Selling the experience marketing to millennials with engaging content

Selling The Experience Marketing to Millennials with Engaging Content

Prepared by Kevin HuangJuly 6, 2016

Silent1928 - 1945

Baby Boomers1946 - 1964

Gen X1965 - 1981

Millennials (Gen Y)1982 - 2000

Gen Z2001 - Present

Most Important Consumer Generation. EVER.

83.1MMILLENNIALS

75.4MBABY BOOMERS

vsThey're also more diverse than any generation before them – 44.2 percent

of American Millennials are part of a minority race or ethnic group. Marketers need to understand how they see the world around them.

United States Census Bureau, 2015

Millennials DemographicsPresently they are … 25% of the US population Median income is from $25K - $48K 26% are married 25% have a bachelors degree or higher 85%+ smartphone users & 83% connect w/a brand

on social media $200 billion in annual buying power - will

outspend Baby Boomers by 2017

Values, Loyalties And Beliefs Differ Significantly Compared To Gen X And The Boomers

Sense of entitlement Friends and family matter Always connected & devoted to social media Creative & self-expressionism Want “a voice” Strong participation in community & wellness minded Respond to unique and creative interactions Selfies

Millennials Traits

Millennials Have Time, Not Money

56% of Millennials livepaycheck to paycheck

4 in 10 Millennials are overwhelmed by debt

5 in 10 Millennials are not saving for retirement

A Growing Number Of Millennials Are Choosing To Live With Their Parents.

Department of Commerce, Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research, 2015

Who would pay more for sustainable products?9%

51%25%

12%

Generation ZMillennialsGeneration XBaby Boomers

Millennials Are Tech Savvy More than 74 percent feel that new technology makes their lives easier, and 54 percent feel new technology helps them

be closer to their friends and family.

Millennials Spend Their Time On Mobile In These KEY Areas:

Gaming Content Local/Social

Retailnowmag, 2015

of Millennials are daily users of social networks and are spending a daily average of 5.4 hours on social platforms.

Ipsos, 2014

ComScore Mobile Matrix, 2014

Screens. Screens. And More Screens.

Watch video several times a day on different devices

Visit 5 different sites per day to watch

video content

Want to connect news

across all devices

87% of Millennials use two to three devices at least once a day.Elite Daily, 2014

72%

of Millennials have taken a selfie and shared it online.

Pew Research Center Poll, 2014

of Millennials have downloaded an ecommerce app on their phone.

Pixlee, 201481% show a preference of customized products.

Intelligence Group, 2014

Millennials say their mobile device is theirMOST important shopping research tool

Online Ads = Real Life Foot Traffic

25%of online shoppers report clicking on a retailer’s ad and subsequently visiting their physical store.

Millennials Are Notoriously Difficult To Market To.

As digital natives – they are skeptical of traditional marketing. This presents a unique challenge, as marketers will need to

prioritize the values that matter most to Millennials – such as authenticity, individualism, and brand experience – in order to

connect with this elusive audience.

Millennials Are Not Brand Obsessed

37% Will purchase to support a cause (even if it means paying more).

Rackspace blog 2016

63%will purchase non-favorite

brands on sale.

56%Switch brands for coupons.

of Millennials claim that they “do not like or trust all forms of advertising.”

The McCarthy Group, 2014

Social Chorus Research Study, 2013

95% trust the opinions of their friends & family.

find traditional advertising credible

Only

say they are more likely to be loyal to a brand that has a strong personality.

Intelligence Group, 2014

Moosylvania, 2015

Important Brand Characteristics

DMNews, 2014

Millennials And Media Consumption

Visualistan, 2014

What Millennials Look For In A Brand

Transparency Ethics Story Personality & Individualism Willingness to educate

What Millennials Want From Branded Content

Contently, 2014

So What Does This Mean For Marketing?

Marketing’s Role Remains Constant…

Marketing is the right product, in the right place, at the right time, at the right price.-

… But Decision Journey More Complex

… So Marketing Needs To Change

Stop/Start campaignsInterruptive adsTelling a messageFocus on new customersBrand adsWhat you say

Always-on programmesEngaged participationCreating helpful utilityFocus on loyaltyBranded contentWhat you do

And Specifically For Millennials Find the insight that makes the difference Invite them to get involved/co-create, don’t talk at them Think mobile first – be frictionless, seamless and real time Support their causes – give them a reason to care

Boston Consulting Group Analysis

U.S. Millennials Comprise Six Distinct Segments

It’s All About Building RelationshipsTips for marketers

No one has all the answers so test and learn Think digital – and mobile – from the start Find meaningful ways to connect Be authentic, relevant and act with integrity Connect with universal human experiences Be an outlet for discovery Be imaginative, creative and playful Inform with how-tos, lifehacks and content that makes

them feel smarter Be real and responsive Leverage all content formats to connect Help them save on the things they buy everyday so they

can splurge on the things they really want What you do is far more important than what you say

Kevin’s Law

Put purpose at the he rt

CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT!How To Tailor Messaging To Millennials

NewCred Millennial Survey 2014

DMNews 2014

Utilize The Right Mix Of Content, And Scale It

Custom ContentShare on-brand stories and recipes which are created specifically for your brand.

Social ContentLeverage snackable content through UGC that engages your target audience.

Licensed ContentBoost credibility, publishing cadence, and direct traffic with a high-volume of fully-licensed, compliant content.

Four Pillars Of Engaging Content

Tells a story Sells without “selling” Invokes emotional connection to the brand Invites the customer to become a part of the

community

Forms Of Engaging Content

Videos Reviews Shares (Social) Breaking News Stories Resources & How-Tos Community-based

Show & TellWho’s Doing It Well?

11 Great Examples of Millennial Marketing

Case #1: ChipotleAs a brand known for placing high value on fresh ingredients and offering a “build-your-own” burrito, bowl, or taco, Chipotle has created an interactive experience for its customers. The ingredients and experience are appealing to Millennials; plus, Chipotle figured out how to get its message out in a unique way.This casual food chain developed a fictional web series, “Farmed and Dangerous,” which featured a Millennial-aged sustainable farmer as the main character. In the comedy series, the farmer named Chip, battles a corrupt industrial food production company. The web series has its own website, which includes music, behind the scenes clips, and even show trivia.Before the first episode aired, Chipotle released an iPhone game, “The Scarecrow,” and a short video with the same title. Both the game and video were centered on a scarecrow’s quest to replace processed food with wholesome food.

What Chipotle did right:Created an experience that Millennials could participate in and developed shareable content.

Case #2: TOMSIn a Journal of Brand Strategy article titled, “How to engage Millennials: Re-imagining the consumer as a partner, not a target audience, to increase engagement,” the authors talked about “the why” and how it translates to a concept known as story living. Millennials want to live the story and TOMS has done an amazing job letting them.Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS, traveled to a small village in Argentina and discovered that the people living there had no shoes. He then went on to create his company based upon a unique model—for every pair of shoes sold, TOMS would donate a pair to someone in need. Since its inception, TOMS has grown into a multi-million dollar company. The company has created a culture where philanthropy and profit can co-exist and has encouraged customer interaction. Customers can share their stories, experiences, and photos as a way to raise awareness.

What TOMS did right:Allowed Millennials to live the story and align themselves with a brand that has a cause.

Case #3: NetflixThis publicly traded video streaming company has figured out how to continue to attract Millennials, despite the generation’s growing needs and lifestyle. Netflix keeps a close eye on Millennials and has used social media to attract and engage them. The company has extensively used Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms in their Millennial marketing efforts.

Millennials want to be able to share content with friends and Netflix has accommodated this desire with its social settings and features that connect Netflix and Facebook accounts. Not only does this sharing capability appease Millennials, it also helps Netflix to continue to advertise its brand to individuals who may not have subscribed yet to the video streaming service.With its exclusive content, ease-of-use, and constantly upgraded applications, Netflix has been able to evolve right alongside Millennials.What Netflix did right:Recognized the evolving lifestyles of Millennials and changed with them.

Case #4: Dollar Shave ClubDollar Shave Club disrupted the personal grooming market. This innovative company came on the scene with a radical pricing model and impressive marketing approach. For a small monthly fee, you can have razors and grooming products delivered to your house. At the same time, you get to join a community. With the humorous online video and catchy line, “our blades our f***ing great,” Dollar Shave Club quickly became a well-known brand. This company has continued to develop its community by producing entertaining, relevant content.

What Dollar Shave Club did right:Disrupted the market with an innovative approach to pricing and marketing.

Case #5: NFL & McDonald’sSome brands are hesitant to embrace Millennials—really any consumers—as content creators, which can be a big mistake. Millennials want to contribute to the brand and allowing them to create content can go a long way. The YouTube series, “Bad Lip Reading,” is a great example. According to the creator of the series, he puts words in other people’s mouths. The result is an entire series of funny videos, including NFL versions (the 2015 NFL clip currently has over 35 million views). The NFL could have gone on the defensive with these videos, but instead embraced the trend and partnered with McDonald’s to create their own video. The commercial advertises McDonald’s Mighty Wings and features NFL players and a whole lot of bad lip-reading.

What NFL and McDonald’s did right:Increased brand loyalty by embracing trends and joining in the fun.

Case #6: GilletteA couple of years ago, Gillette kicked off the “Kiss & Tell” campaign and called for the input of women across the United States. After conducting a survey of 1,000 women, Gillette concluded that one-third of the participants had actually avoided kissing a guy because of his facial hair.Gillette’s Kiss & Tell campaign included a YouTube documentary, website and live “experiments”. According to a Gillette press release, “with signs pointing to stubble as the culprit in the decline of kissing, Gillette® is asking America to weigh in by launching a nationwide Kiss & Tell live experiment.”This campaign gained traction, causing people to participant enmasse. What was so great about the campaign is at the very end, Gillette concluded that women prefer a smooth shaven kiss and announced the launch of its Sensitive Skin Portfolio.

What Gillette did right:Gave consumers the opportunity to contribute to its marketing and become part of a new product line.

Case #7: AT&TAT&T has learned a thing or two about Millennials using an internal team of Millennials working on youth marketing campaigns, which is constantly looking at the data to learn more. That could be among the many reasons why AT&T was one of the most successful brands on Tumblr last year.The company decided to advertise on Tumblr because of the reach to both desktop and mobile users. AT&T created a sponsored post that spoke to a common feeling people have when they are in relationships. The popular post was simple, as it depicted a text message that read, “when you know what you want call me”. AT&T made the decision to go after a moment many of us experience in life instead of a traditional marketing message. The result was an ad that spoke directly to its Millennial customers and gained a far reach.

What AT&T did right:Followed Millennials and created an ad that spoke directly to a personal moment in life.

Case #8: UberMillennials are all about sharing, specifically a sharing economy. Unlike some of the older generations, Millennials are not as into cars, but they are into convenience, and Uber knows it. Uber has encompassed both of these trends into its service and marketing strategy and makes it incredibly easy to find a ride and pay for it using its smartphone app.

Uber has also done a great job marketing to Millennials. For example, did you hear about #UberKITTENS? It is a campaign that Uber ran on National Cat Day. Using the Uber app, you could have kittens delivered to your house. Uber has also capitalized on the show Boardwalk Empire and movieTransformers: Age of Extinction by creating contests that allowed lucky winners to get a very special ride.

What Uber did right: Knew their target market, focused on convenience, and offered something unique.

Case #9:If you really want to win customers over, use their names. Coca-Cola utilized this approach in a powerful way with its “Share a Coke” campaign. What better way to increase sales than to make bottles personalized to customers? According to The Wall Street Journal, Coca-Cola’s soft-drinks sales in the U.S. went up 2% after launching this campaign. The campaign put 250 of the most popular names among teens and Millennials on 20-ounce bottles.The result? A customized and personal product, as well as share-worthy content. Coca-Cola even created a website wrapped around this campaign that lets customers discover facts about their names, order customized bottles, and find out event dates for the Share a Coke tour.

What Coca-Cola did right:Made its products personal and customizable.

Case #10: Tide (Proctor & Gamble)Millennials want products that provide convenience and are energy-efficient, which may explain why Tide Pods have done so well among this generation. One of the early video commercials for Tide Pods focused on the innovation behind the product, as well as its no-fuss qualities.

Plus, the commercial boasted that Pods “provide excellent results with minimal time and effort,” a message that speaks directly to Millennials’ quest for convenience. No longer would apartment dwellers have to lug the entire bottle of laundry soap to the laundry mat or worry about wasting soap by pouring too much into the washing machine.

What Tide did right:Solved a need for Millennials and created the marketing message to back it up.

Case #11: Airbnb

What Airbnb did right:Used a meaningful way to connect with Millennials.

Millennials aren’t interested in the hard sell. Young adults crave content that has an inherent purpose, other than being a vehicle for the product itself. Whether it’s a viral video, an infographic or just a great story, content must be able to entertain or inform. Or in an ideal world, both.Research has shown that capturing a specific mood or moment is particularly effective when marketing to young people. With an emphasis on adventure, exploration, and self-discovery, Airbnb has captured the millennial’s desire for travel.The community feel and Instagram-inspired content of its blog helps to align the brand with those who are no longer satisfied with just a gap year.

Selling the experience marketing to millennials with engaging content

Marketing

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