Presentation from Carousel30 about millennial marketing and some of the myths surrounding it.

1. Myths & Truths About Reaching
Millennials
October 2015

2. About me
•Greg Kihlström, CEO, Carousel30
–Started Carousel30 in 2003
–On the following Boards of Directors:
•DC Ad Club (DC Chapter of the American
Advertising Federation
•American Advertising Federation National Board
•Trust for the GW Memorial Parkway

3. Introduction
•Who are Millennials?
–Born between 1982 and early 2001
–Grew up in a more digital age
–Sometimes referred to as Gen Y

4. Introduction
•“Information” about Millennials is everywhere:
–It’s hard to open a magazine, check your email, or
read your favorite blog without running across an
article that talks about millennials and what you need
to understand to market to them.
•Mixed in with a lot of research, however, is a lot of
conflicting ideas, which makes it hard to figure out the
truth.

5. Introduction
•What is our goal as marketers?
–We want to reach Millennials with a message
–We want that message to resonate with them
–We want to reach them in a way that is a sustainable
method of communication

6. Introduction
•What are some of the major misconceptions?
–First, millennials always seemed to be lumped into a
single demographic group, despite being very diverse
as a generation.
–Then there are many assumptions about their
technology habits, their brand affinity and other
behaviors.

7. Introduction
•What will we be doing today?
–We’re here to clear up some of the misconceptions
that have been shared about Millennials and
communicating with them.
–Let’s take a look at five lies you’ve been told about
millennials and figure out the truth in the process.

8. Myth 1:
Millennials all think and act the same

9. Myth 1
Millennials all think and act the same
• This first lie is probably the most important one that we’ll discuss, and once
you understand this, you’ll undoubtedly have more success reaching
millennials.
• For all the talk about millennials being the most diverse generation in U.S.
history, they sure are talked about as a single group of individuals that has
the same opinion about everything.

10. Myth 1
“Millennials are the most racially diverse, highly
educated generation in history.
Their path to purchase isn’t a straight line, so marketers
need to keep this in mind and get creative.
This means paying attention to their specific needs,
ensuring they have the right product mix and
customizing their media and messages to be
relevant to those needs.”
—Robert I. Tomei, president, Consumer & Shopper Marketing, IRI

11. Myth 1
Millennials all think and act the same
• According to Carat’s research study based on 14,000 millennials aged 15-
to-34:
– only 42% of this generation can be considered "hyper-connected
optimistic digital extroverts.
–By subscribing to that stereotype, you’re missing out on effectively
reaching the other 52%.
• The message here is simple: stop thinking of millennials as one big
segment, and start trying to understand the subtleties that exist within this
large demographic.

12. Myth 1
What do we do?
• Don’t think of Millennials as a single group of people that all think the same
• Think about the different subgroups within this larger generation
• Think about the moments that make up their lives
–Take time to understand the similarities they share with other
generations at important times in their lives

13. Myth 2:
Millennials are always “connected” to the
point of lacking interpersonal skills

14. Myth 2
Millennials are always “connected” to the
point of lacking interpersonal skills
• Does the millennial you work with always seem distracted by technology and not interested in
human interaction?
–This is a common stereotype that is often shared about this generation.
–You might imagine a millennial’s dream job is one where they are isolated, and perhaps
surrounded by machines, never having to deal with people.
• While this scenario might sound like the perfect scenario for a millennial, versus Gen X or
Boomers, think again.
–A study by Cornerstone uncovered that millennials actually prefer to work in-person, rather
than remotely.

15. Myth 2
Source: Fast Company, April 2014

16. Myth 2
Millennials are always “connected” to the
point of lacking interpersonal skills
• According to Medallion Retail, maintaining strong personal connections with
friends and family is very important to the millennial generation.
–Even though technology and social platforms are a natural part of life,
they have a true concern for others.

17. Myth 2
What do we do?
• Understand that Millennials are not as disconnected from the “real” world as
it may seem
• Using one on one connections and tactics can work as well as digital ones
• Authenticity is valued above the choice of medium

18. Myth 3:
Millennials value technology above all
other things

19. Myth 3
Source: CornerstoneOnDemand.com

20. Myth 3
Millennials value technology above all other
things
• There is a common stereotype of the millennial consumer, glued to their
smartphone, almost oblivious to the world.
• From this image, we can make an assumption that these digital devices are
their most prized possession and that they’d have a hard time surviving
without them.

21. Myth 3
Millennials value technology above all other
things
• According to a research study reported by Fast Company, when asked if
they would be willing to give up basic comforts like:
–heating/air conditioning
–paychecks
–food
–cars/public transportation
in exchange for staying “plugged in,” millennials were NOT willing to part
with those basic comforts.

22. Myth 3
Millennials value technology above all other
things
• While millennials are certainly comfortable with technology and are the first
generation of “digital natives,” not all of them can be considered early
adopters, nor are they constantly connected.
• According to research in 2015 by IRI,
–48% of millennials say they would be able to function without their
smartphones
–45% claim to be early adopters of new technology
–only 29% regularly use a mobile app to pay for purchases.

23. Myth 3
Millennials value technology above all other
things
• This doesn’t change the fact that the typical millennial will feel comfortable
on a digital device, but it does mean that they have other priorities as well.

24. Myth 3
What do we do?
• While Millennials are certainly more comfortable on digital devices than
other generations:
–Reaching them solely through digital devices is not the only approach
that works
–They value things other than digital communication

25. Myth 4:
Millennials only shop online

26. Myth 4
Millennials only shop online
• You would assume that this digital native generation would do most of their
shopping online.
–This is another myth about millennials that we’ve all been told, though it
is not completely true.
–It is true that a multi-channel approach is best, though the NPD Group,
Inc. reported that:
•81% of Millennials’ retail spending occurs in brick-and-mortar stores
•only 19% occurs on Web-based channels

27. Myth 4
Millennials only shop online
• Some of this behavior may be that, generally speaking, millennials are not
pre-planners and are less frequent users of a shopping list.
–This translates into the behavior of running to the store when they run
out of an item instead of being able to wait for online shopping items to
be shipped.
• This applies directly to shopping:
–Millennials do more more brick-and-mortar sales than you might think

28. Myth 4
What do we do?
• Remember that Millennials will venture “offline” for their needs
• Some of it is driven by necessity (lack of pre-plannign due to budgetary
requirements)
• Some of it is part of a misconception that they only shop online

29. Myth 5:
Millennials are not brand loyal

30. Myth 5
Millennials are not brand loyal
•There has been much talk about millennials and how
they do not share the brand affinity that previous
generations have had.
•Fortunately, for brands, this simply isn’t true, but there
are a couple key lessons that need to be understood in
order to effectively reach this audience.

31. Myth 5
Millennials are not brand loyal
•While millennials are loyal to brands that provide value,
they do also enjoy finding a good deal.
•According to a research study by IRI:
–44% of millennials say they are loyal to specific
brands
–though 52% will choose quality over price.
–Keep in mind, though, that 66% of these millennials
are working with limited budgets, so some of this
cost-consciousness makes sense.

32. Myth 5
Millennials are not brand loyal
•More than ever, brands need to be authentic and take
the time and effort to differentiate themselves in order to
reach the millennial audience.
•According to Jeff From, make sure that the benefits of a
brand are personalized, and embrace “Fairness” in
everything that the brand does.
•In essence, millennials are looking for more of a
partnership with a brand.
•This includes sharing ideas and communicating.

33. Myth 5
•What do we do?
–Millennials show loyalty in a unique way, but they
value organizations that do great work with integrity
–When you have a great message to share about
fairness and helping others, you have a great chance
to get the attention of Millennials
–Be as transparent as possible in your communication
to show how you do the good work you do

34. Conclusion:
What do we do to reach Milllennials?

35. Overview
•Hopefully this has been an eye-opener as you’ve
discovered some of the myths about Millennials that
simply aren’t true.
–As with most things of this nature some of what
you’ve heard is true in some instances but not in all.
–Understanding this difference will make the difference
between effectively targeting your audience and
potentially missing the mark.

36. Overview
•While this demographic becomes increasingly important
to understand, make sure you keep these myths in mind
when approaching your next communication effort.
–Don’t fall victim to stereotypes
–Make sure you take time to understand the specific
target audience you are trying to reach.

37. Social Media
•Social media

38. Social Media
•Social media
–Remember that there are other mediums besides
Facebook and Twitter
–These are at the point of being considered
“traditional” social media
–That being said, Facebook is still a strong channel to
reach younger demographics on...

39. Social Media (beyond Millennials)

40. Websites
•Websites
–Make it mobile friendly!
–Millennials (along with most of us) are accessing
websites from whatever device they happen to have
closest to them
–They don’t distinguish between one or the other when
choosing to view a website
–Same content should display across all devices

41. Email
•Email
–Make it mobile friendly!
–Remember that most Millennials have their
smartphone close by
–Sending emails can be a great way to engage them
and drive them to your website for more information

42. Micro Moments
• Another way of looking at how to reach a group as diverse as
Millennials is by focusing on the “moments” in their life which tie
them together.
• This can be anything from:
–Graduation
–New Career
–Wedding
–New Family
–New Home
• Many times it is easier to reach people when thinking about the
common experiences we all share, than thinking in terms of a
specific age category

43. Conclusion
•It’s never as simple as reaching one homogenous group
•Be transparent and authentic
•Use digital tactics but remember that Millennials spend
time in the “offline” world, too!
•Think about the moments and emotions we all share
when reaching out to this group

44. Thanks!
•Contact:
–Greg Kihlström
–CEO, Carousel30
–@gregkihlstrom | @carousel30
–gkihlstrom@carousel30.com