Generation Y vs. Generation Y Marketers

I'm both a member of the "Why?" generation and a marketer trying to hook it, so take everything I write here as fact. The growing rift between Generation Y and its patriarchal predecessors is growing. Weird that's the case, because (and I had to do math to figure this out) the older we get, the narrower the age gap becomes. And the more data these marketing research firms collect about us, the more they think they know us. They try to connect with us via the bedroom of LonelyGirl15 and the freedom-to-choose vehicle of Dewmocracy and wonder why the results are so often negative. I can tell you; but as a 40-something market genius reading this, the chances of you being content with the truth are slim. Venture forward if you dare, but remember, ye been warned.

Whereas our immediate predecessors in Generation X did the whole 'rebellion for rebellion's sake' thing and became screen icons because they were so radical, that certainly is not the schtick of Gen-Y patrons. Well, strike that. We are radical, and we are rebellious; but the notion of positive rebellion is what should scare marketers and make heroes out of today's 13- to 31-year-olds. I get sick of lumping this generation together as one because we're all so empowered to be ourselves, so from this point forward I'm only going to tell you what I think about this, and let you decide if it applies to my peers (hint: it does).

I shuck off thickly-veiled attempts at viral marketing and relationship marketing because they're so inundated in propaganda and traditional technique. I don't want you to try and sell me a new soft drink flavor and tell me it's part of a greater effort to return the freedom of creativity to the masses. For a big corporate marketing team to think I'm gullible enough to buy into something like that is just insulting.

As we become self-sufficient consumers, the information being utilized by marketers when it comes to winning us over is increasingly non-traditional in nature. That is, marketers know by now that we aren't going to be won over by massive print campaigns (aside from obvious successes like CPB's Burger King mascot and notable others, which are simply done so well that they elicit a positive response from all targeted consumers).

With that being said, there is no linear path toward securing consistent business and brand loyalty from a segment of Generation Y buyers. There just isn't. There are only a series of successful tactics, separate in execution but symbiotic in their messaging, that might cause a 23-year-old like myself to remain in favor of a particular product or brand.

Relax a little...you oldies still have a little hope. In my humble opinion there are a few proven ways to attract a young buyer. Though we act like supremely individual consumers, three things are often widely successful in the quest to attract our dollars; or, at least, to snag our grasshopper minds' attention.

Especially in the case of viral marketing, the perceived value of the offering has to be higher than a typical piece of swag or a free mp3 download. Part of Generation Y's persona is narcissism. No other generation has ever felt entitled to a prize before this one. If I'm willing to evangelize your brand, buy your product and associate with you at all, I want something more than what I'm paying for. I'm your advertiser. I should be rewarded for that. And I want something my friends are going to want (read: not a keychain with your logo on it).

Along with a perceived value, it's important for a brand to appear—and when possible, actually be—globally conscious. More often than not, an informed Gen-Y consumer will know that his or her desires are pretty unimportant when compared to the state of the world today. In fact, it's common for me to actually desire for the military regime in Burma to be overthrown, or for my taxes to go toward ending hunger problems in the Sudan and AIDS relief in Ethiopia. In fact (and I wrote another blog about the proactive consciousness of Generation Y already), it appears to me that a lot of the more noticeably conscious brands available to us are starting to really show it in terms of revenue.

And finally, the product has to kick ass. Obviously. Now, an iPod is a kick-ass product, but one feature of it has more bearing on its popularity than its functionality. Hell, I've gone through eight of them myself, only one of which I am responsible for losing (the other six have broken, and I still keep buying them). Why do my peers and I keep going back to the iPod? Why do we continue to want the newest model regardless of necessity? It's simple: packaging. I spoke to Carmel (who is far more savvy than I) about the Alex & Chloe sunglasses I just paid way too much for last week, and she told me to "get excited, because the packaging is almost as cool as the products. It's a branded experience." Now, I'm completely familiar with a great branded experience because like I said, I own eight damn iPods, and still I can't remember being so excited for a puny little box to come in the mail. Can you believe this? I'm excited for the box, even though the contents are expected.

You see, for a Generation Y consumer, packaging is more than just a package. It's crucial to selling in this demo because it reflects a genuine sense of care from the brand. While Microsoft competes with nobody for a distant second in the mp3 device market by improving its features (I'd be hard pressed to believe Apple offers a significantly superior product), they're forgetting the experience that Steve Jobs gives his image-conscious buyers. Until Microsoft can come along with a comparable product and a superior product design, I ain't buying. It's honestly asinine, and it's arrogant, but it's how a lot of us feel.

The rest of those qualifiers you're reading about everywhere, those are all important; but when you want to sell a product and keep selling it to Generation Y and millennial consumers, you better be looking at raising perceived value, approaching the consumer consciously, and offering the best brand 'package' you can. Otherwise, you might as well try your luck with a viral video...because we know how easy and logical making a successful one of those can be.