Trending from G/L: Millennials Get The Best of Both Worlds With Agrihoods

Melissa Ross
Digital Content Producer

Trending from G/L: Millennials Get The Best of Both Worlds With Agrihoods

You’ve heard it before and have seen the headlines: “Millennials Are Killing The So-And-So Industry.” Everywhere from diamonds to napkins, millennials are being blamed for the downfall of many industries that were once booming in the past. And now there’s another thing to add to the list: Country Clubs.

In the 1990’s, baby boomers flocked to tiny golf communities because of the status that went along with it: the real estate was highly coveted because of the green space and beautiful views. But it seems that those that may have grown up in these types of groomed neighborhoods aren’t as interested in buying. Instead, they favor farm-to-table eats, the idea of environmentally friendly living and reducing one’s carbon footprint, but without giving up luxury amenities. Enter the Agrihood.

Short for “agricultural neighborhoods,” agrihoods, according to Business Insider, are “master-planned housing communities with working farms as their focus with ample green space, barns, and outdoor community kitchens. Some boast greenhouses and rows and rows of fruit trees. The homes are typically built to high environmental standards – think solar panels and composting.”

But these aren’t off-the-grid communities with tiny houses. In one agrihood in Palm Springs, California, homes are ranging from the high $300,000s up to $1 million. Millennials are paying big bucks for access to the communal farms, orchards, fresh food, community events, and nature.

With about 150 agrihoods across the country, a large percentage of which exist near larger cities, the attractiveness of getting sustainable living without having to give up big city amenities is another big attractor for millennials, who make up the largest segment of American homebuyers today.

What’s the rise of agrihoods mean to us? That the big growth in lifestyle markets we’ve already seen might be just the start. Our clients that supply products for weekend farmers/ranchers, hobby farmers, gentleman farmers, backyard gardeners, etc. have seen tremendous growth in recent years as millennials seek more and more to break from big city life and live more community-focused lives. But what started as a trend has quickly begun to look like a full-blown movement.

Millennials are blamed for “killing” a lot of industries. And while this generation continues to become a larger portion of the workforce and earn higher salaries, they’re in turn producing incredible growth in new and existing industries as well. Don’t let your brand be the next millennial victim. Contact Geile/Leon today, so we can help your brand find that sweet spot in your marketing communications – because your brand doesn’t want to just be a household name, you want it to be an agrihood name.

Trending from G/L: Do You Suffer From PAR-ENT-ING?

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Trending from G/L: Do You Suffer From PAR-ENT-ING?

Are you suffering from PAR-ENT-ING?

YouTube content creators from the channel The Dad, delivered a hilarious dose of parenting reality with their satirical video entitled, “Do You Suffer From PAR-ENT-ING?” The video pokes fun at cliché and contrived pharmaceutical industry ads, exaggerating parenting as a disorder that “affects 10 out of 10 parents” and often results in “sleep deprivation, headaches, thinning hair, extreme debt and loss of self-identity.” The video continues to offer parents relief via a prescription called AphukenbrakE, which has side effects that include, among others, a sigh of relief, decrease in blood pressure and hanging with the guys.

The Dad focuses its content on modern fatherhood, serving as a hub for comic relief, community and of course, plenty of dad jokes. The Dad does an excellent job of capturing the humor and the messiness of parenting in a way that’s relatable to parents – both mothers and fathers alike. So, given what we know about millennials and the content that they embrace, the success of channels like The Dad should come as no surprise.

Millennial parents gravitate towards content and brands that they view as authentic and honest, which in the case of YouTube channel The Dad is exactly how their portrayal of parenting can be described. Millennials want to see content that is relatable to their own parenting experiences. In fact, millennial parents feel better about parenting when they hear about other parent’s mishaps. Read more on marketing to millennial parents here.

Check out The Dad’s PAR-ENT-ING video below:

 

5 Social Media Trends to Consider For Your 2018 Strategy

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

5 Social Media Trends to Consider For Your 2018 Strategy

Last year, there was no shortage of surprises, new features and time in the national spotlight when it came to social media’s influence in politics. Cough, Russia. In 2018, we can expect to see the social media relationship between brands and consumers continue to evolve and affect the way we connect and engage with one another. Here are 5 social media trends to consider for your strategy in 2018:

Shifting Demographics

Brands need to be mindful of shifting demographics and behaviors among Millennials and Gen Z. At least 40% of Millennials already have children, and that rate will continue to climb throughout 2018. These monumental milestones mean major lifestyle changes for Millennials and major sales category shifts and opportunities for brands. We break down how to communicate with Millennial parents here.

As for Gen Z, according to a recent Goldman Sachs study, the young, influential generation is predicted to be a driving force both organizationally and economically. In fact, the oldest Gen Zers are now 22 years old and are beginning to enter the workforce, which in turn will increase their purchase power. As true digital natives, Gen Zers heavily rely on connectedness and communication through platforms including SnapChat, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. While 47% of Gen Zers say they love SnapChat, don’t throw all your resources into one platform. Gen Zers, much like Millennials respectively, gravitate towards authenticity and relevancy and prefer communicating on other platforms such as Instagram or email. More on communicating with Gen Z here.

AR/VR Advances

As AR and VR technology continues to advance and become more accessible, brands may consider adopting the technology into their social media strategy and overall marketing plans. While only a mere 8-11% of marketing professionals are utilizing the technology, up to 26% of marketers say they would like to incorporate the technology into their marketing strategy over the next few years, according to Business Insider.

Regulations and Governance

After a series of controversial discoveries of Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential election, both Facebook and Twitter have adopted new policies governing conduct on their platforms.

Just last month, Facebook announced that it intends to change the filter of the News Feed to emphasize more meaningful social interactions between friends and family—not publishers. As a result, users will see less public content, including news, video and posts from brands.

Additionally, Facebook will take a series of steps to bring Facebook ads to a higher level of transparency by allowing users to view ads a Page is running on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger — whether or not the person viewing is in the intended target audience for the ad, as well as increased requirements for authenticity from advertisers, particularly political advertisers.

Twitter announced it intends to launch an advertising transparency center that discloses information about all ads running on its platform. Additionally, it would ban Kremlin-funded, English-language media outlets RT and Sputnik from advertising on Twitter.

Chatbots

This year we can expect more brands to invest in chatbots, as well as AI and voice assistants. Chatbots will continue to enable brands to offer real-time assistance via messenger apps like WhatsApp, Messenger and Kik, in addition to providing a more personalized shopping experience on site. Gartner predicts that chatbots may handle 85% of all customer interactions by the year 2020.

Live Streaming

Considering Facebook’s recent News Feed announcement, brands will have to look to creative alternatives for organic page content such as live streaming. Good news for brands, according to Live Stream, 82% of audiences prefer live video to traditional, written posts. Additionally, users are likely to spend three times longer watching live video as opposed to pre-recorded. 

Trending From G/L: Marketing to Millennial Parents

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Trending From G/L: Marketing to Millennial Parents

ICYMI: Millennials are not just the same old flannel-clad, entitled, couch and career surfers anymore. Millennials are growing. Growing into families that is.

That’s right, almost half of our beloved millennial demographic are becoming mommies and daddies. At least 40% of millennials already have children, and that rate continues to climb as millennials continue to age. Considering millennials make up more than a quarter of the population representing 83.1 million Americans, and surpassing the Baby Boomer generation by over 7 million in population, this life-changing milestone means major lifestyle changes for millennials, and major sales category shifts and opportunities for marketers.

As digital natives, this generation has grown-up with cutting-edge technology at their fingertips and has been exposed to marketing messages coming at them from all angles. Millennials understand that brands are going to target them, and here’s what marketers should consider when communicating with today’s millennial parents:

Authenticity

Millennials recognize that parenting isn’t perfect; it’s messy, it’s stressful, exhausting, and absolutely extraordinary. Therefore, millennial parents prefer to see marketing messages that are authentic and honest about the portrayal of parenting. According to research from BabyCenter, 66% of millennial moms say it’s important for brands to realistically portray the challenges of parenting. Millennials gravitate towards brands that can offer a unique, tailored experience that can connect and relate to their own parenting experiences.

Community

Community is critical for today’s millennial parents. Millennials will seek parenting advice and product recommendations from multiple sources including, their peers, other parents, and oftentimes, community boards to get immediate, real-time responses. Much like millennial’s preferences for authenticity from marketers, according to BabyCenter, 55% millennials would rather seek advice from other parents and influencers who are open and honest about their parenting mishaps. And according to, Cassandra’s 2016 Modern Parents Report, 4 out of 10 millennial parents feel better about parenting when they hear about other parent’s mishaps.

Shared Experiences

Millennial parents want to publicly share their experiences navigating the journey of parenthood; the challenges, the milestones, and the joyous victories, all through the lens of a digital camera and shared via social media. And it’s not enough for millennial parents to just share their own experiences, millennial parents are more likely to engage with other parents, offering words of encouragement, advice, and make product recommendations to other parents via social media and community boards.

As millennials continue to disrupt the parenthood industry, marketers need to be more receptive to these lifestyle changes and tailor their messaging for multiple platforms, while reflecting authentic and honest experiences millennial parents are challenged with today.

Trending Now from G/L: CLIP, Millennials and Interactive Websites

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Trending Now from G/L: CLIP, Millennials and Interactive Websites

TRENDING NOW FROM G/L

Every Monday morning the G/L office starts our week by meeting together and updating everyone on new business, old business, this week’s needs, last week’s successes, all the good stuff. We always take time at the end of these meetings to discuss what is trending now in our marketing and design world. We decided that what we talk about isn’t only beneficial to us, but to our clients and followers – so every other Monday morning we share our favorite trends with you.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THIS WEEK

Last week we talked about 3-D printing, this week we have another side of production called CLIP, we talk about how to win over millennials and an inspiring interactive web exhibit.

CLIP

Continuous Liquid Interface Production is a technology that grows parts instead of printing them. CLIP is different than 3-D printing because of the speed and its use of light and oxygen.

See a video below and read more about it here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpH1zhUQY0c

BRANDS LEADING MILLENNIALS

Brands like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Dove have been attempting to influence happiness in their consumers. In 2015, now more than ever, these brands are committed to making the world a happier place starting with millennials. A study by ZenithOptimedia says that inspiring happiness is going to secure a relationship between these brands and millennials for the long haul. These brands have the right idea, whether it is to actually change the world or only to create loyal consumers, it’s working.

Read the full story from AdWeek here.

INTERACTIVE EXHIBIT

Screen Shot 2015-03-23 at 11.29.26 AMInteractive websites are all the rage. Combine interactive websites with brands wanting to do good and change the world (see trend above) and you get a site worth sharing. In Pieces is an interactive exhibition and study into 30 of the world’s both most interesting and endangered species. Bryan James lays out each animal and their information literally in 30 pieces.

Experience it yourself here.

Want to talk trends with us? Let’s chat. Shoot us an email or connect with us on Twitter orFacebook.

Did you miss the last trends we shared? See them here.

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