The document discusses characteristics of 16-24 year olds as consumers and donors. It finds that while this age group is more socially minded than previous generations and likely to volunteer time, only 42% participate in charitable giving due to having less disposable income. As the most active group online, digital marketing through social media, influencers, and loyalty programs is essential to engage 16-24 year olds. Messaging needs to be concise and repeated often to grab their attention. Most in this age group relate more to campaigns using real people than celebrities.

1. According to the CAF UK Giving Report (2018), younger people
are more likely to volunteer for charity than donate cash. In
this case, supporters may feel that they’re “donating” their
time and energy as they don’t have the disposable income
available to give financially.
The survey asked whether under-25s are more socially minded
than previous generations. Almost two-thirds – 64% – said they
are. This suggests there is significant willingness among young
people to do more for charities.
16-25 year olds

2. As the first generation to truly come of age during the social
media era, today’s 16-24 year olds are growing up in a digital
goldfish bowl of judgement, distorted reality and distrust,
creating a difficult environment for brands to forge long-term
relationships.
The Internet is the most-used platform for news consumption
among 16-24s

3. Young adults, or
‘millennials’ - those aged
15-24 - are the least
charitable age group: only
42% take part in charitable
giving. As charities may
invest less of their
resources in targeting
young adults because this
group has less money to
give, they are a relatively
untapped market for
charitable actions.
Typically, students and
young adults don’t have
much money to spare.
They certainly have less to
spare compared to the rest
of the population.
However, many have some
to spare, but this is often
overlooked.

4. The youngest consumers are also the most active online. Digital marketing is essential for
reaching this audience because they are constantly plugged in. When targeting this age group,
you should focus your efforts on:
•Social media: According to Envision Creative, 90% of 18 to 29 year-olds use social media. This
is the age group you are most likely to reach on social media platforms like Snapchat and
Instagram. Finding success with Millennials requires keeping up with new social media marketing
trends.
•Influencer marketing: Millennials are also very responsive to influencer marketing. Invest in your
affiliate marketing program by working with content publishers and social media influencers
to grow brand loyalty and increase name recognition.
•Loyalty programs: Young consumers have grown accustomed to sharing their lives on social
media. Consider offering incentives for customers who refer others to your business online. This
approach can be a highly effective form of word-of-mouth. Some companies have even created
representative programs that offer discounted product for social media promotion.

5. When marketing to young adults, you need to make sure your
offer is to the point, and clearly communicated, so even if they
do scroll on, they’ll be able to remember you and refer back to
you. And make sure your simple message is repeated often – the
world of social media runs at the speed of light – you have a split
second to grab their attention so make sure you plan for a strong
pulse of activity.

6. 81% of 16-24s relate to
brand campaigns more if
they use “real” people as
opposed to celebrities or
models. [Youth Trends
Report 2016]

7. A majority of adults 50 and
older (58%) viewed the
large number of refugees
from nations such as Iraq
and Syria as a major threat,
compared with 43% of
those ages 35 to 49 and
just 31% of those younger
than 35.
58% of 16-24-year-old
claim to have an interest
in politics [Voxburner
2015]