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Millennials: Big On Cause-Marketing, Not On TV
by Karlene Lukovitz, Monday, August 22, 2011 2:12 PM
It seems that youth-oriented
cause-marketing campaigns are hitting their mark. Millennials (a/k/a Gen Y) are more aware than Americans of other generations of campaigns such as Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty (33%
versus 21%) or Gap RED (26% versus 9%), according to a new study of this cohort from the Barkley marketing agency, Service Management Group and The Boston Consulting Group. Millennials also
report greater exposure to such campaigns through social media (40% versus 22%) and online news (28% versus 22%). Media-wise, Millennials watch significantly less TV than do other generations.
Just 26% report watching 20-plus hours per week (versus 49% of the rest of the population). Furthermore, they are much more likely to consume TV on their laptops (42% versus 18% of other generations),
and somewhat more likely to watch it via DVR (40% versus 36%) or on-demand (26% versus 18%). The survey of more than 5,000 respondents probed Millennials' attitudes about cause marketing,
grocery and apparel shopping, restaurants and travel, as well as digital and social media habits. Other findings:
- Millennials seek peer affirmation/advice. Seventy
percent report feeling more excited when their friends agreed with them about where to shop, eat and play (compared to 48% of older adults as heavily influenced by friends and colleagues).
- They are somewhat more likely to grocery shop in groups. Sixty percent of Millennials, versus 69% of other generations, usually shop alone. More Millennials report
shopping with a family unit, spouse and children (13% versus 6%) and with adult friends (4% versus 2%).
- They use more channels to gather information on
products/services. For example, 50% of Millennials report using a mobile device to research products while shopping, versus 21% of the rest of the population.
- For
apparel shopping, they expect hip in-store help. When it comes to where they buy fashion brands, Millennials demand knowledgeable and fashionable sales associates (29% versus 19%). They value
associates' knowing how to apply discounts and offer promotions, but not as heavily as other generations do (51% versus 65%).
- They crave adventure, and think life should be
fun. Millennials seek a broader range of activities, think globally, and report a greater desire to travel. Seventy percent said they want to visit every continent in the world within their
lifetimes, versus fewer than half of older adults.
- They prefer casual dining and more snacking. Millennials report spending 18% of their monthly restaurant
expenditures in fast-casual formats, versus other generations' 13%. They are also more than twice as likely as older people to eat snacks mid-morning, mid-afternoon and late at night.