In 2016 millennials won’t be targeted as one demographic anymore, but they will be reached based on their passions, according to a study released last november by Hotwire PR.
The study was based on crowdsourcing from 400 communicators in 22 countries and it revealed that brands will focus on values rather than age when trying to engage with millennials.
Another issue is ad blocking for mobile, which companies are not prepared to deal with, especially with the feature in iOS 9 that enables apps that stop ads. Marketers will need to concentrate more on traditional advertising, sponsered podcasts, influenced partnerships and experimental efforts.
Other key trends for 2016:
- Dealing with the rise of virtual reality: new ways to integrate it into a wide range of content.
- No more planned content but real-time one instead: stop with the planned editorial calendars.
- Competing with Amazon with content: they must offer targeted content and campaigns to appeal to the customers.
- Providing a service with marketing campaigns: offer relevant and useful services to your consumers.
- Lots of hyperlocal content: they will need to create at least 10 specific messages for each subgroup.
- The growth of third-party publishing channels: publishing platforms like Medium and LinkedIn Pulse are on the rise.
- Highlighting brands as activists: keep putting values as the base for communication strategies.
- Improve knowledge of digital video: discover which platforms are best for videos.
