Marketers love labels. Tomes have been written about the so-designated “millennial” generation, for example, dissecting their lifestyle, purchasing patterns, work ethic, and reliance on technology.Yet for all the research and opining on today’s youngest generation of adults – now statistically the largest generation in the United States, eclipsing baby boomers – many marketers still struggle to connect with the demographic.This disconnect, in part, is due to the fact that millennials are rewriting many previously held marketing truths. One notable example being that they tend to spend more time and money not on things, but on experiences. This new truth, however, is welcome news for the hospitality industry. Travel is important to the bulk of millennials, with some studies showing that essentially every American millennial has traveled in the past year.Another new truth for marketers – and hotel teams in particular – is that millennials aren't just traveling solo or in pairs. They are bringing their families.By age 34, almost half of millennials have children. (As of 2017, the oldest millennials - those born in 1980 - are 37 years old.) Data from TripAdvisor and Expedia has shown millennial families budget an average of $6,113 per year on travel, more than any generation before them.How can your hotel better connect with this new generation of family travelers?Here are five new truths to keep in mind when marketing to millennial parents.
Don't assume you're talking to mom (or dad, for that matter).
More than any other generation, millennials have shunned gender roles, and this holds true when it comes to parenting and making travel plans. When marketing to millennials, don't assume that it’s mom who cares about kid-friendly food and entertainment options, while dad is primarily concerned with staying on-budget.
To avoid seeming old-fashioned (or worse, cause offense), craft a communication strategy with a gender-neutral tone. Going so far as to flip gender stereotypes in one's marketing can potentially play well with this group. (Think of art that depicts mom enjoying a round of golf, or dad putting sunscreen on the kids.)
Don't assume you're talking only to parents.
Millennials are parenting differently than previous generations. A whopping 74% of millennial parents say that they involve their children in household decisions, according to Google. Today's kids generally have more than a passing say in where they spend their summer vacation.
Embrace video.
Video should be an important element of every hotel's digital marketing strategy, especially if millennials are a target audience.
Investing in interesting, engaging video content is a must for capturing the attention of people under 40, regardless of industry. Many turn to online videos for aid in navigating the strange new world of "adulating." Recent data from Google, for example, revealed that 86% of millennial dads view YouTube as a go-to resource for parenting tips and connecting with their kids.
There are a number of ways to leverage video to reach this audience, including paid targeting advertising placements, and creating sharable content that will reach viewers organically through social media channels.
Be mobile friendly.
More than any other generation, millennials are multitasking on the go. Busy millennial parents aren’t planning their vacation exclusively in front of a desktop computer. They're doing research on phones and tablets during their lunch breaks, at the park, and at the pediatrician's office.
Most millennial parents have grown up using many layers of technology, and they’ve come to expect a good user experience. With 75% of them doing travel research on mobile devices, and nearly half completing bookings on their phones and tablets, it’s imperative that your website has a responsive, mobile-friendly design. In fact, 86% of millennials will be disappointed with anything less than a good mobile experience.
Maintain a strong social media presence.
In 2017, this one may seem like a no-brainer, so we'll just share the facts.
- Essentially all millennials take photos on vacation, and three out of four will share them with their social networks at least once per day.
- 42% of millennials are influenced by seeing those shared photos.
- Millennials expect brands they patronized to have a voice on social media. Further, they appreciate brands that don’t veer from using wit and can speak their language.
- Social media is the new customer service. More than ever, guests are posting the good, the bad, and the ugly of their travel on social media. For hotel teams that monitor social successfully, they have an opportunity to graciously accept praise and skillfully address concerns publicly. Not only can this help retain guests, it can help win new ones.
While these "new truths" can help hotel teams better connect with the next great generation of adventurers, there’s a great deal more required to garner longterm millennial loyalty. The good news is that help is generally at hand.Working in partnership with a practiced digital marketing agency (who itself, most likely, consists in part of millennial travelers) is a sound way to navigate not only these noted "new truths," but to help craft an approach for marketing beyond generational labels.
Marketers love labels. Tomes have been written about the so-designated “millennial” generation, for example, dissecting their lifestyle, purchasing patterns, work ethic, and reliance on technology.Yet for all the research and opining on today’s youngest generation of adults – now statistically the largest generation in the United States, eclipsing baby boomers – many marketers still struggle to connect with the demographic.This disconnect, in part, is due to the fact that millennials are rewriting many previously held marketing truths. One notable example being that they tend to spend more time and money not on things, but on experiences. This new truth, however, is welcome news for the hospitality industry. Travel is important to the bulk of millennials, with some studies showing that essentially every American millennial has traveled in the past year.Another new truth for marketers – and hotel teams in particular – is that millennials aren't just traveling solo or in pairs. They are bringing their families.By age 34, almost half of millennials have children. (As of 2017, the oldest millennials - those born in 1980 - are 37 years old.) Data from TripAdvisor and Expedia has shown millennial families budget an average of $6,113 per year on travel, more than any generation before them.How can your hotel better connect with this new generation of family travelers?Here are five new truths to keep in mind when marketing to millennial parents.
Don't assume you're talking to mom (or dad, for that matter).
More than any other generation, millennials have shunned gender roles, and this holds true when it comes to parenting and making travel plans. When marketing to millennials, don't assume that it’s mom who cares about kid-friendly food and entertainment options, while dad is primarily concerned with staying on-budget.
To avoid seeming old-fashioned (or worse, cause offense), craft a communication strategy with a gender-neutral tone. Going so far as to flip gender stereotypes in one's marketing can potentially play well with this group. (Think of art that depicts mom enjoying a round of golf, or dad putting sunscreen on the kids.)
Don't assume you're talking only to parents.
Millennials are parenting differently than previous generations. A whopping 74% of millennial parents say that they involve their children in household decisions, according to Google. Today's kids generally have more than a passing say in where they spend their summer vacation.
Embrace video.
Video should be an important element of every hotel's digital marketing strategy, especially if millennials are a target audience.
Investing in interesting, engaging video content is a must for capturing the attention of people under 40, regardless of industry. Many turn to online videos for aid in navigating the strange new world of "adulating." Recent data from Google, for example, revealed that 86% of millennial dads view YouTube as a go-to resource for parenting tips and connecting with their kids.
There are a number of ways to leverage video to reach this audience, including paid targeting advertising placements, and creating sharable content that will reach viewers organically through social media channels.
Be mobile friendly.
More than any other generation, millennials are multitasking on the go. Busy millennial parents aren’t planning their vacation exclusively in front of a desktop computer. They're doing research on phones and tablets during their lunch breaks, at the park, and at the pediatrician's office.
Most millennial parents have grown up using many layers of technology, and they’ve come to expect a good user experience. With 75% of them doing travel research on mobile devices, and nearly half completing bookings on their phones and tablets, it’s imperative that your website has a responsive, mobile-friendly design. In fact, 86% of millennials will be disappointed with anything less than a good mobile experience.
Maintain a strong social media presence.
In 2017, this one may seem like a no-brainer, so we'll just share the facts.
- Essentially all millennials take photos on vacation, and three out of four will share them with their social networks at least once per day.
- 42% of millennials are influenced by seeing those shared photos.
- Millennials expect brands they patronized to have a voice on social media. Further, they appreciate brands that don’t veer from using wit and can speak their language.
- Social media is the new customer service. More than ever, guests are posting the good, the bad, and the ugly of their travel on social media. For hotel teams that monitor social successfully, they have an opportunity to graciously accept praise and skillfully address concerns publicly. Not only can this help retain guests, it can help win new ones.
While these "new truths" can help hotel teams better connect with the next great generation of adventurers, there’s a great deal more required to garner longterm millennial loyalty. The good news is that help is generally at hand.Working in partnership with a practiced digital marketing agency (who itself, most likely, consists in part of millennial travelers) is a sound way to navigate not only these noted "new truths," but to help craft an approach for marketing beyond generational labels.
