Marketing to Millennials

The millennials are the superstars of marketing in the current era. With the population overtaking the classic baby boomer generation at an alarming rate of size and spending power, all eyes on focused on them. These young adults ranging in age from 18 – 34 hold a massive amount of weight in the next generation of shoppers. In fact, the consulting firm Accenture found that millennials will spend $1.4 trillion annually by 2020. It is no wonder that advertisers are tuning in to attracting this important demographic. However, getting millennial buy in is not going to be easy.

Every generation has their unique attributes and millennials are no different. These smart and tech savvy shoppers have grown up with technology that aides in every decision they need to make. With computers in their hands at all times through mobile devices, this group is constantly connected. One example of this is online reviews. Generated by consumers and their voices, reviews provide millennials with insights into the pros and cons of a product or service. There is not a product or service on the market today without ratings & reviews to sort through for peer recommendations and social media posts to evaluate.

This group also recognizes marketing and advertising tactics much more easily than other generations before them, so marketers must be increasingly sensitive to millennial preferences. The days of doctors promoting smoking is long gone. To that point, authentic content is what millennials crave and recognize as important. Knowing your audience and what they desire from a marketing standpoint is critical in order to get their acceptance.

Marketing to millennials, just like any other group, is not rocket science. It does take knowing your audience though and catering to their preferences if you want to succeed. Focus on authenticity, user generated content and appealing to their technical shrewdness and you will win them over!