Marketing Australia – February-March 2019

THE TRUTH ISSUE

at one fi rm to travel and work for themselves, marrying
later (if at all) and putting off large purchases (homes and
cars etc) in place of experiences (travelling and working
abroad, launching a business). According to Smart Insights,
Millennials are also one of the most health conscious
generations ever witnessed and the most environmentally
aware consumers, eager to understand what’s in their
products. In 2017, Nielsen Consumer and Media View
research showed that 54 percent of Millennials said they
had consumed alcohol in the past month, compared with 65
percent of Generation X and 72 percent of Baby Boomers.
In a 2017 study by CBD Marketing, Millennials were
shown to want ‘healthy, natural food’, which they buy from
“environmentally conscious manufacturers and purveyors;
[they] want transparency”.

It’s no surprise then, that they’re also seeking a deeper

connection with the brands they choose to support.

According to a study conducted by Forbes and Elite Daily

in 2015, 75 percent of Millennials say it’s ‘fairly’ or ‘very’

important that a company gives back to society instead of

just making a profi t.

In Australia, brands like Thank You and Who Gives

a Crap have done incredibly well in awareness and sales,

largely due to uptake from younger consumers who enjoy

the giving back element of these businesses, as well as the

fact their founders are relatively young. In the US, brands

like Warby Parker and TOMS have been exceeding all

expectations due to transparency and a willingness to make

their business work better for the world at large. All four are

also examples of brands that have strong digital marketing

and social media strategies, with little spent on traditional

advertising mediums. This way of marketing is not lost on

Millennials; according to the Forbes report, only one percent

said that a compelling advertisement would make them trust

a brand more and that, for the most part, “Millennials believe

that advertising is all spin and not authentic”.

It’s a nick... And then a

nick becomes a cut and a cut

becomes a wound.