Why Generation Y? How to Gain the "Whatever" Generation's Product Loyalty

Marketers, if you want to reach out and grab the elusive, ad-weary Generation Y, you'll have to fire up techno-rich lead generation campaigns and toss your old marketing tricks aside. Companies unable to "click" with Generation Y will lose out on a vast opportunity. There's just too much money at stake and market share to lose.

Why Generation Y?

With approximately 76 million 'Millennials', as they're called, in the U.S., Gen Y is the largest generation in U.S. history. Gen Y is the "Net Generation"-they are the first to grow up immersed in this digital and Internet-driven world. Technology is their friend and they can't live without it. It's not a choice, become their friend. Why? Today's marketing terrain has a new landscape. Marketers targeting Gen Y need to revamp their lead generation campaigns to fit all interactive formats-Internet, mobile phones, podcasts, SMS, wireless networks and digital TV, etc.

Defining Generation Y

You can pick out members of the diverse, tech savvy Gen Y anywhere in a New York crowd. Marketers, keep these key characteristics in mind. Gen Y are diverse and individualistic. Although they lived in a world challenged and threatened by terrorism, environmentalism, and globalization, they still walk around optimistically with their chins up. Surprisingly, they are realistic, too. Don't let their tattoos and skimpy wardrobe fool you. Gen Yers are multi-taskers and forward-thinkers.

Breaking the Barrier: Clever Marketers Create An Experience ... How?

To generate leads, marketers need to think like Gen Y and forge stronger connections with consumers that go beyond the functional. Providing memorable experiences and involving these screenagers will improve your response and conversion rates.

This Net Generation is marketing and media savvy, and much less brand loyal. They are verbally and visually sophisticated, creating a language convergence that marketers must learn, quickly. Generation Y has heard all the marketing spiel before, many times, and they see right through marketing messages. With information at our fingertips, marketers must translate their marketing messages, and build cool and sophisticated brands with Gen Y and market it through them, or else marketers will get the cold shoulder. Gen Y gravitates to socially desirable brands.

How do you stand out in the explosion of media directed at Generation Y? Marketing techniques, such as grassroots tactics, will put your brand message on the forefront. Creating a compelling experience that grabs Gen Y's short attention span in literally seconds is a must. Most Millennials are visual learners or doers. Let them experience your brand. Connect with Generation Yers through lead generation campaigns that take advantage of social networks in the virtual sense, interactive and interpersonally. Let Gen Y stumble onto your brand. The trick is to be where they are, whether that is online, at concerts, at the movies, etc. The reality is some of the biggest brands, like Coca-Cola and McDonald's, are being promoted at these places, so why not stick your brands and lead generation campaigns where the big boys are? Gen Y is everywhere and they're waiting ...

Highly-educated Generation Yers will always question ... Do you blame them? They are after-all, Generation "why".