This week Charles Schab and VW announced programs targeted to younger audiences. Gen X and Gen Y represents a new, and potentially deep, river of new customers for each of these brands. Will these campaigns have Millennial appeal? Let's look closer.
Schwab:
"We're trying to cater to these guys in ways that no one's catered to them before," (Marketing Daily, April 29). "No one's talked to them about the future; [other companies' messages are] mostly about savings and checking." Okay, but, Charles Scwab's microsite, schwabmoneyandmore.com, is indistinguishable from the rest of their Money Talks campaign -- bold graphics, common sense tone. According to their spokesperson, this is intentional. The new twist is a 'peer comparison' tool (right). Here's how it is described:
"...a peer-comparison tool that helps users understand how their financial situations and monetary attitudes shape up against their peers. The site is intended to address the specific financial issues facing people 25-40. After users complete their answers and determine their mindset, they have a printable snapshot of their answers compared with the generation average. The printout also includes suggestions about how to improve their financial picture, which Can says appeals to the generation's "checklist mentality."
"Checklist mentality?" My experience is that Gen Y is not accustomed to thinking of themselves in terms of checklists, and they don't necessarily care how they stack up to their peers. Better for Schwab to have provided tools that emphasized their 'unique' situations, rather than how they are just like everyone else. "Peers" is relatively undefined as people 25-40. What does a 25 year old recent grad have in common with a 35 year old middle manager
with 2 kids? I am not really sure. B-.
VW:
VW also takes an interactive approach by polling site visitors to vw.com/whatthepeoplewant on 666,375 user submitted issues (who knew there were so many?!) such as "whether people like to take the soap and shampoo bottles from hotel rooms; ice cream cones versus cups". (Marketing Daily, 4/30). Results of course are shared. Here's how it's described in the LA Times:
"By clicking onto the website, users are greeted by Max, a classic Beetle (well, KdF Wagen; it was never officially called a Beetle or a Bug) and the “new brand spokesman” [Gorgeous German accented Heidi Klum].
Max will invite them to vote yes or no on various pressing questions of the day and/or suggest polls themselves. They can see the results come up in real time. They can even go there, click that and buy the T-shirt displaying which poll was their idea. Cell phones may also be used to vote."
We give the program a lot of credit for leveraging a range of new media, from banners to text messaging to t-shirts, even live polling through the giant multimedia board in Times Square. Fun? You bet! Millennial friendly? Very. Millennials want to participate and share with their peers. This allows them to connect in an interesting way. Now all they need is a Facebook application! A+
This week Charles Schab and VW announced programs targeted to younger audiences. Gen X and Gen Y represents a new, and potentially deep, river of new customers for each of these brands. Will these campaigns have Millennial appeal? Let's look closer.
Schwab:
"We're trying to cater to these guys in ways that no one's catered to them before," (Marketing Daily, April 29). "No one's talked to them about the future; [other companies' messages are] mostly about savings and checking." Okay, but, Charles Scwab's microsite, schwabmoneyandmore.com, is indistinguishable from the rest of their Money Talks campaign -- bold graphics, common sense tone. According to their spokesperson, this is intentional. The new twist is a 'peer comparison' tool (right). Here's how it is described:
"...a peer-comparison tool that helps users understand how their financial situations and monetary attitudes shape up against their peers. The site is intended to address the specific financial issues facing people 25-40. After users complete their answers and determine their mindset, they have a printable snapshot of their answers compared with the generation average. The printout also includes suggestions about how to improve their financial picture, which Can says appeals to the generation's "checklist mentality."
"Checklist mentality?" My experience is that Gen Y is not accustomed to thinking of themselves in terms of checklists, and they don't necessarily care how they stack up to their peers. Better for Schwab to have provided tools that emphasized their 'unique' situations, rather than how they are just like everyone else. "Peers" is relatively undefined as people 25-40. What does a 25 year old recent grad have in common with a 35 year old middle manager
with 2 kids? I am not really sure. B-.
VW:
VW also takes an interactive approach by polling site visitors to vw.com/whatthepeoplewant on 666,375 user submitted issues (who knew there were so many?!) such as "whether people like to take the soap and shampoo bottles from hotel rooms; ice cream cones versus cups". (Marketing Daily, 4/30). Results of course are shared. Here's how it's described in the LA Times:
"By clicking onto the website, users are greeted by Max, a classic Beetle (well, KdF Wagen; it was never officially called a Beetle or a Bug) and the “new brand spokesman” [Gorgeous German accented Heidi Klum]. Max will invite them to vote yes or no on various pressing questions of the day and/or suggest polls themselves. They can see the results come up in real time. They can even go there, click that and buy the T-shirt displaying which poll was their idea. Cell phones may also be used to vote."
We give the program a lot of credit for leveraging a range of new media, from banners to text messaging to t-shirts, even live polling through the giant multimedia board in Times Square. Fun? You bet! Millennial friendly? Very. Millennials want to participate and share with their peers. This allows them to connect in an interesting way. Now all they need is a Facebook application! A+
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