Lest anyone wonder why millennials are the focus of countless news articles: This is the year that Millennials — defined as people ages 18-34 — will outnumber the Baby Boomers in this country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
And, Millennials, who make up a quarter of the U.S. population, have surpassed Gen Xers (those with birth dates ranging from the early 1960s to the early 1980s) to become the largest share of the American workforce.
No wonder why every industry wants to market to Millennials.
Not a day goes by when someone is not issuing an opinion about a presumptive trend related to Millennial connectivity and digital experiences, and what approach to take to get the attention of Millennials.
But, some experts are issuing cautions about making assumptions about Millennial influencers and practices.
According to a story last week in AdAge, what you’ve been told about Millennials is (mostly) wrong. The article about a myth-busting Carat survey called “The Millennial Disconnect” found Millennials are not all hyper-connected optimistic digital extroverts.
The survey warns that brands shouldn’t just accept that that high digital numbers mean that Millennials are all “users” in the same way. Higher users can skew the data, and result in misunderstanding the population. Marketers must be dig deep into understanding insights of the demographic for a better marketing strategy.
The Millennial generation is the most diverse generation in history. There are more African Americans, Latinos, Asians and racially mixed Millennials than in GenX and the Baby Boomer groups combined. They are accustomed to rapidly changing technologies and life choices. They are going to have different perspectives and reactions to marketing approaches. What appeals to one Millennial may be completely out of touch with another’s interests.
This certainly isn’t different from what is required of successfully working with other demographic groups. No age group should be treated in absolutes. You have to understand the “why” and “how” of the audience. Don’t make assumptions.
The key is to know your facts but to tailor your approach – no matter the age group – to accurately reflect opinions and behaviors to make your marketing relevant and meaningful.
If you are looking for a way to give your target audience a personality to get better marketing results, check out our Persona White Paper. Click on this link to download it. Or just fill out this form and we will send it to you.
[gl-hs-form form_id=’1863abe3-c1e4-43d0-a298-c7b132f8ce03′]