The Flipchart, a 1960's Teaching Innovation
“Portable, economical, versatile, the flipchart would get many teacher’s votes as the most useful teaching tool. With a little prepartion and imagination a teacher or leader can reinforce visually the idea or story he is trying to communicate.
What is a flipchart? It is simply a series of sheets of paper bound together which can be flipped over, one at a time, to show a series of thoughts, pictures, outline points, questions, cartoons, symbols, or almost anything that helps teach the lesson.
Probably the most popular permanent flipchart is an artist’s large sketch pad, available at art supply stores. Spiral bound and large enough for use with groups, it has good quality durable paper. Felt-tip pens, crayons, heavy pencil or charcoal can be used on it. With some you can even use tempera or water colors.
The want ad section of the newspaper clipped onto an easel with metal clips is an inexpensive, quick flipchart. Make sure the news type is solid across the page and is too small for any of the audience to read. Mark with a dark felt-tip pen.
Sheets of wrapping paper may also be clipped onto an easel or bound to a piece of cardboard with binder rings. Wrapping paper can be cut to size to fit the size of the group. Any felt-tip pen or crayon can be used if the color contrasts enough with the paper.
Loose leaf or unruled spiral bound notebooks may be held horizontally and used with small classes. Several sheets of vrious colored construction paper can be punched and bound with binfder rings for larger groups. Some felt-tip pens may blur because of the porous paper, but contrasting crayon colors work well, as does white or colored chalk whose tip has been dipped in a little water.”
Source: “Some Variations and Uses of The Flipchart”, The Standard, January 15, 1968
Wow. The flipchart revolutionized education by introducing the idea that a teacher could ‘reinforce visually the ideas or story he (ouch) is trying to communicate’. The homely, homemade flipchart was literally the technological ancestor of the interactive whiteboard and Power Point presentation.
The classrooms at University of Notre Dame are well equipped with the latest classroom technology. While I occasionally make use of an HD Flip camera, there isn’t a flipchart or ‘felt-tip marker’ in sight. Instead, each room features multiple sliding blackboards, computers, high speed Internet connections, computer projection systems, DVD players and sound, LCD photo projecters, laptop connection. Technology assistance is a phone call away. Lighting is completely adjustable. Students enjoy wireless access on their own devices in the classroom.
Students of today would find a classroom of the 60’s primitive. I wonder what students forty years from now will think of our ‘modern’ classrooms? But more than that, I wonder if learning would be enhanced much more by the latest technology than it was by the flipchart in 1968.
Princess Phone - 1970's Connection
When I was a teen we spent hours on our AT&T Princess Phones, tying up the single family line for everyone else in the house. There was no call waiting or voice mail. “Get Off the PHONE! I need to make a call!!” was a common parental lament.
Back then, hanging out with friends meant a trip to the beach or the mall – usually by bus. We had pen pals in distant countries or states who we communicated with a few times a year.
How times have changed.
A defining characteristic of today’s teens is that they are in constant communication with their friends, generally via text messaging, not necessarily voice conversation. I have personally witnessed teens texting each other while sitting side by side, something OTX Research says 25% of 12-24 year olds in the U.K. admit to doing. This makes perfect sense to them.
Morgan Stewart, Director, Research & Strategy, at ExactTarget wrote an article today for Engage Gen Y based on observational research among teens. He writes:
“…hanging out, or even talking, has taken on different connotations from what I experienced as a teenager. “When someone says they were talking with so-and-so last night, it’s more than likely they were texting, not actually talking. In fact, digital communication has become so central to the lives of teens that some struggle to relate without a keyboard, “several times I’ve sat in Starbucks with a teenager who will barely speak. Then we go home and I start getting texts responding to the questions I asked face-to-face. These text conversations can go on for an hour or two.”
The facts bear out the anecdotes. Text messages far outnumber phone calls, (which calls into question whether it should even be called a mobile phone anymore since it is so rarely used to talk).
According to Nielsen Mobile, in the first quarter of 2009, the average U.S. teen made and received an average of 191 phone calls and sent and received 2,899 text messages per month. By the third quarter, the number of monthly texts had jumped to 3,146 messages. Even preteens send and receive 1,146 texts per month.
Many parents have learned it’s more effective to text their teen than to call. (For some great tips on using SMS text messaging to reach Millennials, see Engage Gen Y, “What’s In It for Me?“)
When it comes to time spent online, Facebook has emerged as the number one activity for all age groups, not just teens.
In January 2010, Nielsen reported the average U.S. Internet user spent seven hours a month on Facebook. That’s more time than on Google, Yahoo, YouTube, Microsoft, Wikipedia and Amazon combined. Note, that’s the average Internet user. The average Facebook user spends 55 minutes a day on Facebook. And that’s across all Facebook users, so imagine how much time teens are spending.
According to Morgan, Facebook’s most critical role is as a hub for coordinating other social activities. Teens may set a time to meet at Starbucks or they may direct attention to another online gathering spot. (If Facebook forms the hub of teen communications, Twitter isn’t even on the wheel. Pew found just 8% of teens 12-17 use Twitter).
“In a recent survey, I asked teens (15-17 years old) to name the brand that did the best job communicating with them. Facebook ranked sixth on the list. Nike, with its focus on athletic accomplishment, ranked fourth. Amazon had more write-ins than any other brand, for males and females and across both U.S. and U.K. respondents.
Why? Because it is a socially driven shopping experience.
Teens can read reviews, they can submit their own, and they can get recommendations based on what they like. If you’re responsible for marketing a consumer product, I’d argue that managing your Amazon presence is more important that building out a Facebook strategy.” — Morgan Stewart, Exact Target
Like Stewart, I have observed that, at least for Millennials, Facebook is utilitarian. It fills the same function for them that Outlook does for me – calendar, message center, contact info.
Beyond Facebook, there are other sites which are more entertaining and every bit as social like Sporcle.com, FMyLife.com, FunnyOrDie.com, TextsFromLastNight.com, CollegeHumor.com, and FailBlog.org. Others connect through online video games like “Call of Duty”.
All together, teens spend more than 20 hours a day using media, the majority of which is electronic.
According to Larry Rosen, author of the new book, Rewired: Understanding the iGeneration and the Way They Learn,” this staggering achievement is accomplished daily by forgoing sleep and “with considerable multitasking, which peaks at seven simultaneous activities for older teens“.
Those with teen kids have seen Gen Y multi-tasking in action. There is music playing in the background, Hulu on the computer, several homework assignments open in various levels of completion, text messages alerts coming in like sonar, and possibly a little PlayStation or XBox for a break from it all. Yet somehow the homework gets done.
Sleep? That’s for the weekend.
Want More? The May 2009 pdf of Nielsen’s Report, “How Teens Use Media“, provides more detail on teen multi-tasking, online video, text messaging, social media use.
Photo by Shakirah Shakirah
Jim Nichols (aka @catalystjim) is an expert marketer and Senior Partner at Catalyst SF. On Monday, Jim gave me a flattering ’shout out’ on iMediaconnection. Now it’s my turn to return the favor. His insightful article, “Digital Demographics: 11 Brands That Are Doing It Right” spotlights eleven campaigns, six of which are targeted to Millennials.
Here are highlights of his descriptions and critique of the six Millennial-targeted campaigns:
(Hint: Jim included lots of video in his article, to see the campaigns, click on the numbered brand names)
1. The U.S. Military
“No organization has a greater interest in appealing to teens than the military. It’s certainly no accident that the imagery in many armed services ads shows great similarity to that of a first-person shooter game. Gaming might be a keystone in military marketing, but so too are social networking, video, mobile, and tailored peer-to-peer experiences that enable prospects to speak directly with soldiers and hear firsthand accounts of life in the military.
Believe it or not, values and ideals are the central themes in all of these executions. In the sponsored games, virtue triumphs over evil. In daily activities, soldiers are more likely to be shown as relief providers after tsunamis than street-to-street fighters. You might disagree with such portrayals for moral or political reasons, but make no mistake — they are central to virtually all of these communications. And that’s because they are central to the sensibilities of today’s teens.”
2. Axe
“I am now going to talk about Axe, for no other reason than to see if iMedia Connection will let me discuss a viral effort called “Clean Your Balls” on these hallowed pages. There’s certainly a seminal idea here..Some 200,000 people are also fans of Axe and the campaign on Facebook. Axe has heavily integrated mobile into the mix as well, most notably in its “Hair Crisis Alert” SMS campaign. Overseas, the Axe brand has appealed to teens with an IM-delivered spin-the-can game that encourages teens to reveal sex secrets. Since few teens have a high privacy threshold, it offers the brand a prime opportunity to get intimate.”
3. Ford Taurus
“Ford’s Taurus effort in partnership with car lifestyle magazine Dub reflects many of these characteristics. By talking to real millenials, not actors, Ford honestly addresses past image problems, thereby making the ultimate family car relevant to the new family values of millennials. The nice rims didn’t hurt, either. But that’s part of being a millennial too: Family? Flash? Doink! Let’s have both! There was a lot more than video to this effort, with digital outdoor, social media, and brand integration on the Dub site, to give just a few examples.”
4. eHarlequin.com
“Yes, Virginia, Harlequin romance novels are definitely not just for Grandma anymore. There are still pirates with hearts of gold and dusty but decidedly unstinky cowboys on some of the covers. But Harlequin is working hard to evolve and be culturally relevant to millennials. According to Book Business, Harlequin is at the forefront of e-publishing and “enhanced editions” that combine updated potboiler text with rich content, websites, and interactive experiences especially for Gen Y. Harlequin is a leader in ebooks, offering titles on all the major platforms. In addition, the publisher offers blogging support, widgets, and badges, and extensive online marketing programs designed for the demo. Now, there’s nothing to say that all this interactivity isn’t relevant for all ages, but its success at attracting millennials is getting significant attention.”
5. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
“From where I sit, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter’s new campaign is genius. How do you do health product news for a not-health-obsessed target, on behalf of an irreverent brand? Cue Gloria Estefan song! This seems quintessentially Gen X to me both because of the vintage of the song the brand parodies, and the surreal nature of the whole darned thing. There’s also the ironic fun. A thankfully non-jail-baity boy band behind our faux everywoman female lead, Megan Mullally. Majestic lyrics to boot.”
6. FreeCreditReport.com
“The ad campaign for FreeCreditReport.com, based on the fear of mundane, menial jobs, seems to be pointed squarely at Gen X. I mean, the idea of having a McJob as a result of a bad credit rating — Douglas Coupland couldn’t have written it better. While the reality of low-paying jobs is sadly known to far more people than just unlucky Gen-Xers, one of the ads comes straight out of “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.”
In Conclusion….
The article goes on to cover five additional campaigns each targeted to older cohorts, then draws this conclusion about the differences (or similarities) to the Millennial-targeted efforts:
“There is certainly evidence of demo-specific targeting across age cohorts in digital. But having witnessed hundreds of examples in the course of writing this article, I am struck by how the medium is less central than the messages and values. Which is as it should be. It’s apparent that digital has matured to a medium that begins with an idea rather than an executional form…. Teen campaign ideas should be different than senior campaign ideas. We should talk to millennials differently than we do to Gen X or boomers. But the tools we use can come from a common list.” – Jim Nichols
Amen. Generational marketing has a tendency to focus on the question of media choices and ‘how’ we reach each age group differently. But with the rapid adoption of social media by all ages, the question becomes less about the target-appropriate platform and more about target-appropriate content. It comes down to ideas.
The idea that the idea comes first, media second (what we used to call media-neutrality) is not new. Whether we were talking about radio, TV or billboards, or are now talking about Facebook, FourSquare, or text, the idea should come first. (Perhaps this should be called platform neutrality?)
Thanks for the shout out, the terrific article and especially the reminder of what’s most important, Jim.
When Millennials are asked what are their favorite brands, Apple generally tops the list. Yet according to research reported last summer by YPulse, Dell still leads the pack in actual current ownership of computers. Thirty-one percent of college students own a Dell, far ahead of Apple at just 23%.Either purchase intentions are less than a sure thing or other factors are at play. That factor is called Parents.
I have noted before that when targeting Millennials, it’s wise for markters to “Meet the Parents”. They are unlikely to make major decisions without parental input. And in some cases (especially when they are underwriting the cost), the parents’ vote is the only one that really matters. Computers are perfect example of why that advice is worth considering. According to Ypulse:
“Understanding the apparent disconnect between current use and future intent among college students requires a better understanding of who’s doing the buying and when. Laptops are largely paid for by Mom and Dad just before a college student’s freshman year. Only one third of collegians report paying for their laptop using only their own money – the other two-thirds get help with a portion of the price tag (10%) or have it purchased for them entirely (56%). While deciding what to buy is more often within the student’s control, more than a third (36%) are being influenced by the advice of others.” — YPulse Report, July 2009
“Dell is the laptop brand most often used by high school students at 30% current ownership while Apple trails dramatically at 4% current ownership. Future intent is nearly at parity with 22% intending to buy an Apple and 20% intending to buy a Dell. Merely one out of eight (13%) of high school students paid for their own PC and merely one-third (33%) made the decision as to what they would purchase.” — YPulse Report, July 2009
Today’s post is by Guest Blogger, Brian Sweet
There’s a reason why Zappos has been so successful in utilizing social media. It’s not because they’re smart or because they work hard at it. It really has nothing to do with in-depth market research or hours spent attending “How To Engage Customers Through Social Media” business conferences. I’m also pretty confident they never required employees to read “Social Media for Dummies”.
So, what’s the deal with Zappos? Authenticity.
It’s who they are.
Zappos–unlike many aspiring copy-cat companies–hasn’t struggled to gain footing in social media. That’s important, because the very act of struggling turns-off savvy consumers who can smell a worked-over social media campaign a mile away.
Tony Hsieh, Zappos’ CEO, tweets because he wants to. That’s obvious to anyone who follows him on Twitter. You don’t feel like you’re listening to the pontification or sly sales pitches of a CEO worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Although Tony has made hundreds of millions in online business deals, he also refers to himself as a “monkey” and I’m pretty sure he has a tattoo on the top of his head.
Seriously.
And that’s just it. Tony has built a company that–like him–is comfortable in its own skin. That’s why Zappos has found so much success in social media, and that’s also why most companies haven’t.
What’s the Lesson Here?
It’s simple. If you aren’t Tony Hsieh, then don’t try to be like him. You would really make a terrible Tony, anyway. You’re much better off being yourself. That’s what customers want, and hopefully you’ve seen by now that authenticity is one of the core values Gen Y has fully embraced.
There’s something attractive about a person who’s comfortable with who they are. The same goes for brands. Oh, and the opposite is true too. You don’t want your brand to be like that person–you know who I’m talking about–that one person who’s always trying too hard to impress you. The message communicated may be somewhat unconscious, but it’s still crystal clear. It goes something like this:
“I don’t really believe I have anything of value to you, but I’m still going to try to
convince you that I do anyway.”
Yuk.
Don’t Lose Hope
If you don’t have a tattoo on your head, that doesn’t mean you can’t blaze crazy trails in social media. Here’s a way that just might help you unleash the power of social media for your company’s brand:
Lose the agenda. Yes, I did just say that. Take a deep breath and try to forget all those strategic goals and profit-maximizing obsessions that dominate your thinking like ruthless dictators. Allow yourself to wander mentally from the dollar-driven agenda you’ve learned to focus on. Now exhale. Feel any better?
Think about your brand. Who is your brand?
I didn’t say what is your brand, I asked ‘who is your brand?’ Your brand should have personality. If it doesn’t, it’s dead. If your brand doesn’t have personality then it has become disconnected from the people who, together, make up the brand. It’s lost. Rigid. Cold. It’s a lot like the corpse in the movie Weekend at Bernie’s.
That makes you and the rest of your company like those guys who kept propping up Bernie’s lifeless body to make him seem alive. It’s all just illusion. You don’t really have anything to offer your customers, do you?
Once again, yuk.
Find the Who!
Have you ever read the book (or seen the movie) Horton Hears a Who!? Doctor Seuss wrote about how Horton the Elephant managed to save an entire population by hearing the tiny voice of a Who living on a planet no larger than a speck of dust. (I’m not so sure this is actually a true story, but the lesson is great anyway!)
Every brand has a Who. Every company can answer the question “Who is your brand?” I say that because behind every corporate brand there are people. People with personalities. But sometimes the loud noise of cutting costs and focusing on the bottom-line can drown out the life behind a brand. You’ve got to find your brand’s personality because until you do, you can never be authentic. Without it, your a ‘poser’ striving to convince customers you have what they want. That’s enough. Put Bernie’s corpse down and find the Who.
Now You’re Ready
Once your brand has found its personality, it’s ready to make its way back onto the social media scene. After all, that’s what social media is all about: relationships between a whole bunch of Whos.
Get online and let your brand’s personality shine. And alright, for those of you still holding your breath, it’s now safe to bring your “agenda” back into the mix. But hopefully it won’t feel as much like an agenda. Hopefully it’ll feel more like you’re just living out the nature of who your brand is. You’ll be confident, comfortable in your own skin, and a heck of a lot more attractive to all the other Whos you encounter online.
Notre Dame Leprechaun Tattoo
Some of the most widely reported facts from the report on Millennials from Pew Research involved the prevalence of tatoos — and more personal body decoration — among Gen Y.
“About half (54%) have done one or more of the following: gotten a tattoo, dyed their hair an untraditional color, or had a body piercing in a place other than their ear lobe….Gender is not a factor in either tatooing or untraditional hair-dyeing — men and women are about equally likely to have done either — but body piercing is more common among young women than among their male counterparts.”
The incidence of tattoos among Millennials as well as Gen X’ers is so widespread as to be almost mainstream.
Thirty-six percent of Millennials and 40% of Gen X have at least one tattoo and many have multiples. (The reason this comes as a surprise to those of us who have never even contemplated the option of body art beyond ear piercing is that many are in discreet places.)
Tattoos are one of the few evidences of a true generation gap. Just 10% of those over 40 years old admit to a tattoo.
For us on the far side of the tattoo divide, it makes little sense to pay money (sometimes a lot of money, I am told) and endure pain to create an indelible mark. So it’s worth contemplating what marks Millennials find compelling enough to wear permanently.
A Google search of ‘tattoo designs’ returns over 2.3 million sites, so it’s hard to say what is most popular. The idiosyncracy of a tattoo appears to be part of its appeal. Nothing is quite as personal or individual.
Adam Di Stefano writes in The Next Great Generation blog that tattoos are a ‘Defining Mark’. He agrees that tattoos say a lot about a person, but what they don’t say is that the wearer is a ‘rebel’ or is trying to make any particular statement. According to Di Stefano, there is no single ‘type’ of person who wears a tattoo:
“Tattoos are an art form. Some people like oil paintings, others like ancient sculptures. I think there’s nothing more beautiful than a well inked tattoo. I love the stories behind tattoos. Most tattoos have meaning, and generally it represents an important moment in a person’s life. There’s something compelling about the permanence of a tattoo.”
Tanner Maluchnik, who blogs at Life Destiny, observes that sports brand tattoos are a sign of a particular affiliation, that of a fan for a team:
“I associate and branded myself, with ink, of the Penn State Nittany Lion brandmark (not unlike quite a few Notre Dame people I know either subway alum or not inking themselves with the Leprechaun). It is more based on the brand “Penn State Football,” instead of being a student and future alum of Penn State. Over 100,000 wearing white to a football game does not get any more “brand cult.” …Last summer when I was working on the beach with my shirt off everyday, it was so easy to speak with other “associated” people who saw my brandmark and went out of the way to get to know me.”
One of my more embarrassing moments came a few years ago in an interview I was conducting for a youth pastor position for our church. My daughter had tipped me off that he had a tattoo, and I was feeling uncomfortable with this as a role model. So I asked about his decision — what symbol would be so compelling as to wear for the rest of your life? His reply? Jesus Christ. Needless to say, he got the job.
Marketers and Anthropologists alike consider brands to be meaning systems. The brands we choose to display, wear or just call our own say a lot about who we are. While it’s a stretch to say ‘we are the sum of our brand choices‘, it’s not as far fetched as you might think.
One of my favorite branding books is “The Culting of Brands: When Customers Become True Believers” by Douglas Atkin. The book explores the relationship between brand choice and identity. Atkins concludes that brand choice is about individual expression, not conforming. Atkin calls this the ‘central paradox of cult belonging‘.
“The common belief is that people join cults to conform. Actually, the very opposite is true. They join to become more individual. At the heart of the desire to join a cult, in fact any community to which you will become committed, is a paradox….As one cult member unequivocally put it, ‘Belonging allows the individual to become more himself.” – The Culting of Brands, page 4
Millennials know that the brands they choose to associate with telegraph who they are. As cultural ‘artifacts’, brands form a clear ‘language’ for Gen Y. It’s a language they understand and accept.
In November, Jason Potteiger wrote a post for The Next Great Generation Blog, titled, “15 Ways Millennials Think About Brands”. He begins with this observation: “For our entire lives brands have been everywhere and everything. The device of branding has become so pervasive in our lives that we now filter most things through that framework”. The last five ‘ways’ he lists speak directly to the symbolic meaning of brands and the importance of that meaning to the Millennial ’subculture’. It could be right out of Atkin’s book:
10. My brand associations are important to me, but ultimately a just one of many variables in my daily life/ equation of personal meaning and value. I dislike brands that do not understand their place in this equation.
11. Brands are used to self identify and create personal meaning. We seek out brands that represent who we are, or wish to be.
12. Individuals and groups identify similar people via their similar brand associations; this commonality creates a de facto community.
13. We are fluent in brands. We know the symbols, their messages, and the communities associated with them.
14. We speak a language of brands, we can easily construct other and larger meanings through the combination and layering of brands. (eg. Someone wearing a Red Sox hat, Converse shoes, North Face jacket, Starbucks coffee – add or subtract any element here and their brand equation or association map changes, and so does my understanding of them).
Marketers who want to appeal to Millennials need to ask themselves if they ‘Speak Brand’? This means more than just understanding image attributes; it means decoding the symbolic language of a generation.
To relate to Millennials, marketers need to be ‘culture sleuths’. Is your brand a cult? What does belonging to that cult mean to the participants? Do you understand how Millennials relate to brands in general. Do you understand how your brand and its strategic associations (celebrities, music, media, retailers) fit into this entire constellation?
“A subculture is a homogeneous group of people who share elements of the overall culture as well as cultural elements unique to their own group. Within subcultures, people’s attitudes, values and purchase decisions are even more similar than they are within the broader culture.” MKTG3, Lamb, Hair McDaniel, 2009
By this definition, Millennials are a subculture.
While they share many of the myths, customs and rituals of the larger culture, they have language, preferences and customs that are distinct to their generation. They have a unique set of reference groups and opinion leaders. These cultural factors exert enormous influence over Gen Y buying decisions, and are crucial for establishing relevance.
Learning about Millennial culture can be a tricky business if you are not a Millennial yourself. Even within the Millennial subculture, there is diversity. In fact, this generation is notable for it’s multi-culturalism.
Two of the best Millennial culture sleuths I have discovered are Tim Stock, Head of Planning at scenarioDNA, and Kevin Walker of Culture Labs Creative.
I found both Stock and Walker on Twitter and have spoken with each of them ‘live’ (proof Twitter works!). They are both passionate about understanding cultural influences on consumer behavior among youth.
ScenarioDNA describes itself as a ‘consumer insights think tank.’ Stock, who is also adjunct faculty at Parson’s School of Design, urges marketers to think in terms of ‘culture networks’ and ‘culture codes’. This philosophy is based on the idea that “values are shaped at critical points of the maturation process”, and that “our image of what products mean is dictated by this imprinting“. In other words, generations are shaped by common experiences peculiar to that point in time.
Stock has developed a strategic methodology for segmenting consumers based on their ‘culture code’ and for ’mapping’ the corresponding networks. He offers a fabulous lecture on culture networks (via slideshare), and another look at one particular network, the ‘Transformer Generation”. Both are well worth viewing.
Culture Labs Creative is a research-focused digital agency with special expertise in urban youth culture. Walker, who comes from a marketing communications and research background, emphasizes immersion techniques. 15-20 members of the target audience are invited to share their experience and ideas in a live workshop that is part event, part research. Sample output from a Global Trends event is provided on the Culture Labs site.
To identify the ‘Top 10 Trends, Culture Labs ‘monitored social media chatter during the last quarter of 2009′ and conducted in-market explorations in Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York as well as a ‘Trend Summit’ in Dallas in December. Among the 10 Trends were these observational ‘gems’ I haven’t seen anywhere else:
Vans Sneakers
“Take note of the Classic Americana fashion trend developing. We also predict that Vans sneakers will be the hot brand of 2010. Vans are classic, inexpensive and are offered in many colors and styles…. As times remain challenged and serious, people are going to dress up more in 2010. The era of sloppiness in dress and casual Fridays is so ’00’s. Young people are rediscovering “dressing up” and it is driven by a new pragmatic sense that to make progress, get a job, and be taken seriously you have to look the part. As one of our speakers at the Trend Summit, Michael Hastings-Black, mentioned, it is the “grown ass man” syndrome that is inspiring people to dress up more.”
Jason Young is a Gen Y speaker and consultant. He asked me Three Questions for his blog on Gen Y called Jason Young Live. The questions were great, here are my answers:
Q1: What do you see as the top three brands Millennials respect?
Just three? That’s hard. It’s much easier to talk about what makes brands Millennial-friendly. Ironically, Millennials have the most respect for brands that seem to do the least marketing. Brands that are perceived as being ‘true to themselves’ or ‘authentic’ resonate the most with Gen Y values. Brands that try to hard to be irreverent, trendy or cool end up being exactly the opposite.
Gen Y responds to brands that stand for something meaningful and act it out, rather than just talk about it. This includes some older brands that might surprise you like Vogue magazine, Coca-Cola and In N’ Out Burger. It also includes newer brands like Google, Under Armour, Trader Joe’s, Jet Blue, Facebook and Zappos. Personality brands that resonate now for their authenticity are Conan O’Brien, Neil Patrick Harris, Shaun White and Lady Gaga.
The brand named most often when asked for brands they admire is, of course, Apple. Steve Jobs symbolizes much of what Gen Y aspires to be. The PC guy / Mac guy commercials create a clear ‘be yourself’ identity that Gen Y responds to.
Pepsi seems to have captured spirit of optimism and altruism that Gen Y aspires to. I am particularly interested to see how Millennials are responding Pepsi’s “Refresh Everything” social media campaign, where consumers nominate and vote for deserving causes. The students I have talked with about the campaign are strongly positive about it.
Q2: How can a company or church utilize marketing to engage Millennials?
Millennials are spiritually hungry and even consider themselves more spiritual than their parents. But they are the group least likely to attend church regularly. They have a ‘consumer’ orientation to spirituality; they shop around and select from among the ‘choices’ available rather than simply adopt the ‘faith of their fathers’. (Which is strange because they adopt their parents brand of bank, car and education quite readily!) Twenty-five percent consider themselves ‘unaffiliated’, yet two-thirds of those were raised in a religion. What a ‘marketing’ opportunity!
To reach Millennials, a brand, church or organization needs to make them feel as if they made a ‘discovery’ – it can’t be shouted at them. The values of churches and synagogues are very much in alignment with Gen Y values. They need to see how a church’s values fit with theirs. Once engaged, make it easy for them to share their discovery with others. Millennials love to share. They are connected communicators and they are always looking for ‘social currency’ to spend with their network of friends. Churches can offer that currency. Give them something to talk about and a way to act out their deep need to make a difference in the world. Give them a way to participate in their faith, not just talk about it.
My 16-year old son recently became involved with a small group of high school boys his own age led by a dynamic young adult. He didn’t even realize at first that it was sponsored by our church. He thought he had been ‘invited’ to participate in a special group of athletic, smart boys. They meet every week and he never misses it. It immediately led to participation in a retreat, Sunday night fellowship and finally worship services. He’s going on a mission trip this summer. He is now inviting others. I think this is a good model for churches to reach young adults.
Q3: Can you sum up the Millennials in three adjectives?
Just three again? I’ll rely on the three words I use on my blog to summarize marketing to Millennials: Be Quick. Be Meaningful. Be Shiny. Millennials are all about efficiency, making a difference and creativity.
Carol Phillips is President of the consulting firm, Brand Amplitude, LLC and adjunct professor of Marketing at The University of Notre Dame. She consults with clients on strategies for engaging Millennials, as well as conducts market research and creates brand strategies on behalf of Brand Amplitude’s clients. Her clients include JC Penney, Blockbuster, Whirlpool, and the YMCA.
Emma Watson for Burberry
I admit it, Millennials had me fooled.
I used to think they were uninterested in luxury brands. They are famously savvy shoppers who know how to squeeze a nickel. Their tolerance and eclecticism suggested overt status appeals would roll off their hoodie-clad backs.
Boy was I wrong.
Yesterday, my guest blogger, 21-year old Kristin Dzaidul, counted Coach among her top three favorite brands. My fashion-impervious 16-year son knows that fashion conscious girls at his Chicago-area high school all sport Coach bags. I should note that he never fails to notice the expensive luxury cars parked in the garage of our apartment building. Even his fondness for all things Apple suggests a taste for premium quality.
My first hint that luxury might mean something to Millennials in the world of fashion was when Burberry selected Emma Watson, who plays Hermione in the Harry Potter movies, for their ads. This seemed an odd choice to me. My second clue was when I blogged about teen fashion bloggers. Web site hits for that day hit heights I have not seen since. Today’s Special Report in the New York Time’s Fashion & Style section, “Marketing to the Millennials”(March 2) clinched it.
“Finding a way to reach a generation that is eager to be entertained and informed, yet resistant to the familiar, in-your-face 20th-century approach, is the focus of every smart luxury and fashion brand. As the fourth and final round of the international collections opens in Paris on Wednesday, the buzz is more around live-streaming shows and 3-D technology than about seasonal trends.”
According to the article, I may not have had it completely wrong, however, as they are concerned about how to market ‘luxury‘ without relying on the appeal of ‘exclusivity‘. the answer appears to social media and technology. Making fashion more easily accessible makes it more relevant and appealing.
“These unique factors (about Millennials) make them very savvy consumers, who pay great attention to the value of what they buy and require a different way to interact with brands,” says Mr. Polet. “At Gucci Group, we recognize their transformative power in the way they engage with luxury brands. We are embracing different ways of creating dialogue through social media. Some of our brands have launched Facebook and Twitter pages and iPhone applications.”
Certainly communicating with Millennials in their own digital language is an important first start. According to the NYT article, prestigious brands such as Armani, Gucci, LVMH and Burberry are now taking a fast trip up the digital learning curve.
Kudo’s to the fashion industry for leading the way. They appear to be among the first of the mainstream marketers to recognize the opportunity among Millennials.
Not only are they clued in, they appear to be actively addressing the opportunity. Here is Hannah Ahrendt of Burberry:
“Attracting the Millennial customer to luxury started two years ago — I said that we can either get crushed or ride the greatest wave of our life,” says Ms. Ahrendts. “We brought people on the team who were Millennials. I knew it was not my mother tongue — and I don’t have time to learn it.”
