Millennial consumers orchestrate their own brand experiences, across multiple channels and devices –often as many as four devices in one day. (image: DaveLawler/Flickr)
WAKEFIELD, Mass., Mar 20, 2014 (Korea Bizwire) – The average Millennial checks their smartphone 45 times a day, and is 56 percent more likely to discover brand content on social networks than via search engine or traditional email, according to a new study by SDL (SDL.L).
The study was conducted as part of a new SDL series titled “Five Truths for Future Marketers,” which details five key ways that marketers must adapt to engage the next generation of highly connected and informed consumers whose digital preferences are vastly different and may not respond to traditional marketing tactics. The Five Truths for Future Marketers are:
1. Campaigns are Extinct
2. Your Data Trumps Big Data
3. Channels are Irrelevant
4. There is Only One Language
5. Content Finds the Consumer
Campaigns are Extinct
The first report in the “Five Truths for Future Marketers” series is titled “Campaigns are Extinct,” and examines the need for marketers to advance beyond traditional marketing campaign approaches, particularly when marketing to millennials. The report and infographic can be downloaded here. SDL will release reports and new survey data on the other four truths over the coming months.
Millennial consumers orchestrate their own brand experiences, across multiple channels and devices –often as many as four devices in one day. Email is one of their last choices of preference, and they share content with peers and trusted brands. In order to win their trust, brands must create a consistent experience across all channels. With the average millennial touching their smartphone 45 times a day and 56 percent more likely to discover content on social networks than on email or using a traditional search engine, push marketing tactics are less effective. Millennials want content that finds them.
In this study, SDL found:
- Millennials embrace brands on social media: Five out of six millennials connect with companies on social media networks.
- Social networks and customizable news feeds dominate content discovery: The top three channels where millennials discover online information are Facebook, Twitter and YouTube with customizable news feed sites surpassing traditional news sites and email for content discovery.
- Customers want the inside track to freebies: The top two reasons for engagement are discounts (60 percent) and free perks (55 percent). The freebies are more important than a long-term relationship.
- Growing a customer relationship isn’t always about getting a sale: 60 percent of consumers like it when they receive a touchpoint that’s not related to selling a product (i.e., holiday or birthday card).
“There is an important transformation taking place in the minds of the current and next wave of consumers regarding how they choose to interact with brands,” said Paige O’Neill, CMO of SDL. “The traditional marketing funnel is now irrelevant, making traditional campaigns extinct. Brands must break through millennials’ personal junk filter with relevant, valuable and non-promotional interactions, for a longer-term view of building brand advocacy. It won’t happen immediately, but brands who shift their focus from a campaign approach to one focused on the customer experience will see the most success.”
The study sampled more than 300 millennials in the U.S. (ages 18-36) that were college educated and employed full-time. It was conducted between January 23 and February 7, 2014. This is the first data set from an ongoing study that will examine the way millennials across the globe interact with brands.
To learn why “Campaigns are Extinct,” download our report and infographic here. And, to view additional study findings on SlideShare, visit http://www.slideshare.net/SDLonline/understanding-the-millennials-summary-of-findings-march2014.
About SDL
SDL (SDL.L) allows companies to optimize their customers’ experience across the entire buyer journey. Through its web content management, analytics, social intelligence, campaign management and translation services, SDL helps organizations leverage data-driven insights to understand what their customers want, orchestrate relevant content and communications, and deliver engaging and contextual experiences across languages, cultures, channels and devices.
SDL has over 1,500 enterprise customers, over 400 partners and a global infrastructure of 70 offices in 38 countries. We also work with 72 of the top 100 brands. For more information, please visit www.sdl.com.
Source: SDL
