Millennial. A term first coined by Neil Howe and William Strauss in 1991 in their book “Generations” to describe the generation born between 1980 and 2000; however, the most common birth range for the generation also known as Generation Y is 1982-2000.
Despite how much I loathe the term (I mean, does anyone really enjoy being grouped into a large mass of people under a single label?), I know how imperative it is for marketers and sales people to understand the best ways of reaching this generation that is now the largest majority of our workforce. They’re taking over print buyer roles, they’re directing marketing departments, and they’re the creative minds forming and implementing the most engaging campaigns our consumer base has ever seen.
I briefly discussed how you can reach this growing demographic and get them using print at Graph Expo on the Digital Schmigital Printerverse panel discussion. There are actually a lot of things you can do to better reach this generation, and below I’ll highlight my top 3 recommendations:
We live in an information age, and Millenials use it to their advantage.
With the digital world literally at our fingertips 24 hours a day, the first thing we do when we want to learn more about something is Google (or Yahoo or Bing) it. If you don’t have a robust (mobile-friendly) online presence – chances are we aren’t going to give you the time of day.
You need to make it easy for us to interact with your brand…where we choose. That means on your website. That means on social channels – and yes, we want to see you active on them. We want to know we can trust you, that we can learn or gain something in return for our follow, our time, or our money.
We’re Not All the Same. Don’t Expect a Single Approach to Work.
Just as a sales person learns to approach accounts in their own unique way to maximize the results of a relationship, marketers have quickly learned about the need to approach their audiences in the way that is most relevant to them.
My husband and I are an excellent example of why you have to utilize multiple channels to reach our generation. The absolute best way to get his attention is by hosting, participating in, or sponsoring a podcast. We don’t watch TV (thank you Netflix), and he’s not much of a social media guy.
Me? I LOVE checking our mailbox. I love seeing what tactics marketers are using to catch my attention, and sadly – I’m often left disappointed. Twitter or Pinterest are probably your best bet for reaching me online, but don’t even waste your pennies on emailing me. I have an entire email box devoted to promotional emails that I check only when I’m really itching for a good deal. I’ve come to loathe email – almost as much as that Millennial term.
Convenience = A Win for Your Data Books
You know, I always chuckle when I hear my parents rant about how they’re afraid to give up their personal data – yet, they have no problem whipping out their credit cards to pay for things at the store. Hmmmm.
I understand that every time I swipe my credit card stores are documenting my purchases. Heck, I thought that was the whole perk of being a part of a loyalty rewards program. You track what I buy, so you can then offer me what I want.
It also doesn’t hurt that I don’t carry cash with me – like hardly ever. The convenience of not having to have cash on hand means way more to me than having you know that I bought a bright blue pair of sneakers. We’re not as timid about giving you the information you want to know about us, but for goodness sake – if we’re going to give it you – USE IT!
Print is Still a Viable Medium to Reach the Millennial Generation
At heart we may be digital natives, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be effectively reached with print. We thrive on the best of both worlds – use that to your advantage.
Christine Alexander
is self-confessed ink-sniffer and an independent marketing consultant for companies within the graphic arts industry. Her specialties include graphic design, content marketing, community building, event planning and strategy development across a wide array of media. With nearly a decade of experience in commercial printing, Christine has held roles in prepress management, marketing direction, print sales, and operations management.
