“Selling is essentially a transfer of feelings.” – Zig Ziglar
In today’s fast-paced, digital-first world, capturing the attention and loyalty of consumers requires more than just a great product or competitive pricing—it requires a memorable, meaningful experience. With over 7 out of 10 millennials actively consulting, reacting, or posting about brands, products, and companies on social media, businesses face both a challenge and an opportunity. This demographic’s online activity and influence make it crucial for brands to create positive, shareable experiences that resonate with them emotionally.
In an increasingly competitive market, loyalty among millennials is contingent on the ability of brands to transfer these emotions effectively and consistently. As Zig Ziglar puts it, successful selling is all about feelings—creating an experience that is not just transactional but memorable. To a large extent, a brand is only as good as its last consumer experience.
Understanding the Millennial Market
According to Statistics South Africa, 66% of the country’s population is made up of individuals under the age of 35. This large segment is primarily composed of millennials, also known as Generation Y (born between 1981-1996) and Generation Z (born between 1997-2012).
These generations have grown up in a technology-driven world and are shaping consumer trends, making them an influential market for businesses to engage with.
However, millennials are discerning, value-driven consumers who are not easily impressed. They are well-informed, have high expectations, and seek authenticity in their brand interactions. They are quick to engage with brands they resonate with but equally fast to reject those that fall short.
For businesses seeking to engage this powerful market segment, the question is: How can brands capture and retain the loyalty of millennials?
1. Use Technology That Works
According to a study by McKinsey & Co., technology moves at a rate five times faster than the management of most companies. This rapid pace of technological change means that there are always new, innovative tools available to improve business processes, enhance customer experiences, and meet changing consumer expectations. For brands in tech-driven industries or those that use digital platforms to interact with consumers, ensuring that technology is efficient, user-friendly, and reliable is critical.
The Power of Seamless Digital Experiences
Millennials, having grown up with access to digital technology, have little patience for outdated or poorly functioning systems. A glitchy website, a malfunctioning app, or a slow online checkout process can create a negative perception of a brand and drive customers to competitors. In contrast, a seamless, responsive, and intuitive digital experience not only meets their expectations but can also exceed them, leaving a positive, lasting impression.
Take, for example, how Uber revolutionized the transportation industry by making it easy for customers to book rides, track drivers in real-time, and make cashless payments—all through a streamlined app. This use of technology not only simplified the customer journey but also set new standards for convenience, transparency, and speed in a previously stagnant industry. The result? Millennials quickly adopted Uber, and it became a go-to transportation solution worldwide.
Ensuring Technological Relevance Beyond the Tech Industry
While it may seem obvious that technology companies need to keep their platforms up-to-date, even businesses that don’t fall squarely within the tech sector need to pay attention to their digital touchpoints. From an online clothing store to a local restaurant using a delivery app, every digital interaction contributes to the overall customer experience. Brands must ensure that their digital platforms are responsive, easy to use, and capable of meeting customers’ needs quickly and effectively.
2. Create an Interactive Customer Journey
“Increasing customer retention by just 5% can increase profits by 25% to 95%.” – Bain & Co.
The consumer journey is at the heart of customer experience, and for millennials, this journey must be interactive, intuitive, and engaging. Millennials are more likely to connect with brands that involve them in a story—brands that take them on a journey rather than just sell them a product.
Customer Journey Mapping as a Tool for Retention
Mapping out the customer or consumer journey is essential for identifying touchpoints, pain points, and opportunities to enhance the customer experience. Brands must ask themselves: Where do our consumers first hear about us? What motivates them to make a purchase? What support do they need after their initial interaction?
One industry that has effectively managed the customer journey is mobile telephony. In response to shifting customer needs, telecom providers have developed new products and services to enhance the customer journey, such as allowing users to customize data plans, providing self-service apps for quick account management, and offering online support to assist with any issues that arise.
By continuously refining their offerings and engaging with customers at every step, telecom companies can enhance the customer experience, thereby increasing both retention and acquisition.
The Importance of Omnichannel Experiences
Millennials expect brands to offer consistent, connected experiences across multiple channels, whether it’s on social media, in-store, through email, or via mobile apps. Brands must therefore create omnichannel experiences that enable customers to switch seamlessly between touchpoints without losing context or momentum. For example, a customer may see a product on Instagram, read reviews on the company’s website, and then visit a physical store to make the purchase—all of which should feel like one cohesive journey.
A well-mapped customer or consumer journey is essential not just for retaining existing customers but also for attracting new ones. Brands that understand how to create positive, engaging interactions at every step of the journey are more likely to convert casual visitors into loyal advocates.
3. Ask Better Questions, The Right Way, to the Right People
Market research is the foundation of any successful customer or consumer experience strategy. Understanding how to gather insights that reflect the needs, desires, and pain points of millennials is key to building lasting relationships. However, not all research is equal—asking better questions, in the right way, and targeting the right people are all necessary for obtaining actionable data.
Beyond Demographics: Understanding Motivations and Behaviors
Traditional market research often focuses on demographics, such as age, gender, and income level. However, understanding millennials requires going deeper into their motivations, behaviors, and emotional triggers. For example, rather than simply asking about purchasing habits, brands should seek to understand why millennials choose certain brands over others, what their values are, and how they prefer to engage with products or services.
One of the most iconic examples of missed market research is the Kodak story. Once a global leader in photography, Kodak failed to adapt to the rise of digital technology. Despite being aware of the growing popularity of digital cameras, the company hesitated to invest in the digital market, fearing it would cannibalize its film business. In contrast, the inclusion of a small camera on the Nokia 7650 phone revolutionized photography, eventually leading to smartphones becoming the most widely used devices for taking pictures and videos.
The key takeaway? When a brand’s ability to learn, adapt, and innovate is slower than the pace of change, it risks becoming irrelevant. Brands that ask the right questions about consumer needs and industry trends are better equipped to remain agile and responsive to shifting markets.
Capturing the Mindset of Millennials through Agile Research
For brands to successfully capture the millennial market, they must develop agile research strategies that enable quick adaptation to changing trends. This means gathering feedback in real-time through multiple channels—social media polls, online surveys, focus groups, and community listening—to gain a comprehensive understanding of the customer experience.
Rather than asking broad, generic questions, brands should focus on questions that reveal the thought and emotional processes of millennials. Examples include:
- What values are most important to you when choosing a brand?
- How do you prefer to receive updates from a brand (email, social media, app notifications)?
- What would make your experience with our product/service more enjoyable?
By being specific and targeted in their approach, brands can gather more meaningful insights that directly impact their bottom line.
The Agility to Meet Consumer Experience Needs
It is clear that the ability of a brand to be agile enough to meet the evolving needs of millennials will determine its growth trajectory. From adopting technology that enhances the customer or consumer journey to asking the right questions to understand consumers motivations, brands must continuously innovate and adapt to maintain relevance.
The process of capturing and retaining millennials boils down to four key pillars:
- Technological Efficiency: Ensuring all digital touchpoints work seamlessly to create a frictionless experience.
- Interactive Customer Journey: Mapping out and enhancing every stage of the customer journey to create a cohesive, engaging experience across all channels.
- Tailored Market Research: Gathering actionable insights by asking relevant questions, in the right way, to understand the unique needs of millennials.
- Agility in Adaptation: Remaining responsive to changing trends and customer preferences, adapting strategies quickly to meet new demands.
In conclusion, winning over millennial consumers requires a brand to not only offer products or services but also to provide meaningful, emotionally resonant experiences that meet their expectations. With the right strategies in place, businesses can capture this influential demographic, build loyalty, and foster sustainable growth.
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