If your organization wants to reach the Millennial generation – those born between 1978 and 200 – new research says they’re not that fond of the telephone.
The Time, Inc.- commissioned study titled “A Biometric Day in the Life” shows how the proliferation of digital devices and platforms would affect the media consumption habits of “Digital Natives” (consumers who grew up with mobile technology as part of their everyday lives) and “Digital Immigrants” (who first learned about mobile technology in their adult lives).
More than half (54%) of Digital Natives say, “I prefer texting people rather than talking to them” compared with 28% of Digital immigrants – a significant indicator of how marketers and content creators need to communicate with them.”
As more and more Millennials hit the workplace, this information is valuable for marketers. The challenge? In order to text them, you need their mobile numbers.
Other interesting findings:
- Digital Natives switch their attention between media platforms (i.e. TVs, magazines, tablets, smartphones or channels within platforms) 27 times per hour, about every other minute.
- Because Digital Natives spend more time using multiple media platforms simultaneously, their emotional engagement with content is constrained. They experience fewer highs and lows of emotional response and as a result, Digital Natives more frequently use media to regulate their mood – as soon as they grow tired or bored, they turn their attention to something new.
- Digital Immigrants are intuitively linear – they want to see a beginning, middle, and end to stories. For Natives, stories still need a beginning, middle and end, but they will accept it in any order.
This study strongly suggests a transformation in the time spent, patterns of visual attention and emotional consequences of modern media consumption that is rewiring the brains of a generation of Americans like never before,” said Dr. Carl Marci, CEO and Chief Scientist, Innerscope Research. “Storytellers and marketers in this digital age will continue to face an increasingly complex environment with a higher bar for engaging an audience of consumers.”
Content marketing and customer engagement are current marketing trends that can see varying results based on the target generation. Does this present a problem for your organization? Do you have any experiences you can share?
Related:
Study: Young Consumers Switch Media 27 Times An Hour (Advertising Age)
