Buy Cool Stuff, Do Good

Many brands have incorporated social responsibility into their marketing, and this approach is known to influence at least a portion of Millennials. In most cases (Tom's Shoes being an exception), customers are required to DO something -- like recycle their old sweats -- to contribute. With what RetailHitsandMisses blogger, Judy Hopelain, calls 'Millennial perfect pitch', EBAY announced today the launch of a new shopping site, WorldofGood.com, that makes doing good as painless as shopping online. With the tagline, "Where Your Shopping Shapes the World", this new site makes it easy to support whatever cause you like! Want to buy products that are made of eco-friendly materials, support local community services, preserve native plans and native trditions, adhere to fair trade practices, conserve energy and do not harm animals in production? You can find them here. Want to join a community that shares your passion for a cause? EBAY uses its formidable community building skills to make it easy to do just that. There's even a Facebook link and easy way to tell others about WorldofGood.

While WorldofGood will appeal to more than just Millennials, it indeed seems custom made for a generation that has money to spend and seeks to make a difference. Already this site has attracted hundreds of bloggers. We predict that word of mouth will move this site to the forefront of Gen Y's consciousness very quickly.

Millennials: Just Be-Cause

One of the most cherished Millennial values is 'making a difference'. This makes cause marketing a natural choice for many Millennial marketers. Tom's Shoes has leveraged both cause marketing and community-building so naturally, it looks effortless. In case you missed it in an earlier post, Tom's promises to donate a pair of shoes to a child in need somewhere in the world for every pair of shoes it sell. Talk about effortless, it's consumerism as altruism. Hey we all need shoes, right? The shoes are well-made and there are endless variations on the basic design. The Toms web site invites you to 'get involved' by joining a 'shoe drop' or simply joining the mailing list. In between these two options is a smart take on community-building / viral marketing / customization (yes, all three in one) called 'Style Your Sole'.

Style Your Sole...is a great time for you and your friends to get together, express yourself through your own designs and support a good cause. Whether it is the theme of your party or a community building activity, you and your friends are putting shoes on children’s feet somewhere around the world. Wear your originally designed TOMS and tell the story!

To see what looks like the coolest Tom' Shoe party ever, just watch the video. How do I get to a party like that?!

In contrast, the wecansolveit.org site makes it hard to 'make a difference', other than by donating money. I have seen the splashy (but vague) commercials and print ads (full spread in the latest Fast Company) and wondered what it was all about. I am still wondering. It takes a lot of effort to figure out what you can do to support 'solving the climate crisis' (do they mean global warming?). And there is precious little to engage my attention. I clicked through to the Facebook application, which seems to be all about getting my friends to join. Oh, and I can earn points that cause someone else to donate money. Interestingly, the top points earners seem to be pretty low. I already have 112 points for joining and other than the top three, no one has gathered more than 500 points. Mmmm, Tom's, I prefer to Style My Soul with you. I'd bet your viral efforts will do more to attract Millennials than Wecansolveit's flashy ads. For another take on Toms and social responsibility, see the Retail Hits & Misses Blog

Millennial Segmentation: The Doers

One of the most defining values of the civic-minded Millennials is their desire to do good and 'make a difference' in the world. The 2006 Cone Millennial Cause Study showed that "61% of Millennials, (defined as those born between 1979 – 2001), feel personally responsible for making a difference in the world." According to this study, Millennials who are active 'doers' are especially receptive to purchasing brands based on perceptions of social responsibility and cause branding.

These “Doers” volunteer at least once a week and represent nearly 20% of Millennials surveyed. Survey findings indicate that volunteerism unleashes a more engaged citizen, consumer and employee. The estimated 15.6 million Millennial “Doers” in this country are a company’s most loyal brand ambassadors. To support the causes they care about, “Doers” will reward a company that meets their standards. At the same time, they are not afraid to refuse to work for an employer that lacks a sincere commitment to social issues. 42% who volunteer weekly describe their “ideal” work environment as a place that will help them make the world a better place, outranking all other factors, including high salary (41%) and flexible hours (37%).

The study points out that 87% of those who volunteer bought a product that supported a cause in the past year compared to just 48% of non-volunteers.

According to the 6th Alloy Media + Marketing survey of College Students, this trend has continued:

"College students demonstrate strong commitment towards the brands they feel are contributing positively to world issues and the environment, and students' preference for brands they perceive to be socially responsible is on the rise. 41% of respondents prefer socially responsible brands, compared to the 37% reporting last year and a 24% increase since '06 figures....In current collegiate environment it is very cool to be ‘good'. Brands who enable college students to reflect their own social responsibility... have an advantage"

So what corporate actions catch Millennial's attention?

69% expressed "donating money to a cause or charity" or "using eco-friendly or "green" business practices"

68% stated "fair labor practices"

49% say that social messages incorporated into advertising have an effect.

For 2008, the #1 choice for "Top Socially Responsible" Brands were: • Food/Beverage: Yoplait • Automotive: Toyota • Personal Care: Burt's Bees • Retail: Target • Shoes & Apparel: Nike

What Do Millennials Want? To Make a Difference.

Wendy Kopp is 40 years old, but she may be the ultimate Millennial. As founder of Teach for America, she understands the deep need of Millennials to make a difference in the world and has given them a way to do it. Each year, Teach for America selects about 3,700 college graduates to work in low-income public schools.

At Notre Dame, where I teach Marketing, 10% of seniors in each of the last three class years planned to join a service program upon graduation rather than accept employment or pursue a higher degree. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Fighting Irish are not unique: there has been a surge in applications at Teach for America and the Peace Corps. Teach for America saw applications jump 36% to 24,718 for its limited spots, spots that offer salaries of just $25,000-$44,000 but offer rich psychic rewards. The Peace Corps is expecting a 16% increase in applications, and is experiencing volumes last seen in the 70's. While some of the increase is no doubt dimmer job prospects, the Journal says it is something deeper - a generational desire to give back.

According to researchers, Millennials are among the most civic minded cohort in four generations. Our own recent focus group research among new hires at major marketing companies provides confirmation: many feel conflicted about their inability to "give back" in their current job. Here's how one responded to the question of how he feels about opportunities to give back at work:

"The last company I worked for went down to New Orleans to help with the Katrina clean-up effort.I know people really enjoyed that.In fairness, taking time out to do some good -- while great -- is a lot different than being in a career where each and every day you're supporting a cause or a purpose you believe in." "I lead the company in a fund raiser for a battered womens shelter,something small but makes a difference."

While some respondents were able to rationalize their work as doing good (or at least no harm), others are overt about seeing their current job as simply a stepping stone to a job that will provide more opportunities to give back. Most think that means a job at a non-profit, and lower pay. Moderator: Do you see a tradeoff between making a difference in the world and making a lot of money? Millennial: (There are) plenty of non-for-profits that would be fun to work for that make a difference but you can't earn the same there.

Marketers take heed, this may be a group that is motivated less by self-interest than the common interest. How refreshing. How Millennial.