Are You Struggling To Understand Millennials?

Understanding how to effectively analyse social and consumer research for Millennials is a key concern for many businesses. Born between the early 1980s and early 2000s, these individuals will soon become the largest living generation.

However, according to a new report from content marketing agency Adjust Your Set, many Millennials – also known as Generation Y – feel they are misrepresented by the media and their elders.

Common characteristics of this demographic include; vanity, a materialistic nature, technology obsessions and disruptiveness. However, these are largely inaccurate, and a recent survey amongst Millennials gave the accuracy of these portrayals a score of just 4.4 out of ten.

What does this have to do with marketing and research? Well, Millennials specifically argued that the unrealistic standards of beauty and lifestyle aspirations regularly promoted through the media and marketing do not reflect their true values.

Over one-third (35 per cent) said authenticity and not being afraid to show your true self were the traits they most admired in others. More than half of Millennials ranked happiness as their driving goal in life.

“Today’s youth are most empowered by the things in life that are closest to them and therefore within their immediate control,” the report reads. “Personal relationships are particularly empowering.”

Ultimately, when asked who they most admired in life, the most common response Generation Y gave was ‘Mum‘. Celebrities, conversely, were much less important unless they were seen to make positive societal contributions.

Identifying and analysing these key trends in order to get an in-depth understanding of your customers is essential in order to optimise your marketing and communications.