The Creative Momentum CEO and Founder Carl Widdowson is known for his sharp eye and ability to find just the right design for his projects. This is why Hewlett Packard called on him to design a concept they were testing targeted to millennials – that generation of youngsters marketers struggle to understand.
“HP wanted a completely independent site. New design, new URL, new name.” Widdowson continues, “I began doing research on which colors were most compelling to millennials. They are attracted to bright colors. Not neon and not pastel. Somewhere in between. I devised an entire branding strategy and this is what I came up with.”
Marketers are expressing they’re having a difficult time adjusting to millennials. There are stereotypes surrounding their brand loyalty and fickle buying habits, and their political, social and religious beliefs.
But who are the millennials, really? And how do you earn their business?
Ages and stages of Millennials
By definition, millennials can be much older than you may think. Most consider them to be early 20’s or so, single and to have little regard to how they spend their disposable income.
But in fact, millennials are defined as 18-34, which means some of them have families. This key difference in life stages means marketers have to convey the same message to 2 different target markets.
What are their buying habits?
- Non-parent millennials are quicker to make high-dollar purchases. They have visceral reactions and are much more likely to buy a $200 set of headphones, just because they like the brand or color. They don’t do as much research on a product and jump at the first price they see. As a result, they are easily scammed.
- Parents, by definition, are in a more expensive stage of life and care far more about price. While they don’t want to be bombarded with information, they do their research so write to them using clear and concise language. Don’t ignore pricing structures just because they’re millennials. Given the choice between 2 similar products, they’ll choose the cheaper version.
UI/UX for millennials
All millennials are attracted to shiny things, regardless of ages and life events. They want to smile! They have visceral reactions to shiny things.
Using bright, bold colors in your website design makes millennials feel young. Parents want to feel young and still seem cool. Keep top-level navigation simple – millennials react faster than previous generations. But give parent millennials information they can find if they decide to look for it.
Communicate authentically
Marketers are having difficulty adjusting to millennials because old tricks aren’t working. Millennials want to feel connected to the things they buy. They are extremely brand-loyal and some say they are the most brand-loyal generation ever. But they’re also fast to yank their support when the brand disappoints them.
Millennials spend an average of 25 hours per week on their digital devices and are influenced by the purchases of their friends.
Widdowson concludes, “It’s easy to market to millennials if you meet them where they are. Marketers are always evolving because our audience is.”
If your company is struggling to connect with millennials, we would love to meet you where you are. Connect with us today and learn what techniques may apply to your business.