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10 Surefire Strategies for Marketing to Generation
Y Copyright © 2007 Bea Fields
They're called Generation Y, Millennials, Echo Boomers,
and Connecteds. By whatever name, this generation of
youth born after 1977 represents more than 70 million
consumers in the United States. They earn a total annual
income of about $211 billion, spend approximately $172
billion per year** and considerably influence many adult
consumer buying choices, so no longer are they the youth
that will be seen but not heard -- and marketing professionals
need to take notice!
Generation Y cannot be reached through traditional
marketing channels. Direct mail, print ads, and television
advertising bounce off these powerful consumers like
bullets on Superman's chest. They are impermeable to
the marketing messages that appealed to their parents
and grandparents. Generation Y represents a massive
group of influencers -- the largest, and the most cutting
edge generation in our history. They cut their teeth
on technology, grew up with the knowledge they could
do anything (because their parents and teachers told
them so!), and the desire to make a difference in their
world.
So how do you break through this marketing barrier
when they can choose their own music without listening
to a commercial radio station, can block outsiders from
their social circle -- which revolves around cell phones
and online networks like Facebook and MySpace -- and
only refer to newspapers when they need packing material
to move on to their next venue?
In my work with emerging leaders, I've discovered many
ways in which marketers have totally missed the mark
with Generation Y consumers by not acknowledging their
motivators. So let me clue you in to the ways in which
you can effectively connect with this growing market
of savvy spenders.
1) Respect them as consumers: Members of Generation
Y are tech savvy and highly intelligent. Don't talk
"at" or "down to" them.
2) Get to know them. Before they will do business with
you, Generation Yers want to know that you care enough
to find out what makes them tick. But don't rely on
the old method of marketing surveys. Get out there and
talk to them. Find out how they spend their free time,
the music they listen to, and what they eat, wear, read,
watch, and drive. You might just be surprised by what
you learn!
3) Look cool and hip: As Steve Jobs said about his
Apple iBook: "I wanted to make the computer look
so cool and so attractive that Generation Y would want
to lick the screen." Generation Y will buy based
on a sleek, beautiful, cool-looking package. To see
what's working, visit http://Apple.com.
4) Be socially responsible: Generation Y is incredibly
conscious about social causes including the environment,
animal rights, and world hunger. They want to know that
your company is aligned with a cause that creates an
emotional connection with them.
5) Be real: Young consumers can spot a phony from a
mile away. Don't try to talk the talk if you don't speak
the language. Be honest and open. Drop the old sales-speak
and be sincere when marketing your products and services.
6) Join their networks: Generation Y will not come
looking for you. If you want to attract Generation Y,
go where they hang out: social networking sites. MySpace,
Facebook, Twitter, Delicious, and Second Life are the
hot sites for Generation Y and cost nothing to join.
Invest time in reading what they are writing about and
getting engaged in an online conversation, and your
return will be the knowledge of how to market to them.
7) Take it to the streets: Today's youth love experiences.
Promotional stunts, product sampling, and rollouts in
a strategically placed venue attract the young urban
buyer. They thrive on word of mouth marketing, and street
marketing is one of the best ways to create buzz for
the young consumer. Today's smart marketers use street
teams and event marketing to reach Generation Y. For
more information visit http://www.streetteampromotion.com
and http://www.mryouth.com.
8) Give them a chance to win: Generation Y is wild
about winning a contest or receiving a gift, especially
if it's meaningful to them, like an iPod, a trip to
a national snowboarding competition, or tickets to a
hot concert. And you'll always be able to reel them
in with great java and food. But one caveat: Generation
Yers travel in groups so be sure the gift or prize includes
enough spending power for them to bring along their
friends.
9) Go viral: YouTube turned the Internet from an information
highway into an entertainment complex without walls.
Video (vodcast) and audio (podcasts) bits uploaded to
your site can spread across the Internet as Generation
Yers share their favorites with their friends, who pass
it along to their circle, and so on.
10) Text them: I hear many older generation leaders
saying, "I don't text message. I don't even use
e-mail." If you can't connect with their preferred
method of communication (texting over email), forget
about reaching Generation Y. Learn how to integrate
mobile technology in your marketing efforts to get into
their networks and be seen. Look at how popular shows
like American Idol use texting to vote for their favorite
performers, because the producers recognize that their
audience is primarily is Generation Y!
Generation Y is not difficult or complicated. They
are truly unique. And these young people are going to
be your customers, if only you learn how to reach out
to them.
** Harris Interactive 2003 Youth PulseSM Survey, www.harrisinteractive.com
Author: Bea Fields
Bea Fields is an Executive Coach and the President
of Bea Fields Companies, Inc and the Founder of Five
Star Leader Coaching and Training. She specializes in
Leadership and Team Coaching for high growth companies,
non-profit organizations and medium-sized businesses.
Fields is the author of Millennial Leaders: Success
Stories From Today's Most Brilliant Generation Y Leaders
and Edge: A Leadership Story. http://MillennialLeaders.com
.
Keywords :Generation Y, Gen Y, Marketing to Gen
Y, Millenniums, Millennials
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