Winning over Millennial customers

By 2025, Millennials will make up a massive 75% of the workforce. They are the largest generation to emerge since the baby boomers, transforming our workplaces, industries, and culture. But who are the millennials, and how do we on-board them as customers? Find out in today’s blog.

Who are they?

Millennials, also known as Generation Y, were born between 1980 and 1999. Millennials are characteristically more familiar with communications, media, and digital technology. Millennials are social butterflies, choosing to communicate frequently and meaningfully via social media, as well as placing a high value on the opinions and recommendations of family and friends. This is a generation that came of age during the 2007 recession, and this has led them to value certainty, quality, and value for money.

Millennials are the most educated generation in the workforce, and this doesn’t just end in the classroom. Millennials are acutely aware of the political, cultural, and social environment around them, and this matters them as customers – 50% of Millennials would be more willing to purchase from a company if their purchase supports a cause (Millennial Marketing, 2017).

What do these factors mean for marketing and selling to Millennials? And how do we use them to create valued, loyal, Millennial customers?

Brand experience

Millennials have grown up during the recession, surrounded by sales, deals, and offers, so tend to be less swayed by these techniques. What Millennials look for is a brand experience. They seek brands that emulate and compliment their lifestyles, seamlessly fitting in to their preferences, as opposed to adding to them. If we consider Millennial brand of choice; Apple, we see a brand that has adjusted to changing consumer requirements. Apple go further than just supplying your computer, you can also choose an Apple watch, MP3 player, and phone – they are a lifestyle brand, as opposed to a product brand. Users do not have to learn how to use each of these products, they all function in the same manner, presenting a unified brand experience.

So how do we emulate this when trying to appeal to the Millennial consumer? Understand the importance of brand (you can read a little more about that here). Your brand should be consistent in it’s aims, selling your brand, not just your products. If you’d like to learn further about how to maintain a strong and consistent brand, enrol in our brand academy programme.

A frictionless transaction  

Technology has gone a long way to streamlining our modern lives. Think of the variety of things we can do from our phone; tell the time, check our social media, store our music and photos, track our fitness, and even manage our finances. This is the service that millennials have come to expect, or even demand, from their products, interactions, and most importantly, their services.

Your customer experience should be smooth and straightforward from the start. Ensure all staff have a comprehensive knowledge of your products and services at every touchpoint – from the delivery staff, to the receptionist – you should all be singing from the same hymn sheet!

Enhance your brand

Here at Borg & Overstrom, we’ve evolved over time; our product range and service offering has expanded dramatically, but if there’s one thing that hasn’t changed, it’s our commitment to our brand! By retaining key brand values that are infused at every point, we know that our customers receive a consistent, trustworthy service. If you’d like to learn more about how we’ve achieved this, enrol in our brand training workshop today.

You’re reading an article from the Borg & Overström Academy programme.

Borg and Overström are a manufacturer, and trade-only supplier, of innovative, quality, water systems.

We take pride in working with our clients to help them to develop their businesses, providing tailored sales, marketing, and technical training and advice.