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UK MILLENNIALS REPORT
CONTENTS
_______________________________________________
01
Hello
______________________________________________02
02
Similarities and differences
______________________________________________04
03
Authenticity
______________________________________________06
04
Ethical buying
______________________________________________08
05
Content
______________________________________________10
06
Brand loyalty
______________________________________________12
07
Influencers
______________________________________________15
08
Experiences
______________________________________________16
09
Wellness
______________________________________________18
10
Conclusion
______________________________________________20
| 1 |
01
Inkling worked with Censuswide to carry out a bespoke survey of UK Millennials to
better understand their motivations and behaviour.
With an extensive panel of 69,000 general consumers, Censuswide was able to
target a selection of Millennials, to uncover some engaging results and demonstrate
the emerging trend of the ‘mindful consumer’.
Censuswide typically surveys over a thousand general consumers, with the
intention of adding gravitas to their clients’ PR and marketing campaigns through
the release of pertinent, newsworthy stats. As a targeted demographic, a sample of
Millennials was commissioned by Inkling to uncover emerging trends amongst the
group. The survey revealed differences in results between genders, regions, cities
and even the industry in which the respondent worked.
Censuswide abides by the ESOMAR26 and MRS code, which ensure that their web
communities and databases are fit for purpose, reputable and compensated fairly.
This ensures that results are received positively by journalists and stand up as credible
in the press. Resulting from this, Censuswide’s clients include LinkedIn, KPMG, Coca-
Cola and Virgin amongst a whole host of others, both in the UK and internationally.
CENSUSWIDE
THE FOODIES. THE ‘ME’ GENERATION. THE ‘ALWAYS ON’
GENERATION. LOTS OF LABELS HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO UK
MILLENNIALS, BUT DO WE TRULY KNOW THE ‘REAL’ THEM?
Making up a quarter of the UK population and predicted to hit the 17
million mark by 2019, a broad range of behaviours and beliefs have been
attributed to the 16–34 year old cohort. But, as with any other collective
of people, there are commonalities, differences and misconceptions about
this audience.
For the most part, these perceptions and conclusions have been
extrapolated from American research data and held up as fact for UK
marketeers.
We thought it was important to test some of the key themes and ‘truths’
surrounding Millennials with a 100% UK sample. From creating successful
content to ethical consumption; influencer outreach to the importance of
wellness.
In order to get a nuanced picture of this generation’s hopes, dreams
and attitudes towards life across different geographical regions and life
stages, we commissioned a study with our survey partner Censuswide.
We unearthed a wide array of insights that both reinforced and
challenged our understanding of this audience.
This report has been written to be both informative and concise, so if you
would like any further information on any of the topics covered, please
don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We hope you enjoy the read (and learn something useful along the way).
Thanks
David Proudlock, Strategy Director
| 2 | | 3 |
SIMILARITIES AND
DIFFERENCES
05.
HEALTHCARE IS THEIR BIGGEST CONCERN
The NHS was the issue with the highest concern for UK
Millennials in our survey, with three quarters ranking it
on top. Affordable housing came in next (62%) followed
by the environment and global warming (38%). These
issues emerged higher over others on the list that
included a united Britain and its relationship with the EU,
immigration, tuition fees and local businesses competing
with large corporate chains.
02
08.
LONDON MILLENNIALS CARE AS MUCH AS
SCOTTISH MILLENNIALS ABOUT A UNITED
BRITAIN
Surprisingly, an almost equal percentage of London and
Scottish Millennials ranked ‘Britain staying united’ as being
important to them.
06.
THEY AREN’T WORRIED ABOUT OWNING
A HOUSE
Only a quarter of the respondents said they were worried
about owning a house. This reflects both the prevailing
sharing/renting economy associated with Millennials, as
well as how the average house price in the UK is out of
reach for most of them. This might also indicate a shift
towards the model of preferring renting to ownership, as is
the case in other parts of Europe.
07.
MALE MILLENNIALS ARE MORE
CONCERNED ABOUT SUPPORTING
LOCAL BUSINESSES THAN THEIR FEMALE
COUNTERPARTS
More male Millennials in our survey felt that local
businesses competing with larger corporate chains is an
important issue to them versus female Millennials (28%
versus 19%). Female respondents conversely were more
concerned with the environment and global warming, as
well as Britain’s relationship with the EU.
09.
THEY WANT TO BE REMEMBERED
FOR DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY AND
IMPROVING GENDER AND LGBT EQUALITY
The top three things UK Millennials want their generation
to be remembered for are - the development of
technology (40%), improvement in gender and LGBT
equality (38.5%) and improvement in race relations
(32.5%). Being environmentally responsible came in
fourth place (32%). There is a clear theme of openness
and acceptance of diversity in race, gender and sexual
orientation within this group.
10.
MILLENNIALS DON’T WANT THEIR SOCIAL
NETWORKS TO DEFINE THEIR GENERATION
On the flipside, for a generation who lives on social
networks, only 19.4% of the surveyed UK Millennials
wanted their generation to be remembered for social
networking. There is a gender split at play here as well
– only 14% of female Millennials want their generation to
be remembered for social networking versus their male
counterparts (30.2%).
£
£
£
LET
SELFIE
02.
THE NARCISSISTIC GENERATION TURNS OUT
TO BE AN ACCURATE TAG
Surprisingly, volunteering and making a positive
contribution to their community was at the bottom of the
list for UK Millennials when it came to what would help
them live a happier life.
03.
MENTAL HEALTH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN
PHYSICAL HEALTH
Mental health beats out physical health when it comes to
UK Millennials’ health and wellness with 54% rating mental
health as being of utmost importance versus 47% for
physical health.
04.
YOUNGER MILLENNIALS VALUE ENJOYING
WORK AND HAVING A FAMILY MORE THAN
OLDER ONES
An interesting variation came from the fact that a higher
percentage of younger Millennials (aged 16-24) ranked
enjoying their work/profession and having a family as paths to
happiness when compared to their older counterparts (aged
25-34). This might suggest idealism among the younger lot,
or even a jaded older group.
01.
BEING HEALTHY AND ENJOYING YOUR
WORK IS THE NEW RICH
Being physically and mentally healthy topped the list
(77%) for UK Millennials when asked what would most
help them live a happier, more fulfilled life. Enjoying
their work and profession ranked higher than having
friends and an active social circle. Having a family ranked
lower (46%), as did being wealthy (41%), in comparison.
Lumping any demographic into one box has
inherent dangers. Although certain common
characteristics have emerged about the
millennials in the UK, on the flip side, there
are some interesting differences that are
worth noting. Here are our top ten findings:
| 4 | | 5 |
CASE STUDY
AUTHENTICITY
MILLENNIALS AND BRANDS
Millennials are not averse to advertising – they just don’t want marketing
to exploit them with gimmicks and rhetoric. So if authenticity is the key
currency for this demographic, we wanted to delve further into what this
entailed in terms of brand attributes and actions.
We explored the various aspects of what makes a brand authentic to this
audience. It turns out that over half (55.2%) of the surveyed Millennials ranked
brands that stood for high quality as being the most authentic. This was
followed by brands that talked to them like a real person (44%) and brands
that made enjoyable and relatable advertising and content (35%).
Co-creation also seems to be on the agenda. Brands that involved this
audience in creating their products and asked for their feedback came in at
a close fourth when looking at authenticity (34%).
“A LOT OF BRANDS SAY THEY WANT TO BE EDGY AND
AUTHENTIC, BUT BY THE TIME THEY GET INTO WHAT EDGY
IS GOING TO ENTAIL, THEY GET NERVOUS ABOUT ANYTHING
THAT’S NOT MAINSTREAM. BUT THE REALITY IS THAT VERY
FEW BRANDS WANT TO DO RISKY STUFF. WHILE SOME ARE
DARING, OTHERS ARE AVERSE, AND END UP MAKING NOISE
THAT HAS NO REAL CUT-THROUGH AND VALUE WHEN YOU
LOOK BACK AT IT”
MATT ELEK, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF VICE EMEA
Only 29% of the respondents cited a brand’s heritage and history as an
attribute of authenticity. However, if your brand’s biggest asset is its heritage,
it’s not all doom and gloom with this crowd. The good news is, about three
quarters of our survey respondents said that a brand with a long history and
heritage has a positive impact on their purchase decision, with those living in
London the most likely to be positively impacted by a brand’s heritage and
history (82.2%).
03
When the documentary ‘American Made Movie’ highlighted the trend of American
companies sending manufacturing work overseas, a powerful story it featured was
of the footwear brand New Balance bucking the trend and growing its business in
its local factory in Maine. Not only did the heritage story come through in a genuine
way, but it also reflected New Balance’s brand ideals and what it stands for, in the
world of Millennials who were seeing a dip in ‘American-made’ goods around them.
The key point New Balance got right was to share their heritage and philosophy in
a compelling way without making it a history lesson. New Balance also managed
to identify that the sentiment of the demise of manufacturing in the US was their
right to enter the wider cultural conversation, which ensured that their narrative was
relevant and topical to this audience.
NEW BALANCE
44%
SAID BRANDS THAT TALKED TO THEM LIKE
A REAL PERSON SEEMED MORE AUTHENTIC
RANKED BRANDS THAT STOOD FOR HIGH
QUALITY AS BEING THE MOST AUTHENTIC
17%SAY THAT A BRAND WITH A LONG HISTORY
AND HERITAGE HAS A STRONG POSITIVE
IMPACT ON PURCHASE DECISION
55.2%
| 6 | | 7 |
CASE STUDY04
CONSUMPTION VS. IMPACT
From the rise of ethical fast food to brands that champion
human rights, UK Millennials are distinguished by their
propensity to side with brands that are underpinned by ethical
principles.
Chipotle’s award-wining ‘Cultivate’ film identified Millennials’
relationship with their food and how that fits in with their
environment and community-conscious mindset.
Brands need to go beyond offering products and services for
Millennials to buy - they need to make a positive impact on the
world.
From our survey, we found that nearly 70% of the respondents
said that they would consider a brand’s ethics and values
when deciding their purchases. A higher percentage of female
Millennials do not consider a brand’s ethics and values when
making purchase decisions (10.2%) versus male respondents
(8.1%). Eastern England had the maximum number of
respondents who would consider a brand’s ethics and values
when purchasing, followed by London.
Given that Millennials demand authenticity, one caveat is
that you can’t just ‘greenwash’ your way into their minds and
wallets. Being cynical of institutions and messages being
pushed down on them, Millennials will quickly call out a farcical
CSR attempt to earn credibility.
H&M paved the way for making sustainable fashion a part of the Millennials’
wardrobe by launching their H&M Conscious range of clothing made from sustainable
materials. This platform has since grown to include awards and partnerships with
the likes of The Guardian to have a dedicated ‘sustainable fashion hub’ to highlight
sustainability practices. The range also includes collaborations with organisations
such as the WWF as well as music festival ‘swap shops’ where t-shirts were
given away in exchange for old clothes. By proactively choosing to publish the
list of factories that supply up to 95% of its stock, H&M has identified that being
transparent and authentic is the only way to appease the cynical Millennial mind that
knows the difference between a genuine effort versus a PR stunt.
BRAND IMPACT
Ethical buying is here to stay, so it’s important to think also about how you can
create and curate engaging content that encourages an ethical purchase choice.
H&M CONSCIOUS CAMPAIGN
ETHICAL BUYING
70%
OF RESPONDENTS CONSIDER A
BRAND’S ETHICS AND VALUES WHEN
MAKING PURCHASES WHILE...
“IT’S NOT HARD TO MAKE
DECISIONS WHEN YOU KNOW
WHAT YOUR VALUES ARE.”
ROY DISNEY
JUST 10.2% OF FEMALE MILLENNIALS
AND 8.1% MALE RESPONDENTS
DO NOT CONSIDER A BRAND’S
ETHICS AND VALUES WHEN MAKING
PURCHASE DECISIONS
| 8 | | 9 |
CASE STUDY
1. Attitudes to Native Advertising research by Adyoulike, UK 2015
05
News articles still top the list in terms of the type of online
content this audience consumes (76%) which explains
the rise of social networks like Facebook and Twitter
doubling up as news aggregators. UK Millennials also
look to alternative sources for their online media such as
Mashabale, Buzzfeed and Vice, but for all their visibility,
these channels still only account for 6% of how this group
gets their daily dose of news and views. Household names
such as The Guardian and The Telegraph still account for
a major 85% of websites where UK Millennials head to for
news. Trailing behind news is sports content (38%) and
lifestyle articles (24%). Films and music follow.
Written feature articles dominate (32%) the type of
sponsored online content this audience prefers to consume,
followed by list-based articles (24%) as popularised by the
likes of Buzzfeed.
Not surprisingly, videos come in next (17%) followed by
social network posts (13%), blogs (9%) and podcasts (5%). 1
Our survey revealed a hierarchy of platforms when it comes
to where UK Millennials expect their brands to exist.
TV still reigns supreme when it comes to where the
surveyed UK Millennials are most receptive to brands,
topping the list at 68%. Facebook came in at second place
(45.2%), which provides further evidence of the influence
of this social network as a channel for brands’ presence.
Newspapers and traditional media (39%) round off the
top three. Billboards, tube/bus stop advertising and
radio all came above Twitter and Instagram surprisingly,
indicating that other social networks aren’t as strong as
Facebook with this audience versus traditional media
channels. Interestingly, younger Millennials (aged 16-24)
ranked newspapers/traditional media as well as billboards
significantly higher than older Millennials (aged 25-34)
when it came to brand channels.
Millennials from the Midlands and Scotland are more likely
than London Millennials to want their brands to have a
presence on TV, the opposite is true when it comes to
Facebook and Instagram.
60% of UK Millennials will engage with online content
that interests them, even if it’s obvious that it’s been paid
for by a brand. The barrier to reaching this audience is
often the ‘what’ of your messaging itself, not the ‘who’s
selling me something’ and ‘why should I care’ questions,
which are also potential stumbling blocks.
“MILLENNIALS ARE THE FIRST MAJOR GENERATION
THAT HAVE ALMOST ALWAYS HAD THE INTERNET
AND DON’T THINK OF INFORMATION FLOW THE
SAME WAY AS THEIR PARENTS.
BUZZFEED MADE TWO VERY IMPORTANT DECISIONS
EARLY ON: NO DISRUPTIVE MESSAGING (LIKE
BANNER ADS), AND FOCUS ON OPTIMIZING THE
INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF CONTENT, RATHER THAN A
MAJOR DESTINATION. IT’S A SIMPLE, BUT ELEGANT
WAY OF RETHINKING THE WAY STORIES MOVE IN
TODAY’S COMPLICATED MEDIA LANDSCAPE”
JOE PUGLISI, DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE STRATEGY AT BUZZFEED
BRAND NAME
CONTENT
“I DON’T CARE WHO IS SAYING IT,
JUST MAKE IT SNAPPY AND FUN”
One could argue that not every brand has the luxury of selling products meant for
inherently cute and viral-video-friendly creatures, but Purina’s smart content strategy
gave this cat brand a uniquely own-able slice of the content (fish) pie.
Purina partnered with Buzzfeed and utilised popular video channels, Vine and Youtube,
to ensure shareability of their humourous and emotional films.
By focusing on the entertainment value of their content (even letting YouTube creators
remix and make their own versions of their ads), and enforcing a platform agnostic
approach, Purina has provided a blueprint for other brands for leveraging emerging
content platforms and channels.
WATCH WATCH WATCH
DEAR KITTEN BY PURINA X BUZZFEED
| 10 | | 11 |
06
LOYALTY
SERVICE IS KING
Our survey found that UK Millennials would stay most loyal to brands, not in
fact with the best price deals, but actually to the ones who offer them the
best support and service.
A higher percentage of female Millennials said that they’d be loyal to brands
that offer superior customer support and service versus their male peers,
who were much more likely to be loyal to brands that helped make their
daily lives easier (with apps and tips). When it came to differences in age
amongst Millennials, older Millennials (aged 25-34) said that they’d stay
loyal to a brand that was socially and environmentally responsible, versus
younger Millennials (aged 16-24) who would more likely stick with brands
that gave them freebies, and those that helped them achieve their life goals.
So the key takeaway for your brand is to expand your loyalty activations
beyond price-related promotions and look at the bigger role that your brand
has to play in terms of service, support and simplifying Millennials’ lives.
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING BRAND ACTIVITIES ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO
YOU WHEN IT COMES TO INCREASING YOUR LOYALTY FOR THAT BRAND?
KEANEDASALLAVIAFLICKR
CUSTOMER SERVICE
AND SUPPORT
SOCIALLY & ENVIRONMENTALLY
RESPONSIBLE
FREE GIVEAWAYS
12.3%
26.2%
ADVERTISING
HELPS ME TO MAKE MY DAILY
LIFE EASIER (APPS & TIPS)
6%
HELPS ME ACHIEVE MY GOALS
6.7%
RECOMMENDATIONS
8.3%
1.2%
PRICE PROMOTIONS
20.6%20.6%
8.7%
| 12 | | 13 |
07
When it comes to looking for recommendations for what to buy,
a whopping 72% of our survey respondents unsurprisingly turn to
family and friends. This rings true for most consumers cutting across
a wide cross-section of age groups. We also found that Internet
search engines and reviews came second on the list (50%) for places
where UK Millennials look for recommendations. Social networks
(21.4%) and bloggers/experts (20.2%) came in at third and fourth
place respectively, indicating the rise of the knowledge jockeys,
a.k.a. influencers.
Millennials are much more skeptical of celebrity endorsements, being
twice more likely to turn to their colleagues for recommendations
(14%) versus celebrities (7%).
Younger Millennials (aged 16-24) are more likely to look for
recommendations from their family and friends and social networks,
whereas older Millennials (aged 25-34) turn to internet search/
reviews and bloggers/experts for their recommendations, indicating
that the source of trust seems to come from two different places for
these cohorts. Counter-intuitively, older Millennials are more likely
to go with a recommendation from a celebrity versus their younger
(aged 16-24) counterparts.
London Millennials (36%) are more likely to turn to bloggers and
experts for their recommendations (versus 17% national average).
And when it comes to be the most independent-minded buyers,
Millennials from the North-East and South-East of England are least
likely to look for any recommendations at all when considering a
purchase.
What this data indicates to us is that each brand will need to tweak
their targeting strategy when looking at different sub-sections of
this audience (from gender to life stage to geography).
INFLUENCERS
WE KNEW THERE WERE OVER A BILLION
HOW TO SEARCHES FOR HAIRCARE ADVICE
AND HOW TO DEMONSTRATIONS. WOMEN
ALL OVER THE WORLD WERE WANTING TO
DO THEIR HAIR IN CERTAIN STYLES AND
WE PARTNERED WITH VLOGGERS IN KEY
MARKETS TO GENERATE ADVOCACY AND
CREDIBILITY. TO ME IT IS ABOUT QUALITY,
NOT QUANTITY. I WOULD MUCH RATHER
CHOOSE A PARTNER WITH JOURNALISTIC
INTEGRITY AND A CREDIBLE VOICE.”
HEATHER MITCHELL, HEAD OF GLOBAL PR AND SOCIAL MEDIA
FOR HAIRCARE, UNILEVER
“
OLDER MILLENNIALS TURN TO INTERNET
SEARCH/REVIEWS AND BLOGGERS/EXPERTS
FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS
TURN TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHAT TO BUY
72%
RECOMMENDEDRECOMMENDED
| 14 | | 15 |
53%
22.6%
ONLY
08
EXPERIENCES
VALUED MATERIAL GOODS
MORE THAN EXPERIENCES
MEMORIES VS. COMMODITIES
The over-valuing of experiences over possessions for UK Millennials is so
significant that they are thought to be the primary driver of the ‘experience
economy’ with estimates that they spend a whopping £419.5 million
monthly on live events. Over half (53%) of UK Millennials in our survey
would rather spend money on an experience versus a possession (versus
only 22.6% who valued material goods more than experiences).
They’re also putting their money where their mouths are, with 62% of this
audience planning to increase their expenditure on experiences versus
possessions over the next year.
Female Millennials were more likely than their male counterparts (56%
vs. 47%) to value experiences over possessions. An equal number of both
younger and older Millennials (53.2%) did the same.
In terms of cities, Millennials from London and Birmingham were most likely
to over-value experiences, while in Scotland this was true for Edinburgh
Millennials versus Glasgow.
MATERIAL
GOODS
WOULD RATHER SPEND MONEY ON AN
EXPERIENCE VERSUS A POSSESSION
FOMO AND BRAND VALUE
But where is this momentum to over-value experiences over consumerist
urges coming from, for this audience? The answer is the Fear Of Missing
Out (FOMO) effect. 73% of this audience agreed that FOMO is their
primary motivator in seeking out new live experiences and activities. No
doubt, the social media factor of sharing such experiences with the world
is an added draw.
Millennials also care about their personal brand value, and experiences
deliver a higher return on their investment in terms of earning them more
personal brand cred, versus material possessions.
So what does this mean for your brand?
It’s worth first looking at bringing to life what your brand stands for in the
context of this audience, using experiential activations. There are many
considerations when it comes to crafting brand experiences for Millennials
in terms of platforms, collaborations and the ideas themselves that will
deliver the best return on your investment.
When it comes to the types of events that make people feel positively
about brands, music comes up trumps with about 51% of respondents
ranking this on top. Sports (45%) and charity events (42%) come in second
and third respectively. A millennial is twice as likely to fundraise through an
event than a Baby Boomer, so integrating a charitable component to your
event will go a long way to drive uptake.
“WE KNOW FROM OUR RESEARCH THAT ENGAGING
IN EXPERIENCE HELPS MILLENNIALS FORM A SENSE
OF IDENTITY, DIFFERENTLY FROM HOW OTHER
GENERATIONS DEFINED IDENTITY AT THEIR SAME AGE.”
ERIC MEYERSON, HEAD OF CONSUMER INSIGHTS AT EVENTBRITE
2. Ipsos and Eventbrite UK Study, Dec 2014
EVARINALDIVIAFLICKR
| 16 | | 17 |
WELLNESS
MILLENNIALS AND WELLNESS
No other demographic is striving to achieve healthy living more than the
Millennials in the UK. From quinoa burgers in street food vans, to the success
of the meditation app, Headspace, UK Millennials are taking a more holistic
approach to their health and wellbeing by recognising that their wellness isn’t
only about working out in the gym and eating right.
In our survey, mental health topped physical health when it comes to UK
Millennials’ health and wellness with 54% rating mental health as being of
utmost importance versus 47% for physical health. Vice UK featured a week long
editorial focus on mental health called ‘The Vice Guide to Mental Health’ in April
2015, which explored this aspect of wellness from a distinctly Millennial lens,
with pieces on the effects of recreational drugs on mental health, LGBT mental
health and depression among other relevant topics.
Wellness to the Millennial has a hierarchy of elements, with mental health
ranking first on the list of importance, followed by physical health, an active
social life and finally spiritual wellbeing. Female Millennials ranked an active
social life and spiritual wellbeing as being more important.
From the burgeoning mind training and cognitive performance improvement
market, to the emergence of zen meditation apps that aim to increase positivity,
tech is now increasingly being used by Millennials to help bridge gaps in all
areas of their overall wellness and bump up happiness levels (and not just to
count calories). This resonates with as much as 68% of the UK Millennials in
our survey, who felt that technology will play a bigger role in their health and
wellness in the future than it does at present (23% felt that this would be a
significantly bigger role versus present). Technology that comes to mind to this
audience regarding their health and wellness is restricted to apps and wearables;
but does not extend to search engines, online forums and communities, which
were relegated to the bottom half of the list.
Enemies to wellness such as lack of time and willpower that sabotage
Millennials’ aspirational health goals are a great opportunity for brands to
intervene and help them along.
09
MILLENNIALS, AS DIGITAL NATIVES, KNOW
BETTER THAN MOST HOW CONSTANT CONNECTION
TO TECHNOLOGY CAN BE ALL CONSUMING AND
EXHAUSTING. NOT SURPRISINGLY THEY FIND
RELIEF IN TRADITIONAL WAYS LIKE DETOXING,
MEDITATING AND RETREATING IN NATURE. AND APP
DEVELOPERS HAVE RUSHED TO PROVIDE DIGITAL
VERSIONS OF THESE EXPERIENCES TO SATISFY
THIS GROWING DEMAND”
MICHAEL TOWNSEND WILLIAMS, MINDFULNESS SPEAKER
AND CREATOR OF THE BREATHE SYNC BIOFEEDBACK APP
“
OF THE UK MILLENNIALS FELT THAT
TECHNOLOGY WILL PLAY A BIGGER ROLE
IN THEIR HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN THE
FUTURE THAN IT DOES AT PRESENT
RATE MENTAL HEALTH AS BEING
OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE VERSUS
47% FOR PHYSICAL HEALTH
54 PERCENT
| 18 | | 19 |
10
MARKETING TO THE YOUNG HAS NEVER BEEN EASY. YOUNG
PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS HAD AN INNATE ABILITY TO SNIFF
OUT INSINCERITY. BRANDS THAT ATTEMPT TO CYNICALLY
APE THEIR STYLE WITHOUT MAKING A MEANINGFUL
CONTRIBUTION TO THEIR LIVES ARE DESTINED TO FAIL.
With Millennials, this is especially true – and as they’re constantly
connected through ever evolving technologies, a misstep can be fatal.
At Inkling, we’re attuned to the delicate cadences of millennial marketing
where our approach is never built on lazy conclusions and ‘the way we
have always done it’.
Success comes from a true understanding of the nuances surrounding, not
only ‘Millennials’ as a whole, but the communities in which they exist, where
they frequently flit between personalities and roles.
Brands must commit to adding value to these communities in order to
build effective brands and campaigns. Formerly ‘non-traditional’ channels
have now stepped out of the shadows to become the present and the
future of your Millennial marketing plan.
If you would like help reaching this audience, we would love to have a chat
– we do a good line in biscuits.
Thanks and we hope you enjoyed the report
Team Inkling
RUDIMENTALATLEAKESTREETTUNNELS,
PARTOFBACARDIBEGINNINGS,INKLING
| 20 |
ON AVERAGE
2X OVER KPIS
AVERAGE FROM 62 KPIS
AGREED WITH CLIENTS
IN ADVANCE
EMAIL HELLO@THISISINKLING.COM PHONE 02076090562 WEBSITE THISISINKLING.COM

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Inkling - UK Millennials Report

  • 2. CONTENTS _______________________________________________ 01 Hello ______________________________________________02 02 Similarities and differences ______________________________________________04 03 Authenticity ______________________________________________06 04 Ethical buying ______________________________________________08 05 Content ______________________________________________10 06 Brand loyalty ______________________________________________12 07 Influencers ______________________________________________15 08 Experiences ______________________________________________16 09 Wellness ______________________________________________18 10 Conclusion ______________________________________________20 | 1 |
  • 3. 01 Inkling worked with Censuswide to carry out a bespoke survey of UK Millennials to better understand their motivations and behaviour. With an extensive panel of 69,000 general consumers, Censuswide was able to target a selection of Millennials, to uncover some engaging results and demonstrate the emerging trend of the ‘mindful consumer’. Censuswide typically surveys over a thousand general consumers, with the intention of adding gravitas to their clients’ PR and marketing campaigns through the release of pertinent, newsworthy stats. As a targeted demographic, a sample of Millennials was commissioned by Inkling to uncover emerging trends amongst the group. The survey revealed differences in results between genders, regions, cities and even the industry in which the respondent worked. Censuswide abides by the ESOMAR26 and MRS code, which ensure that their web communities and databases are fit for purpose, reputable and compensated fairly. This ensures that results are received positively by journalists and stand up as credible in the press. Resulting from this, Censuswide’s clients include LinkedIn, KPMG, Coca- Cola and Virgin amongst a whole host of others, both in the UK and internationally. CENSUSWIDE THE FOODIES. THE ‘ME’ GENERATION. THE ‘ALWAYS ON’ GENERATION. LOTS OF LABELS HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO UK MILLENNIALS, BUT DO WE TRULY KNOW THE ‘REAL’ THEM? Making up a quarter of the UK population and predicted to hit the 17 million mark by 2019, a broad range of behaviours and beliefs have been attributed to the 16–34 year old cohort. But, as with any other collective of people, there are commonalities, differences and misconceptions about this audience. For the most part, these perceptions and conclusions have been extrapolated from American research data and held up as fact for UK marketeers. We thought it was important to test some of the key themes and ‘truths’ surrounding Millennials with a 100% UK sample. From creating successful content to ethical consumption; influencer outreach to the importance of wellness. In order to get a nuanced picture of this generation’s hopes, dreams and attitudes towards life across different geographical regions and life stages, we commissioned a study with our survey partner Censuswide. We unearthed a wide array of insights that both reinforced and challenged our understanding of this audience. This report has been written to be both informative and concise, so if you would like any further information on any of the topics covered, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We hope you enjoy the read (and learn something useful along the way). Thanks David Proudlock, Strategy Director | 2 | | 3 |
  • 4. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES 05. HEALTHCARE IS THEIR BIGGEST CONCERN The NHS was the issue with the highest concern for UK Millennials in our survey, with three quarters ranking it on top. Affordable housing came in next (62%) followed by the environment and global warming (38%). These issues emerged higher over others on the list that included a united Britain and its relationship with the EU, immigration, tuition fees and local businesses competing with large corporate chains. 02 08. LONDON MILLENNIALS CARE AS MUCH AS SCOTTISH MILLENNIALS ABOUT A UNITED BRITAIN Surprisingly, an almost equal percentage of London and Scottish Millennials ranked ‘Britain staying united’ as being important to them. 06. THEY AREN’T WORRIED ABOUT OWNING A HOUSE Only a quarter of the respondents said they were worried about owning a house. This reflects both the prevailing sharing/renting economy associated with Millennials, as well as how the average house price in the UK is out of reach for most of them. This might also indicate a shift towards the model of preferring renting to ownership, as is the case in other parts of Europe. 07. MALE MILLENNIALS ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES THAN THEIR FEMALE COUNTERPARTS More male Millennials in our survey felt that local businesses competing with larger corporate chains is an important issue to them versus female Millennials (28% versus 19%). Female respondents conversely were more concerned with the environment and global warming, as well as Britain’s relationship with the EU. 09. THEY WANT TO BE REMEMBERED FOR DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY AND IMPROVING GENDER AND LGBT EQUALITY The top three things UK Millennials want their generation to be remembered for are - the development of technology (40%), improvement in gender and LGBT equality (38.5%) and improvement in race relations (32.5%). Being environmentally responsible came in fourth place (32%). There is a clear theme of openness and acceptance of diversity in race, gender and sexual orientation within this group. 10. MILLENNIALS DON’T WANT THEIR SOCIAL NETWORKS TO DEFINE THEIR GENERATION On the flipside, for a generation who lives on social networks, only 19.4% of the surveyed UK Millennials wanted their generation to be remembered for social networking. There is a gender split at play here as well – only 14% of female Millennials want their generation to be remembered for social networking versus their male counterparts (30.2%). £ £ £ LET SELFIE 02. THE NARCISSISTIC GENERATION TURNS OUT TO BE AN ACCURATE TAG Surprisingly, volunteering and making a positive contribution to their community was at the bottom of the list for UK Millennials when it came to what would help them live a happier life. 03. MENTAL HEALTH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PHYSICAL HEALTH Mental health beats out physical health when it comes to UK Millennials’ health and wellness with 54% rating mental health as being of utmost importance versus 47% for physical health. 04. YOUNGER MILLENNIALS VALUE ENJOYING WORK AND HAVING A FAMILY MORE THAN OLDER ONES An interesting variation came from the fact that a higher percentage of younger Millennials (aged 16-24) ranked enjoying their work/profession and having a family as paths to happiness when compared to their older counterparts (aged 25-34). This might suggest idealism among the younger lot, or even a jaded older group. 01. BEING HEALTHY AND ENJOYING YOUR WORK IS THE NEW RICH Being physically and mentally healthy topped the list (77%) for UK Millennials when asked what would most help them live a happier, more fulfilled life. Enjoying their work and profession ranked higher than having friends and an active social circle. Having a family ranked lower (46%), as did being wealthy (41%), in comparison. Lumping any demographic into one box has inherent dangers. Although certain common characteristics have emerged about the millennials in the UK, on the flip side, there are some interesting differences that are worth noting. Here are our top ten findings: | 4 | | 5 |
  • 5. CASE STUDY AUTHENTICITY MILLENNIALS AND BRANDS Millennials are not averse to advertising – they just don’t want marketing to exploit them with gimmicks and rhetoric. So if authenticity is the key currency for this demographic, we wanted to delve further into what this entailed in terms of brand attributes and actions. We explored the various aspects of what makes a brand authentic to this audience. It turns out that over half (55.2%) of the surveyed Millennials ranked brands that stood for high quality as being the most authentic. This was followed by brands that talked to them like a real person (44%) and brands that made enjoyable and relatable advertising and content (35%). Co-creation also seems to be on the agenda. Brands that involved this audience in creating their products and asked for their feedback came in at a close fourth when looking at authenticity (34%). “A LOT OF BRANDS SAY THEY WANT TO BE EDGY AND AUTHENTIC, BUT BY THE TIME THEY GET INTO WHAT EDGY IS GOING TO ENTAIL, THEY GET NERVOUS ABOUT ANYTHING THAT’S NOT MAINSTREAM. BUT THE REALITY IS THAT VERY FEW BRANDS WANT TO DO RISKY STUFF. WHILE SOME ARE DARING, OTHERS ARE AVERSE, AND END UP MAKING NOISE THAT HAS NO REAL CUT-THROUGH AND VALUE WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT IT” MATT ELEK, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF VICE EMEA Only 29% of the respondents cited a brand’s heritage and history as an attribute of authenticity. However, if your brand’s biggest asset is its heritage, it’s not all doom and gloom with this crowd. The good news is, about three quarters of our survey respondents said that a brand with a long history and heritage has a positive impact on their purchase decision, with those living in London the most likely to be positively impacted by a brand’s heritage and history (82.2%). 03 When the documentary ‘American Made Movie’ highlighted the trend of American companies sending manufacturing work overseas, a powerful story it featured was of the footwear brand New Balance bucking the trend and growing its business in its local factory in Maine. Not only did the heritage story come through in a genuine way, but it also reflected New Balance’s brand ideals and what it stands for, in the world of Millennials who were seeing a dip in ‘American-made’ goods around them. The key point New Balance got right was to share their heritage and philosophy in a compelling way without making it a history lesson. New Balance also managed to identify that the sentiment of the demise of manufacturing in the US was their right to enter the wider cultural conversation, which ensured that their narrative was relevant and topical to this audience. NEW BALANCE 44% SAID BRANDS THAT TALKED TO THEM LIKE A REAL PERSON SEEMED MORE AUTHENTIC RANKED BRANDS THAT STOOD FOR HIGH QUALITY AS BEING THE MOST AUTHENTIC 17%SAY THAT A BRAND WITH A LONG HISTORY AND HERITAGE HAS A STRONG POSITIVE IMPACT ON PURCHASE DECISION 55.2% | 6 | | 7 |
  • 6. CASE STUDY04 CONSUMPTION VS. IMPACT From the rise of ethical fast food to brands that champion human rights, UK Millennials are distinguished by their propensity to side with brands that are underpinned by ethical principles. Chipotle’s award-wining ‘Cultivate’ film identified Millennials’ relationship with their food and how that fits in with their environment and community-conscious mindset. Brands need to go beyond offering products and services for Millennials to buy - they need to make a positive impact on the world. From our survey, we found that nearly 70% of the respondents said that they would consider a brand’s ethics and values when deciding their purchases. A higher percentage of female Millennials do not consider a brand’s ethics and values when making purchase decisions (10.2%) versus male respondents (8.1%). Eastern England had the maximum number of respondents who would consider a brand’s ethics and values when purchasing, followed by London. Given that Millennials demand authenticity, one caveat is that you can’t just ‘greenwash’ your way into their minds and wallets. Being cynical of institutions and messages being pushed down on them, Millennials will quickly call out a farcical CSR attempt to earn credibility. H&M paved the way for making sustainable fashion a part of the Millennials’ wardrobe by launching their H&M Conscious range of clothing made from sustainable materials. This platform has since grown to include awards and partnerships with the likes of The Guardian to have a dedicated ‘sustainable fashion hub’ to highlight sustainability practices. The range also includes collaborations with organisations such as the WWF as well as music festival ‘swap shops’ where t-shirts were given away in exchange for old clothes. By proactively choosing to publish the list of factories that supply up to 95% of its stock, H&M has identified that being transparent and authentic is the only way to appease the cynical Millennial mind that knows the difference between a genuine effort versus a PR stunt. BRAND IMPACT Ethical buying is here to stay, so it’s important to think also about how you can create and curate engaging content that encourages an ethical purchase choice. H&M CONSCIOUS CAMPAIGN ETHICAL BUYING 70% OF RESPONDENTS CONSIDER A BRAND’S ETHICS AND VALUES WHEN MAKING PURCHASES WHILE... “IT’S NOT HARD TO MAKE DECISIONS WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR VALUES ARE.” ROY DISNEY JUST 10.2% OF FEMALE MILLENNIALS AND 8.1% MALE RESPONDENTS DO NOT CONSIDER A BRAND’S ETHICS AND VALUES WHEN MAKING PURCHASE DECISIONS | 8 | | 9 |
  • 7. CASE STUDY 1. Attitudes to Native Advertising research by Adyoulike, UK 2015 05 News articles still top the list in terms of the type of online content this audience consumes (76%) which explains the rise of social networks like Facebook and Twitter doubling up as news aggregators. UK Millennials also look to alternative sources for their online media such as Mashabale, Buzzfeed and Vice, but for all their visibility, these channels still only account for 6% of how this group gets their daily dose of news and views. Household names such as The Guardian and The Telegraph still account for a major 85% of websites where UK Millennials head to for news. Trailing behind news is sports content (38%) and lifestyle articles (24%). Films and music follow. Written feature articles dominate (32%) the type of sponsored online content this audience prefers to consume, followed by list-based articles (24%) as popularised by the likes of Buzzfeed. Not surprisingly, videos come in next (17%) followed by social network posts (13%), blogs (9%) and podcasts (5%). 1 Our survey revealed a hierarchy of platforms when it comes to where UK Millennials expect their brands to exist. TV still reigns supreme when it comes to where the surveyed UK Millennials are most receptive to brands, topping the list at 68%. Facebook came in at second place (45.2%), which provides further evidence of the influence of this social network as a channel for brands’ presence. Newspapers and traditional media (39%) round off the top three. Billboards, tube/bus stop advertising and radio all came above Twitter and Instagram surprisingly, indicating that other social networks aren’t as strong as Facebook with this audience versus traditional media channels. Interestingly, younger Millennials (aged 16-24) ranked newspapers/traditional media as well as billboards significantly higher than older Millennials (aged 25-34) when it came to brand channels. Millennials from the Midlands and Scotland are more likely than London Millennials to want their brands to have a presence on TV, the opposite is true when it comes to Facebook and Instagram. 60% of UK Millennials will engage with online content that interests them, even if it’s obvious that it’s been paid for by a brand. The barrier to reaching this audience is often the ‘what’ of your messaging itself, not the ‘who’s selling me something’ and ‘why should I care’ questions, which are also potential stumbling blocks. “MILLENNIALS ARE THE FIRST MAJOR GENERATION THAT HAVE ALMOST ALWAYS HAD THE INTERNET AND DON’T THINK OF INFORMATION FLOW THE SAME WAY AS THEIR PARENTS. BUZZFEED MADE TWO VERY IMPORTANT DECISIONS EARLY ON: NO DISRUPTIVE MESSAGING (LIKE BANNER ADS), AND FOCUS ON OPTIMIZING THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF CONTENT, RATHER THAN A MAJOR DESTINATION. IT’S A SIMPLE, BUT ELEGANT WAY OF RETHINKING THE WAY STORIES MOVE IN TODAY’S COMPLICATED MEDIA LANDSCAPE” JOE PUGLISI, DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE STRATEGY AT BUZZFEED BRAND NAME CONTENT “I DON’T CARE WHO IS SAYING IT, JUST MAKE IT SNAPPY AND FUN” One could argue that not every brand has the luxury of selling products meant for inherently cute and viral-video-friendly creatures, but Purina’s smart content strategy gave this cat brand a uniquely own-able slice of the content (fish) pie. Purina partnered with Buzzfeed and utilised popular video channels, Vine and Youtube, to ensure shareability of their humourous and emotional films. By focusing on the entertainment value of their content (even letting YouTube creators remix and make their own versions of their ads), and enforcing a platform agnostic approach, Purina has provided a blueprint for other brands for leveraging emerging content platforms and channels. WATCH WATCH WATCH DEAR KITTEN BY PURINA X BUZZFEED | 10 | | 11 |
  • 8. 06 LOYALTY SERVICE IS KING Our survey found that UK Millennials would stay most loyal to brands, not in fact with the best price deals, but actually to the ones who offer them the best support and service. A higher percentage of female Millennials said that they’d be loyal to brands that offer superior customer support and service versus their male peers, who were much more likely to be loyal to brands that helped make their daily lives easier (with apps and tips). When it came to differences in age amongst Millennials, older Millennials (aged 25-34) said that they’d stay loyal to a brand that was socially and environmentally responsible, versus younger Millennials (aged 16-24) who would more likely stick with brands that gave them freebies, and those that helped them achieve their life goals. So the key takeaway for your brand is to expand your loyalty activations beyond price-related promotions and look at the bigger role that your brand has to play in terms of service, support and simplifying Millennials’ lives. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING BRAND ACTIVITIES ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU WHEN IT COMES TO INCREASING YOUR LOYALTY FOR THAT BRAND? KEANEDASALLAVIAFLICKR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUPPORT SOCIALLY & ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE FREE GIVEAWAYS 12.3% 26.2% ADVERTISING HELPS ME TO MAKE MY DAILY LIFE EASIER (APPS & TIPS) 6% HELPS ME ACHIEVE MY GOALS 6.7% RECOMMENDATIONS 8.3% 1.2% PRICE PROMOTIONS 20.6%20.6% 8.7% | 12 | | 13 |
  • 9. 07 When it comes to looking for recommendations for what to buy, a whopping 72% of our survey respondents unsurprisingly turn to family and friends. This rings true for most consumers cutting across a wide cross-section of age groups. We also found that Internet search engines and reviews came second on the list (50%) for places where UK Millennials look for recommendations. Social networks (21.4%) and bloggers/experts (20.2%) came in at third and fourth place respectively, indicating the rise of the knowledge jockeys, a.k.a. influencers. Millennials are much more skeptical of celebrity endorsements, being twice more likely to turn to their colleagues for recommendations (14%) versus celebrities (7%). Younger Millennials (aged 16-24) are more likely to look for recommendations from their family and friends and social networks, whereas older Millennials (aged 25-34) turn to internet search/ reviews and bloggers/experts for their recommendations, indicating that the source of trust seems to come from two different places for these cohorts. Counter-intuitively, older Millennials are more likely to go with a recommendation from a celebrity versus their younger (aged 16-24) counterparts. London Millennials (36%) are more likely to turn to bloggers and experts for their recommendations (versus 17% national average). And when it comes to be the most independent-minded buyers, Millennials from the North-East and South-East of England are least likely to look for any recommendations at all when considering a purchase. What this data indicates to us is that each brand will need to tweak their targeting strategy when looking at different sub-sections of this audience (from gender to life stage to geography). INFLUENCERS WE KNEW THERE WERE OVER A BILLION HOW TO SEARCHES FOR HAIRCARE ADVICE AND HOW TO DEMONSTRATIONS. WOMEN ALL OVER THE WORLD WERE WANTING TO DO THEIR HAIR IN CERTAIN STYLES AND WE PARTNERED WITH VLOGGERS IN KEY MARKETS TO GENERATE ADVOCACY AND CREDIBILITY. TO ME IT IS ABOUT QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY. I WOULD MUCH RATHER CHOOSE A PARTNER WITH JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY AND A CREDIBLE VOICE.” HEATHER MITCHELL, HEAD OF GLOBAL PR AND SOCIAL MEDIA FOR HAIRCARE, UNILEVER “ OLDER MILLENNIALS TURN TO INTERNET SEARCH/REVIEWS AND BLOGGERS/EXPERTS FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TURN TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHAT TO BUY 72% RECOMMENDEDRECOMMENDED | 14 | | 15 |
  • 10. 53% 22.6% ONLY 08 EXPERIENCES VALUED MATERIAL GOODS MORE THAN EXPERIENCES MEMORIES VS. COMMODITIES The over-valuing of experiences over possessions for UK Millennials is so significant that they are thought to be the primary driver of the ‘experience economy’ with estimates that they spend a whopping £419.5 million monthly on live events. Over half (53%) of UK Millennials in our survey would rather spend money on an experience versus a possession (versus only 22.6% who valued material goods more than experiences). They’re also putting their money where their mouths are, with 62% of this audience planning to increase their expenditure on experiences versus possessions over the next year. Female Millennials were more likely than their male counterparts (56% vs. 47%) to value experiences over possessions. An equal number of both younger and older Millennials (53.2%) did the same. In terms of cities, Millennials from London and Birmingham were most likely to over-value experiences, while in Scotland this was true for Edinburgh Millennials versus Glasgow. MATERIAL GOODS WOULD RATHER SPEND MONEY ON AN EXPERIENCE VERSUS A POSSESSION FOMO AND BRAND VALUE But where is this momentum to over-value experiences over consumerist urges coming from, for this audience? The answer is the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) effect. 73% of this audience agreed that FOMO is their primary motivator in seeking out new live experiences and activities. No doubt, the social media factor of sharing such experiences with the world is an added draw. Millennials also care about their personal brand value, and experiences deliver a higher return on their investment in terms of earning them more personal brand cred, versus material possessions. So what does this mean for your brand? It’s worth first looking at bringing to life what your brand stands for in the context of this audience, using experiential activations. There are many considerations when it comes to crafting brand experiences for Millennials in terms of platforms, collaborations and the ideas themselves that will deliver the best return on your investment. When it comes to the types of events that make people feel positively about brands, music comes up trumps with about 51% of respondents ranking this on top. Sports (45%) and charity events (42%) come in second and third respectively. A millennial is twice as likely to fundraise through an event than a Baby Boomer, so integrating a charitable component to your event will go a long way to drive uptake. “WE KNOW FROM OUR RESEARCH THAT ENGAGING IN EXPERIENCE HELPS MILLENNIALS FORM A SENSE OF IDENTITY, DIFFERENTLY FROM HOW OTHER GENERATIONS DEFINED IDENTITY AT THEIR SAME AGE.” ERIC MEYERSON, HEAD OF CONSUMER INSIGHTS AT EVENTBRITE 2. Ipsos and Eventbrite UK Study, Dec 2014 EVARINALDIVIAFLICKR | 16 | | 17 |
  • 11. WELLNESS MILLENNIALS AND WELLNESS No other demographic is striving to achieve healthy living more than the Millennials in the UK. From quinoa burgers in street food vans, to the success of the meditation app, Headspace, UK Millennials are taking a more holistic approach to their health and wellbeing by recognising that their wellness isn’t only about working out in the gym and eating right. In our survey, mental health topped physical health when it comes to UK Millennials’ health and wellness with 54% rating mental health as being of utmost importance versus 47% for physical health. Vice UK featured a week long editorial focus on mental health called ‘The Vice Guide to Mental Health’ in April 2015, which explored this aspect of wellness from a distinctly Millennial lens, with pieces on the effects of recreational drugs on mental health, LGBT mental health and depression among other relevant topics. Wellness to the Millennial has a hierarchy of elements, with mental health ranking first on the list of importance, followed by physical health, an active social life and finally spiritual wellbeing. Female Millennials ranked an active social life and spiritual wellbeing as being more important. From the burgeoning mind training and cognitive performance improvement market, to the emergence of zen meditation apps that aim to increase positivity, tech is now increasingly being used by Millennials to help bridge gaps in all areas of their overall wellness and bump up happiness levels (and not just to count calories). This resonates with as much as 68% of the UK Millennials in our survey, who felt that technology will play a bigger role in their health and wellness in the future than it does at present (23% felt that this would be a significantly bigger role versus present). Technology that comes to mind to this audience regarding their health and wellness is restricted to apps and wearables; but does not extend to search engines, online forums and communities, which were relegated to the bottom half of the list. Enemies to wellness such as lack of time and willpower that sabotage Millennials’ aspirational health goals are a great opportunity for brands to intervene and help them along. 09 MILLENNIALS, AS DIGITAL NATIVES, KNOW BETTER THAN MOST HOW CONSTANT CONNECTION TO TECHNOLOGY CAN BE ALL CONSUMING AND EXHAUSTING. NOT SURPRISINGLY THEY FIND RELIEF IN TRADITIONAL WAYS LIKE DETOXING, MEDITATING AND RETREATING IN NATURE. AND APP DEVELOPERS HAVE RUSHED TO PROVIDE DIGITAL VERSIONS OF THESE EXPERIENCES TO SATISFY THIS GROWING DEMAND” MICHAEL TOWNSEND WILLIAMS, MINDFULNESS SPEAKER AND CREATOR OF THE BREATHE SYNC BIOFEEDBACK APP “ OF THE UK MILLENNIALS FELT THAT TECHNOLOGY WILL PLAY A BIGGER ROLE IN THEIR HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN THE FUTURE THAN IT DOES AT PRESENT RATE MENTAL HEALTH AS BEING OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE VERSUS 47% FOR PHYSICAL HEALTH 54 PERCENT | 18 | | 19 |
  • 12. 10 MARKETING TO THE YOUNG HAS NEVER BEEN EASY. YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS HAD AN INNATE ABILITY TO SNIFF OUT INSINCERITY. BRANDS THAT ATTEMPT TO CYNICALLY APE THEIR STYLE WITHOUT MAKING A MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION TO THEIR LIVES ARE DESTINED TO FAIL. With Millennials, this is especially true – and as they’re constantly connected through ever evolving technologies, a misstep can be fatal. At Inkling, we’re attuned to the delicate cadences of millennial marketing where our approach is never built on lazy conclusions and ‘the way we have always done it’. Success comes from a true understanding of the nuances surrounding, not only ‘Millennials’ as a whole, but the communities in which they exist, where they frequently flit between personalities and roles. Brands must commit to adding value to these communities in order to build effective brands and campaigns. Formerly ‘non-traditional’ channels have now stepped out of the shadows to become the present and the future of your Millennial marketing plan. If you would like help reaching this audience, we would love to have a chat – we do a good line in biscuits. Thanks and we hope you enjoyed the report Team Inkling RUDIMENTALATLEAKESTREETTUNNELS, PARTOFBACARDIBEGINNINGS,INKLING | 20 | ON AVERAGE 2X OVER KPIS AVERAGE FROM 62 KPIS AGREED WITH CLIENTS IN ADVANCE
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