Marketing to Gen Y is a lot more difficult than it has been in the past. This generation does not respond to advertising the same way as generations past and we get our media in different ways. The way companies advertise has to change to fit our new standard, or they will find themselves to be yesterday’s news.
One of the major changes in marketing to Gen Y is that we do not want to be lied to. We can tell when an ad is over the top and we do not appreciate something that tries to deceive. In order to market to Gen Y you have to be direct and honest. Gen Y feels like they can do whatever they imagine and they know a lot. You cannot belittle us by trying to make us buy into a false or misleading ad. We are too smart for that.
Another change is the way we get our marketing. Media for Gen Y is different from past generations. We watch less TV (especially less commercials thanks to DVR) and we read less printed material. We spend a lot of time on the internet, but pop-up ads are annoying and usually ineffective.
Many companies are straying from traditional advertising methods like TV commercials, print ads, and billboards and opting for more of a word of mouth technique to marketing. If a member of Gen Y hears first hand that some product is hip or cool, it seems honest and genuine. They are much more likely to tell their friends and pass the product along.
One company using this technique is Red Bull. They have a Red Bull truck that drives around places where Gen Y hangs out and pass out free cans of Red Bull. They associated themselves with the environment of Gen Y until eventually they just became a part of it. Now they are known as the cool energy drink company that gives away free stuff and does not BS you.
I think that is the most important thing. We are sick of used car commercial ads and companies that promise the world, but do not deliver. We just want to see the product in an honest light- no hype, no false build up.
So are companies changing to meet our new demands? I think it is still a discovery process. Marketers have figured out what we do not like, but the right way to reach us still is not completely perfected. One of the most annoying new trends in marketing is product placement in movies. There is a particular scene in the movie Talladega Nights where brands are all over the place and of course, we notice them.
Will Ferrell jokes about the products to let us know that they are not trying to trick us, but it is still just annoying. I would rather watch a 30-second commercial for Powerade than have it in the middle of a movie.
Ultimately, I think advertisers are moving in the right direction. It is not all that difficult. Say your product is environmentally friendly, promote a cool concert, and give away some freebies and with Gen Y you are golden.
One of the major changes in marketing to Gen Y is that we do not want to be lied to. We can tell when an ad is over the top and we do not appreciate something that tries to deceive. In order to market to Gen Y you have to be direct and honest. Gen Y feels like they can do whatever they imagine and they know a lot. You cannot belittle us by trying to make us buy into a false or misleading ad. We are too smart for that.
Another change is the way we get our marketing. Media for Gen Y is different from past generations. We watch less TV (especially less commercials thanks to DVR) and we read less printed material. We spend a lot of time on the internet, but pop-up ads are annoying and usually ineffective.
Many companies are straying from traditional advertising methods like TV commercials, print ads, and billboards and opting for more of a word of mouth technique to marketing. If a member of Gen Y hears first hand that some product is hip or cool, it seems honest and genuine. They are much more likely to tell their friends and pass the product along.
One company using this technique is Red Bull. They have a Red Bull truck that drives around places where Gen Y hangs out and pass out free cans of Red Bull. They associated themselves with the environment of Gen Y until eventually they just became a part of it. Now they are known as the cool energy drink company that gives away free stuff and does not BS you.
I think that is the most important thing. We are sick of used car commercial ads and companies that promise the world, but do not deliver. We just want to see the product in an honest light- no hype, no false build up.
So are companies changing to meet our new demands? I think it is still a discovery process. Marketers have figured out what we do not like, but the right way to reach us still is not completely perfected. One of the most annoying new trends in marketing is product placement in movies. There is a particular scene in the movie Talladega Nights where brands are all over the place and of course, we notice them.
Will Ferrell jokes about the products to let us know that they are not trying to trick us, but it is still just annoying. I would rather watch a 30-second commercial for Powerade than have it in the middle of a movie.
Ultimately, I think advertisers are moving in the right direction. It is not all that difficult. Say your product is environmentally friendly, promote a cool concert, and give away some freebies and with Gen Y you are golden.
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