May Issue 152 – Comment

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Welcome to the May Issue of Canmaking News

Who are the Millennials and What do they Want?

Social mediaThree of our articles this month: ‘Garden Brewery Catches Ball…’, ‘Color Perfection™ for Craft Beer Cans’, and ‘Canned Wine for Gen Y’, look at forward thinking producers and how they’re utilising cutting edge metal packaging to attract a new generation of trend-savvy consumers, the ‘Millennials’.

Who are the Millennials?

Millennials are the Global Generation, aka New or Echo Boomers, Gen Y, Generation Me, Generation We, Generation Next, or Generation Net. There’s some debate as to how young or old Millennials are – although, of course, it’s not just about age it’s also about attitude and values. However, for argument’s sake let’s just consider those born between 1987 (now in or approaching their 30s) and 2004 (now in or approaching their teens).

This young, plugged-in generation who have grown up, some would argue, in a less narrow, albeit less secure world, have a very different perspective to their predecessors, possibly more so than any generation before them; and understanding the different mindset of Millennials is crucial for businesses who want to tap into the burgeoning Gen Y market.

What’s different about Millennials?

Above all, Millennials are internet savvy; they spend more time on-line than people aged 35 and older. This lot grew up with social media, which started way before those chattering giants, Facebook (2004) and Twitter (2006), were even a twinkle in their founders’ eyes. Now, with the advent of smart phones and subsequent obsession for sharing photos and videos of just about everything under the sun, Instagram (2010) is the app of choice among the ‘selfie’ generation.

What do Millennials want?

Millennials

Millennials

Millennials want to belong; they want to identify with an image, a culture, to be part of a team, a team that embraces them and shares their values (a Millennial would probably say ‘squad’ these days, not ‘team’) Whilst it’s probably true that most young people of any post-war generation, will have felt a strong need to connect with like-minded groups, Millennials appear to be uber-dedicated and image conscious when it comes to social acceptance. They want to be seen, even if it is only on Social Media: Facebook, YouTube and, especially, Instagram, and they want to look hip to their groups, (their mates, their squad, or crew), which is where metal packaging comes in. A cool looking beverage can is more than just a receptacle, it’s an icon, an accessory, a style statement.

If marketers want to attract this group of savvy consumers they must be sure they are on the same level; they not only need to ‘get’ what Millennials are about, they not only need to aim for where Millennials ‘virtually’ hang out, they also need to speak the lingo… but that’s another story!

And finally,

We hope you like our new responsive site! Many hours of hard work has gone into developing a new responsive and contemporary Canmaking News just for you. We will be at the IMDA in Chicago from the 23rd to the 26th May, we look forward seeing you there!

Janis Osborn
Publisher
janis@canmakingnews.com

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