Millennials…amiright?
Everyone is talking about them. Everyone is targeting them. Everyone thinks they know them best.
Unfortunately, many of the brands who swear they know millennials are only just scratching the surface of what it truly takes to connect with a generation that doesn’t see their cell phone as a separate device but rather as an extension of themselves.
Technology is becoming more and more ingrained into the daily lives of modern consumers and brands that think they are going to get an impressed reaction from millennials after the release of a new product are sorely mistaken. Instead of thinking, “wow, how cool,” about the latest tech and tools, millennials are often on edge telling their friends, “it’s about time.” That is, unless a brand creates something that is more than just cool and provides a new level of utility that did not previously exist. This must be in addition to embracing something that is greater than just selling an innovative product.
True innovation addresses consumer anxieties and challenges the status quo by attempting to create new solutions to ongoing problems. Samsung recently introduced the Safety Truck, a new semi-truck that features a large screen (Samsung) TV on the back panels and four side mirrors across the body of the car in order to prevent accidents of cars attempting to overtake the road on a two-lane highway. The purpose of the truck is not to promote Samsung or sell large screen TVs. Instead, Samsung wanted to find a way to solve a major issue affecting the majority of countries around the world.
According to Samsung, in Argentina almost one person dies in a traffic accident every hour and many of those accidents occur from passing on a two-lane highway. Unfortunately, this issue is not limited to Argentina. Samsung felt a need to try and create a sustainable solution to this problem. While the Safety Truck is still just a concept design, brands aiming to target millennials should take note. The key here is that Samsung is not limiting itself to its own portfolio. Instead it is reaching beyond what could be considered its brand authority in order to address and solve for a major consumer problem.
In a market that is dominated by brands that simply aim to make a profit, those that stand for more than their bottom line and embrace a new level of utility will experience the highest amounts of millennial love.
For the full story about Safe Truck click here!
