Swiping Right With Millennials And Generation Z

Hinweis der Redaktion

1. TALKING POINTS Quick intro to Stan, Allrecipes, Stan’s vision for the company SCRIPT Thank you, good morning. I’m really delighted to be here today to talk with you about how as brands we can evolve our marketing to get Millennials and Generation Z to swipe right and choose us.   I am the president of digital brands at Meredith Publishing so I’m looking across a lot of different properties—some of which you can see here. But today I want to talk with you about some unique ways we think about engaging Millennials and Generation Z at Allrecipes. We recently overhauled the entire site and informed by the experience we have with these generations, and as a father of two tweens, I also have personal experience. We’re a pretty traditional family; the dinner hour is sacred.
2. TALKING POINTS Funny reveal Personal and AR experience with Millennials and GenZ SCRIPT (Reveal of photo with everyone on devices)   OK, not really. We’re like a lot of you, everyone on their devices, and it’s not always easy to understand how to communicate effectively with one another. But my experience at home, and our experience with our user base at Allrecipes, have taught us a lot about how to provide great content-driven mobile experiences that really resonate with Millennials and Gen Z.
3. TALKING POINTS Quickly define Millennials and Gen Z Point to $170 billion purchasing power Not the future but the present Show of hands—who’s here from Millennial generation? SCRIPT Allrecipes, like many of the brands represented in this room, is particularly focused on Millennials (who are in their 20s and 30s today) and Generation Z (today’s 5- to 19-year-olds) — the two rising generations who have a shocking amount of purchasing power, which according to ComScore is $170 billion. Clearly they are not just the future of marketing but the present.   How many of you in the audience are Millennials? Let’s have a show of hands. Are there any Gen Zers here? I have juice boxes for you (wave one).   "I probably shouldn’t kid. In fact Generation Z is about to start entering the workforce in droves, maybe I should have brought coffee?”
4. TALKING POINTS Allrecipes very engaged with these generations Revamp designed to strengthen bonds Stats show the importance of these groups SCRIPT At Allrecipes we’re very engaged with both Millennials and GenZ, and our recent site revamp has given us tools and resources that help us strengthen those bonds and really engage with these home cooks using mobile and social and more personal content.   We’re well aware that 90 percent of Millennial women visit food sites.   And we know where those visits are coming from — 84 percent of Millennials’ visits to Allrecipes are from mobile devices.   And mobile visits to our site are growing rapidly. That means that as marketers, if we want to actually reach 84 percent of our Millennial audience, we have to create an advertising experience on mobile that delivers value and is just as powerful, or even more powerful, than the desktop experience. And that’s right now — we don’t have the luxury of seeing this as the future.
5. TALKING POINTS Importance Brands leading the way What not to do Four principles of engagement SCRIPT Today I’ll be talking about what these generations mean to us as marketers, why they’re so important, and what makes them swipe right or swipe left (that means like or dislike, for those of you in the boomer generation) on the company they keep.   I’ll give examples of brands doing a killer job using mobile and social content to connect with Millennials and GenZ.   And I’ll provide you a few important guiding principals for brands for what not to do.
6. TALKING POINTS Overview of generations: stats, characteristics Preparing to debunk myths SCRIPT Just who are the Millennials and Generation Z? I’m sure you’ve heard the myths, but you can’t market on myth. Here are some real insights.   The Millennial generation is the group born from about 1977 to 1995, and there are some differences between the younger and older halves of the generation, since they’ve had slightly different experiences.   But what they have in common is that they see themselves as the tech generation. They’re sometimes called digital natives, but it might be more accurate to say digital adapters — the real digital natives are Generation Z, who have never known a world without high-speed Internet and mobile devices.   Generation Z is the youngest identified generation at the moment — essentially, today’s kindergarteners through college students born after 1995, so the oldest are just about 20, turning 21 this coming year.   Both of these generations in the U.S. are more racially and ethnically diverse than the generations that preceded them.   Each of these generations makes up about 24 percent of the population — so together, they’re nearly half of the entire US. And that number will only grow over time.   I’m sure some of you are muttering “Here we go again…” because often when we hear about millennials it’s about how broke or lazy they are, but those are really just myths. So, I want to talk for a minute about what’s really going on there, because I think debunking some myths is crucial to our ability as marketers to successfully connect with these generations.
7. TALKING POINTS Myth: Millennials and Gen Z have no money, live at home with parents Grain of truth but not accurate SCRIPT First myth: Millennials and Generation Z don’t have any money. They’re all living at home in their parents’ basements and don’t have jobs.   Like a lot of myths, there’s a kernel of truth and then quite a few untruths packed in around it.
8. TALKING POINTS Came of age in recession—influenced attitudes and careers Recovery means rising income and spending power Median incomes, affluence Thoughtful about spending SCRIPT It’s true that the Millennials, especially the older half of the Millennial generation, came of age during a devastating economic recession. It’s true that this means a lot of their careers were slow to start; a lot of people lost out on the earliest years of earning power.   But as economic recovery has progressed, their earning power has increased. Jobs have opened up, salaries have risen.   Median income for the younger segment of Millennials is about $25,000 — remember, these are people under 30. And for the older segment, $48,000. Although a large number of Millennials are also dealing with student debt and are earning lower incomes than they expected at this stage, they are optimistic and ambitious, confident that if they’re not earning what they want now they will in the future.   And there are affluent Millennials. Millennials make up 14 percent of those with assets above $2 million — not far behind the proportion of Baby Boomers who currently have that much wealth — and there are about 2.5 million Millennial households that bring in more than $100,000 in income.   and according to comScore, both generations combined have more than $170 billion worth of buying power.  Which gets us to one of the key points about Millennials and GenZ and money. They’re not broke. But they are thoughtful about what they do with their money. Their spending expresses their values.
9. TALKING POINTS Myth: self-absorbed, short attention span SCRIPT Here’s another myth you may have heard or thought: These are the “me” generations. The selfie generations. Millennials and GenZ are self-absorbed; they have short attention spans. Does this sound familiar to any of you?   You, in the front row, are you paying attention? I think I see a lot of phones out. If you’re Vining this, please get my good side.
10. TALKING POINTS Not narcissistic, idealistic Self-expressive All about connection SCRIPT The truth is that these generations are not narcissistic. They’re idealistic. Consider that 52 percent of Millennials say being a good parent is an important goal in life, while only 1 percent say being famous is. And 63 percent say they feel a duty to care for an elderly parent. When they’re looking for work, 70 percent say they’re influenced by the prospective employer’s commitment to the community.   The truth is that Millennials and Generation Z are self-expressive. And who are they expressing themselves to? Their friends, their social networks, their families, and ultimately everyone they encounter. Including the brands they interact with. In other words, these are the social generations. Not the same as the previous “me generation” of the Baby Boomers.
11. TALKING POINTS Can’t use old-fashioned tactics—evolve First, build great content Deliver value, audiences won’t block it Invite voices to be part of the brand/story SCRIPT So what does all this mean? It means that this is your key audience—today and tomorrow.   Now that we have a clearer picture of who they are, we can start to build marketing plans and tactics that really engage Millennials and Generation Z. I’ll share some examples of brands that are leading the way, and I’m sure many of you are evolving your marketing to do just this. I’d like to offer three keys to success.   First, build great content that’s authentic. You’re not just selling products and services anymore; you’re telling the story of your brand, in a way that shows how it’s valuable to your customers.
12. TALKING POINTS Oreo SCRIPT Let’s start with a fun example. Oreo is a fun brand, and they’ve really mastered the art of providing great content.
13. TALKING POINTS Oreo Eclipse in the UK Astronomical data to ensure accuracy Clever and irreverent while totally on brand Week after campaign, sales up 59% YOY SCRIPT We all remember the Super Bowl tweet about dunking in the dark. Oreo is great at building momentum with these in-the-moment engagements.   In March 2015, a solar eclipse was going to be visible in the UK. But people were worried that with the typical rainy British weather, nobody would actually be able to see it. So Oreo stepped in.   They set up huge public billboard video ads in London and Edinburgh. Those video displays showed an Oreo cookie eclipse. And they were designed to sync perfectly with what was actually happening with the sun right at that moment, as you would be able to see it from that location. They synced that with a broader ad campaign so that the Oreo Eclipse was everywhere, regardless of the weather. According to Oreo, the following week their sales were up 59% year over year for that period.   It’s clever, it’s irreverent, and it makes light of the brand while being completely on brand.
14. TALKING POINTS Simpler swipe-right example, my experience: Walgreens SCRIPT That was a pretty elaborate campaign, but you can also do much smaller and simpler things to add value. And if you can deliver value, Millennials and Gen Z will swipe right for your brand.   Let me share an example from my own life. Before I joined Allrecipes I was with Walgreens, where one of the important customer segments is people who use the pharmacy.
15. TALKING POINTS Mobile alert to prompt pickup when near pharmacy Not glamourous but useful, valuable    SCRIPT We offered a mobile alert to prompt people to pick up their prescriptions when they’re near the pharmacy.   Now, that’s not very glamorous. But it’s useful, it’s valuable, and it makes people’s lives just a little bit easier. And it’s targeted and personalized, it’s not obtrusive — it’s not giving reminders or nudges that are irrelevant or annoying. It’s a good example of how a seemingly little thing can be really valuable and create a good experience.
16. TALKING POINTS Build social relationships Not just show up, engage Be authentic SCRIPT Here’s a second key to success: Build social relationships with Millennials and Generation Z. You already know that your brand can’t just show up in an online retail search; you need to be engaging with your customers on Facebook, on Instagram, on YouTube, on Snapchat and on Allrecipes. And on your own sites, through forums or comments or reviews. Millennials and Generation Z expect brands to be responsive, to engage with them on a personalized and individual basis, and to use “real talk.”
17. TALKING POINTS Starbucks on Instagram Inviting customers to create content SCRIPT Starbucks is another “swipe right” brand — engaging, in this case, using Instagram. This is particularly smart because it’s inviting customers to create as well as share content.
18. TALKING POINTS 7.4 million Instagram followers 22 million posts with hashtag—user generated Real and authentic SCRIPT Starbucks has 7.4 million followers on Instagram, and they post a fresh image about once a day, so there’s a steady but not overwhelming stream. Plus there are 22 million Instagram posts that are hashtagged Starbucks.   What makes this so powerful is that we’re talking about user-generated images. These are real-life, in-the-moment, authentic images showing people celebrating a brand they love, and taking the time to put those images out into their social networks. Starbucks will also sometimes re-gram or repost those customer images, which adds to the relationship-building.   There are a lot of ways that you can seed that kind of engagement on Instagram. You can do contests, and invite users to share specific kinds of images when you post something. And one of the key things is that two-way engagement. When you celebrate your customers by re-gramming their images or by commenting on their images, they’re going to celebrate you back.
19. TALKING POINTS Nike on Periscope Quick take on Periscope SCRIPT Another great swipe-right brand is Nike, which is using Periscope to livestream content to its fans.   I’m sure most of you are familiar with it, but in case you’re not, Periscope is a livestreaming app — it’s owned by Twitter and it effectively lets people broadcast what they’re doing in real time, in a social media framework that lets viewers engage and respond. It was the Apple Store’s 2015 App of the Year. So it’s a natural fit for a sportswear brand like Nike.
20. TALKING POINTS Immediacy Engaging, makes viewers part of event SCRIPT What Periscope gives Nike is a way to bring immediacy to the experience of a brand. It’s much more interesting to watch live as LeBron James unveils a new shoe than to wait and hear about it later, because it makes the viewers part of the event. It’s authentic content that builds a relationship with the viewer.   This is a great example of using social engagement to build your community and to reward the people who engage with you. That’s how you build brand ambassadors. And Millennials are very influenced by people who aren’t experts but are passionate about their subject, who have made themselves experts in your category. That’s a form of word of mouth, whether it’s on Periscope or YouTube or other social platforms.
21. TALKING POINTS Connect customers to greater good Gen Z and Millennials want to make a difference Give to charity, volunteer, support brands that give back About sharing their values SCRIPT The third key to success is connecting these customers to the greater good. One of the hallmarks of Generation Z and Millennials is that they want to make a difference, to contribute. Three-quarters of Millennials give to nonprofits; often small gifts, but they are giving. More than half spend time volunteering. As consumers, they’re willing to spend more for goods and services from companies that are giving back to society, or for products that are good for the environment. They’re not just looking for value, but for brands that share their values.
22. TALKING POINTS Patagonia a swipe-right Adventure plus protecting environment SCRIPT Another active brand that’s getting Millennials and Generation Z to swipe right is Patagonia. As an outdoor and activewear brand, Patagonia is engaging with customers who are looking for adventure, and who are committed to protecting the environments in which they’re hiking, climbing and exploring.
23. TALKING POINTS Patagonia campaign: New Localism Documentaries, eg, “Jumbo Wild” Engage activists, shared values SCRIPT Patagonia’s newest campaign takes connecting its customers with the greater good to new heights. New Localism is a combination of content strategy and activism, which they’re driving through a series of documentary films about celebrated outdoor places and the threats they face.   The films, or cuts of them, are available online, but that’s just part of the effort. Patagonia took “Jumbo Wild,” a film about the Jumbo Valley in British Columbia and efforts to protect it from development, on a North American tour that drew 3,000 viewers in just the first week and sold out the venues it was showing in. People are flocking to grassroots events like a dam protest on the Lower Snake River in Southeastern Washington, and a paddling flotilla at an oil platform off the coast of Santa Barbara.   It’s a huge effort. They’re collaborating with local athletes and activists to understand their issues and priorities. They’re taking advocacy stands that reflect their core values, which is a very risky but very authentic thing to do — and it’s resonating with the Millennials and GenZ activists and athletes who share those values.
24. TALKING POINTS Fourth key of three: Optimize for mobile Meet them where they are, which is smartphones They expect you to be there SCRIPT And because you’re such a good-looking crowd, you get a fourth key for the price of three: Optimize everything for mobile. If you’re going to meet Millennials and GenZ where they are (and of course we have to), guess what — they’re on their smartphones. They expect to be able to find your brand on their smartphone and to interact with you easily and seamlessly that way.   The world of marketing has changed. Technology is now as much a part of marketing as of the products that you develop and sell. So it’s important to build a technology infrastructure that allows you to organize and present content in the context of where the user is, and the device and platform they’re using.
25. TALKING POINTS Bringing it all together Key insights at heart of our reinvention Not just a brand, a social platform World changing, especially evolution to mobile   SCRIPT I’d like to use Allrecipes to illustrate that. And I’d like to take a moment to talk about how we put all of these key insights at the heart of our re-invention. The new Allrecipes is not just a brand, it’s becoming a social platform: In fact, we’re the world’s largest, most food-focused social network. We’ve been a social sharing site for recipes, menus, shopping lists, and more since the late 1990s, and this past year we completely overhauled our site to create an entirely new visitor and advertiser experience.   We didn’t do this because we thought the world needed a new social network. We did it because we have 50 million unique visitors every month — half of them coming from mobile platforms — who are demanding that we allow them to connect to each other in a more meaningful way within our environment.   The new site launched in September. It has a fresh design, is highly personalized to the individual cooks who are part of it, and — possibly the most important thing — functions seamlessly across devices so that our community members have a consistent, mobile-first experience.
26. TALKING POINTS Reinvented advertising experience Example: mobile shopping app and recipe finder SCRIPT As part of that, we’ve completely reinvented the advertising experience so we’re able to provide individualized moments and engagement for brands.   For example, we can combine in-store beacon technology with our Allrecipes Dinner Spinner mobile app. I’m sure this crowd is familiar with beacon technology — and how it can go really wrong if it’s not used thoughtfully.
27. TALKING POINTS Example: mobile shopping app and recipe finder Smart enough to get context: quick recipe in store at dinnertime SCRIPT So I’m on the way home from the office; it’s 6:30 pm and I’m in the store, and I open up the app on my phone.   The app is smart enough to connect the fact that it’s evening, and I’m in the supermarket, and I probably want something for a quick dinner. It doesn’t point me to the three-hour recipe for World’s Best Lasagna, but it alerts me, hey, ground beef is on sale. How about basil burgers for dinner?   Ooh, I love that, I’m going to do that. That’s based on my individual preferences and on a smart understanding of where I am.
28. TALKING POINTS Won’t name names but we’ve all had swipe-left experiences Inundating the audience—pushing so hard it’s annoying Overwhelming with alerts—not well targeted, irrelevant Being late on trends, on needs (ads for what I already bought)   FYI: Cronut: croissant + donut Bronut: Brioche + croissant + donut (aka, going one better) SCRIPT That’s a lot of swipe-right brands. You’re surely thinking about a few you’d swipe left on. I won’t name names — some of you look kind of uncomfortable. Don’t worry, we can save that discussion for later, over drinks. But we’ve all had bad experiences that make it clear what not to do.   Millennials and GenZ will definitely swipe left if you inundate them — pushing your brand so hard it becomes an unpleasant experience. For example, when you go to an online site and you’re visually hammered by display ads, with overlays. With boxes you have to click before you can actually see any of the content. Or while you’re in the middle of trying to see what you came for.   Display ads aren’t inherently bad. We use them ourselves. But where they become a problem is when they interfere with what the person is trying to do or see. There’s a fine line between attention-getting and just plain irritating. That’s when people start to install ad blockers and find ways to filter that stuff out. Which ultimately means those ads will never be seen. Millennials and GenZ don’t have time for them.   And speaking of things that Millennials and GenZ will filter out, they surely swipe left on mobile marketing programs that blast them with a dozen alerts when you open the app. How many of your customers are really going to find a dozen things relevant in a single square foot of your store? That’s not personalized. If I’m the shopper, that tells me they don’t really know me as an individual.   And finally, they swipe left (with a big eyeroll) for you being late to the party (“Bye Felicia!”). It doesn’t add much value if some company is only offering me things I’ve already bought. That tells me someone’s paying attention to my data — which can also come across as creepy — but not paying enough attention to be able to predict what I might want next. Don’t offer me a cronut when what I really want is the bronut (these are the trends we live in at Allrecipes, I can’t even make this stuff up!).
29. TALKING POINTS Simple goal: Good, helpful experience Engage as individuals Great authentic content Social relationships Connect to greater good All on mobile Build loyal customers, friends, brand ambassadors SCRIPT So, what’s the future? Wait, what did you think that was going to stand for?   Ultimately, our goal as marketers is simple: to create a good, helpful experience. To build relationships. To provide value, and to show that we’re really engaged with Millennials and Generation Z as individuals.   So, to wrap up, keep in mind those three (really, four) keys to success: Create great, authentic content, and invite Millennials and GenZ in to be part of it; Build social relationships; And connect them to the greater good. And optimize all of it for mobile.   By doing that, you go beyond selling products and services to providing actual value. And that will encourage Millennials and Generation Z to swipe right. Those relationships are what will give them reason to be your loyal customers, and the brand ambassadors who will share you with their friends, into the future.
30. Thanks, invite Q&A