What Would a Millennial Do? A Millennial Designed Campaign

As Millennial marketers struggle to create social media campaigns for Millennials, it is worth taking a moment to look at Millennial designed efforts.

Jen Corbett is studying creative advertising at the axis adschool, part of Media Design School in Auckland NZ. I was intrigued by her blog post today which features a team-created campaign responding to a brief to "enhance brand recognition by promoting the unique aspects of Google's “i’m feeling lucky” button. Here's Jen's description of the assignment and the team did to bring it to life:

"The brief required us to develop a film, attach a product and then amplify using strategies to invite involvement. This entire project evolved from a “secret word” brief we were given on Monday afternoon of Day 1. We were asked to develop an idea, storyboard, film, edit and present it that Friday. The emotional theme needed to be concise and effective to deliver the “word” to the viewer within the commercial time limit of 30 seconds. This had to be done without written communication of the word. We then needed to attach a product or service to it and come up with ways to generate interest in the video through amplification. We came up with “I’m Feeling lucky” and created otherbutton.com. The final edit of the video can be viewed below. At 3 weeks since conception, we’re about to wrap up the first segment of this project; but I expect we’ll be called on to evolved and adapt it throughout the year."

As part of this we created:

a youtube account with a channel for related videos

a blog where we posted various images and stories

a live auction on NZ auction site trademe

a strategy to place “I’m feeling Lucky” stickers placed near buttons (lift, pedestrian, atm etc) in the CBD

a facebook group set up to attract followers to website / video

a profile on twitter set up to attract followers to website / video

a concept for flyers “not this button” / “this button”

What I love about this campaign is how it leverages social media to get the message out. I visited each of these sites and the whole effort is striking in several ways:

1. Highly Integrated and Cross referenced: The Twitter feed appears on the blog, the Facebook group invites you to join the twitter feed. Twitter posts feature YouTube videos.

2. Invitational: The blog and facebook group invite you to submit stories of getting lucky, research on luck, adventures inspired by the campaign. I love this story:

"Dear team, after 12 long years, I have been reunited with my first love via the "I'm feeling lucky" button. If it were not for trying my luck with this other button, I would not have found him so easily. He moved all the way to Germany, and I was googling his name about a month ago. He's got a website, and it took me directly to him. If it was not for the button, we would have never reconnected - Rebecca Hobson"

3. Non-commercial: Other than a few pitches to buy "I Feel Lucky merchandise" or stickers, there is no overt sales pitch other than to use the I feel lucky button.

4. Video: Video is integral to the campaign.

5. Upbeat and Fun: The idea is happy and so is the campaign.

Being A Millennial: It's Not That Easy

Found on the Blog: The Perennial Millennial, by Blake Sunshine. I like how Blake reminds us of the danger of stereotypes... not all Millennials are hip or on Twitter, or even want to be!

I know what you are thinking as you read this post’s title: WAH WAHHH being a millennial is sooooo hard. But, what you may not know is that being a part the youngest, smartest and most influential generation comes with heaps of responsibility. Mostly, as a millennial, especially in the work place, you are expected to be perfect. So in order to live up to our name here is some advice for others on what it takes to be a good millennial:

1. You have to know everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. You have to read newspapers, watch tv and follow every blog. You also have to offer business insight with each new article you read and share it with all of the other folks you work with. You have to know old, you have to know new, you have to know it all.

2. You have to be hip. Besides being on the cutting edge of almost every trend in your business area, your coworkers also expect you to be hip. They want to ask you about new songs, celebrities and what Zac Effron was wearing at the Oscars. You have to be hip, even if in your real life you aren’t really hip at all.

3. You have to be online. It’s a pretty safe assumption that as a millennial you know way more about being online than your colleagues. But the real truth is that most millennials could care less about any social networking tool but Facebook. So when people want me to teach them about Twitter or other new online tools I am usually learning about it right before I teach them.

4. You have to pretend it all comes naturally. In addition to the above mentioned difficulties, the hardest part of being a millennial is pretending like it’s easy! And it’s not, trust me.

So next time you see a millennial take it easy on them. Being perfect 24/7 is hard work!

Actually, Blake, you do make it look easy. I did find your blog via Twitter. And who is Zac Effron anyway? But I understand your point. Thanks for sharing.

Resume for Millennial Strategist Position

Scott Kelly wanted to apply for the Millennial Strategist position at IBM. here is the position desscription:

Millennial Strategist description:

This position is to increase the number of IT professionals from the millennial generation actively using developerWorks as their primary source for technical information, community, and learning. This position requires first hand knowledge of the millennial generation, their learning patterns and behaviors, and community preferences as well as an academic background in statistical analysis and marketing to consume market intelligence, combine it with first hand knowledge, and develop marketing plans to recruit and engage this generation of IT professionals in developWorks and get them using IBM technology in their jobs.

Scott created this video in response. Here is his cover letter:

Hello PK, After seeing the Millennial Strategist position, the following question came to mind, "How would a true Millennial Strategist apply for this position?" In answer to that question I have created a Blog entry seeking comments, YouTube video, Tweet on Twitter, LinkedIn Group, and Facebook group. While those channels are powerful in getting my message to you (and the world), the real power is in the public's ability to respond. So in that spirit I invite those who have worked with me to comment on my ability to add value as a Millennial Strategist. I appreciate your feedback.

I think he should get the job, don't you, PK?

Hearing Millennial Voices: Gen Y Marketing Bloggers

I have been meaning to post a list of marketing blogs by Gen Y authors for some time now. But I get so absorbed reading the blogs, that I get sidetracked and write about something else. So here are some of the more interesting Millennial voices I follow, in no particular order:

1. NakedGen Mapping: Heledd Straker and Christopher Lomas, founders Naked Generations, London. Sample: 'Jon Favreu: BoY GENius':

In the struggle to cut costs and grab what little resources are still available, many businesses are tightening their belts and changing their management strategy, from a ‘looser’ style, as preferred by Generation Y, to a more ‘authoritarian’ approach - thereby exerting maximum control relieving the feelings of fear of wasting precious time and money. Jobs have also suddenly dried up for Generation Y: 40% of the predicted three million unemployed at the end of 2009 will be under 25[1]. Does this mean that Gen Y needs to both ‘pipe’ and ‘knuckle down’, at least until the storm has blown over?

2. The Marketing Student: David Fallarme, Student, Ontario Canada. David is a master of clever titles ('Not Part of Geny Y? You're Paying Too Much'). The entries live up to the titles. Sample: 'Gen Y Prefers Crowd Wisdom Over Experts':

The recent news about Bike Hero being fake reminds me that Gen Y has extremely fine-tuned BS detectors — it seems that we think something is even remotely fake, it probably is. It’s almost disillusioning and insulting to think that agencies are continually trying to camouflage adverts. Why pretend to be something? The magic is always lost when you discover something to be a lie, even if it’s just a YouTube video or a funny blog. It’s a very fine line between corporatizing something natural versus being a contributing participant. For brands trying to infiltrate Gen Y and its media, the key factor is, and has always been, sincerity.

3. Ask A Millennial: Adrienne Waldo, 22, New York marketing professional. Sample: 'Dentyne's "Make Face Time" Campaign'.

I am absolutely crazy about the most recent Dentyne campaign.It is fun, warm, unique and targets Millennials without being patronizing. I think the essential goodness of this campaign comes from its genuine nature. It doesn't seem to ostracize any one specific group, which tends to happen more often than not when a campaign is online-themed (I'm thinking of ads that use cyberspeak - of which I am not fluent). I imagine it will resonate equally with two completely opposite groups of people - those who spend a lot of time online, and those who hardly use the web at all. But don't get me wrong, the rest of us love it too. The commercial ties in well with the print. The song selection, "Summer Day" by Coconut Records, comes across pleasantly quirky, the setting is beautiful, and the whole thing leaves me feeling happy (in stark contrast to the Pepsi commercial from yesterday's post). On top of all that, Dentyne designed their web site so that it shuts down after three minutes. It would be a risky move, except they were smart enough to freeze the timer on the product page.Altogether a fantastic campaign.

I also love Adrienne's comments on the Pepsi / Arnell logo flap: 'Breathtaking? I Think Not'

The marketing world is all abuzz about the 27-page document supposedly composed by the designer of the Pepsi logo. Here's what I think: it's among the most ridiculous documents I've ever seen. If it's real (although I'm registered with the "It's Clearly a Fake" party), then Pepsi should have taken the most extreme precautions to be sure it never got leaked to the public. If it's fake, then someone has way to much time on their hands and I feel sorry for them.

Fair warning: These are my picks today. There would have been three or four others, but they seem to have stopped blogging? So catch these voices while you can.

Big News! Millennials Disproportionately Influential

Okay, so it's not big news. The Obama win shows how influential young voters are in politics. Research from Rubicon Consulting group shows how influential they are in marketing. Rubicon's report, "Online Communities and their Impact on Business: Ignore at Your Peril" provides these statistics on just how important they are:

About 80% of the user-generated content on the web, including comments and questions, is created by less than 10% of web users, a group we refer to as the most frequent contributors (MFCs). The rest of the web community sits back and watches the interactions as a mostly-passive audience that only occasionally injects a few comments"

Half of all MFCs are under the age of 22.

MFC's look a lot like Millennials: They're more ethnically diverse; more technically skilled; more likely to be single; more likely to work in technology, entertainment, or communication companies; and more likely to be Democrats.

The Rubicon report emphasizes that far from being a problem to be solved, the fact that most web communities are dominated by a few active voices and a lot more 'voyeurs' is something marketers can leverage by targeting MFC's. There really are influencers - a lot of people are reading the opinions of MFC's and using them in their purchasing decisions across a variety of product categories, especially electronics, vacations, movies, restaurants and jobs. The chart below shows that this is especially true for Millennials. For nearly every category, the influence of online word of mouth is strongest for those 18-22.

Millennial Resources: Gen Y Bloggers

I am not a Millennial. But I know a lot of Millennials. Here are my favorite Millennial authored blogs. Each has a marketing slant that makes it well worth putting in your NetVibes folder or Technorati favorites:

David Fallarme,

www.themarketingstudent.com Sample post: Gen Y will be the Helicopter parents from hell

"Gen Z: don’t even think about lying to your Gen Y parents, we’ll have documented evidence. Of pretty much everything you do."

Sarah Ewing, www.adage.com/gennext

Sample post: Political Advertising Should Be Held to Higher Standards

"Using the same logic that regulates the rest of the advertising industry, why should these campaigns not be regulated?"

Michael Girts, www.adage.com/gennext

Sample post: View from the Inside: Part I

I like to tell people that they gave me a corner office. It's my clever way of saying I sit in the corner. At the end of the hallway. In a makeshift cubicle. Using an in-store display featuring the Incredible Hulk. That's right, it's just me and the Hulk crammed at the end of the hallway. It's okay.

anastasia, www.ypulse.com Sample Post: 11 take home points from what teens want

"Teens today grew up taking their Keds off at the airport in case of shoe bombs. They had leashes, Baby on Board signs and eat all organic. I call this Teacup Parenting. Marketers need to be aware of how delicate and fragile these teens are. They feel like everything is a big deal and they worry a lot. This is why trust, brand building and authenticity are crucial."

Mindcomet, GenYVooDoo Sample post: Are Execs on point with Millennial Marketing?

"Unsolicited text messages I find a nuisance, but I suppose if I signed up to receive some sort of offer through text message it would be less bothersome."

Jeff Taylor, MillennialMarketer.com

Sample post: Microsoft vs. Apple: Competing for Gen Y's Digital Lifestyle

"I am writing to give you an inside look on how marketing and advertising efforts targeted at Gen-Y are seen by us."

Meet Two Millennials: Sarah and Mike

This week, Ad Age launched a new blogging feature called "GenNext". I am thrilled to report that two of my favorite former Notre Dame MBA students (now grads) are featured bloggers. Sarah Ewing and Michael Girts were both standout students, and are now about to be stars in the blogosphere. Since I nominated them for this gig, I am confident you will find their musings of interest. Here are some excerpts from each of their initial blog entries. I've included links to their Ad Age bios as well. BTW, Both Sarah and Mike are currently in the hunt for marketing jobs.

Sarah Ewing Ad Age Blogger Bio

Top talent seeks a long-term relationship and will partner with companies whose manners reflect a soulmate, like online retailer Zappos.com. In my interview experience with them, the only prices discussed were potential media buys. Our date included an all-expenses paid trip to Vegas, a trip to the "Soul Doctor" (Zappos' personal onsite psychologist and career therapist) and a Polaroid for my personal scrapbook. In the end, I didn't get the job because they were looking for someone with more experience, but had things worked out, I could easily see myself growing old(er) with them (as can other swooning potential employees). To attract top talent, I recommend these behaviors: 1. Don't make me go Dutch. Please pay for interview travel. It indicates financial stability and employee value. 2. Don't speed date. This is a courtship. Get to know me beyond a rote questionnaire. 3. Break up via phone, not silence. Quickly tell me that we are through rather than dragging it out in ambiguity. 4. Value me for me. As an MBA, I know what I'm worth. Although advertising agencies are notorious for paying under industry average, please do not immediately lowball my desired salary. Treat me like a potential partner. Partners require negotiation. Remember: Any company can find employees. But a charming company who uses these manners will almost always get the most striking partners in the employment pool—and keep them, too. Which do you want to be?

Michael Girts Ad Age Blogger Bio

As I write this, I'm 12 weeks into the 10-week internship [with Leo Burnett]. In other words, they've asked me to stick around. I'm thrilled about it. I've worked hard all summer long. I like the people I'm working with, and I'm interested in the work I'm doing. Early in my internship, I asked my supervisor if I could take a shot at writing a case study for an upcoming new business pitch. Rather than wait for someone to teach me the best way to write a case, I asked if I could try it myself and schedule time with her the next day to review and improve the case--or scrap it if need be. Well, I did it well enough that we used the case, and she asked me to write another. And another. And another and eventually, I was the go-to-guy for new case studies. I was meeting one of the business-development team's real needs. And before the internship was over, I had put myself in a position where it was much easier to keep me on, rather than find some new way to replace me. The interns that are still around are the same interns that seemed happiest all summer long. For all the talk about the perks and the freebies, it seems that what people really want out of their internship is real responsibility and legitimate work experience. Those people who sought the opportunity for real work--and subsequently seized that opportunity--are the ones who enjoyed their internships the most. They're also the ones who are still here.