The billboards are a great way to advertise your business. They can be funny, weird, or just plain stupid. We have compiled a list of some of the funniest and most interesting ones over the years. Check them out!
As of now, Millennials are approximately 20-40 years old, and there are over 80 million of them in the US alone. This makes them one of the most influential audiences with the largest amount of discretionary spending for marketers to target.
Gen Y, more commonly known as the Millennial generation, came of age around the turn of the century. They were at an impressionable age during 9/11, and political issues like the Patriot Act made them more conscious of internet privacy. They are more politically active and contributed heavily to the record turnouts of recent elections.
While they aren’t quite the digital natives that gen z consumers are, they grew up on the cusp of the digital transformation and are much more tech-savvy than older generations. They are more likely to use pop-up blockers, avoid cookies, and otherwise be elusive for targeted digital ads.
So how can marketers target Millennial consumers without losing their trust? Let’s look at some defining traits, and explore OOH strategies that can enhance your messaging.
What makes Millennials stand out
Millennials make up about 25% of the U.S. population, and they’re poised to become the biggest consumer base in the world—which means that advertising to them has never been more important, whether you’re selling something directly to them or just trying to capture their attention and put your brand on the map.
Each generation has different shopping habits. A Baby Boomer is more likely to shop in brick and mortar stores because they have very high expectations from customer service and will often pay higher prices to get it. Meanwhile, before the pandemic, Gen X was far more likely to shop online than either Baby Boomers or Millenials. While a lot remains to be seen about just how much the pandemic changed shopping habits, it’s predicted that everyone, including Millennials, will shop online more in the future.
Millennials as a target have an interesting divide – older millennials have clear memories of the time before widespread internet access, while younger millennials may have skipped dial up connections altogether. Older Millennials are also entering their prime when it comes to purchasing power. Still, they are also more likely to have experienced the effects of the Great Recession while they were already in the workforce and may be more reluctant to make big purchases.
Tailoring Ads to Millenials
Personalization works wonders for your business, but there are plenty of broad strokes you can make to tailor your ads to the younger generation as a whole. Here are some key things to keep in mind for creating Millennial Marketing Campaigns.
- Millennials Avoid Many Types of Advertising
Millennials are more likely than Gen Z consumers to skip or ignore most forms of advertising, especially video ads that interrupt the streaming video. The key takeaway is that they hate to be interrupted when they are trying to enjoy something. This also translates to cold calls and emails and SMS messaging. However, they are far more likely to connect with your brand if they have the option to “opt-in” for your company to reach out to them.
If they can’t skip, mute, or block it – they will often actively avoid engaging with an ad that interrupts them.
- Millennials Trust Personal Recommendations Over Ads
Word of mouth has long been a powerful tool for brands, and while it works with the older generation, it’s even more effective on Millennials. Luckily, with modern tools like social platforms and online reviews, you can more easily take advantage of this tool than ever before.
While you can’t pay for an ad delivered by their close friends or family, you do have the power to influence recommendations. Offering rewards for referrals is one simple way to take advantage of word of mouth. Another way to do this is to feature user-generated content, like reviews, prominently on your website.
- Millennials Are Active on Social Media
Millennials spend over two hours a day on social media and use it more than any other website. That means raising your brand awareness through a social media platform like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram stories can be effective – if you’re able to get through. Your company should maintain a strong presence across popular social platforms and consider influencer marketing as part of your strategy.
The Millennial audience is more likely to trust their favorite social media influencer for recommendations than a typical social media ad. You can double down by implementing a social commerce strategy to enable quick transactions across the average millennial’s customer journey, so they never have to work at finalizing a purchase.
- Millennials Spend More Time Researching Purchases
The fact is that most Millennial customers don’t trust traditional advertising methods. Inbound marketing can help you establish your brand authority, especially when it’s well written and answer questions with a fact-based approach. Content marketing should focus on relevancy and should come from trusted experts whenever possible.
Millennials also value transparency and are more likely to shop with companies that provide details about how their products are made or what their services entail. Clear communications can help you create life-long brand loyalty with the target audience.
- Millennials Consider Global Issues With Their Purchase
Millennials are more likely to avoid shopping at stores with a bad reputation for poor worker treatment or environmental issues. Many Millennials consider their purchases as an extension of their identity rather than a means to an end. If you can align your brand identity with causes they support, they are more likely to feel good about shopping with you.
For example, 90% of Millennials are likely to spend more on sustainable products. Your branding can highlight the ways your business contributes to local and global communities, whether it’s through sustainable manufacturing or charitable contributions connected with their purchases.
- Millennials Have a Shorter Attention Span
The internet has created a considerable amount of white noise, and all the distractions create a shorter attention span for younger consumers. The Millennial generation will engage with something for an average of 12 seconds before they move on. For Young Adults on the Cusp of Gen Y and Gen Z, you have about 8 seconds to capture their interest.
That means you need to distill your message into something short and powerful that can cut through the noise and make an impression that helps them remember your brand message. Billboards, posters, and keeping up with the trends of the future of out of home advertising, like experiential OOH are perfect for enhancing your digital marketing strategy because they provide a channel to bring your Millennial audience to your website willingly.
Marketing that Connects Across Generations
While Billboards and other forms of traditional marketing might seem out of date, they continue to be key for advertisers because they work. You can get a wider reach for your investment and use bold images and powerful messages that the younger audience can’t ignore, and they are visible 24/7 in highly visible areas.
Your business can place out-of-home advertisements in key markets with widespread demographics. You can refine your message to connect with young consumers where they are at the moment based on geographic data and location-based behavior metrics.
Out-of-home marketing campaigns are great ways to jump-start a consumer journey. If your audience sees your billboard when they have the opportunity to find out more by looking at their cell phone, you have the chance to convert a customer on the spot.
Outdoor Advertising can make an instant impression, regardless of how short your audience’s attention span is. Better yet, it can’t be skipped, muted, or blocked. Outdoor advertising can also help you take advantage of short attention spans. While younger consumers hate advertising that interrupts them, they welcome distraction.
Placing ads at bus stops, airports, elevators, or anywhere else potential Millennial customers happen to be waiting around will provide a welcome distraction, and if you make a good impression, offer them something to look into while they wait. The vast majority of Millennials own smartphones. You can use traditional advertising as an opportunity to get them to sign up for a newsletter, download an app, or otherwise engage with your brand, even if they aren’t ready to make a purchase.
Maximize your Impressions With True Impact Media
Creating an ad campaign for different types of OOH media is one thing; implementing it is another. At True Impact Media, we’ve created a comprehensive platform to choose from millions of advertising opportunities, compare pricing, and make a purchase in one place.
Our team offers valuable, data-driven insights to help you strategize your placement, stick to your budget, and maximize the number of impressions you make so you can see an impressive ROI. With creative thinking and the right location, you can make an affordable investment that can drive traffic to your channel and engage young consumers effectively.
Reach out today to try out our platform and learn more about how OOH advertising can help you expand your reach.
