{"id":117392,"date":"2018-07-31T23:28:00","date_gmt":"2018-08-01T04:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/marketing-to-millennials-a-generation-balancing-nostalgia-and-digital-transformation\/"},"modified":"2024-12-20T09:25:27","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T14:25:27","slug":"marketing-to-millennials-a-generation-balancing-nostalgia-and-digital-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/en-ca\/insights\/blog\/analytics\/marketing-to-millennials-a-generation-balancing-nostalgia-and-digital-transformation\/","title":{"rendered":"Marketing to Millennials: A Generation Balancing Nostalgia and Digital Transformation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Exploring behavioral insights and marketing trends within North America and Europe.<\/em><\/p>\n

Millennials are a demographic age group born between 1981 and 2000. In North America, they represent about 20-25% of the population<\/a>; in France, Germany, and the UK, they represent about 15-20% of the population<\/a>. Millennials have been called the entitled generation for being spoon-fed all the opportunities that come with an increasingly digital world, privileged with tools and applications that our predecessors could only dream of.<\/p>\n

However, all is not what it seems\u2014traditional media is not dead and there is a method to the madness.<\/p>\n

Millennials are more than just a generation of digital delinquents; in fact, they are the only generation able to differentiate between a world with and without digital technology advances. Although traditional media is experiencing a general decline, millennials haven\u2019t completely abandoned live TV, paperbacks, printed newspapers, or magazines.<\/p>\n

For marketers, this presents an opportunity to implement a multichannel marketing strategy<\/a> that leverages the nostalgia associated with traditional forms of media and the convenience and accessibility associated with digital media. To execute this strategy effectively, marketers must consider the following:<\/p>\n

1. The constant stream of digital content has created an environment characterized by attention fragmentation and sensory overload<\/h2>\n

In other words, millennials are being bombarded with a great number of advertisements, social media notifications, music, and video content. To stand out, brands must adapt quickly and engage with their audience in meaningful ways, or risk being ignored amidst the noise.<\/p>\n

2. We are living in a smartphone-centric world where there is a desire for accessibility, mobility, and real-time delivery of information; brands must be willing to go mobile, or go home<\/h2>\n

The rate of Millennial Smartphone User Penetration is extremely high, with Canada<\/a>, the US<\/a>, France, Germany, and the UK<\/a> reporting rates of over 90%. A lot of these smartphone users also reported that their phones have become the default device for accessing the internet, and smartphones have become powerful enough for users to complete just about any task quickly and efficiently\u2014including banking, shopping, calling a cab, navigation, and even dating. This means that many initial touchpoints between consumers and brands will come from mobile devices. Therefore, first impressions in this realm can make or break brand perception\u2014a bad user interface could easily deter customers from ever interacting with your brand.<\/p>\n

3. Millennials respond positively to applications and experiences that are visual, interactive, and on-demand<\/h2>\n

This trend is especially notable when considering the impact that apps such as Snapchat and Instagram have had on brand engagement. Both apps boast a worldwide user base of 300+ million<\/a> and 800+ million<\/a>, respectively. Focusing on visual elements and living in the moment, Snapchat and Instagram allow users to showcase different aspects of themselves, which can manifest through small ephemeral snippets, or the creation of multiple finstagram<\/a> (fake Instagram) accounts that separate their real life from the life that they would like to show off.<\/p>\n

In addition, applications such as Spotify, YouTube, and Netflix have given users access to a wide selection of music, movies, and TV shows with the added advantage of being able to watch and listen when you want and how you want. This on-demand nature of applications empowers users with a perception of control, offloading the burden of indecisiveness\u2014users don\u2019t have to own physical copies or think about the commitment associated with purchasing specific digital content. Users can easily add, delete, stop, or play whatever they desire without guilt.<\/p>\n

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