6 Ways to Win with Millennials

September 3, 2014
6:12 pm

Posted by DMA Solutions Team

So, remember two years ago when we told you all about marketing to millennials? Well, it’s 2014 now, and Gen Y is all grown up. No more hipster teens, just adults ready to do adult things (regular grocery shopping for one), some even starting families of their own. Eighty million Americans make up this demographic—a demographic bigger than Gen X and 20% bigger than the Baby Boomer generation—and they’ve just become your biggest audience of adult shoppers.

Given this notable shift, here are some new ways that produce marketers can win with the maturing millennial demographic:

1. Be exciting with content.

Millennials will do anything to avoid being bored. As they take on adult responsibilities, it’s more important than ever to make sure you excite this audience with your brand. If you engage them with content that piques their interests, they will find a way to share it with their peers. Promotions—big, small or medium-sized—are great for building awareness about your brand as well as nourishing good favor with your consumers. They’ll love that you’ve asked them to connect with your brand, and they’ll inspire other millennials to do the same.

2. Be committed to your community and the environment.

Millennials’ environmental and social concerns haven’t changed much in the last two years. What has changed is their perspective. As adults with more experience in the world we live in, they’re ready to applaud or punish a company based on its commitment to society and sustainability, or lack thereof. Product descriptors such as “non-GMO,” “gluten-free,” “organic,” and “locally-grown” appeal to them, but only win them over when they know they’re genuine claims. When you can, include social and nutritional buzz words on your packaging to draw them towards your brand.

3. Be able to identify your brand ambassadors.

Word of mouth travels a long way with this group. Millennials like recommending products and brands they think their friends will love and make their lives better and/or easier. Pinpoint those most loyal to your brand—people who continually purchase your products and faithfully engage with you on social media—and encourage them to be ambassadors for your brand. They’ll be happy to use their influence to share your story, not only because they love your products but also because you show you care about what makes them happy.

4. Be worth their time.

Millennials don’t want to wait for you. If you can’t match their pace, they’ll move on to the next thing before you can say, “don’t leave!” Millennials switch mediums an average of 27 times per hour. Invest some time to update your technology and mobile optimize so that you know you’re ready for them when they’re looking for you on Google and Facebook. Test how your content displays across different devices—especially smartphones (millennials’ device of choice). Oh, and make sure you can complete a thought in 140 characters or less.

5. Be inviting with your digital marketing.

If they see you as a (digital) salesman just trying to make a transaction, millennials won’t even open the door. They don’t respond as well to traditional marketing methods as their parents do. Don’t tell them what to do or nag them to buy your products, aim to earn their permission to have the conversation instead. They’ll do their research to find you, if you make yourself available to them. Then, you can invite them to engage with you by delivering calls-to-action that speak to their interests and offer solutions to their problems.

6. Be helpful by providing useful information and resources.

Just like you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink, you can offer your content to millennials but you can’t make them receptive to it. Offering content that they find helpful will make you a go-to resource in their minds. Find out what it is they want and care about, and genuinely try to make their lives easier. Don’t make every piece of information you provide a sales pitch. Provide links to additional information so millennials can do research on their own, if and when they want to do it.

Millennials’ behavior may have changed a lot over the past two years, but the same core values still drive them. This generation is open-minded and ready to be your best customers, if you give them the chance. Take the time to truly get to know these shoppers, and you could reap the benefits of a long-lasting relationship. Times 80 million. In sum, winning with millennials is winning for fresh produce.