Marketing to Millennials

Who are the big brands selling to today? Who are those that are driving this new economy that dances between the online and offline world as if it were one? What defines this generation called 'Millennials'? How do you advertise and market to them?

'Millennials' is a term to define a certain demographic of people born between the early 1980s and mid 1990s. We are talking about people who are now in their 20s and 30s, individuals with purchasing power, looking for jobs, are forming new families and live immersed in the online world.

They are a segment of society that doesn't particularly believe or trust what they are told by the mass media. In fact, what their friends tell them on the internet - on Facebook, Twitter, chats, blogs, and more - is far more persuasive.

This generation is permanently connected through their gadgets and take communication technologies to limits never seen before: they send photos of what they are eating, show where they are located, give reviews of the products and services that please and displease them.... all in real time. This is how advertising is done today, through Millennials.

They are a generation that sees TV as background noise and that the order of preference of their screens is: mobile, the laptop (or tablet) and, finally, the television. For this reason, a group of young people will hardly focus, except when they use technology. They are a population segment that knows, with absolute certainty, that it is they who now have control over consumption, deciding when, how, what and who to buy.

Young people are interested in social and environmental issues, they are aware of their connectivity, they understand what happens in Africa or in their own local region, and know about global warming and energy savings.

So how do you engage this generation in marketing campaigns?

A combination of channels is of the utmost importance. Traditional advertising is obsolete; blended marketing is king, blending online and offline tactics into a single strategy to get your message across. Push marketing and advertising just won't work on them... they are an absolutely pull generation. In other words, they will look for what they like or need, not what a crude marketing campaign imposes on them.

Another good advice is, as incredible as it may seem, is being gratuitous. New offers must include some value which does not increase the cost of the product. Faster, cheaper, simpler... this is the new philosophy.

Finally, it is essential to be an actor of social media, interacting and engaging always. Geek is the new sexy. The brands that manage to make this jump, no matter what they sell, will be the ones that best swim in this sea of ​​young sharks. Apple, Google, Nike, Disney, Facebook, Burger King seem to understand the concept well.

These are your new customers. The question is, do you have what it takes to sell them? If not you should be worried, because they have the power to make your company succeed... or fail.