Sarah Newton

Traditional Media Ads Still Have Value For Millennials

But They Want To Connect With Brands Online, Too

Millennials may be the tech-savviest generation yet, spending more time surfing the Web and on social media than they do watching TV, listening to radio, or reading newspapers, but they still use and value traditional media, according to Ypulse the leading authority on youth behavior and culture. 

In fact, when students were shopping for back-to-school (BTS) items, they most preferred to hear about deals or specials via regular mail, email, TV, and newspaper ads rather than via Facebook pages or ads, text alerts, or Twitter messages. 

“Just because students say they prefer learning about shopping deals through the mail doesn’t mean that social media and new media isn’t a valuable avenue for retailers,” says Melanie Shreffler, Ypulse editor-in-chief. “It is more likely that the ways in which marketers have used new media so far don’t resonate with Millennials.” The primary function of social media is communication, not shopping, which means Millennials aren’t necessarily going on such sites to look for ads to aid in their purchase decisions. 

Still, they expect brands to be on social media. Two thirds say a brand being on social media shows it cares about their generation, and 56% think social media is a great way to find out what’s new with brands they like. That may be why 64% have “liked” a brand on Facebook, following an average of 10 brands or companies. 

“Students clearly use social media to connect with brands, but they don’t want to be bombarded by sales and deal information,” says Shreffler. “When their news feed has more advertising than conversation, they get turned off. Millennials are on social media to connect and have fun, and advertisers should remember that when talking to them in that space.” Minor adjustments, such as phrasing an ad as a conversation instead of an announcement, make a big difference in how they are received. But brands can also talk to Millennials too much. The most common reasons they decide to “un-like” brands online are:

• The brand sends too many messages (59%)

• Stopped liking the brand or store (14%)

• Wanted their social network to be more personal/for friends (12%) 

• Not enough sales or promotion offers (10%).


Methodology: The data presented in this release were drawn from 1,300 interviews conducted among members of the SurveyU panel between May 20 and May 30, 2011 and 1,252 additional interviews conducted between September 22 and September 29, 2011.

Respondents were selected from among those who have registered to participate in surveys for SurveyU, a Ypulse-owned online research panel. Quotas were established based on gender, state, class year, and race. The data have been weighted using National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data to reflect the demographic composition of U.S. high school and college students.

Because the sample is based on those who initially self-selected for participation in the panel rather than a probability sample, no estimates of sampling error can be calculated. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to multiple sources of error, including, but not limited to sample error, coverage error, and measurement error.

ABOUT YPULSE

Youth Pulse Inc is the leading authority on teens, collegians and young adults for marketing, brand, and media professionals, providing news, commentary, events, research and strategy. Our integrated youth insights platform is comprised of our web site (www.ypulse.com), our daily newsletter (subscribe.ypulse.com), our annual conference (mashup.ypulse.com) and a proprietary online marketing research community (www.surveyu.com) of more than 80,000 13 to 30 year olds. Ypulse leverages these capabilities to offer insights, resources, and community to those who work with and market to youth — and who wish to communicate with them in an authentic and effective manner.

Students’ TV Viewing Habits Evolving, Ypulse Survey

Students’ TV Viewing Habits  NEW YORK, NY November 28 — Television networks, including ABC Family, Disney, The CW and more, are making deals to allow their content to be available for streaming on websites like Netflix and Hulu as they seek to accommodate the needs of students’ digital viewing habits. A slight majority of students (53%) say they watch TV on a television set most of the time, but for college students, that proportion drops below half (46%), while the number that watches mostly online jumps significantly, according to a recent Ypulse survey. “ There’s a striking difference between college students and high-school students’ TV viewing because college students’ schedules are more hectic. They may have night class, or go out on weeknights, so watching live broadcast TV isn’t always an option,” says Melanie Shreffler, editor-in-chief of Ypulse, the leading authority on youth culture and marketing. “TV networks must be careful not to lose young viewers entirely; only 28% say they can’t live without TV, compared to 83% who say they can’t imagine life without music.”  High School TV Habits While high-schoolers’ viewing habits seem to be dominated by a traditional TV set, only 12% say they never watch TV online. High-schoolers have the full range of options when it comes to video viewing: their parents provide cable, and most have TV sets in their rooms, along with Internet access and a computer. “If they don’t like what’s on the TV screen, they’ll switch to streaming video without giving it a second thought,” says Shreffler. College students are significantly more likely than high-schoolers to say they have only basic cable on their TVs. In fact, 11% of collegians have no service – not even an antenna – plugged into their sets, suggesting they use it only for streaming, gaming, or watching DVDs. It’s no surprise that college students are a little cheap when it comes to paying for TV services. A third (34%) pay at least part of the bill themselves. A lucky 38% say their parents foot the bill for their TV, and 26% say it comes as part of the package with their dorm room or apartment.  “With the financial pressures students are facing ¬¬– and many parents less able to help with the cost of their college education ¬– collegians are looking for ways to cut spending,” according to Ypulse’s Shreffler. “That doesn’t mean they’re completely cutting the cord just yet. Paring down their cable subscriptions to basic service and augmenting that with streaming shows saves them money and makes more sense for their busy lifestyles.” Methodology: The results of The Ypulse Report: Entertainment 2011 are drawn from 1,647 interviews conducted among members of the SurveyU panel between July 29 and August 17, 2011 and 1,499 interviews between September 29 and October 26, 2011.  Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have registered to participate in surveys for SurveyU, a Ypulse-owned online research panel. Quotas were established based on gender, state, class year, and race. The data have been weighted using National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data to reflect the demographic composition of U.S. high school and college students. Because the sample is based on those who initially self-selected for participation in the panel rather than a probability sample, no estimates of sampling error can be calculated. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to multiple sources of error, including, but not limited to sample error, coverage error, and measurement error. ABOUT YPULSE Youth Pulse Inc is the leading authority on teens, collegians and young adults for marketing, brand, and media professionals, providing news, commentary, events, research and strategy. Our integrated youth insights platform is comprised of our web site (www.ypulse.com), our daily newsletter (subscribe.ypulse.com), our annual conference (mashup.ypulse.com) and a proprietary online marketing research community (www.surveyu.com) of more than 80,000 13 to 30 year olds. Ypulse leverages these capabilities to offer insights, resources, and community to those who work with and market to youth — and who wish to communicate with them in an authentic and effective manner.

 

Generation no make up? Gen Z forging the way

Are our youth/tweens wanting to be more natural?

On Sunday my youngest asked for the video camera as she had something she wanted to share with people. I expected her usual rant, however what I received surprised me on many levels. Apart from been coherent for once it also gave me a glimmer of what Generation Z may be here to teach us. For them it is about keeping it real, natural and honest, and I see it most tweens not just her.

So brands listen up you may need to change the way you think to appeal to these new tweens.

 

impacting Millennials

Here's your roundup of the week’s most significant events and announcements and how they impact Millennials from Ypulse’s Week In Review. These were the ones that caught my eye and may afffect us in the UK. 

McDonalds to lauch TV Channel

The week kicked off with an announcement from McDonald’s that it is launching a television network and putting HD flatscreens in hundreds of its California restaurants. The McDonald’s Channel is a clever idea, but it pushes the line of marketing ethics and may upset some parents. McDonald’s recently made a step in the right direction, reducing the fries (and fat) in its Happy Meals, but now it’s encouraging diners to sit around and watch TV while munching on fries. Will kids still make a beeline for the McDonald’s Playplace playground, or will they choose to sit back in their seats to be passively entertained? We’re also concerned that family mealtime conversation will become a thing of the past with TV shows providing convenient distraction at home and at restaurants. We’re sure the programming will be excellent thanks to partnerships with BBC America and local ABC stations and plans to include local school sports news, but it’s no substitute for family bonding time.

You Tube make is easier to buy products

YouTube is also making it easier for Millennials to buy the stuff they want. The site’s Merch Store will offer everything from digital downloads to concert tickets to “unique experiences” such as meet-ups. While all that is pretty cool, it was the last line of YouTube’s announcement that caught our attention. The site wants “to give you the chance to find an audience and make music your career on YouTube,” and to make that point, it’s launching its new store with indie music acts. The offer of a career is sure to set the wheels turning in Millennials’ heads. Not only are they entrepreneurial in spirit, they’re facing high unemployment, and many are trying non-traditional approaches to making a salary. To them, YouTube is a viable avenue to launch one’s career — after all, they’ve seen everyone from Justin Bieber to the Annoying Orange get their start via the site. With the additional money-making opportunity of selling branded merchandise, serious YouTubers can make some serious money.