ByIANSlife Features

November 11, 2019 (IANSlife) The first truly digital generation called "Centennials" is rising to make a greater impact on the market dynamics. They comprise a larger population than both millennials and baby boomers.

Born after 1995, this is a generation that has always seen the world in the presence of the internet and social media. They are quick in decision-making and high on information, which they gather mainly from the internet. Considering the variety of smart technology at their disposal, their attention span is reportedly as short as eight seconds.

The massive political, social, technological and economic change that this generation has witnessed early on in life, makes it very different from the previous ones. This implies that marketing products to this smart, tech-innate segment of youth will not be a cakewalk for companies. Given that a unique set of habits, ambitions and values define centennials, companies will have to change how they approach them.

Many new-age companies are looking at out-of-the-box marketing strategies to be able to associate with this smart generation of teens. Ms. Gauri Singhal, founder and CEO, of FLOH one of India’s popular feminine hygiene brand shares a few tips to make for a holistic list of things that can surely spark the desired connect with centennials:

 

 

• Leveraging social media: Centennials spend a good portion of their day on social media. So, in order to reach them, companies need to draft their messages in a less formal, more colloquial form, which is high on visuals-similar to what we find on social media platforms. The engagement has to be on a constant basis to truly involve the young consumers.

 

• Influencers for authentic engagement: Following young influencers on social media like Instagram is a common trend among centennials. However, they don’t buy everything that youth icons say or do. Thus companies can build dialogue around social or environmental issues and collaborate with an influencer, who himself/ herself shares similar concerns. This can make sense for the centennials, and help increase the company’s reach and credibility. For instance, personal hygiene and wellness companies can collaborate with beauty influencers and open dialogues around taboo subjects, which need to be addressed.

 

•  Underlining the value delivered: Centennials cannot sit through long ads and engage in heavily sponsored content. Having access to fast internet and cutting edge technology, they seek genuine content on the go, at the blink of an eye. They look for value which can engage them, be it in the form of entertainment, channels, knowledge or tutorials. Brand names do not impress them, but the value which resonates with its mission does.

 

•  Innovative approach: Taking an innovative approach could be anything from sharing behind the shots (BTS) of video advertisements or throwing open contests to students in colleges or communities. This can help brands attract centennials to engage with them in more actively. For instance, new-age fem care brands are deploying bold and strong messaging by using red colour to initiate graphical conversations around menstrual hygiene. By doing so, they want to break the silence and cascade awareness, much to the liking of the young audience they are targeting. 

 

 

The aforementioned tricks can definitely help companies ride the new wave of growth, the centennials are likely to bring. A study reveals that 50% of centennials are already spending over US$30 per month online, while 9% of them spend over US$100 per month. 

That said, this segment of consumers is poised to emerge as the driving force behind the boost in the SEA internet economy, which according to Google, will hit US$200 billion.

Meanwhile, in India, the centennial population, about to hit 472 million in 2019, is the largest in the world. With social media platforms and online shopping sites at its disposal, this self-aware segment is already showing disruptive consumer behaviour. In the next few years, the country will see their purchasing power soar much higher than their predecessors. 

Tapping their needs effectively can put India on the path to realizing exponential growth and becoming an economic superpower.

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Editing by Aditi Roy