By Kirsten Robinson

It’s no secret that the millennial generation is a game-changing force. We’ve talked about how millennials impact the workplace as employees—but who is the millennial consumer?

Our sister company, Iconoculture, recently conducted a study on millennial consumers, their attributes, and how Research and marketing teams can reach them. Here are some takeaways from the webinar:

Who is the millennial consumer?

The millennial consumer—most commonly thought of as born between 1982 and 2000—can’t be confined to one box. They embody a variety of identities at one time, which are constantly in flux—the “me of the moment.” Some other attributes at a glance:

-They stand out to fit in—fitting in with their tribe of friends, while maintaining individuality.

-They choose to adapt over adopt—they may not be the first product adopters, but when they get their hands on a device or service, they find ways to adapt it to their personal needs.

-They are some-conventionals—millennials are interested in traditional values, just not in the “traditional” sense; they twist values to fit themselves.

Nancy Robinson: “The definition of this group is so fuzzy because it’s a generation we’re still watching in process. There’s already a big difference between today’s 32-year-old and today’s 16-year-old. It’s a smaller group to watch, within a smaller timeframe. Millennials are still in the process of emerging and going through those same stages. And they’re not going through those stages in a predictable way.

They really are that kid who thinks, this looks great, it doesn’t have to be super flashy, but it looks like it’ll work, and it better work. They’re very forgive-me-not in that respect. If it doesn’t work, it’s never their fault—they think that there’s something wrong with the product.”

How can you appeal to Millennials?

-Tap into customization. Millennials are all about personalization—they need to feel like products were made for them. Even product upgrades don’t have to represent a major change; they’re interested in small, incremental changes.

-Be accessible. Millennials are convenience consumers. But, the convenience needs to be fun, and the right fit for the right moment. They want to know what the product is, how quickly they can get to it, and how soon it can be theirs. It’s not about being impatient—it’s about access.

Nancy Robinson: “No, absolutely not. What’s interesting about Millennials is they are equal opportunity information gatherers. They still pay attention to print, particularly magazines, as well as listening to the radio. It’s less about the channel and much more about the content. But they’re looking across a variety of channels. You never just want to jump into one boat, because that one boat will sink. You want to be invested in a variety of approaches to them, and you want to keep those approaches fresh.”

MREB members, learn more about the millennial consumer and how you can reach them by accessing our event replay.