This is the last group of the generations that we will look at marketing to. This group is placed in the date range of 1981 to 2000. They are street smart, and they value sociability.
I have two daughters that fit into this group. When they come home from school, they do not go on to the computer. They plug in. They are assimilated just like the Borg. No kidding.
The Millennials have grown up in a world where environmental concerns are front page. This generation wants to make a difference and they are pushing for change. They are a hopeful generation because they believe that they can make change happen.
Millennials see work as something you do and not as a place where you go. They long to be socially connected and this shows up in the work environment. As a result, they will choose personal time over work time. Just try to get some of this group to work over time so that they can save for retirement. Generally “Not”. They see life is too short and they want to enjoy it now.
So how do we market to the Millennials? First of all, their parents are not sparing much for these kids. They have the latest clothes and tech stuff. Mommy and Daddy are not going to let this group go without. So you can market to their parents to get them the stuff they want. They get iPod Touches, their own cell phones and stuff I never had growing up.
This group wants it now. So if you are going to market to them, you had better be able to deliver quickly. My daughter wants a Blackberry phone and she is trying to get it as soon as she can. What’s up with that? I sometimes wonder if they really understand what it really takes to life in this world. I try to teach my kids to hate debt and to stay as far away from it as possible.
I would market to their sense of sociability with their friends. Tell them that their friends have it and they need “It” as well. And while you are at it, give them positive feedback for their great buying decision. Tell them that they did a great job. This will go miles with them. After all, they are used to getting rewarded for everything in school. Why not now?
So what ideas do you think will work for marketing to this group? I would love to see your comments.
