Blog: Why Causes Might Be the Best Way to Reach Millennials

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Millennials can be a tricky target for marketers. Despite the fact that, according to eMarketer, more than 82% of US internet users 18 to 34 use social networks at least monthly (and that percentage is likely near 100% in target markets), about 84% of millennials say they don’t notice ads on social sites, according to the Lubin School of Business.

So what are the best ways for marketers to penetrate the seemingly impenetrable millennial market? According to a recent survey by the Pivot Conference, the answer may be cause marketing. About two-thirds of the respondents to the Pivot poll agreed that green and socially conscious motivations were one of the top factors that differentiated millennials from other demographic and psychographic groups.

That perception falls in line with research the eMarketer Daily reported on from agency Cone. While interest in cause-related marketing grew among the general population between 2008 and 2010, social and environmental causes had a significantly greater influence on the purchase decisions of millennials than other generations. If marketers are looking for 18- to 34-year-olds’ “susceptibility” to branding, social and green issues are a good place to start, with 85% saying they would switch brands because of such marketing and 73% saying they would try a new brand. According to Cone, moms are also a prime target of cause-related campaigns.

Asked about what kinds of cause marketing brands could provide that would entice them, millennials were most interested in ways they could learn about issues (86%), buy products where a portion of the sale supports a good cause (85%) or donate money to a nonprofit identified by a brand (84%). With that in mind, brands that show a deep commitment to their chosen cause and facilitate learning and changes in a community are more likely than others to succeed. Do you agree?

Posted: October 5, 2010. Filed under: Advertising, Brands, Demographics  

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