Dive Brief:
- Millennials, now aged 18-34, tend to be more optimistic and entrepreneurial than the generation that preceded them, Gen X, according to new research from LinkedIn and Ipso.
- Cord-cutting millennials tend to trust information delivered via social networks more than older segments of the population.
- To market to millennials effectively, brands should pursue strategies that entertain or enlighten instead of interrupt.
Dive Insight:
With the youngest members of the millennial generation graduating from high school this summer, entering the workforce and gradually reaching their peak earning (and buying) years, marketers are still unsure of what makes them tick.
According to the research, millennials with more than $100,000 in investable assets were three times as likely to research personal finance and investment decisions on social networks than members of Generation X, and three times as likely to want to start a business of their own.
While their attention is constantly divided among multiple screens, millennials don’t mind branded content as long as they find it educational or entertaining. Once courted with value-added content, they tend to be loyal customers of the brands they trust.
Marketing to millennials means appealing to their optimism and delivering more than a 30-second spot. Branded, value-added content that informs and entertains—more often delivered via the social networks—will help reach these elusive consumers.
