Think You Understand Millennial Ad Audiences? Think Again.
What a person values can tell you a lot about how they make decisions. And when it comes to audiences, there is perhaps no demographic more misunderstood than the coveted millennial. The 18-34 year-old group is plugged-in, savvy and affluent—and millennial-focused direct response advertising is increasingly moving online to keep up with digital natives. But don't let the stereotypes you hear fool you—there's more to these audiences than advertisers give them credit for. We've compiled some helpful tips for your next millennial-minded campaign.
Millennials Spend Four Times More on TV Than YouTube
According to Think TV Quarterly, Canadian millennials are spending more time with linear broadcast TV than they are with their social networks. In fact, they spend four times as much time watching TV than YouTube and exponentially more than every other social network combined. Are they multi-tasking? Absolutely. DRTV advertising in Canada remains an effective way to target young adult audiences, so long as it taps into millennial viewing habits.
Millennials Trust TV Ad Spots More Than They Trust Digital Ads
Another reason to advertise on television? Earning digital trust is hard. In fact, when surveyed about what the least trustworthy type of advertising was, millennials overwhelmingly picked internet advertising. Interestingly, very few rated radio low on the trust spectrum. If you think direct response radio would be less appealing to millennials, then you've learned something new today!
Millennials Value Real Connection
A recent survey asked millennials whether they'd rather gain 10 friends in real life or 10,000 friends on social media. The results overwhelmingly favoured real-life friendship over online notoriety. In the same game of would you rather, millennials said they'd opt to be smart but under-appreciated over being average but beloved. If you're noting a pattern in values, it's that millennials, at their core, aren't driven by likes, faves and retweets. If you're going to purchase TV ads or infomercial spots to reach millennials, as yourself: does the ad creative reflect the true desires and values of your intended audience?
The best way to determine if your direct response media buying or DRTV advertising strategy will resonate with millennial audiences? Ask a millennial. Audience testing then refinement should be part of any direct response strategy for any demographic.
Got questions about using direct response as a tool for millennial marketing? Get in touch!