Dear Marketers,
Before I begin, I want to make a confession. I was born on the early side of Generation Y. Having been born in 1983, you might go so far as to say I am on the cusp. Whatever it may be and ignoring for a moment the fact that my step kids think I’m ancient, I strongly consider myself to be a millennial. I mean, DUH, I did grow up in the 90s and yes, in case you are dying to know, I do remember when cell phones were the size of cracker boxes, AOL chat rooms were the next best thing and, yes, it really was in style to roll one pant leg up. I also remember frosted hair and mixed tapes. But I’m going to stop there. Let’s suffice it to say that I am an old Millennial. Unlike my Gen X siblings, I can’t remember a world without computers or electronics, even if the technology has advanced beyond my wildest dreams. For me, it has always been there.
(source: ADWEEK: What Do Millennials Really Want?)
Aside from the frosted hair and rolled pants, Millennials are pretty awesome and dearest 21st century Marketers; I want to tell you that if you’re not connecting with my generation, you are missing out. Why? For one, we are the largest generation since the Baby Boomers. For another, we have the most buying power of anyone in our households. I also want to tell you that if you are limiting your marketing strategy to the internet because you think that’s what we best respond to then think again. Studies show that my generation, regardless of our snobbish techno-cratic attitudes, is extremely affected by this ancient dinosaur thing we have come to know as print. Counter to what you may think, and regardless of the fact that we’re pretty much glued to our cell phones 24 hours a day, we still live in the real world and can be reached outside of the social media and e-mail platforms. Just like previous generations, we are extremely attracted to print marketing and, yes, that includes the younger Millennials too. Here are ten things you should know about Millennials when it comes to marketing:
- No matter what your generation is, studies conclude that the printed word promotes brain activity and memory retention (see article: Say What? Millennials Prefer Print Over Virtual Media).
- We care about personal expression. We don’t really care in which form it comes in. For Millennials, the message is more important than the delivery.
- We are most engaged by multichannel marketing. A combination of print and digital is key.
- It’s important to reach us through our values. Otherwise, you’re just another one of the bazillion advertisements we’ve seen in a day.
- 75% of my generation has purchased something as a result of direct mail marketing
- Our generation is full of media and advertisements every time we turn around. We really don’t like to be sold We’d much rather be educated about.
- We love print for entertainment and education. If you utilize those two things in your print marketing you are more likely to engage us.
- When done right, print has more buying power for us because to us it’s a more believable and authentic source. Check out the article: Most Millennials’ Store Choices Influenced by Print Media
- More than any other generation we desire an opportunity to interact with your brand. This is how the QR code became so popular to begin with.
- We want to hear your story. Create a believable and enjoyable world for us by uniting your print and digital and you will make life long customers out of us.
There. I’ve given you all of my secrets, now you best see for yourself. Just remember, above all else, be authentic, know your values, and use a combination of print and digital. If you do these things, you will get to know us much better as buyers. Good luck in your marketing endeavors. Don’t be a stranger; do write back or comment below on your marketing experiences with Millennials.
Sincerely Yours,
Millennial of the elder caliber
Jennifer Grace is a proud to be millennial who works as a Sales & Marketing Specialist at The Dingley Press. Dingley specializes in catalog printing and Jen is lucky enough to be stationed in the manufacturing facility where the presses run 24/7. When it comes to print and catalogs, one thing is for sure, Jen does not lack enthusiasm. To read more of her articles you can check out Dingley’s blog site or connect with her on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
