Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Marketing to X and Y: How to reach the next generation of consumers
How do you reach an audience that can choose their own music without listening to a commercial radio station, can block outsiders from their social circle—which revolves around cell phones and online networks like Facebook and MySpace—and only refer to newspapers when they need packing material to move on to their next venue?
For starters, you can’t rely on adding a 1980s soundtrack to your advertising, a blog to your Web site, or a young professionals networking social to your programming and call it good. Marketing to Generations X and Y requires a comprehensive approach that features technology and is focused on relationship-building on multiple levels.
To succeed in reaching X and Y, you must first understand they are unlike any other consumer that has come before them. They were raised on music videos, technology, and advertising, so they are savvy and skeptical consumers that can spot a sales pitch a mile away--and they really dislike being sold anything.
X and Y cannot be reached through traditional marketing channels. Direct mail, print ads, and television advertising bounce off these powerful consumers like bullets on Superman's chest. They are also the most diverse, well-educated, and cutting edge generations. Gen Y (ages 13-25) is the largest generation in our nation’s history, wielding a tremendous amount of influence and buying power.
As an Xer myself, and in my work with companies who are trying desperately to reach these elusive markets, I've discovered many ways in which marketers have totally missed the mark with Generation X and Y consumers.
Few know how to motivate and engage them, so let me clue you in to a few ways in which you can effectively connect with this growing market of savvy spenders:
GET PERSONAL
Xers and Ys are not impressed with corporate-speak or sales pitches, and they are more loyal to people than to places or products. For the best results, use messages that get to the point, are honest, and personal. Incorporate testimonials, case studies, and videos featuring the stories and successes of your employees, clients, and consumers.
RESPECT THEM
Generations X and Y are savvy and intelligent consumers. Don't talk at or down to them. Instead, continually address their needs and interests, what your company or product can do for them and how it benefits them. Having been raised with a lot of stress, Xers are especially responsive to genuine initiatives that help them reduce anxiety and retain peace of mind.
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
X and Y want to know that you care enough to find out what makes them tick. But don't rely on the old method of marketing surveys. Get out there and talk to them! Find out how they spend their time, the music they listen to, and what they eat, wear, read, watch, and drive.
BE HIP
Throw out those tri-fold brochures and bullet points in your PowerPoint presentations. X and Y are tech-savvy and media-savvy and will buy based on a sleek, beautiful, cool-looking packages. Use graphics, technology, and innovation to get your message across.
STAND FOR SOMETHING
Today’s brands can't just strive to stand out; they must strive to stand for something. X and Y are family-focused and socially responsible. They want to know your company cares about their well-being and is aligned with causes that benefit their communities and the world at-large.
JOIN THEIR NETWORKS
If you can't connect with their preferred methods of communication (texting and social networks), forget about reaching Generation Y. Go where they hang out online—MySpace, Facebook, etc.—and learn how to integrate mobile technology in your marketing efforts. Get into their networks and your company will get noticed.
GO VIRAL
If these generations like your product, people around the world will know it. Blogs and video (vodcast) and audio (podcasts) bits uploaded to your Web site will quickly spread across the Internet as X and Y share their favorites with their friends, who pass it along to their circle, and so on. And these generations are the first to trust, almost exclusively, the recommendations of their peers.
These are not your grandfather's marketing strategies. The tried-and-true marketing strategies of product, place, and promotion, and direct mail, advertising , and networking socials won't work with these young, hip consumers.
Learn how to reach , motivate , and engage X and Y, and your company can expect a successful and prosperous future.
For starters, you can’t rely on adding a 1980s soundtrack to your advertising, a blog to your Web site, or a young professionals networking social to your programming and call it good. Marketing to Generations X and Y requires a comprehensive approach that features technology and is focused on relationship-building on multiple levels.
To succeed in reaching X and Y, you must first understand they are unlike any other consumer that has come before them. They were raised on music videos, technology, and advertising, so they are savvy and skeptical consumers that can spot a sales pitch a mile away--and they really dislike being sold anything.
X and Y cannot be reached through traditional marketing channels. Direct mail, print ads, and television advertising bounce off these powerful consumers like bullets on Superman's chest. They are also the most diverse, well-educated, and cutting edge generations. Gen Y (ages 13-25) is the largest generation in our nation’s history, wielding a tremendous amount of influence and buying power.
As an Xer myself, and in my work with companies who are trying desperately to reach these elusive markets, I've discovered many ways in which marketers have totally missed the mark with Generation X and Y consumers.
Few know how to motivate and engage them, so let me clue you in to a few ways in which you can effectively connect with this growing market of savvy spenders:
GET PERSONAL
Xers and Ys are not impressed with corporate-speak or sales pitches, and they are more loyal to people than to places or products. For the best results, use messages that get to the point, are honest, and personal. Incorporate testimonials, case studies, and videos featuring the stories and successes of your employees, clients, and consumers.
RESPECT THEM
Generations X and Y are savvy and intelligent consumers. Don't talk at or down to them. Instead, continually address their needs and interests, what your company or product can do for them and how it benefits them. Having been raised with a lot of stress, Xers are especially responsive to genuine initiatives that help them reduce anxiety and retain peace of mind.
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
X and Y want to know that you care enough to find out what makes them tick. But don't rely on the old method of marketing surveys. Get out there and talk to them! Find out how they spend their time, the music they listen to, and what they eat, wear, read, watch, and drive.
BE HIP
Throw out those tri-fold brochures and bullet points in your PowerPoint presentations. X and Y are tech-savvy and media-savvy and will buy based on a sleek, beautiful, cool-looking packages. Use graphics, technology, and innovation to get your message across.
STAND FOR SOMETHING
Today’s brands can't just strive to stand out; they must strive to stand for something. X and Y are family-focused and socially responsible. They want to know your company cares about their well-being and is aligned with causes that benefit their communities and the world at-large.
JOIN THEIR NETWORKS
If you can't connect with their preferred methods of communication (texting and social networks), forget about reaching Generation Y. Go where they hang out online—MySpace, Facebook, etc.—and learn how to integrate mobile technology in your marketing efforts. Get into their networks and your company will get noticed.
GO VIRAL
If these generations like your product, people around the world will know it. Blogs and video (vodcast) and audio (podcasts) bits uploaded to your Web site will quickly spread across the Internet as X and Y share their favorites with their friends, who pass it along to their circle, and so on. And these generations are the first to trust, almost exclusively, the recommendations of their peers.
These are not your grandfather's marketing strategies. The tried-and-true marketing strategies of product, place, and promotion, and direct mail, advertising , and networking socials won't work with these young, hip consumers.
Learn how to reach , motivate , and engage X and Y, and your company can expect a successful and prosperous future.
Labels: generational marketing, marketing to Generations X and Y
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Media fails miserably to reach younger audiences
I reside in Minneapolis where a longtime weatherman and one of the Twin Cities' best-known media personalities was released from WCCO-TV last week.
CBS said his cut, as well as the cut of a weekend anchor, were part of nationwide cuts in response to dwindling ad revenue and TV viewership, a sluggish economy, and stiff competition from the Internet.
As a former newspaper editor and now a book author that does media interviews, I know the media world quite well and I take great interest in how the generational shift is affecting the media.
Let’s be frank: Generations X and Y aren’t relying on newspapers or watching television news as their primary sources of information. Media corporations will cite the Internet and economy and make all sorts of excuses for their decline, but the simple fact is they are irrelevant to younger generations.
That’s why daily newspaper circulation has declined every year since 1987, when the oldest Gen Xers were entering college.
That's also why Americans ages 35-49 (mostly Xers), watch more cable TV and video on-demand programs than broadcast television, and ages 18-34 (Xers and Ys) spend more time online.
Traditional news is struggling to compete in a media-savvy world, which begs the question: Will traditional media formats be able to survive?
I have read articles and blogs on this topic, many authored by Boomers, which go into great, excruciating detail about things like column widths and frequency of Internet broadcasts and such. A lot of meaningless prattle, if you ask me.
Knowing what I know about journalism and Gen X and Y, I think there are three simple keys to reaching these audiences that have been seriously overlooked.
Meaning
My husband and I have this on-going joke about all news being bad news. Sometimes at night we’ll roll through the network television stations to see which station has the most depressing story. We also joke about the in-depth weather forecasts, which take up increasingly more broadcast time.
Seriously though, not every police chase or storm brewing makes for a news story. Not by today’s standards.
The Boomers and the generations that preceded them wanted to know about all the goings-on in their communities and world. In fact, since journalism began the same news format has been cultivated and expected, which was to give a birds-eye view of the world and your place in it.
In contrast, my generation and the generations to follow prefer an individual view. In other words, we want news that is meaningful and relevant to our lives. News we can actually use to improve our lives. We don’t want to waste our time feeling hopeless, fearful, or depressed. What’s the point of that?
Today’s young adults are family-focused, career-driven and inspired to serve others. We spend a great deal of time caring for others, trying to get ahead and do good, so when it comes to being informed and entertained, we filter the information we receive so we can feel inspired, happy, and fulfilled.
Customization
I remember hearing a presentation by a marketing executive who worked for a newspaper. She said when you subscribed to a newspaper, you certainly weren’t expected to read all of it, but you did have to buy all of it.
During the past few years, media executives have begun to realize just how ludicrous that philosophy is to the next generation of media consumers, and that we willingly exercise our right to not ‘buy all of it.’
For example, my husband and I are both entrepreneurs. He’s also an avid sports fan, but we stopped subscribing to the local newspaper because we only read the business and sports sections with consistency. We decided that we could just as easily obtain this information on-line, and tossing away the other five sections of the paper without even looking at them was wasteful and irresponsible.
The only way newspapers and television news can compete is to provide customization.
When the Internet arrived, it introduced a whole new set of expectations for information delivery and the scope and speed of customer service. Gen X grew accustomed to it, and Gen Y grew up with it.
Furthermore, news has been redefined by bloggers, YouTube, and even celebrity news programs. So, like it or not, journalists are no longer the keepers of the information and the public wants and expects access to the news they want and when they want it.
For television news, this means creating programming that is topic-specific. Many local television stations will air morning, afternoon, evening, and late night news segments with minor differences in coverage. Why not use some of this air time to create programming specific to younger generations, such as an education program, parenting, or business program?
For newspapers, this means thinking of each section as its own newspaper and giving subscribers the option of purchasing the sections they want to receive.
Each program or section could then be complimented by microsites on-line where viewers and readers could go for more information and social networking.
Engagement
Until now, media outlets always had a captive audience. Today, they are fighting to be relevant and meaningful to a seriously fragmented and diminishing audience, which means they need to think seriously about how they market to and engage the next generation.
It starts with getting younger people involved as writers, producers and anchors, and advisory board members. Give them the chance to create the news and see what happens. What’s meaningful and relevant in their lives? How does it differ from the 30-somethings to the 20-somethings and teenagers?
Far too few media outlets spend much time, effort, or resources on these demographics, which doesn’t make any sense. We are the market influencers and we are also the ones who are turning away from traditional media.
Isn't it obvious? If media is going to win the favor of younger audiences, they have to start thinking about what's important to us and abandon the traditions of the past.
So far, media has failed miserably in this quest.
As a senior editor of American Journalism Review recently blogged:
“Why didn't they (media) capture the market in online classifieds, long before Craigslist? Why didn't they become the home base for local video, long before YouTube? Why didn't they recognize the power of social connections, long before Facebook? Preoccupied with trying to save their old model, they barely glanced up as one potential pot of gold after another floated right past them.”
CBS said his cut, as well as the cut of a weekend anchor, were part of nationwide cuts in response to dwindling ad revenue and TV viewership, a sluggish economy, and stiff competition from the Internet.
As a former newspaper editor and now a book author that does media interviews, I know the media world quite well and I take great interest in how the generational shift is affecting the media.
Let’s be frank: Generations X and Y aren’t relying on newspapers or watching television news as their primary sources of information. Media corporations will cite the Internet and economy and make all sorts of excuses for their decline, but the simple fact is they are irrelevant to younger generations.
That’s why daily newspaper circulation has declined every year since 1987, when the oldest Gen Xers were entering college.
That's also why Americans ages 35-49 (mostly Xers), watch more cable TV and video on-demand programs than broadcast television, and ages 18-34 (Xers and Ys) spend more time online.
Traditional news is struggling to compete in a media-savvy world, which begs the question: Will traditional media formats be able to survive?
I have read articles and blogs on this topic, many authored by Boomers, which go into great, excruciating detail about things like column widths and frequency of Internet broadcasts and such. A lot of meaningless prattle, if you ask me.
Knowing what I know about journalism and Gen X and Y, I think there are three simple keys to reaching these audiences that have been seriously overlooked.
Meaning
My husband and I have this on-going joke about all news being bad news. Sometimes at night we’ll roll through the network television stations to see which station has the most depressing story. We also joke about the in-depth weather forecasts, which take up increasingly more broadcast time.
Seriously though, not every police chase or storm brewing makes for a news story. Not by today’s standards.
The Boomers and the generations that preceded them wanted to know about all the goings-on in their communities and world. In fact, since journalism began the same news format has been cultivated and expected, which was to give a birds-eye view of the world and your place in it.
In contrast, my generation and the generations to follow prefer an individual view. In other words, we want news that is meaningful and relevant to our lives. News we can actually use to improve our lives. We don’t want to waste our time feeling hopeless, fearful, or depressed. What’s the point of that?
Today’s young adults are family-focused, career-driven and inspired to serve others. We spend a great deal of time caring for others, trying to get ahead and do good, so when it comes to being informed and entertained, we filter the information we receive so we can feel inspired, happy, and fulfilled.
Customization
I remember hearing a presentation by a marketing executive who worked for a newspaper. She said when you subscribed to a newspaper, you certainly weren’t expected to read all of it, but you did have to buy all of it.
During the past few years, media executives have begun to realize just how ludicrous that philosophy is to the next generation of media consumers, and that we willingly exercise our right to not ‘buy all of it.’
For example, my husband and I are both entrepreneurs. He’s also an avid sports fan, but we stopped subscribing to the local newspaper because we only read the business and sports sections with consistency. We decided that we could just as easily obtain this information on-line, and tossing away the other five sections of the paper without even looking at them was wasteful and irresponsible.
The only way newspapers and television news can compete is to provide customization.
When the Internet arrived, it introduced a whole new set of expectations for information delivery and the scope and speed of customer service. Gen X grew accustomed to it, and Gen Y grew up with it.
Furthermore, news has been redefined by bloggers, YouTube, and even celebrity news programs. So, like it or not, journalists are no longer the keepers of the information and the public wants and expects access to the news they want and when they want it.
For television news, this means creating programming that is topic-specific. Many local television stations will air morning, afternoon, evening, and late night news segments with minor differences in coverage. Why not use some of this air time to create programming specific to younger generations, such as an education program, parenting, or business program?
For newspapers, this means thinking of each section as its own newspaper and giving subscribers the option of purchasing the sections they want to receive.
Each program or section could then be complimented by microsites on-line where viewers and readers could go for more information and social networking.
Engagement
Until now, media outlets always had a captive audience. Today, they are fighting to be relevant and meaningful to a seriously fragmented and diminishing audience, which means they need to think seriously about how they market to and engage the next generation.
It starts with getting younger people involved as writers, producers and anchors, and advisory board members. Give them the chance to create the news and see what happens. What’s meaningful and relevant in their lives? How does it differ from the 30-somethings to the 20-somethings and teenagers?
Far too few media outlets spend much time, effort, or resources on these demographics, which doesn’t make any sense. We are the market influencers and we are also the ones who are turning away from traditional media.
Isn't it obvious? If media is going to win the favor of younger audiences, they have to start thinking about what's important to us and abandon the traditions of the past.
So far, media has failed miserably in this quest.
As a senior editor of American Journalism Review recently blogged:
“Why didn't they (media) capture the market in online classifieds, long before Craigslist? Why didn't they become the home base for local video, long before YouTube? Why didn't they recognize the power of social connections, long before Facebook? Preoccupied with trying to save their old model, they barely glanced up as one potential pot of gold after another floated right past them.”
Labels: American Journalism Review, CBS, Generation X, Generation Y, media, newspapers, television news
Monday, April 7, 2008
Technology redefines the way children play, learn
Generation Z is growing up in a world where pretending, imaginary play, and learning have been dramatically redefined. Unlike the generations that came before them, Z children, ages 12 and younger, have spent their formative years using technology to play and learn.
Children as young as two and three years old are now using computers. According to Nielsen/Net Ratings Inc., the number of online users in the 2-to-11 age group rose 19 percent to 15.1 million in December 2006, from 12.6 million in December 2002.
Furthermore, according to a 2007 study released by the Consumer Electronics Association and Toy Industry Association, consumers are expected to spend $2 billion on electronic toys for children ages 0 – 15 years within the next 12 months.
What does this mean for America’s consumers, businesses, and associations?
It means today’s children and future workforce are even more tech-savvy than Generation Y, and technology is not only influencing–but shaping–the way they play, learn, and the way they will eventually work and do business.
For those of you who aren’t yet aware of how technology is influencing the lives of America’s children, here’s a brief synapsis of the most popular tech toys out there right now:
- Fisher Price® Smart Cycle (Ages 3-6) – A virtual fitness experience, you plug the Smart Cycle right into a TV and as the child pedals, favorite character friends guide him or her through learning discoveries, games and even races.
- Fisher Price® Kid-Tough™ Digital Camera with Bonus Card (Ages 3+) – Designed to teach children how to take, view and download their own photographs. Features a color LCD preview screen; two-eye viewing; dual handgrips; big buttons; storage space for 60 images; and a “bonus card” that will hold an additional 142 images.
- Power Rangers Operation Overdrive Mega Mission Helmet (Ages 4+) – This replica Power Rangers helmet features a silver chrome band with mega-action flashing LED lights and sound effects. Using the included USB cord, which plugs into the top of the helmet, you can download over 20 missions from Bandai's Power Ranger Operation Overdrive Web site.
- Text ‘n Talk Walkie Talkies (Ages 5+) – Loaded with cell-phone style features, these next-generation walkie talkies let kids send and receive text messages. With a huge 1,000 foot range, four channels, and 10 pre-set text messages, these walkie talkies feature a keypad, LCD screen, message alert, and belt clip.
- Webkinz (Ages 6 – 13) – Children learn to use the computer and Internet with Webkinz, plush pets that each come with a unique Secret Code that lets you enter the Webkinz World online and play with a virtual version of your pet.
- EyeClops (Ages 7+) – A handheld bionic eye that plugs into your TV. Point the EyeClops at any object and see it magnified 200 times on your TV. Includes an observation dish and tube to view liquids, salt, bugs, etc.
- RipRoar Creation Station (Ages 8+) - RipRoar’s Creation Station is an all-inclusive system for setting up, filming, editing, and uploading videos to You Tube or other online video sharing sites. Simply hang the green screen, point the camera at it, and start filming. Then use the integrated software and included CD to edit the action, replace the green screen with background images, drop in sound or visual effects, and add music.
Our oldest daughter turns 7 this month. During the past year, she’s become fascinated by technology and all it has to offer. From her Smart Globe that downloads the latest world news, to her virtual pets on Webkinz and BellaSara, and her interactive robotic pet, MioPup.
When I was 7, I was climbing trees, playing Barbies, or riding my bike. Granted, my daughter does all of this too, but her world has opened up to infinite playing and learning opportunities inspired by technology.
I guess that’s why the top two gifts on her birthday wish list are a frog habitat -- and an iPod.
Labels: Generation Y, Generation Z, imaginary play, learning, technology, Webkinz
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
