3 Ways to Market Your Retail Business to Millennials
McCann Worldgroup, the global advertising agency conglomerate, recently conducted a study to better understand Millennials -- that group of 16-30 year olds who live their lives on social media.
“‘The Truth About Youth’ global survey polled 16-to-30-year-olds and concludes that Millennials live in a new 'social economy' in which the power of sharing and recommending brands cannot be overstated,” according to an article in Adweek.
Developed to uncover insights that advertisers could use to better connect with this audience, the study recommends that brands should follow the top five traits young people said they look for in their social friends. Advertising should truthful, genuine, sociable, mature, and humble to connect.
Hmmmm...this is something we’ve been talking about for years: Millennials eschew produced, trite, dumbed-down marketing in favor of efforts that are creative, true to their brands, able to connect in a way that feels authentic.
The point is that if you’re not being yourself, then you’re not going to connect -- and that just results in a waste of marketing dollars.
The bigger issue, and one that’s been known for years, is that nothing will turn a Millennial off faster than the “all about me” attitude that so many big brands and entrepreneurial retailers alike exhibit. Millennials could care less about you. Honestly. So why is that all you’re sharing?
Let’s say you’re bringing a new apparel brand into your store. The three ways to connect with this growing audience about that new brand are:
Inform. Certainly you can communicate when the brand is in-store or when it will arrive. You can talk about the breadth and depth of what you’ll carry, and that you’re carrying it exclusively. But all of these need to wrapped in messaging that isn’t self-serving, and they’re certainly aren't the most important messages.
Inspire. Show customers what they can do with the brand. How do you mix and match, accessorize, customize it, dress it up or dress it down? You can do this without being so sales-oriented. It could even be a great social media interaction with the tagline, “How do you wear your [brand here]?" and invite customers to share photos, style tips, and more on your Facebook page or through Twitter.
Educate. Perhaps there’s some great messaging around the apparel brand you want to communicate. It might be made in the U.S.A, for example, or eco-friendly and eco-conscious. What attributes and qualities does the brand have that will resonate with your customers? The key is to figure those out and communicate them.
We’re in a brave new marketing world. Retailers that are authentic and communicate more than just “come and shop with us” will fare much better with Millennials than those that do not. It’s anyone’s game in gaining customers in today’s social media world. How are you going to play?
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