Domain.Me on RockPaperStartups: How To Approach Millennials
Last week, Domain.Me was visiting RockPaperStartups conference – largest summer startup conference in this part of the Europe which was being held in Rijeka, Croatia from 17th untill 19th July as a part of Republika Fest. Over 250 attendees showed up and the event was nothing short of amazing. Names like Daniel Burka, Alex Hunter, Tak Lo, Robin Wauters, Jarad Goralnick, Kelly Hook and others were representing startup’s elite as they came to Croatian seaside to give their lecture on different subjects related to entrepreneurship. Detailed coverage of this conference can be found on Netokracija and Netocratic.
Our own Natasa Djukanovic, Director of international sales was also one of the speakers who talked more about Generation Y (millennials) and how to approach them from the marketing side. When she saw, what could be described as an offensive cover in the Time Magazine, she decided to dig deeper into millennials and find out why Time called them lazy, narcissistic people who still live with their parents and spend quite some time online.
Yes, They Are Different
It all starts with generation theory. It uses generation as a unit to locate specific group of people, born at the certain time with similar social backgrounds. Millennials were born from the late 1980’s until early 2000’s. They tend to watch TV alongside a second screen device, and only 11% of them think that having a hefty bank account is measurement for success.
It’s three times as likely that millennials will follow a brand over a family member on social networks and when they go to a coffee shop or a restaurant they heavily rely on recommendation from their friends.
Media is trying to connect Generation Y with other generations and even to blame them for the economic crisis which is pure craziness. This generation completely differs from everything we’ve seen so far.
Marketing Has To Adapt To Them
Time mentioned that millennials are about fighting, hacking the system. You already have small teams (startups) who are changing the face of industries with their innovative products and big corporations are afraid of them.
Marketing, today, is all about customer relationship. Posters, TV commercials, those things are past. Today’s generations mistrust them and filter them in every situation possible. Therefore, change is a must and people in marketing sectors better get ready for whats coming.
Spark.Me: We Are Expecting You!
Natasa also took the opportunity to invite everybody to Spark.Me conference which is happening from September 26th through 27th in hotel Splendid in Budva, Montenegro. There is also a startup competition and it’s winner is going straight to TechCrunch Disrupt in New York next year – Domain.Me is paying for tickets, accommodation and transport so you better apply where there is still time!
