How a creative design agency can help you market to millennials

For brands interested in marketing to millennials, you're in luck. Literature is abundant on how to cater to this demographic. But, from buying behaviour to cultural preferences, it's hard to know where to start. 

Enter creative design agencies. 

Creative design agencies are organisations that provide services in marketing and advertising. But precisely what kind of insights can you expect from employing said services? 

In this article, we will share with you some key insights based on the latest research into millennial marketing. We'll cover why you should target this demographic, who they are and some critical strategies you can use right away.

So who are millennials, and why should you target them?

According to the Pew Research Group, millennials can be defined as those born between 1981 and 1996. To give an overview, this would place the oldest at 41 years old and the youngest at 26. In other words, 25 - 40 is the primary age subset for this group. This would mean this age group has lived through the 9-11 attacks, Obama's election and the technological revolution that has rocked this era. Based on these events, several vital characteristics have informed their thinking, attitudes, and buying behaviours that brands need to be aware of, particularly social, political, and practical traits that we must study.

The research shows:

Self-determination and autonomy; Diversity;Transparency;Personal development 

...all feature highly among millennial values and motivations. However, it should be said that with any demographic study, we cannot expect individuals to all think the same. In fact, there have been efforts to show that millennial values differ between countries. The research in these areas tells us we should avoid broad comparisons. However, we can get more accurate insights by leveraging generational traits against local culture. So for this article, we will focus on western millennials. 

And with good reason, reports show the millennial generation and younger make up 25% of the total retail spending in the UK. Moreover, millennials, by age, are the largest generational cohort ever. They make up roughly 23% of the UK's total population at 14.26 million.

Tie this in with the oldest generation of millennials having the highest employment rate in the UK, and it begins to paint a picture of just how influential this group is. With an employment rate of 85.3% for those aged 35 to 45, as you can imagine, their purchasing power is significant. The average wage for this age group is higher than any other age demographic, at £33,477 on average per year. Based on this evidence, it is likely that younger millennials will reach similar levels in the years to come.

In short, brands that want to appeal to a demographic with significant purchasing potential should look toward this group. 

Research breakdown and strategies 

So what do we need to know about marketing to millennials so you can catch their interest?

The use of technology is one of the defining factors of the millennial generation. A recent paper on marketing science highlights some of the effects of this influence. They noted that the advent of instant information and communication has dramatically changed how millennials converse and recall knowledge. 

Strategy

Based on this, researchers suggest that marketing must effectively communicate information quickly and memorably. Millennials have a short attention span when it comes to marketing and advertising. Therefore, brands must act to improve their visibility and message to capture their interest. This is called mindshare in marketing. The idea is to tap into popular consensus to form an overall positive brand perception. Advertisers and marketers must pay attention to shifts in public opinion, trends and consumer awareness of products and services. Then use this to their advantage. This can mean:

Short content - Using social media to keep apprised of the latest millennial trends, paying close attention to the age and location of consumers. The research recommends content lasting 15 seconds or less.

Building trust - Authentic and compelling marketing is more likely to create trust. Millennials gravitate to reviews, comments and user-generated content when making a buying decision. The underlying drive is to establish whether a brand is authentic and can be trusted.

Social influence - Millennials are more likely to pay attention to content or individuals they recognise. The research mentions how music and the personality of endorsers affect interest. To this end, using influencer marketing and apps such as Tiktok with a strong audio element is a good choice.

There are just some insights your brand can use to capture this powerful demographic. 

Tips and takeaways 

A fundamental understanding of your demographic is crucial if you want to improve your marketing and advertising strategy. Like all generational cohorts, Millennials have unique traits that brands can use to attract buyers.

If you want to discover more insights into millennials and Gen Z, a creative design agency can empower your brand with critical information. This can be leveraged to grow and convert your customer base.

Discover what Zakagency can do for your brand today.

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