MUMBAI: Getting the attention of the youth segment is important as they are the opinion makers today, said Focus Circle Brands director-client servicing and digital strategy Rahul Avasthy, while speaking at the Youth Marketing Forum.
Avasthy talked about the secrets to marketing to generation Y (youth). He said, “Brands today need to understand that content is dead without context. Content is what company makes but context is what you make for the consumers; content is what generation Y buys but context is why they buy; content starts from buying the product and end when the product ends but context starts before the purchase and stays far beyond the consumption of the product.” I
If the youth won’t find context in the brand, he won’t go for it, he added.
According to him, generation Y have access to more tools like mobile and technology; they have more capacity to release ideas. They can go against the government and start a Facebook page. They have more tools and, hence, they have more conviction. It’s about knowing how generation Y is changing into ‘o’ (optimisers). Marketers can help the people in transition. When you look at the long term, consumers of previous generation are not much different than that of current generation. It’s just that youth wants change.
Generation Y is using social tool in an optimised way and they want a better social experience. “Before planning the mediums to be used, marketers should see what social tool their target group is using. This generation is not buying the design, and layouts. What matters to them is what design and retail layout is doing for them. Generation Y does not only consist of rebels;they are responsible citizens," he said.
A strategy called ‘secret’ is also a secret to marketing to generation Y. Youth today wants to know things before others come to know about it and they want to know everything that is popluar without being left out. Being the first one to share something on Facebook is cool for them. It becomes a measure of one’s cultural power and popularity. Kolavari Di was an opinion that others related to and made spoofs which was again watched by many.
‘Market your best customer first, prospect second, rest of the world later’, noted Avasthy. “If you want to catch hold of youth, you need to be on web, mobile, wherever they are. You cannot bore generation Y into buying. Fasso’s is using a secret strategy in a good way. You can tweet on their home page on Twitter and place an order. Also, they have an offer like write ‘I hate you’ on Fasso’s twitter page and get 20 per cent off. These things help brands in a way that the audience will discuss about the brand and virally it will be passed on to others. Generation Y acts as a medium and as a media as well,” he concluded.
