Millennials
Millennials are typically born between 1980 and 2000, so generally anyone between the ages of 21-41. This makes them one of the most diverse generations to exist in society today. Typically, Millennials have received a bad reputation. They are often stereotyped as spoiled, with a short attention span. Splurging their money of avocado on toast and takeaway coffees. However, that’s certainly not the case. In fact, 1 in 3 people are Millennials. 25% of them are now parents. 80% of them are now boasting management roles in their careers. And 40% of them have a bachelor’s degree, making them the most educated of any demographic that has ever existed. But because Millennials are so diverse, it’s near impossible to target them all with the same message and expect it to resonate. Tactics Whilst brands have been marketing to Millennials for a good while now, they are still the biggest spenders in eCommerce. So it’s important to keep the below tactics in mind in your communications. Get to the point Millennials are often stereotyped as having a short attention span. But this is the generation who can binge-watch an entire Netflix season over a weekend. So we don’t think that’s necessarily true. What we do think is that Millennials are expert multi-taskers. And have little time for activities that seem boring and pointless. They will only pay attention to messages that are of interest to them, and delivered in the right way. Personalisation is key to piquing the interest of Millennials. One size fits all communication won’t even register for many in this generation. Instead, brands should utilise past purchase and browsing data to offer personalised product recommendations that the Millennial consumer is genuinely interested in.
Practice honesty
Millennials are proudly the first generation of digital natives. They have grown up with traditional, old-school marketing tactics. But have quickly had to adapt to the emergence of computers, technology, and social media.
This means they are cynical of many obvious marketing tactics. They are less trusting of traditional marketing methods than any previous generations, having been exposed to these tactics for a large portion of their lives.
Instead, Millennials want real, down-to-earth brands that they can trust. They crave authenticity to counteract their natural scepticism.
So take Millennials behind the brand with the use of social media to showcase your brand’s personality. And incorporate social feeds into emails and on landing pages to grab the attention of the recipient as soon as they start engaging with your brand.
Prove yourselves
97% of Millennials read online reviews before making a purchase, and 87% of those actually trust those reviews.
In fact, 8 out of 10 Millennials won’t even make a purchase without reading reviews first.
It’s clear that Millennials do their research prior to purchasing. Meaning that brands have to make an effort to prove themselves and their service.
Key to achieving this is utilising ratings, reviews, social feeds, and user generated content (UGC).
All of the above reassures the consumer by showing there are others purchasing and loving your products.
Gen Z
Gen Z are probably the most intensely studied generation to date. Born roughly between 1995 – 2010, Gen Z is poised to become the fastest growing global consumer market. Having grown up in a world already adept with home computers and smartphones, Gen Z are fully digitally immersed. They have lived in a world full of information and connectivity which still remains alien to other generations. Part of this connectivity means that Gen Z are hyper-aware of the world around them. From climate change and inequality to unemployment and sustainability. Tactics Gen Z already make up roughly 40% of global consumers, so if you don’t have a marketing strategy aimed at this audience, you’re already behind. The below tactics can help you get started. Activism Gen Z have been through two recessions, political unrest, and a global pandemic. Meaning one of their key drivers is change and hope. With activism being less of a fad, and more of a way of being. And Gen Z expect brands to be part of this way of being as well. With 69% of UK Gen Z expecting brands to make their thoughts of social and political issues known publicly. And 79% of global Gen Z consumers stating it is important to them that brands act sustainably. For brands who want to make a stance politically and socially, it’s all about getting their message out to their wider audience. Multi-channel approaches are key to driving this. Utilising email, website, and social media to send out a consistent message. Brands can also partner with other respected figures to amplify their message, such as working with carefully chosen influencers, micro-influencers, and sharing user-generated content (UGC).
Buying experiences
Gen Z have grown up with access to unlimited information. And while they understand the power that comes with this, they can also become overwhelmed by it.
Having too much choice can quickly become a challenge for this generation. Many of which feel that there are too many options available today. To remedy this, brands need to make choosing products a more straightforward process.
Automation and personalisation are key to supporting Gen Z’s buying experiences. By utilising demographic, behavioural, and purchasing data, brands can build up specific profiles for each of their consumers and target them with the right message, at the right time, via the right channel.
Community
Gen Z are a generation that is craving community.
They have spent important developmental years in isolation due to the pandemic. Separated from friends and living their life out on Zoom calls and social media.
Brands can begin to build a community by connecting their marketing channels to initiate discussions with other like-minded consumers. They can encourage their social media followers to sign up to email updates, and vice versa, to keep the conversation flowing.
Then they can communicate with Gen Z by showcasing UGC and influencer partnerships, promote online events, and host competitions that consumers can directly engage with online.
