By 2017, Millennials – those consumers now in their mid-teens to mid-30s – will have more spending power than any other generation. This generation, sometimes called “Generation Y,” shops differently than their predecessors. Millennials are hyper-social, constantly connected to social and endlessly curious about what others are doing, buying, and enjoying – strangers as well as friends. They’re marketing savvy and ad averse, having been marketed to more than any other generation. And at the same time, they’re still interested in engaging with brands – most feel companies should offer more ways for customers to share their opinions online. The bottom line is, Millennials shop and interact with brands differently. As they start to control spending, their habits will inevitably change the way businesses sell – and with it, the way all consumers buy.

1. TALKING TO STRANGERS
HOW SOCIAL INFLUENCES MILLENNIALS’ SHOPPING DECISIONS
PRESENTED BY
WELCOME TO
By 2017, the Millennial generation will have more
buying power than any other. But how do they make POPULATION 1,688,526,106
purchase decisions? As early social media adopters,
they o en understand social better than the brands
trying to reach them. So Millennials make their own
rules of commerce, and it’s time for brands to catch
up… or perish.
USER GENERATED INFLUENCE
84% of Millennials report that user-generated content (UGC) has at least some influence
on what they buy, compared to 70% of Boomers.
HOW MUCH DOES UGC PLAY IN YOUR PURCHASE DECISIONS?
MILLENNIALS BOOMERS
3% NONE 9% NONE
25% A LOT 21% A LOT
13% A LITTLE 21% A LITTLE
84% 70%
M B
59% SOME 49% SOME
TOP PURCHASES THAT MILLENNIALS WON’T COMPLETE WITHOUT UGC
44% 40% 39%
MAJOR CARS HOTELS
ELECTRONICS
32% 29% 29%
TRAVEL CREDIT CARDS INSURANCE
ACCOMMODATIONS
MILLENNIALS TRUST STRANGERS
OVER FRIENDS & FAMILY
51% of Millennialsfamily and friends. found on a company’s website have a greater impact on purchase decisions than
recommendations from
say consumer opinions
WHEN MAKING A PURCHASE, WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING
IS MOST LIKELY TO INFLUENCE YOUR OPINION?
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM FRIENDS & FAMILY
MILLENNIALS BOOMERS
M B
49% 66%
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM STRANGERS
THROUGH UGC ON A COMPANY WEBSITE
MILLENNIALS BOOMERS
UGC
51% 34%
When looking for opinions about products to buy, Millennials are more than three
times as likely as Boomers to turn to social channels like Facebook and Twitter.
A BRAND’S MOTIVES ARE
IRRELEVANT TO MILLENNIALS
The majority of Millennials believe that other consumers care more about their opinions than companies do – and that’s why they
continue to share their opinions online.
71% 64% 87%
...of Millennials continue to ...of Millennials feel that ...of Millennials believe that
share opinions because they companies should offer more companies shouldn’t edit customer
feel other consumers value ways to share their opinions feedback by correcting spelling or
those opinions. online in the future – and they’ll grammar errors—intact feedback is
continue to participate. more helpful to other consumers.
Simply asking for opinions just isn’t enough anymore.
Winning Millennials takes a whole new way of selling.
How is your brand working to become more social,
transparent, and engaging?
M
SOURCES:
TALKING TO STRANGERS: MILLENNIALS TRUST PEOPLE OVER BRANDS
GEN BUY: HOW TWEENS, TEENS, AND TWENTY-SOMETHINGS ARE REVOLUTIONIZING RETAIL
US CENSUS BUREAU
WWW.PEOPLEOVERBRANDS.COM