I found myself engaged in an interesting debate not too long ago regarding the work ethic of millennials vs. boomers. So of course I hopped right up on my soapbox and grabbed my megaphone! It seems that mine is a fairly unpopular opinion – depending on which generation to whom I’m making my case. In this particular discussion I was engaged with someone on the cusp of the boomer generation, and I was planted firmly on the grounds that Millennials (full disclosure I’m right on the edge of the GenX/Millennial split) are far more capable and advanced than they are given credit for. And based on this premise, they are actually much easier to market to than their predecessors. Obviously, this warrants further explanation but before I make this in to a high-school history assignment, let me try and summarize for a second.
The highlight of my position on Millennials is that they are without question one of the smartest of recent generations. Information has been at their fingertips since birth, and their ability to consume and process that information is astounding – particularly when you consider the pace at which they are able to “compute”. Some of us on the cusp still find multi-tasking a challenge, whereas the skill seems to be genetically coded in the more solidly positioned Millennials. For example, I can type really fast on a keyboard, sometimes faster than I can think of the words which becomes problematic – let’s just say my backspace key is worn out. But admittedly I’m still a bit slower on the smart phone. True Millennials, however, look like Mr. Spock jamming away at the controls of the star ship Enterprise as they manipulate their smartphones with a flutter of thumbs. It’s nothing short of impressive, but it also demonstrates the speed at which they are absorbing the world around them. The implications for marketers are intimidating, yet this generation seems to be much more critical of advertising because they have grown up with it. They won’t ignore the ads, but rather review and critique before moving on at light speed to the next stimulus. On the flip-side, those in Generation X view advertising with a cautious eye as if constantly aware that they are being scammed…resulting in their inclination to ignore it.
And what about the old guard? Well…marketers have wrestled for decades with how to attract Boomers with their messaging. They are both the single biggest buying group and the single toughest to attract…so…regardless of the outcome of the debate, how can anyone - let alone a CPA firm - effectively market across the generations? I believe the answer is fairly clear. Don’t. Baby Boomers are retiring at an accelerated rate and their businesses will soon find their way in to the eager hands of Generation X. Focus on the messaging that drives the young(er) generation and embraces their pace, their capacity for information, and most importantly – their smartphones. They are attention deficit by design and prone to experiential marketing efforts – the kind of stuff that intentionally diverts their attention away from their phones only to pull it back with a connected message. Marketers should genuinely embrace technology…and by “technology” I don’t mean email blasts and a Facebook Page no one manages. I believe we should be thinking next-level stuff, think Minority Report minus the Tom Cruise budget. Let’s focus more on the habits of our new targets and devise ways to get their attention – even if it’s only 3 seconds. For Millennials, 3 seconds is forever. Don’t believe me? Watch a Millennial try and download something…heaven forbid they can’t find LTE or Wi-Fi and have to rely on 3G…ew, gross….
Good luck…but be patient.