Millennials are famous for ignoring advertising, so it is no small matter to find data on what moves them to action. BIGresearch data show 18-24 year olds self-report that magazines and TV are effective in getting them to initiate an online search (see chart). 60% say this is true of magazines and 55% say TV can stimulate them to search online, the highest figures for any medium including online. We noted in a past post that Millennials index high for the original ‘mobile media’ (magazines and radio) and certain TV channels (MTV, Adult Swim) (see 9/9 post). Likewise, we reported that they rely on TV for election news (see 9/22 post).

All of this data suggests it would be unwise to overlook traditional media when attempting to reach Millennials and drive them to act. But before we get carried away –or you suspect that I am actually working for the Magazine Publishers of America — it should also be noted that the same pattern holds for most other age cohorts. The biggest takeaway is the old notion that it’s all about the mix — put your GRP’s in multiple media baskets.

Media research has consistently shown that multiple platform advertising not only increases reach, it also improves the likelihood that a target will act on the message. Last summer, Integrated Media Measurement (IMMI) reported a study of 3000 panel members who recorded all ads (TV, radio, in-cinema, Internet, TIVO Showcase) they had seen for new Fall TV shows, then tracked what shows they actually watched (conversion). The study confirmed the more different ways a target encounters the message, the more likely they are to act. Of the six shows that ran significant TV and radio campaigns prior to the season premiere, a siginfcantly higher number of panelists who saw ads in multiple media watched the promoted show than those who only were only exposed to one media type.

In each case studied, the data showed that exposure on television-only drives less of the target behavior than exposure on another platform in addition to television. Because the result is consistent across the board, the report concludes that there is value in constructing multiple platform campaigns that goes beyond simply maximizing reach.

While this research was not Millennial focused, I have no doubt it holds true for Millennials, who are media savvy and heavy media consumers. Bottom line? Diversification works!