Millennials can be a hard demographic to reach for car manufacturers. Compared to previous generations, this group of 16-32 year-olds are getting their licenses later and purchasing their first cars later still.
Twitter, however, is a vital way to reach millennials, since that generation comprises 55 percent of the people that use the micro-blogging service. Because of this, Ford has looked to have a strong presence on Twitter since July 2008.
“This group of consumers is an incredible market opportunity, but the way that millennials interact with brands is totally different from earlier generations,” said Sheryl Connelly, global consumer trends and futuring manager at Ford. “Understanding their priorities helps us market to them, so that we’re giving a message that is relevant to them.”
Ford knows that the old messaging about status attached to a car will not work for millennials. Priorities are instead turned to customization with choices of colors and patterns inside and out along with the ability to see traffic and weather instantly in their car.
Gamification is also seen as important for a generation of people who were raised by video games. Some Ford cars have a smart gauge with a visual display of leaves and flowers that either grow or shrink depending on how optimally the driver is using the car, with the ability to “play” against other drivers.
Having personalized access to a brand is also seen as key, with consumer relations needed on social media. It’s also important to make your content as genuine as possible; this generation was raised around advertising, so you should make what you put out there as authentic as possible.
Source: adage.com
