Millennials are weird. We are Urban Dictionary trolls, meme machines, and lovers of corgis. If a visual activity feed of our brains was on display, a scrolling marquee of hashtag punch lines, Nigel Thornberry GIFs and selfies would be speeding by faster than you can say ERMAHGERD.
Often we are reprimanded for being as addicted to our smart phones as Gary Busey is to showing off his large teeth. And while some old-school boomers are snubbing us for ignoring their insights on Model T cars or whatever, we’re busy curating and sharing bits of information that are culturally relevant, whether they’re humorous, political or just plain cray (Urban Dictionary translation: crazy).
Take it from Kmart
Whoa! Kmart? The I-thought-it-went-out-of-business-in-2002 stepchild of hip-and-trendy Target? Yes, Kmart sent LOLZ from left field, and it’s because of a potty-mouth rhyme. While racy humor isn’t the secret to any Millennial campaign, it sure tickles our funny bone. Everyone loves the funniest guy at the party, right? I’ve already yelled “I JUST SHIPPED MY PANTS” obnoxiously one too many times. Brands should note the virality of campaigns like this and explore avenues for their next Millennial-targeted campaign. Humor as a marketing tool, when used properly, triggers memorability and likeability.
Share Everything
Millennials are share freaks. We’re constantly sharing to Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Reddit from our mobile devices and computers. Because of that availability, our time spent on our devices is bumping up faster than Justin Bieber’s Klout score. An article published by Nielsen supports this assertion, reporting that young adults between the ages of 18-24 have increased their mobile and Internet video consumption over the past year. Yes, even science proves we’re officially addicted to the Web. But despite how this skews your perception of our daily lives, not all of us are pale Internet vampire goblins who hunch in dark corners watching YouTube all day. Not…all of us.
And when it comes to gamification, our numbers are promising. According to one survey discussed inUSA Today, over half of the Millennial pool said they would share personal information if they received something in return. Young people these days will give anything away for a free Beyoncé MP3 download (well, I would). With hesitance, I admit it: we’re that easy.
Videos like “Ship My Pants” are fun to share because it makes us laugh. It also uses a simple hashtag (#shipmypants) slipped in at the end of the video for easy circulation. An opportunity has sprung from this emerging social-meets-technology-vortex to create Millennial-style campaigns (hint: cat memes): sneak in an offer in exchange for valuable customer information, and let the Millennials market for you.
Write Clever Copy
We love something smart, witty and edgy. Brands like Old Spice capitalized on this a few years back with their shrewd commercials, badgering men who wear lady-scented body wash. After Old Spice’s triumphant success we exhibited the rise in popularity of copy-centered campaigns like Dos Equis’s “The Most Interesting Man in the World” and Dollar Shave Club’s promo video. All of these brands put thought into how they were going to use humor to target their audience. While these manly brands cashed in on chest hair and mustaches, Kmart cast a wide, family-centered net. Regardless of the audience, humor is the common denominator.
Bottom Line: Be Edgy.
Campaigns like “Ship My Pants” blur the line between risqué and clever, which earns a blue ribbon for Millennial audiences. Sure, some reviewers are calling it a sophomoric and recycled joke, but Millennials are snort-laughing, hashtagging, and building brand awareness without thinking twice. Who knows, maybe Millennials will start shipping their pants. Marketers should digest these facts and observe, adjust and cater their campaigns to our oddball interests.
Want to chat about marketing to Millennials with Kelly? Connect with Kelly Cooper on LinkedIn, follow her on Twitter @kellyccooper or send her an email at kelly.cooper@rosetta.com.
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