Marketing to millennials: A how-to guide

The millennials are taking over. The generation born roughly between 1982 and 2000 overtook the baby boomers in summer 2015 to become the largest living generation in America, according to recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Baby boomers, the post-World War II generation and one of the first age groups to have disposable incomes in American history, still accounts for 50 percent of retail sales in the U.S., Business Insider reported. However, it’s not a smart move to ignore millennials. In order for businesses to thrive in the coming decades, they will need to find new marketing approaches to attract these younger consumers.

Companies can make new customers of Generation Y by tweaking their marketing using a variety of campaigns and promotional items that will appeal to millennial sensibilities. Let’s dive into what these younger customers value in businesses and what branded corporate gifts they prefer.

Savvy shoppers
Maybe it’s due to growing up with loads of information at their fingertips, but millennials do their research before making a purchase. This generation more than any other wants to remain in near-constant contact with the businesses they value and are interested in. According to an IBM Institute for Business Value study, Generation Y wants direct contact with a company before making a business to business purchase. This also holds true for their business-to-consumer relations, Business Insider noted. They also research a business’ reviews and reputation online.

Tech users
Millennials are not only smart shoppers, they’re also tech-savvy. Businesses using branded tech items such as promotional stylus pens, branded USB flash drives and promotional portable chargers can make a better impression with Generation Y customers. All three of these products are ones 20- to 30-somethings use on a daily basis either at work, home or school.

Adapting your promotional products to fit millennial needs can gain your company even more impressions with younger generations. Generation Y is more likely to use smartphones to research a company before doing business with it. Since this age group uses phones and tablets to do everything from make a purchase on Amazon to look up a restaurant’s Yelp reviews, it pays to let these younger customers know that your business keeps up with tech products just as much as they do.

Offering promotional products they can use with their laptops and smartphones such as USB sticks or earbuds just makes good business sense if you want to cultivate millennials as your next customer base.

Personalize your offerings
While Generation Y is known for their tech skills, keep in mind that this age group is very diverse. Just  one promotional product won’t work. Instead, personalize your offerings. If you’ve ever been to your local coffee shop and seen 20-somethings with stickers covering their laptops, then you know members of Generation Y favor a more personalized aesthetic.

The British Promotional Merchandise Association recommended companies offer promotional products that millennials can customize. While this generation wants to feel a part of something bigger than themselves, they also want to feel as though they stand out as individuals.

A business can spread its message even further if it uses a wide variety of branded corporate gifts from wearable promotional items to stickers that millennials can use to stand out from the rest of the pack.

Be hands on 
Besides wanting constant contact with their favorite brands, Generation Y also defines itself by needing to be involved with the companies it patronizes. Instead of being just consumers of a product, they want to interact with the company and the item, Digiday noted.  Marketing events that give out branded corporate gifts is one effective way to engage this younger generation. Shampoo maker Garnier Fructis sets up a tent every year at the Bonnaroo Music Festival to offer complimentary salon hair washes to attendees, according to Digiday.

Be authentic and care
The brands that build the best relationships with and gain the most respect from millennials are those that exude authenticity. Millennials also want the businesses they buy from to show they care about making the world a better, greener and fairer one. Johnson and Johnson received positive feedback for its Clean and Clear #Seetherealme campaign where teenage girls discussed their skin problems openly and honestly, Digiday noted.

Meanwhile, brands such as TOMS shoes are popular for their One for One business approach where the company gives away a free pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair a customer buys.

Promotional items paired with an interactive marketing campaign is a great strategy to reach millennials and convert them into lifelong customers. However, a business must be mindful that these consumers demand much more from brands than just a one-way relationship. An enterprise must share the same values as this younger generation if it wants to stay relevant in the decades to come.