The unconventional attitudes, priorities and spending habits of the Millennial generation have presented a clear challenge to marketers. And certainly this generation are a key group – Millennials represent the largest share of internet users aged 16-64, accounting for 51% of the online population. So how do you reach this hyper-connected and content-hungry audience?
For Millennial internet users, it’s mobiles which are rapidly becoming the primary internet device. For these digital consumers, opportunities to engage with brands are literally at their fingertips wherever they go – 6 in 10 say that they are constantly connected online and this group spends almost 3 hours per day online on mobile.
And although Millennials might be slightly more likely to find new brands through offline media, like ads seen on TV, online is making a mark. One third are discovering brands via online ads, even in spite of this generation being at the forefront of the ad-blocking trend, and social media is becoming a clear route to reach this group. Millennials are now using social networks before, during, and after their purchase journeys. A quarter discover brands via a recommendation on a social network, over a third are using social media to research brands (more than use consumer reviews) and 4 in 10 are following brands on social networks.
What’s perhaps most significant here is the opportunity for social as a direct commerce route for Millennials. Although as of yet its presence is fairly small in regions outside of APAC, the development of social commerce is the space to watch among Millennials: they’re much more likely to say the chance to buy something on a social network, or seeing that lots of other people have “liked” or endorsed a product on social media, would motivate them to make a purchase.
So what motivates this generation to promote a brand? Brand advocates are certainly key among this audience – a third discover new brands via word-of-mouth recommendations, and even more say that they regularly inform friends and family on new products. Above all, they say they want high-quality products, but the simple love of a brand motivates around a third to recommend a product to their peers.
