Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definitions
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- 18-34s feel understood by marketers but not well represented
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- Figure 1: Attitudes towards how well marketing efforts resonate, November 2016
- Millennials expect more from brand marketing efforts
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- Figure 2: Characteristics of social media posts enjoyed, 18-24s vs 25-34s, November 2016
- Feeling too connected doesn’t equate to an interest in fully disconnecting
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- Figure 3: Agreement with ‘I make a point to take time to unplug from technology’, Millennials vs average Canadians (18+), November 2016
- Opportunities
- Millennials are interested in making an impact on the world
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- Figure 4: Belief in ability to impact change and influence others, 18-34s vs 25-34s, November 2016
- 18-34s want to put their stamp on marketing
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- Figure 5: Desire for input on creation of ad campaigns, 18-24s vs 25-34s, November 2016
- Get physical: Millennials love getting stuff in the mail
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- Figure 6: Agreement with ‘I love getting stuff in the mail’, Women & mothers vs overall, November 2016
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- One in five Canadians are Millennials
- Millennials are more susceptible to economic changes
- Exposure to greater diversity leads to more cultural interests
Market Factors
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- Close to one-quarter of the Canadian population are Millennials
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- Figure 7: Canadian population, by age group, 2016
- Millennials are financially responsible
- Though working, 18-34s most likely to feel the economic pinch
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- Figure 8: Monthly movement in selected components of the Canadian Consumer Price Index, seasonally adjusted, December 2011-December 2016
- Increasing diversity opens Millennials to more options
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- Figure 9: Region of birth of immigrants, by period of immigration, Canada, 2011
Key Trends – What You Need to Know
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- Millennials are more socially minded and will seek out like-minded brands
- Technology creates connections – even helping Millennials go offline
What’s Working?
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- Giving consumers a reason to choose their brand
- Tuning in to the interests of 18-24s
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- Figure 10: DiGiorno Pizza Anthem Featuring Von Miller & Redfoo, January 2017
- Millennials care about the community
What’s Not Working?
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- Millennials are ready to turn their backs on brands that don’t share their values
- Millennials may be more sedentary
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- Figure 11: Body mass index, self-reported rate of being overweight or obese among Canadian adults, 2010-14
- Figure 12: Make room for play, December 2015
What’s Next?
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- Technological connectedness to help Millennials disconnect
- Let’s get together! Simplifying the decision-making process for the group – Pimmr app
- When a watch and a phone case leads to real interactions – Moodlock by Nescafé China
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Millennials are influenced by/influencers of their peers
- Feeling too connected does not mean there’s interest in fully disconnecting
- Feeling understood by marketers, but not seeing themselves in ads
- Attention is awarded to brands that aren’t marketing for marketing’s sake
- Online reviews are seen as on par with personal recommendations
Being Influenced vs Influencing
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- Parents and friends are influential on Millennials
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- Figure 13: Influence of parents and friends on attitudes and opinions, by age, November 2016
- Opportunity for brands to leverage parental influence on 18-24s
- Friends play a role in Millennials’ sense of style
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- Figure 14: Style influences, 18-24s & 25-34s vs average Canadian (18+), November 2016
- Millennials feel they have a voice that is heard
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- Figure 15: Belief in ability to impact change and influence others, 18-34s & 25-34s vs average Canadian (18+), November 2016
- Everybody wins: helping Millennials make an impact will bring gains
- Enhancing the ability to influence on social media will resonate with LGBT Millennials
Individuality vs Fitting In
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- Individuality is prized and respected
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- Figure 16: Attitudes towards self-expression (any agree), November 2016
- LGBT and women drive acceptance of gender experimentation
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- Figure 17: Acceptance of people experimenting with gender, LGBT vs all Millennials, November 2016
Being Connected vs Switching Off
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- Personal time for themselves is desired
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- Figure 18: Attitudes towards being connected and alone time, November 2016
- Millennial parents more likely to crave alone time
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- Figure 19: Company is Coming, Cold & Flu, Tylenol Complete Liquid Gels, November 2015
- For Millennials, hyper connectedness does not necessarily equate to desire for full disconnectedness
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- Figure 20: Agreement with ‘I make a point to take time to unplug from technology’, Millennials vs average Canadians (18+), November 2016
- True connections still formed in person
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- Figure 21: Agreement with the need to spend time in-person to feel connected, Millennials vs average Canadian (18+), November 2016
- Figure 22: Agreement with ‘I do not spend enough time with others face-to-face’, Millennials vs average Canadian (18+), November 2016
Millennials and Marketing
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- Millennials feel understood but not represented
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- Figure 23: Attitudes towards how well marketing efforts resonate, November 2016
- Parents seeing greater resonance
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- Figure 24: Feeling understood and portrayed in ads, Parents vs Non-parents, November 2016
- Market to the individual rather than the collective
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- Figure 25: Tide HE Turbo Clean: Baby food, June 2015
- Socializing with social media
- Getting physical: direct mail interests Millennials
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- Figure 26: Agreement with ‘I love getting stuff in the mail’, Women & mothers vs overall, November 2016
Social Media Preferences
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- Millennials want to be entertained and learn something
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- Figure 27: Characteristics of social media posts enjoyed, November 2016
- Younger consumers expect more from brands
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- Figure 28: Characteristics of social media posts enjoyed, Millennials vs the average Canadian, November 2016
- Parents want to learn something – but from real people
- Moms want to see the real deal
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- Figure 29: There are more ways to eat well this January at Iceland, January 2017
- Figure 30: The Perfect Steak Dinner with Channel Mum, October 2016
- Music should be instrumental in reaching 18-24s
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- Figure 31: Entertainment and music value of social media posts enjoyed, by age, November 2016
Staying On-Trend
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- 18-24s pay attention to music, tech and social media
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- Figure 32: Trends interest, by age, November 2016
- 18-24s generally follow industries they can afford
- Feed me! Parents are paying attention to trends related to food
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- Figure 33: Keeping up with food trends, mother and father, November 2016
Millennials and Online Shopping
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- Online reviews hold credibility
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- Figure 34: Attitudes towards online shopping, Millennials vs the average Canadian (18+), November 2016
- Online reviews are on par with personal recommendations for 73% of parents
- Shipping costs and product range remain an obstacle
- Bring on the goods: Millennials want a greater range of products online
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- Figure 35: Agreement with shopping more online if more products available in Canada, Millennials vs the average Canadian (18+), November 2016
- The cost of entry is free shipping for 72% of Millennials
Millennials: Canadian vs American
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- 25-34s: marketing resonating stronger with Americans than Canadians
- Canadian 25-34s feeling left out in the cold compared to Americans the same age
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- Figure 36: Feeling understood and portrayed in ads, Canadians 25-34 vs Americans 25-34, November 2016 (Canada)/February 2016 (US)
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- Figure 37: How Millennials see themselves, Canadians 25-34 vs Americans 25-34, November 2016 (Canada)/February 2016 (US)
- Canadian 25-34s are more judgemental
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- Figure 38: Millennials see other Millennials as ‘responsible’, Canadians 25-34 vs Americans 25-34, November 2016 (Canada)/February 2016 (US)
- Canada’s lag in online shopping is evident among Millennials
- Canadian Millennials are less likely to prefer shopping online
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- Figure 39: Preference for online shopping over in-store, Canadian Millennials vs American Millennials, November 2016 (Canada)/February 2016 (US)
- Less confidence is held towards online reviews for Canadian Millennials
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- Figure 40: Trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, Canadian Millennials vs American Millennials, November 2016 (Canada)/February 2016 (US)
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
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