Millennials are finally coming fruition as a true marketing category. They are hitting their peak in consumer targeting. They’re making big purchasing decisions and setting the stage for the consumer trends for the next ten years. Advertising Week wrapped up in New York last week and all of this week’s industry news is abuzz over how to reach the diverse and enigmatic generation. Needing to catch up on this market? Read these for some interesting insights:
What do Millennials really want? by Emma Bazilian (AdWeek)
Attention Brands: This is how you get Millennials to really like you by Melissa Hoffman (AdWeek)
The Millennial that Marketers are Targeting Does Not Exist (Mashable/Business News Daily)
For every generalization we make, we find 20 exceptions. Teaching at the sixth most diverse university in the country, I find this to be very true. This generation challenges our traditional targeting methods. However, thanks to the increasing sophistication of the digital age, we have access to more infromation about them that we’ve ever known about previous generational groups. Armed with this information (presuming it’s collected and used ethically), we can be more effective and efficient in our message development and delivery.
So, what’s next? How do we start preparing for the generation to follow Millennials? Check out this piece from Scott Hess at AdWeek.
Nancy Syzdek, APR 