If you have read Daniel Pink’s book, A Whole New Mind, or Richard Florida’s Rise of The Creative Class, you will learn about how we are entering a conceptual age where economies are increasingly driven by the creation of new ideas, systems and business models. That trend is increasingly evident among Millennials, who are now either entering, or are well tenured, in the work force and among the savviest of consumers. They are not, however, just consumers and workers, but social networkers and social creatures that seek human connections, are active in causes and initiatives they believe in and are motivated to get things done!
In a world where advancements in technology have revolutionized our ability to connect, network, share ideas, collaborate and mobilize, influence and relevance has become rooted in the ability to conceive new ideas or expressions, actively promote, persuade and activate others to create and collaborate alongside them.
What this means for brands – especially those trying to connect to Millennials – is that we are quickly moving from an influencer-driven economy to one that is activation-driven. It is a crowd-sourced, collective-inspired experience. Activators are masters at mobilizing the ideas and behaviors needed to succeed in the conceptual age.
Millennials are at the core of this activation-inspired mindset and let’s not forget the role communication technology has had towards creating that. This generation is by far the most empowered by access to information and to one another. They have embraced virtual knowledge sharing and networking platforms to connect to one another and activate/participate in a culture of entrepreneurship and change. They are spearheading the conceptual economy empowered by technology.
Social networking platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn provide unparalleled connection resources. Online media platforms like YouTube, Twitter, WordPress and Reddit also provide more consumer-content driven mediums for reaching millions in mere moments. Millennials have the power to create their own media influences rather than being subject to them and that has, in a nutshell, changed the nature of the required dialogue with brands.
There are several distinct implications for seeding brand relevance among Millennials. Using technology to facilitate connections is an absolute must and can be utilized in a number of ethos-oriented contexts. Here are a few examples:
Empower their ambitions: Be a source of support and inspiration and provide platforms that help forward their entrepreneurial spirit. Perhaps your marketing team should take a stroll on Kickstarter.com and fund some great Millennial business propositions, or have an online platform of your own that provides opportunities for customers to have your brand company support a creative or business endeavour that is in line with your brand ideals.
Be a source of stability: For brands who have sustained over time, longevity is an asset and can have strong emotional resonance with this generation who has seen a lot of turmoil in their young lives. Authenticity – a hallmark of brand value for Millennials, starts with having a heritage to call upon. You can put your brand heritage in the hands of Millennial customers by creating and spreading content using online resources. How accurate and evocative of your heritage is your brand or company’s Wikipedia entry (you have one, right)? Perhaps you can create a Pinterest presence through brand ambassadors that showcases your product timeline history – ideal if you are a brand operating in the apparel/retail or food and beverage spaces.
Facilitate a meaningful dialogue: Millennials respect a genuine interest in being heard and making meaningful contributions based on a reciprocal exchange of information. Online and mobile platforms are designed for dialogue and creative exchange and who better to help you evolve than a generation committed to new concepts and ideas? Allow them to participate by creating connections between your brand teams and your customers. For example: are you monitoring your Twitter mentions and able to activate CRM regarding to both positives and negative tweets about your brand? Do you have an online forum on your website for customers to give you ideas like at mystarbucksideas.com? Are you giving bloggers the “inside scoop” that they can share with their virtual audiences?
This article first appeared in the Fresh Business Thinking Guide to Digital which has been produced in association with Microsoft and the www.digitalmarketingshow.co.uk and examines some of the key issues that every business is facing in the world of digital. Download your copy or view the magazine online here.
Connect with Jamie Gordon, Vice President, Consumer Anthropology, Northstar Research Partners. on Google+
PrivSec Conferences will bring together leading speakers and experts from privacy and security to deliver compelling content via solo presentations, panel discussions, debates, roundtables and workshops.
For more information on upcoming events, visit the website.
comments powered by Disqus