2

of MENA

Populati

on

ALMOST 62%

SPENDING WORKFORCE

34% by 2020

1 Forbes 2012 2Mintel “Marketing to Millennials” 2014

Born Between:

1980-1998

17-35

Our brains are re-wiring in order to help us navigate our

digital lives.

4 Source: Yahoo!/AT Gen Y/Z Study 2013

“I'm in front of my

computer for most of

my day, and my smart

phone is in my face

most of the day. A lot

of times I'm side by

side, my laptop, my

iPad and my iPhone. My

phone is definitely a

wormhole.”

– M, 29

SHORT ATTENTION SPAN

INFORMAION OVERLOAD

#TLDR

#STUPID

#BORING

• Realness & Transparency

• Diversity & Equality

• Self-acceptance

• Creativity & Self-expression

• Positivity

• Fun

© Property of Audience Theory, 2014. Do not repurpose without permission. Attribution required. 6

Millennials value a unique set of

qualities that drive how they

engage with content. These core

characteristics include:

DESIRE TO IMMERSE

IN CONTENT

DESIRE TO

SATISFY FANDOM

DESIRE TO BE

“IN THE KNOW”

DESIRE FOR RESOURCES

TO SUCCEED

Source: Yahoo Property Studies for News, Entertainment, Sports 2013, Yahoo Teen & Young Adult Technology Qualitative and

Quantitative Immersion Study 7

72% tend to find

themselves lost in a

vortex of

entertainment

52% Seek out sports

because it‟s fun and

to escape

72% want to “see it all”

when it comes to

celebrity

content(news, info

and interviews)

10 The number of sports

sites avid sports

fans regularly visit

76% want to be informed

on specific topics

75% Want to learn things

and become smarter

44% looking for online

resources that will

help them transition to

becoming responsible

adults

45% Are looking for

resources, people, and

books to help get

through a financial

crisis

VIDEO PHOTOS TEXT GIF EMOTIONAL ROLES

Entertainment, Amusement

Connection

Accessibility

Staying informed

Inspiration

Experimentation

Source: Audience Theory‟s Branded Content Qual Interviews 2014 8

“Twitter is really a single serving for news. Instagram is for photos.

Facebook has a little too much information. Tumblr is more of a private space

for me to express myself. . with bookmarked photos and videos. . . the layers

and levels you can go down on Tumblr is ridiculous.” -M, 29

Type

Video

Photos

Gif

9

1. Be Native, Not Deceptive

2. Be An Individual,

And Be Ready to Evolve

3. Deliver On Emotion,

And Know That Humor

Rules

4. Reserve Judgment

5. Act Like The Locals

10 Source: Yahoo! Native Video Case Study 2014

“[Splenda] is

giving me something that I‟d

already be looking for. . .

I don‟t feel baited. It

flows well with the rest of

the content. It just happens

to come from a sponsored

brand rather than another

source. I‟m a big advocate

of transparency. On

Facebook, it‟s a little more

intrusive.” – M, 27

79% would watch at least

some of the native

video

55% said that they would

watch the native video

again

51% would share the

native video

1

…AND BE READY TO EVOLVE

11

“It doesn‟t look like,

„hi, we‟re promoting a

cereal.‟ It‟s kind of

more like an actual

person. Like if cereal

was personified, this

is what they would

post.”

- F, 27

Acting like an

“individual”

also means knowing when

to evolve your

communication

in order to stay

culturally relevant and

engaging enough to keep

your audience wanting

more.

2

Source: Audience Theory‟s Branded Content Qual Interviews 2014

12

#1 Comedy is the most-watched

genre among Millennials

online

“Ads should be comical,

emotional, or absolutely

bizarre…inspire some

emotion in a 15-60

second timeslot… This

not only ensures that I

will remember your ad

but also that I will

most likely tell someone

else to watch it.”

- M, 21

3

Source: Audience Theory‟s Branded Content Qual Interviews 2014; Yahoo Global Online Video Study 2013

13

“I want a stress-free

environment. . . you put

yourself out there, and

somebody‟s always there

to say “Well, you're

wrong," instead of

saying, "Well that's

your opinion and here's

mine. I don't want you

to judge.”

– F, 27

4

Source: Audience Theory‟s Branded Content Qual Interviews 2014

14

Leverage all different formats– video,

images, gifs, text

5

15

1.Set The Mood

2.Help Them Escape

3.Fuel Creativity & Play

4.Spotlight Pop Culture

5. Help Them Succeed

6.Help Them Discover

1

A brand can act as a repository for a

particular mood.

CAPTURE A MOOD MOMENT

Expressing a complex emotional moment, bonding over a

universal human experience, defining a new “millennial”

emotional experience.

.

LABEL FEELINGS

FORD ON TUMBLR BRINGS OUT THE MOOD OF AN

“OVERSCHEDULED/OVERWORKED ADULT” Source: Audience Theory‟s Anatomy of a Hit™ 16

Reinforces the millennial value of

embracing the moment (YOLO) and the

importance of fun and happiness.

Acts as a rallying call and provides a

new way to look at their life and/or

world at large.

Gives them a sense of The Good Life, as

they see it; a chance to broadcast their

vision to the world.

THE GOOD LIFE SMELL THE ROSES INSPIRATION

2. HELP THEM ESCAPE – THE GOOD LIFE – Mercedes Benz Take the Wheel Example to replace the Dior example: http://www.clatakethewheel.com/

2

17 Source: Audience Theory‟s Anatomy of a Hit™

Leverages popular memes that are

the right fit for a brand’s attributes –

and then gets really creative with it.

Hyper-creative artistic expression that

inspires collaboration and reinforces a

brand’s personality

ART INSTALLATIONS USE MEMES WISELY

Taps into a key humor connection points,

humor in the nonsensical.

ABSURDIST MASH-UPS

3

18 Source: Audience Theory‟s Anatomy of a Hit™

Taps into Millennials’ nostalgic side for the

youth they just recently left behind- think

90’s/00’s nostalgia around TV, music,

brands and aesthetics.

Creative expressions around what

celebrity experiences or musings on

what they are really thinking and

feeling.

Expressions of strong fandom involving

paying homage, fan art, mash-ups and

reinventions

SUPERFANDOM NOSTALGIA NODS CELEBRITY MUSINGS

4

19 Source: Audience Theory‟s Anatomy of a Hit™

Deliver on their thirst for knowledge and instruction in the form

of how-to’s; this can take the form of serious and not-so-serious

stuff.

HOW-TO‟S

SAMPLE FINANCE HOW-TO

Offer a content experience that guides them on their path

and makes them feel smarter. This often takes the form

of more serious topics.

LIFE TOOLKITS

5

20 Source: Audience Theory‟s Anatomy of a Hit™

BRAND GENERATED: UNILEVER YOUTUBE PAGE

Getting a deep perspective on a subject matter you

know little about, or want to delve more into.

SUBJECT DEEP DIVES

Reveals a peek behind the curtain of how everyday things are

made. Taps into desire for discovery.

INNER WORKINGS

BRAND GENERATED: HOME DEPOT

6

21 Source: Audience Theory‟s Anatomy of a Hit™

1. Be Native, Not Deceptive

2. Be An Individual, And

Be Ready to Evolve

3. Deliver On Emotion, And

Know That Humor Rules

4. Reserve Judgment

5. Act Like The Locals

1. Set The Mood

2. Help Them Escape

3. Fuel Creativity & Play

4. Spotlight Pop Culture

5. Help Them Succeed

6. Help Them Discover