Marketing To A Technological Driven Society

HOW TO TAP IN, MOTIVATE AND ENGAGE GENERATION Y

Generation Y. The millennial’s. The digital indulgers. The text message masters. No matter what you call them they are the biggest generation in U.S history and they have transformed the way information is consumed.

Born between approximately 1980 and 1995, this 17-32 year old demographic was raised with technology and is more connected than the previous baby boomer generation. They are an 80 million strong group with high spending habits but have adapted new technologies that challenge the marketers’ ability to connect and engage.

This bulleted list will help you understand what makes Generation Y unique:

• Generation Y was raised with choices, value their personal freedoms and were ingrained with the feeling of self-entitlement.
• They were over saturated with information that has made them less trustworthy of company claims and more likely to question authority.
• They use the Internet as an outlet to seek out the truth in products (62.7% of US undergraduates surveyed had an internet-capable handheld device.)
• Generation Y craves attention in the forms of feedback and guidance. They appreciate being kept in the loop and seek frequent praise and reassurance.

Tapping into Gen Y requires your brand to engage with your audience on an emotional level. This generation has put an end to the advertising built on the idea that information alone will persuade consumers and has shifted to building relationship and starting conversations. Technology is a complex framework that Gen Y can’t live without. From smart phones and tablets to laptops, technology puts the information at the users will. Gen Y decorates their world of information with social media, apps and high Internet usage and it’s vital for marketers and advertisers to lend a helping hand in the decorating process.

These brands and campaigns have successfully targeted Gen Y. What does it take to tap in, motivate, and engage?

Absolute vodka- Absolute Unique

Millennial’s were told they are different and share a passion for individuality. The Absolute Unique campaign drove this idea home. They rolled out 4 million bottles of vodka each splattered and decorated with vibrant colored paint to give each bottle its’ own unique identity. Many engineers and precise mathematical equations backed this creative concept. “You are a special snowflake. There is no other person like you. And now, you have your very own personalized bottle of booze to match.” The campaign puts more than a bottle of Vodka in your hand. It’s a collectable item that you chose to buy based off the color and pattern. And no one else has one but you.

Target Retail – Dorm Survival Guide

Social media has proved to build brand awareness with Gen Y because users share information through unique channels that allow marketers to give back to their audience in a personal and less selling tone. The Target back to school campaign is a great example of using consumer insights to connect with your audience. Moving away from pampering parents and into a cubicle sized dorm room comes with anxiety and stress so Target created social interaction around dorm room furniture and provided aid to freshman students. The Facebook interactive platform filled up with pictures of dorm rooms and conversation topics about college to make the transition ‘Comfortable’. This campaign started conversation before trying to sell anything.

Use social media as a primary channel to reach Gen Y. This generation asks “What’s in it for me”? And building an online community around your brand instills honesty and trust with your audience…the 2 most important things during todays information overloaded market.

What brands and campaigns do you think have successfully targeted Generation Y?