second ad. problem solved. 

[scpanther22]

I know a of people are turing to social media influencers. Social media really is a great tool if business know how to use it becasue the moment it feels like an ad you just get ignored

[CRA]

1 hour ago, PhillyB said:

try again, millennials are a decade from controlling most of the wealth in this country

eh, make it 2 decades.  People live longer now and millienials parents will still be sitting on all their money in 10 years.