Advertising Week 2014: Millennial Takeover!

MtoM’s CEO, Christine Wilson, and the rest of the Millennial team (myself included!) traveled to New York City for Advertising Week a couple weeks ago. We had a great time and learned so much from the many sessions. Thinking back to what stood out the most, it would have to be the word “Millennial.”  Whether the session was about BuzzFeed, Celebrity Storytelling, or just a few CEOs chatting, Millennials were always discussed. As a Millennial myself, I was fascinated to hear what they had to say!

Advertising Week “Millennial” Takeaways:

– They can sniff out a brand’s genuineness.

– They want the brand to tell a story they can relate to; something they have a real connection with.

– There are different types of Millennials and different ways to reach them!

I completely agree with these three important takeaways. A brand’s ability to tell a story that consumers can relate to is vital for creating a relationship with Millennials. This relates to the last takeaway of reaching different types of Millennials. A recent AdWeek article by David Griner, discusses 12 different types: Boss Babes, Brogrammers, Shut Out, Nostalgics, Travel Enthusiasts, Culinary Explorers, Exuberants, Collectors, Quarter-Life Crisis Millennial, Millennial Marthas, and MtoM’s favorite, Millennial Moms.

Griner goes to say, “Millennial moms are the healthy, active and socially conscious young moms. Of women born between 1980 and 1995, 46 percent are now moms.”  He quotes Melmed stating, “Our data shows that they express greater interest in DIY, fitness, home and décor and healthy eating when compared to their nonparent millennial counterparts. Millennials as a generation are the most diverse and the most heterogeneous of any we’ve seen before, he said. Millennials have less in common with each other than any generation before them. They’re wildly different.”

Reading through the other types of Millennials, it’s clear that there are many different ways to reach out based on their lifestyles and personalities.  It’s up to the brand to take advantage of that; making sure they are appealing through storytelling and being real with their Millennials.