How to position your brand to appeal to Generation Y
Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2024 9:34 am
Millennials were born between 1981 and 2000, when technology was already entrenched in society. As a result, they are generally more comfortable with technology than people from previous generations. They are now finishing their education, building their credit history, starting families, and taking advantage of all the opportunities and challenges that come their way at this stage of their lives.
They are usually caricatured with their smartphones always at hand. They are information-driven, so they know more about your business, products and services than you can imagine. The opinions they read online and through social media matter more to this generation than those of your talented salespeople. They make informed decisions.
They will do anything to avoid going to your establishment. Millennials clearly prefer to buy your products online and have them delivered to their home, no matter where they live, but this trend is increasing in urban areas.
Additionally, they are looking for trendy products. Therefore, your brand, marketing strategies, messages and the media you use may weigh more heavily in their choices than your sales staff.
Years of birth of members of different generations
Our latest study on technology and demographic trends shows the years of birth of members of different generations:
Baby Boomers: 1946 to 1965
Generation X: 1966 to 1980
Generation Y: 1981 to 2000
Generation Z: 2001 to present
Why do you want to position your brand to appeal to Generation Y?
Millennials can no longer be left behind, whether your customer base is businesses or consumers. Millennials are now the largest demographic in North America. In Canada, they make up 40% of the workforce and will continue to dominate the job market for the foreseeable future.
They occupy an important place in the economy and their immense purchasing power will continue to increase.
Companies that want to retain this customer base will have to change their perspective, or they risk falling out of the game.
Focus on seven key elements of customer experience
Millennials interact with many brands through different media and channels. Through the internet and social media, they have the power to make or break a brand overnight. To increase your chances of success, you need to present your brand to them well.
Millennials have different spending habits , behaviors , and personality traits that you'll need to better understand. Pay close attention to these seven key elements throughout the buying cycle.
1. Evaluation
Millennials want to understand your product or service
Millennials want to know you before they trust you. They will read reviews and testimonials on your website, but they will rely more on independent reviews or blogs.
One of the most telling examples of this trend is the teacher database website tripadvisor.com, where millions of people post their opinions and knowledge about a travel destination for free.
Note: This is all done primarily from smartphones. Can you offer a mobile experience like this?
2. Trust
For Millennials, Transparency is Key
A strong brand is one of your best assets, but you need to be transparent to appeal to millennials.
Transparency is quickly gaining momentum as a brand differentiator, as millennials trust their peers and independent experts far more than they trust your company. They want unbiased, honest, and candid reviews from members of their community, likely on social media.
Recommendations from influencers will carry more weight than advertising. Members of this generation will interview peers who don't work for you.
3. Interest
Is your business present on all channels?
Millennials are analyzing their options and then proceeding by elimination. This is usually when they will reach out to your business. To start the relationship, they will seek to communicate, either online or offline. So you need to make sure your business is present on all channels.
4. Tests
Millennials want to try before they buy
Increasingly, millennials expect to be able to test your products or services before purchasing them. To convert their interest into sales, it helps to offer a trial period. If that’s not possible, consider strategies like a discount code, free samples, or other perks to add millennials to your potential customer base.
5. Conversion
Reduce the financial burden
Millennials want the products and services they need when they need them, without having to pay the full cost. For example, music streaming companies, Netflix, Uber, Airbnb, and car-sharing companies all offer products and services that free users from a long-term financial burden.
Millennials are the primary customer base for these innovative new companies. The key to success for these companies? Moving away from the established order, asking the question: “Why not do things differently?”
6. Loyalty and retention
Maintaining the relationship after the sale
It’s highly recommended to communicate with customers at various key moments after the sale has been made. You want to learn more about the customer experience you provided, but you also want customers to tell their peers about you and recommend your business.
Encourage them to share their experience. Your new customer base was previously your potential customer base looking for recommendations. Now you can ask them to act as your brand ambassador.
7. Notices
Leveraging the strength of the group
Millennials, as a group, love to share their experiences. They go from reader to influencer in the blink of an eye. They can add value to your business by posting positive feedback. They can express gratitude and appreciation, but they can also give you bad press. The online world is vast, as are the benefits and risks that can come your way.
Hold the same discourse on all channels
Once you have mastered the buying cycle, you need to spread information about your brand to convince target prospects to purchase your products or services. Deliver a smooth, interactive, and consistent message across all social media channels. You need to eliminate friction at every stage of your sales process .
Demonstrate authenticity and honesty
When determining your business development strategy, think about millennials and their economic reality. Additionally, add as many customer touchpoints as possible to your buying cycle.
Authenticity plays a huge role in setting your brand apart from the rest. If all your brand assets and the actions you take to close a sale are rooted in honesty, you will strengthen your connection with your customers. Be careful not to deliver overly pushy sales pitches when talking to millennials, as this could damage your brand reputation. Conversely, if you are open and accepting criticism, which is the norm in modern business, you will increase your chances of success.
Are you trying to appeal to Millennials? Have you noticed a demographic shift in your customer base? We’d love to hear more about your experience selling to this generation of consumers.
They are usually caricatured with their smartphones always at hand. They are information-driven, so they know more about your business, products and services than you can imagine. The opinions they read online and through social media matter more to this generation than those of your talented salespeople. They make informed decisions.
They will do anything to avoid going to your establishment. Millennials clearly prefer to buy your products online and have them delivered to their home, no matter where they live, but this trend is increasing in urban areas.
Additionally, they are looking for trendy products. Therefore, your brand, marketing strategies, messages and the media you use may weigh more heavily in their choices than your sales staff.
Years of birth of members of different generations
Our latest study on technology and demographic trends shows the years of birth of members of different generations:
Baby Boomers: 1946 to 1965
Generation X: 1966 to 1980
Generation Y: 1981 to 2000
Generation Z: 2001 to present
Why do you want to position your brand to appeal to Generation Y?
Millennials can no longer be left behind, whether your customer base is businesses or consumers. Millennials are now the largest demographic in North America. In Canada, they make up 40% of the workforce and will continue to dominate the job market for the foreseeable future.
They occupy an important place in the economy and their immense purchasing power will continue to increase.
Companies that want to retain this customer base will have to change their perspective, or they risk falling out of the game.
Focus on seven key elements of customer experience
Millennials interact with many brands through different media and channels. Through the internet and social media, they have the power to make or break a brand overnight. To increase your chances of success, you need to present your brand to them well.
Millennials have different spending habits , behaviors , and personality traits that you'll need to better understand. Pay close attention to these seven key elements throughout the buying cycle.
1. Evaluation
Millennials want to understand your product or service
Millennials want to know you before they trust you. They will read reviews and testimonials on your website, but they will rely more on independent reviews or blogs.
One of the most telling examples of this trend is the teacher database website tripadvisor.com, where millions of people post their opinions and knowledge about a travel destination for free.
Note: This is all done primarily from smartphones. Can you offer a mobile experience like this?
2. Trust
For Millennials, Transparency is Key
A strong brand is one of your best assets, but you need to be transparent to appeal to millennials.
Transparency is quickly gaining momentum as a brand differentiator, as millennials trust their peers and independent experts far more than they trust your company. They want unbiased, honest, and candid reviews from members of their community, likely on social media.
Recommendations from influencers will carry more weight than advertising. Members of this generation will interview peers who don't work for you.
3. Interest
Is your business present on all channels?
Millennials are analyzing their options and then proceeding by elimination. This is usually when they will reach out to your business. To start the relationship, they will seek to communicate, either online or offline. So you need to make sure your business is present on all channels.
4. Tests
Millennials want to try before they buy
Increasingly, millennials expect to be able to test your products or services before purchasing them. To convert their interest into sales, it helps to offer a trial period. If that’s not possible, consider strategies like a discount code, free samples, or other perks to add millennials to your potential customer base.
5. Conversion
Reduce the financial burden
Millennials want the products and services they need when they need them, without having to pay the full cost. For example, music streaming companies, Netflix, Uber, Airbnb, and car-sharing companies all offer products and services that free users from a long-term financial burden.
Millennials are the primary customer base for these innovative new companies. The key to success for these companies? Moving away from the established order, asking the question: “Why not do things differently?”
6. Loyalty and retention
Maintaining the relationship after the sale
It’s highly recommended to communicate with customers at various key moments after the sale has been made. You want to learn more about the customer experience you provided, but you also want customers to tell their peers about you and recommend your business.
Encourage them to share their experience. Your new customer base was previously your potential customer base looking for recommendations. Now you can ask them to act as your brand ambassador.
7. Notices
Leveraging the strength of the group
Millennials, as a group, love to share their experiences. They go from reader to influencer in the blink of an eye. They can add value to your business by posting positive feedback. They can express gratitude and appreciation, but they can also give you bad press. The online world is vast, as are the benefits and risks that can come your way.
Hold the same discourse on all channels
Once you have mastered the buying cycle, you need to spread information about your brand to convince target prospects to purchase your products or services. Deliver a smooth, interactive, and consistent message across all social media channels. You need to eliminate friction at every stage of your sales process .
Demonstrate authenticity and honesty
When determining your business development strategy, think about millennials and their economic reality. Additionally, add as many customer touchpoints as possible to your buying cycle.
Authenticity plays a huge role in setting your brand apart from the rest. If all your brand assets and the actions you take to close a sale are rooted in honesty, you will strengthen your connection with your customers. Be careful not to deliver overly pushy sales pitches when talking to millennials, as this could damage your brand reputation. Conversely, if you are open and accepting criticism, which is the norm in modern business, you will increase your chances of success.
Are you trying to appeal to Millennials? Have you noticed a demographic shift in your customer base? We’d love to hear more about your experience selling to this generation of consumers.