Earlier this summer, McCann Worldgroup completed a global survey entitled “The Truth About Youth.” One of the major findings in the survey concluded that the millennial generation lives in a “new ‘social economy’ in which the power of sharing and recommending brands cannot be overstated.”
No longer is the latest generation to come of age satisfied with having the brand speak to or for them – they speak with and about the brands they love. The study characterizes them as a group that “lives out loud, emphasizing public self-definition, life narration, and broadcasting via blogging platforms, digital cameras, and cheap editing and design software.” Consider millennials a living, breathing ‘Show Me State.’
With the 24/7 nature of the internet and the social media revolution, long gone are the days when brands can deliver carefully crafted messages promoted solely via specific channels. Common sense will dictate that this proves to be even more true for millennials who have grown up relying on this technology and quickly adapting to new innovations along the way.
Ever since I received ‘the internet’ in the form of a dial-up modem for Christmas in 8th grade, I’ve learned that information will be available to me on my terms. Fast forward fourteen years, and now I feel empowered to provide that information myself. Personal opinions, favorable and unfavorable, can be sent across the country in an instant. Brand devotees ‘like’ favorite brands on Facebook, follow them on Tumblr, and tweet and retweet with and about them via Twitter. The ability to quickly spread information via word-of-mouth has the potential to be invaluable, if a brand communicates correctly with their legions of fans.
What are millennials looking for in brands? More personality. According to the McCann study, they are interested in many of the same traits they look for in friends: truthful, genuine, sociable, mature and humble.
In order to embody these traits, it’s important to connect with millennials on a personal level in environments they are comfortable in while also staying true to your brand image. This is easier said than done, of course. Share too much and you risk being banished to the blocked list of a Facebook news feed, too little and you will not hold attention. In a new world when you can end a ‘friendship’ with the click of a mouse, keeping your interaction relevant is key.
The Kate Spade Tumblr website is a great reflection of some of these must-have traits. Interspersing information about new products with images that capture the essence of the brand while not being ‘branded’ feels genuine because the site is not all about Kate. It's a Tumblr my best friend could have created. The company has a presence in other social media, but this page extends the essence of the brand in a way that feels organic and personable – not forced.
Keep in mind – your online presence should be an extension of your brand and creative strategy, not simply an addition in effort to connect with the millennial demographic.
McCann Worldgroup. (May 2011). The Truth About Youth. Retrieved September 9, 2011,
from http://www.scribd.com/doc/56263899/McCann-Worldgroup-Truth-About-Youth
from http://www.scribd.com/doc/56263899/McCann-Worldgroup-Truth-About-Youth
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