I, like 80% of my Millennial generation (born 1981-1996), sleep with a phone next to my bed. While we’re considered digital natives, we’re nothing compared to the upcoming iGeneration (born 1997-present day). This group is practically born with iPhones in their hands.
A recent study found that an astounding 72% of kids under five are online for at least 30 minutes everyday.
Just these two crazy stats mean big changes for the world of advertising.
As a new-fangled advertising agency, we’re being tasked to adapt to each target market and are always asking ourselves:
- “What media should we use to reach our target audience?”
- “How do we keep their attention once we get it?”
- “How do we get them to commit and become our brand evangelist?”
It comes down to a lot of things. Demographics. Location. Age. Interests. Household income. Use of transportation. Etc.
But, to answer these questions for the incoming generations, we have to go even more in-depth to learn how to engage.
So, here’s just the beginning of the Millennial/iGeneration iceberg:
Tech will be life. It may seem obvious, but: these kiddos will be tech powerhouses. Their instinctive habit will be to pick up some device the moment they awake.
Style will be smart. Technology will have an undercurrent in everything they do and wear. No one will give a second glance at Google Glass and iWatch. Wearable tech will be another portal to show off their unique personality.
Personalization will win. This uniqueness will be celebrated by the iGeneration. With customized technology, Millennial and iGenerationers alike will come to expect ads directed at them to be personalized. They will be immune to cookies (not the chocolate chip ones) and retargeting and expect it to be of some use to them. The more personalization, the more appreciation they will have.
Attention spans will shorten. According to Our Social Times, the average consumer wants to passively follow 11 brands, but they only want to interact with five. Let that sink in.
UGC will outweigh ads. According to Bazarr Voice, over 51% Americans trust user generated content (UGC) more than other information on a company website. It went on to show that this becomes even more apparent with the Millennials, with 84% saying that UGC plays a part in what they buy.
But what does this all mean for us, the marketers?
To make the golden realm of five, we’ve got to remember these keys things:
- Technology, wearable or not, is no longer optional
- Anywhere you can add personalization, do
- Strong, succinct brand messages are important
- Creating and engaging brand evangelists is vital
It also means we’ll have to work even harder, and understand our audience even further to connect and engage.
Lucky us, we love a good challenge.