Millennials are the New Orange
In Marketing it is easy to talk about big groups of demographics like Race, Gender, Location, and Age. Sometimes the differences in these demographics are not significant. But recently, while working with two very different companies I realized they both were focused on the new hero of Marketing demographics – the Millennial generation.
Gen X (35-50) is at 60 million plus group and Baby Boomers (51-69) are just under 75 million. Millennials are 18 to 34 and make up the biggest segment at over 75 million and now they have money.
The first company had a management team of Millennials and understood the connection of brand to their target customers. They also created significant traffic to their website using edgy Social Media content that converted to sales.
The second company was just under 190 years old with a strong regional brand, however the older management team was not connecting on Social Media. But, they were convinced that they needed to bring in new younger customers.
In both cases, we developed plans to achieve their goals. After reviewing the process I listed some observations of common traits of the Millennial generation:
Non DIY – the Millennial generation is not “Do It Yourselvers”. They want products assembled, Plug & Play, and easy opening.
Urban – Obviously Millennials do not all live in urban areas but they concentrate in cities. Consequently, products and brands that cater to small spaces and less waste are appealing.
Healthy – Organic, less sugar, local, whole foods, non GMO are all positives for Millennials although there are exceptions including energy drinks and upscale coffees.
Edgy – Millennials like edgy including music, hot sauce, tattoos, piercings, videos and more.
Social Conscious – Millennials are more likely to donate at a register or online check out. They care about the backstory of how a product is made.
Freight Matters – Millennials are more likely to look for free freight or shop with freight in mind although they are also more likely to pay more to order Overnight Delivery to expedite.
No Waiting – Millennials rarely stand in line and are more likely to get food to go. They want updates on their orders and expect communication.
Craft – Millennials like craft beer, cheese, candy, meats, cider, and handmade things like jewelry, eyeglasses, phone cases and more.
Social Media – Millennials grew up with Social Media. So if you want to connect with them that is where they are.
These traits are not meant to be all inclusive or to apply to every individual, they are just observations. We applied them to our Marketing and maybe they can apply to yours. Marketing is about targeting content to a specific audience and location to convert to customers. Millennials are buying, are you targeting?
