Mobile Evolution: The Rise Of The Pocket Economy
At the turn of the millennium, the internet changed the way companies in general did business. The dawn of the digital age brought many companies to their collective knees, creating a life-or-death scenario for those who were slow to take the on-ramp to the Information Superhighway and completely reshaping entire industries. There was a mass extinction of many brick and mortar businesses, seismic shifts in how music & television is produced and consumed (ask a millennial what the last CD they bought was, and you're apt to get a puzzled look) and a vast frontier of new and emerging business opportunities in fields that were being created in response to these new and exciting technologies.
The rate at which new technology has been introduced to the masses has historically outpaced the rate at which companies can utilize it.
Here we are in 2016, standing at the precipice of another big shift in “tech-tonic” trends and this time, more businesses are preparing to go to war. The weapon of choice will be the most advanced way to target the masses while still finding ways to target individuals across demographics: mobile advertising.
It’s forecasted that by 2020, mobile advertising will account for nearly 75% of all digital ad spends. While desktop ads still get their share of the current digital spend, the rate at which companies have been shifting gears to focus more on mobile advertising has grown to the point where 2016 should be the year that mobile surpasses desktop, and once that happens, there will be no looking back.
Millennial Generation. Who are they?
Clients right now are not really focused on the millennial generation – DEMO: adults born after 1980. The truth is, should companies start looking to a long term brand shift, that positions them better with millennials? As a millennial myself, I would tend to lean towards…who can really say at this point. Why are we defining a generation's future buying potential – the entire reason we advertise to a demo – based on research that creates a label of age and wants/needs, focused on right now mind you. Why doesn't anyone talk about generations X and Y? It seems strange to me that we just jump right over two generations from baby boomers, straight to millennials. One could, and should argue that generation X and Y are essentially one in the same. With that, why are 34-45 years olds neglected to be “sought” after?
It's like this, a bigger percentage of the population, in terms of sheer numbers and buying power, is not the millennial generation. My stance is this, don't neglect the consumer with the buying power today, and give the millennial generation time to become a more powerful consumer, before trying to tilt your business plan. My generation of “millennials” is indeed still very fickle. Many of us are still trying to figure out what we want to do for a living. While the majority of us are concerned with being a good parent, having a successful marriage and helping others in need – many of us simply don't have the income yet to be considered a target demo for the majority of small business owners.
The way to position your business with any generation, not just millennials, is to listen and become responsive to needs. I'm not saying to become reactive, but rather be smart about how you are positioning your advertising and marketing efforts to all generations. Have the ability to develop long-term campaigns that can pivot based on consumer behavior. We have some great research available to the public on millennials, contact us today for a free copy of our research. support@madmenmarketinginc.com