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REACHING
YOUNG ADULTS
clicks
in the age of
& LIKES
tweets
PG 1
INDEX
abstract .............................................................................................. 2 the generation that wont be pinned down .......................................... 3 money, marketing & media: the lay of the land .................................. 4 so, what to do about all this? .............................................................. 7 bringing it home ................................................................................. 9 brass content: when you need it, where you need it ............................. 9
PG 2
ABSTRACT
getting the attention of young adults isnt impossible, but its certainly an uphill battle for reasons more complex than shortened attention spans or rapidly evolving tastes. Marketers need to understand that simply starting a Facebook page or opening a Twitter account wont cut it. A successful marketing campaign is no longer a stand-alone TV spot featuring a trio of beer-drinking frogs. The overwhelming flow of information streaming at young adults has forced them to become more savvy and sophisticated in the way they filter the content theyre interested in out of the daily flood. Though its tempting to wish for a secret sauce, theres no single right way to make it through that filter. However, with the right style and the right media, it is possible. Its a matter of putting the right message where it counts, and not just doing it for a month or two, but consistently presenting relevant and remarkable content over the long haul. Its only in that environment that real trust and engagement can be created.
PG 3
74% OF YOUNG
ADULTS USE SOCIAL NETWORKS TO TALK ABOUT PRODUCTS WITH FRIENDS & MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. BUT...
ONLY OF 18TO 24-YEAR-OLDS AND... ONLY OF 12TO 17-YEAR-OLDS ACTUALLY WANT TO FRIEND A BRAND.
12% 6%
ALMOST OF 12- TO 17-YEAR-OLDS THINK BRANDS SHOULDNT HAVE A PRESENCE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA.
source: Forrester Research via Adweek
HALF
PG 4
first timers
As young adults wrap up their last few years of high school and fly the coop whether to higher education or the working world they will, for the first time, get cozy with money. Theyll take out their first loans, open their first credit card accounts, start checking accounts, and begin budgeting for household expenses. loans. Last year alone, 10.3 million college students took out federal Stafford Loans and more than half of college graduates left school with debt an average of $22,000 per student, according to the College Board. credit. According to Sallie Mae, 84% of all undergraduates have at least one credit card, and of households of those under 35, nearly 85% have debt: either installment loan or credit card debt. banking. Those under 35 are very likely to have a checking account, but heres something you can confirm with your own eyes the next time youre standing behind a young person in a checkout line: they are more likely to use debit cards to pay for purchases than cash or check. The financial decisions they make at this point will lay the foundation for their financial futures, yet these decisions come at a time when theyre focused on other things, leaving them vulnerable to potential poor choices.
OF TEENS SAID THEY HAVE NO INVOLVEMENT WITH PAYING BILLS OR MANAGING A BUDGET. AND
93%
PG 5
[marketing]
72%
OF YOUNG ADULTS BELIEVE THAT USING SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BE A FORCE FOR CHANGE.
traits of millennials
Young adults, more so than their predecessors, crave engagement with the brands they buy. Many post and re-post advertising or marketing clips to social media and video sites as a way to create a brand experience that is both relevant and customized. Meanwhile, user-generated content like online reviews and opinions of products has an influence on what they buy. Despite having enormous purchasing power, young adults came of age in an uneasy time. Due to the recession and its long-term effects, they are reevaluating their spending habits and what makes them happy. Transparency and authenticity are the two most important keys to effectively reaching young adults. While marketing to GenX had a very in-your-face attitude, marketing today requires a focus on inclusiveness and potentially positive outcomes mirroring the socially conscious, globally minded, Internet-connected youth of today 1.
SAY THE THINGS THEY CONSUME HAVE THE POWER TO CREATE MORE CHANGE THAN THE PEOPLE THEY ELECT.
source: Euro RSCG via Adweek
50%
opinion sharing
Todays young adults are not shy about sharing their opinions on a product, rely heavily on the experience of others when evaluating a future purchase and use, on average, more than four different methods to communicate these messages. User-generated content (product reviews on buying sites, Facebook posts, Twitter updates, etc.) has a huge impact on the way young adults consume. While more than half of all Americans trust this kind of user-generated content more than information supplied by a company about a product or service, a whopping 84%
OF YOUNG ADULTS TRUST THE OPINIONS OF OTHERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH A PRODUCT MORE THAN THEY TRUST THE OPINIONS OF THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
source: Bazaar Voice
MORE THAN
1/2
footnote 1 Thomas, Pardee. Media-Savvy Gen Y Finds Smart And Funny Is New Rock N Roll. Advertising Age. 81. no. 36 (2010).
PG 6
of young adults reported that this information had an impact on what they bought. Additionally, more than half of young adults trust the opinions of other consumers who have experience with a product more than they trust the opinions of their family and friends.
IF ADVERTISING IS DONE IN A RELEVANT AND CREDIBLE WAY, YOUNG ADULTS ARE ACTUALLY EAGER TO INTERACT, SHARE OPINIONS AND EVEN PASS THE MESSAGE ON.
Beth Uyenco Global Research Dir. Microsoft Advertising
[media]
evolution of interaction
Young people barely remember when information was delivered in the daily mail or newspapers, so they have no reason to tolerate leftover old-media behaviors. Teen and young adult Internet adoption in the U.S. crossed the 90% threshold as far back as 2005, with broadband access in around 60% of homes since 2009. More and more, people of all ages automatically interact with media by giving feedback to producers and recommending quality content. Every day, more than half of Internet users online time is spent consuming published media, and 27 million pieces of content are shared every day. Eighty-three percent of online 18- 29-year-olds are engaged in social media and nearly two-thirds use it on a typical day. Recently, the adoption of social media appears to be leveling off, which may indicate that the tools have reached a saturation point and could now become a more regular even boring part of daily information flow. That may be good news for everyone as the social media discussion becomes more about whats being said rather than where its being said.
34%
OF CONSUMERS AGES 18-29 HAVE PURCHASED SPECIFIC PRODUCTS OR SERVICES SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY LIKED THE SOCIAL OR POLITICAL VALUES OF THE COMPANY.
source: Pew Research Center
footnote 2 Feld, Peter. What Obama can teach you about millennial marketing. Advertising Age. 79. no. 31 (2008).
PG 7
WHETHER THEY DO SO THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS OR IN FACE-TO-FACE DISCUSSIONS, THE REASONS PEOPLE SHARE WITH FRIENDS, FAMILY AND THE PUBLIC ARE SIMPLE:
TO BRING
USEFUL CONTENT TO OTHER PEOPLE IDENTITY THROUGH AFFILIATION AND IMPROVE RELATIONSHIPS THE WORD ABOUT CAUSES AND BRANDS
TO SHAPE
TO ADD TO
TO SPREAD
PG 8
be honest
Young adults are highly aware that marketing serves to convince them of the benefits of a product or service; trying to pretend otherwise is one of the quickest ways to lose all credibility among young adults. Be honest and transparent in the tone and efforts that are being used. The risk of losing the purchasing power of young adults and gaining their viral negative reviews due to fake and cloudy marketing efforts is simply not worth it.
ITS NOT THAT [YOUNG ADULTS] CANT HANDLE LONG-FORM PITCHES, THEY JUST KNOW YOU CAN DO BETTER. SO DO BETTER.
footnote 3 Thomas, Pardee. Media-Savvy Gen Y Finds Smart And Funny Is New Rock N Roll. Advertising Age. 81. no. 36 (2010).
PG 9
bringing it home
Social media marketing presents a great opportunity for marketers trying to reach young adults: the cost of access is cheap and the traffic is there and highly engaged. But just having a presence on those channels isnt enough to deliver the demographic to your door. Remember: great content is key to having your brand noticed and talked about. Todays marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. Make connections by providing valuable and honest information about your company and the industry you represent. Once the conversation has started, be a regular presence in a young adults information stream to maintain the relationship and reap the rewards.
ARTICLES
VIDEOS
GRAPHICS
Digital tools make it easy to fill your social media channels, newsletters and email blasts with clickable, shareable content. Dedicated websites serve as a hub for all of your young adult marketing. Post from our huge library of articles, videos and graphics, and highlight your social media and promotions with a simple, intuitive interface. Print and digital magazines full of amazing content, in a range of customization and branding options.
To put this content to use, contact us today for a personal demonstration of all these tools. Call 541-753-8546 or email us at sales@brassmedia.com.