The Quest
for Cool:
Reach Millenials the Way they Want to be Reached
You're a seasoned marketer
with years, maybe decades, of experience. Your work has persuaded thousands of
consumers. You've pulled the strings on groundbreaking campaigns. You've won
accolades and awards touting your great success. When it comes to marketing, you
think you're as cool as can be.
But don't try to hard to "be cool" when courting tweens,
teens and early twentysomethings. If the message seems forced, if the kids get a
whiff of desperation or phoniness, they'll treat your "cool" campaign with some
very cold shoulders. Via Facebook or Twitter or YouTube or their blog -- maybe
through all those online channels and then some -- they may complain to their
friends about your campaign. And then your brand will be tainted and you'll be
stuck doing damage control, says David Morrison, founder of Philadelphia-based
Twentysomething Inc., a young adult-specific marketing research and consulting
firm, and author of the book, Marketing to the Campus Crowd.
"This is a market with a long memory," he cautions. "If you burn them or offend them, they will remember it for years to come."
The approximately 74 million 12- to 29-year-olds in the United States collectively spent about $733 billion in 2008. With such numbers, today's young consumers are arguably the most powerful to date. They also may be the most difficult to attract, not only because they are wise to the sell, but because there's an infinite number of messages calling for their attention on their favorite play place, the Web. Marketing methods that resonate with the young are changing, and so an old marketer has to learn new tricks and gain insight into a demographic he or she may not relate with.
A seemingly effortless, interactive, inspiring and optimistic campaign could very well do the trick, experts say. But first things first -- know who you're marketing to. The keys to success are unique experiences, quirkiness, value and simplicity. The Mountain Dew brand has capitalized on the experience concept by being a sponsor at high-energy events like snowboarding competitions. Apple gadgets like the iPod and iPhone are showcased via attractive, simple ads that stand out amidst the clutter. Both brands have been big hits with Millenials.
Don't worry that you're not a Millenial yourself, says Twentysomething's Morrison. He stays young and current by befriending people in their twenties and by recruiting trend watchers around the world to keep him engaged.
"You shouldn't shy away from keeping the curtain down," he says. "[The youth market] knows you're not some twentysomething person but an entity often with employees in their fifties driving the brand and making the ultimate decisions. The more sincere a company is, the more credible it is going to be... The trick, in part, is to keep the focus on the brand and separate the brand and the company from the managers behind it."
One reason Millenials are so smart about what they view as marketing is that they have easier access to information than any generation before them. They also have the power of mass media at their fingertips, are accustomed to widespread interaction and are aware of the power of their own voices.
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©
2009 Marketing News
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