Even if the oldest millennia in 2020 38 Growing up (based on the US Census), marketers are still trying to figure out the generation. Assumptions about their "youthful behavior" seemed to persist long after the natural expiration date (how long has this generation been called "eligible"?). Does your company understand how to effectively contact millennial customers?
This is a particular challenge for B2B companies. Millennials have replaced the boomers as the largest generation of the workforce. This means that their business decision-making and purchasing power increase as they move up the ranks of the companies.
Millennials are also touted as digital natives who are online 24/7. However, communications consultant Ketchum asks, "What if companies do everything wrong?" To get the answer, Ketchum conducted a study on B2B millennial decision-makers – Ketchum's face value: connection with B2B millennials that uncover some common myths Millennial customers destroyed:
Not so. According to the study, 76% of respondents would rather have a personal relationship with a company than read their product emails, and 61% would like new business meetings to take place face to face.
In fact, the study shows that colleagues, industry experts, suppliers and academics enjoy more trust than online channels or industry events. Millennials trust even more friends and family members (56%) than traditional sources such as provider websites (49%), specialist media (47%) or marketing materials (46%).
Nearly half (49%) of millennial B2B decision-makers believe that it is very important to work with a company that has a strong social purpose. But they combine meaning and purpose with pragmatism: Reliable service (81%) and costs (76%) are very important.
You are seated in the hours – many of them. Almost 40% spend five or more hours engaging with work-related content outside of working hours. And yes, they're always connected – but 40% like it and say it's part of their personality.
When it comes to building relationships with new B2B vendors and partners, millennial buyers prefer a personal touch – face-to-face meetings (61%) and phone calls (55%) rank higher than instant messaging (15%). SMS (12%) and e-newsletter (7%).
“Tactics and target initiatives for digital and social media remain a major driver of buying decisions, but real ROI comes when millennial decision-makers believe you clearly understand them. Most B2B companies do not yet invest in such a degree of insight into the target group or in a commitment with great sensitivity, ”says Melissa Kinch, partner and managing director of Technology at Ketchum.
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Ketchum's study found that millennials "are obsessed with social media and have difficulty adapting to the workplace." Almost half of those surveyed work from home and "68% from home". say they feel like they're always at work, even at home. “However, they don't complain – 40% say they really like this feeling and they consider“ always on the job ”as part of their personality. Ketchum warns marketers about flooding them – only 30% prefer to read marketing emails outside of work, and 27% say they notice the emails but ignore them.
