Anyone even remotely interested in the marketing discipline knows we are in the midst of a change in the generational landscape, a major shift that will impact marketing strategy for many years to come. That change, of course, is the transition from the baby boomers as the dominant consumer force to the millennial group, those born between about 1980 and 2000.
The millennials are not only the largest cohort in history, they are perhaps the most researched generation of all time, with every moment and movement tracked in real-time, in ways that weren't possible with boomers or even gen X.
This wealth of data means that we think we know a lot about this group. However, how much of what we think we know is actually accurate remains to be seen.
One of the traits millennials are often painted with is that of the cynic. Born into a world driven by marketing and granted access in their formative years to an ad-supported Internet, millennials quickly learned to question first and trust later.
Although a reluctance to take advertising at face value is true of all consumers, the millennial cohort is now hard-wired to think this way. Not only do they not believe what they read on the Internet, they don't believe much of anyone or anything - except their friends, which in the age of social media spans a much broader spectrum than the traditional definition construes.
Authenticity RulesThis inherent skepticism means that marketers must become familiar with two new terms: "transparent" and "authentic." No matter how flashy or relevant the campaign, if it isn't authentic, it won't fly with this group.
Although trust has always been acritical component of brand equity, it's become both more important and more tenuous with the millennials. If they find a chink in your armor, it will have gone viral by the time you learn about it.
While about half of the millennial generation is still in high school and college, the leading-edge is busy launching careers and starting families. Along with boomers and genXers, they are becoming more interested in eating a healthier diet, and they are trying to avoid the problems of obesity, heart disease and diabetes that plague their parents.
Food retailers have both an opportunity and a responsibility in this quest for better food. The opportunity lies in the fact that, while millennials are quite comfortable with and even prefer shopping online, they still buy most of their food in brick and mortar stores.
Retail ResponsibilityThey are also more likely to trust the store than the manufacturer of the products that the store sells. The responsibility now lies with retailers to maintain that trust and expand on it by serving as an advocate for the shopper.
Retail food stores have always served dual roles as both buyers and sellers of goods. They buy on behalf of their shoppers, while selling products from manufacturers to those shoppers.
For many years, there was a battle between the retailer and the packaged goods manufacturer as to who was most important, but in the age of transparency that is a largely moot question.
For those wondering who came out on top, it was the shopper.
Always LookingWith easy access to information, shoppers are always on the lookout for the truth, whether on a product package or in the store. But even those information sources don't necessarily provide the guidance shoppers would like.
Case in point: the battle over genetically modified organisms (GMO).There is a media war going on with mountains of hyperbole building on both sides of the issue and little real information for the typical consumer to make an informed choice.
Retailers have the opportunity to step in and present the facts to their shoppers, without necessarily taking sides on the issue. Simply by providing a voice of reason amidst the clatter of hype, a deeper trust can be developed with shoppers.
Hungry for InformationAll shoppers - and particularly those of the millennial generation - use online resources for information about food and shopping. But they don't use the Internet exclusively; there are a number of other sources of information, including television food shows and culinary magazines.
The larger point is that shoppers are hungry for information above all else. It's not only in the retailer's best interest to provide unbiased education, but not doing so provides a compelling reason to the shopper to go elsewhere. For many shoppers, in-store information constitutes more than a nice-to-have feature.
The best efforts will combine external traffic-driving messages with in-store educational information that helps shoppers make better, more informed decisions about what to buy for themselves and their families. Using the various media elements available - including mobile - there are myriad ways to connect with shoppers in a meaningful way that will build the trust that is critical in the drive for long-term shopper loyalty.
Jeff Weidauer is vice president of marketing at Vestcom, the leading provider of customized shelf-edge communication for the retail industry, driving sales and reducing costs for the nation's top retailers and their suppliers. Mr. Weidauer can be reached at jweidauer@vestcom.com or 501.663.0100.
