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NinaRooney

English

Book

How Cool Brands Stay Hot


Branding to Generations Y and Z
Joeri Van den Bergh and Mattias Behrer
Kogan Page, 2016
Buy the book

Rating

9 Applicability
8 Innovation
8 Style

Learn how to reach generation Y and


generation Z and their $200 billion in
annual buying power.

Recommendation
Marketing executives Joeri Van den Bergh and Mattias Behrer conducted
quantitativeandqualitativeresearchongenerationYandgenerationZconsumers
tolearnhowtoenticetheirvastnumberstobuyyourproductsandservices.They
reveal their findings in this third edition of their popular book. Gen Yers, or
millennials,arethetrendsettinginfluentialcohortbornbetween1980and1996,
andthemembersofgenZ(bornafter1996)aretheirsuccessors.Especiallynow
that more than 50% of people in the world are younger than age 30, these
consumersrepresentthefutureofmarketing.Theycontrolaglobalyouthmarket
consumerbasethataccountsforanestimated$200billioninannualpurchasing
power. getAbstract recommends this astute, practical manual to all marketers.
Hereshowtogetyourshare.

In this summary, you will learn


WhattraitscharacterizegenYandgenZconsumers
Whatfiveattributesyourproductorservicemustembodytowintheir
business

Take-Aways
GenerationY(millennialsbornbetween1980and1996)andgenerationZ
(bornafter1996)constituteahugeandinfluentialyouthmarket.
Together,theyrepresentanestimated$200billioninannualglobal
purchasingpower.
Brandsmustaccommodateyoungconsumersbecausetheydont
accommodatebrands.
TheCRUSHacronymstandsforthefiveattributesyourproductmust
embodytobepopularwithgenYconsumers:
CTheymustseeyourproductascool.
RTheymustregarditasreal.
UTheymustrecognizeitasunique.
STheymustselfidentifywithyourproduct.
HTheymustfeelhappywhentheyuseit.
Toengageandexcitefickleyoungconsumersofbothgenerations,update
yourbrand.

Summary

Thesecondyoutella
millennialyouarecool,
youcanbeverysure
that,well,youarenot.

GenerationY
Bornbetween1980and1996,genYers,alsoknownasmillennials,constitutean
important worldwide demographic because of their huge numbers, purchasing
powerandoutsizedinfluenceonothergenerations.Payattentiontowhattheybuy
and why they buy it. Their purchasing patterns reveal a specific mindset. To
understandpotentialgenYconsumers,considerthesegeneralcharacteristics:
TheyusetheInternetandtechnologytocommunicatewiththeirpeersand
tostayinconstanttouchwiththeirfriends.
Theyliketorateproductsonlineandtrustonlytheirpeersopinions.
They are cynical about brands and rely on social networks to investigate
them.
TheypreferbrandswithFacebookpagesandmobilewebsites.

Thecoolfactorcan
makeorbreakyour
brandasconsumersin
creasinglyusebrandsto
definethemselves.

They value speed, ease, efficiency and convenience in all of their


transactions.
They identify with cause marketing and respond to ethical, green and
charityissues.
Theyarehookedonbeingstimulated.
CRUSH
Extensive research found five primary characteristics summarized by the
acronymCRUSHthatdefinethebrandsthatgenerationYconsumerslove:

Thebiggestchallengeof
youthmarketersisto
keeptheirproductsand
brandsfunky.Thetrick
istokeepyour
marketingcampaigns
uptodatewithout
losingyourbrandsau
thenticity.

CIsforCoolness
Beingcool,wicked,def,hiporhotisessential.Announcingthatyourbrandiscool
doesyounogood.Yourofferingmustbegenuinely,authenticallycooltosucceed
with younger consumers. To check whether something is cool, gen Yers refer to
several sources, including their own friends (61%), television broadcasts (32%),
magazines(29%),advertisingingeneral(26%)andmusicfestivals(23%).
Coolbrandsallreflect14archetypicalcharacteristics:trendy,highstatus,clean
reputation, successful, creative, fun, cheerful, own style, changes a lot and
luxurious. These brands are also contemporary, honest and retro. A cool
brand represents a specific claim or positioning. Cheap is not cool. Quality is
cool.
Tomakeyouradvertisingcool,focusonyourcustomersdailylivesandemphasize
yourbrandsDNA.Millennialsrespondemotionallytoadvertising,sousehumor
and happiness. Apply the SUSUSUdio rule that is, create SUspense and
haveaSUddenSUrprisemoment.Useuptempomusic,briefshots,rapidcutting
andmultiplecameraangles.Gimmicks,liketheHeinekenyell,buildrecall.To
promotebrandfamiliarity,featurethesameactorsacrossaseriesofads.

Fiftyyearsafterthe
MadMenera,
marketersarestillfond
ofusingthenostalgic
valuesoftheirbrands
andproductstoappeal
togenYsdesireforau
thenticity.

Tobuildsuchfamiliarity,Conversesneakersidentifiedstronglywithprofessional
basketball player Chuck Taylor, but the brands coolness transcended a single
celebrity. In business since 1908, Converse originally made canvas basketball
shoes, including the Chuck Taylor All Star style. Chuck Taylors became popular
and supercool when US punk rock musicians adopted them as part of their
uniform. Gen Y fans still think Converse, which makes both sneakers and
clothing, is cool. Worldwide, Converse annually sells more than 70 million
sneakers,nowaprimarymeansofselfexpressionfortrendsetters.
Converse adheres to strict branding principles to address gen Y and gen Z
customers:
1.Celebrate the audience, not ourselves Converse focuses on its
customers,notitsproducts.ItacknowledgesthatgenYersandotheryoung
consumersaresmartandsophisticated.

OnlygenYbrandsthat
dontimitateorfake
theirpersonalityand
staytruetotheirDNA
willearnasustainable

2.Be useful Converse devotes a portion of its marketing budget to


activities that help young consumers achieve their individual dreams. For
example,theorganizationfundsRubberTracks,amusicstudioinBrooklyn
where musicians can create recordings at no charge. Converse helped save
Londonsfamous100Clubfrombankruptcy.Converseknewbetterthanto
postalargelogoattheClub,butitdoeshostshowsthereeachmonth.

placeintheheartsofthis
savvygeneration.

3.Own, dont rent Converse doesnt pay to maintain its reputation.


Converseutilizesitsthreeartists,onesongprogramtoenablemusiciansto
record a single. The company promotes the single as any record company
would.ThisbuildslongstandingcustomerloyaltythatConverseowns.
4.BringdifferentculturestogetherConverses2015MadebyYou
programfeaturedthousandsofphotosofcustomerswearingtheirConverse
sneakers. These people were creative street kids, artists and amateur
musiciansaroundtheglobe.Conversedisplayedtheirphotosatagalleryin
NewYorkandonFacebookandInstagram.

Ifyouareauthentic,
thenyoudonthaveto
sayyoureauthentic.If
yousayyoureauthentic,
thenyoudbetterbe
authentic.Itseasierto
beauthenticifyoudont
sayyoureauthentic.

Authenticity:What
ConsumersReallyWant,
byJamesGilmoreand
B.JosephPineII

RIsforRealness
GenYersfeeltrappedinanartificialworldofimitationsandstagedexperiences.
Theyimmediatelydismissbrandstheyviewascounterfeit.GenYersvaluebrand
authenticityandrelyonittomaketheirbuyingchoices.
Traditional authenticity attributes origin, history and heritage arent
effectiveinreachingmillennials.Theyrespondtoperceivedauthenticity,which
involvesamoresubtlepitchthanaconventionalclaimofauthenticity.GenYers
mustexperiencethisauthenticity.
Gen Yers expect companies and brands to be honest and transparent and to
respect their customers. To develop positive wordofmouth among gen Yers,
listentowhattheywantfromyourbrand.Theyfindthatauthenticbrandsallow
themtomaximizetheirselfexpressionandselffulfillment.Thatsabigreason
Converse sneakers succeed. As basketball shoes with a venerable history,
Converses became the sneakers of choice for young people with artistic
backgrounds.TheywearConversesneakerstodenotetheircreativetemperament.
UIsforUniqueness
In the music video Billie Jean, the late Michael Jackson performed the
moonwalk dance, and it became a worldwide sensation. Most people assume
Jacksonoriginatedthemoonwalkbuthedidnt.HeimitateddancemovesDavid
BowieperformedduringhisDiamondDogsTour.
BowiehadpickedupthemovesfromtienneDecroux(18981991),amimewho
taught Marcel Marceau. From the 1940s through the 1980s, Marceau frequently
performed his Walking Against the Wind routine, which Michael Jacksons
moonwalkcloselyresembled.

Thesechildrenareso
matureandtheylearn
sofast,theymightjust
bereadytotakeoverby
thetimetheyre22.

Apple customers assume the iPod design is unique, along with Apples special
black, white, red, olive green and pearlescent blue colors. The iPod closely
resembles a transistor radio invented in 1954. Classic 1950s and 1960s designs
influenced Apple designer Jonathan Ive. Great design is timeless. Apple
customersbelieveAppleproductsareunique.GenYconsumersfeelAppleoffers
themsomethingspecial.
AppleandotherbrandspopularwithgenYanswerquestionsthatmattertoyoung
consumers:Whoareyou?WhatisyouruniquebrandDNAyouridentitythat
makes you stand out from competition? What brand meaning do you offer?
Whats your brands vision? Be sure your company knows itself and
demonstrateswhatmakesitspecial.

Todaysteensand
youngadultsuse
collectivepeerwisdom
andsocialconnections.

SIsforSelfIdentificationwiththeBrand
SuccessfulmarketingtogenerationYbuyersmeansencouragingthemtoidentify
emotionally with your brand. Make sure that your brand mirrors their values,
interestsandopinions.YoucantjustclaimthatyourbrandlinesupwithgenY
it must do so. Demonstrate your products reliability and consistent quality, gen
Ysabsolutenumberoneconcern.
OtherbrandpersonalityfeaturesthatmattertogenYinorderofpreference
include being genuine, honest, simple, uptodate, fun and socially aware. A
genYbuyerwantsaproductthatgivesasafefeeling,andhasitsownstyle.

Youthschoosethose
brandsthatboth
representtheidentity

Peopleinagivengenerationarenotallalike.Whatappealstoonegroupmaynot
workwithanothergroup.Youmayneedtoadjustyourmarketingorofferspecific,
differentbrandstotargetspecificgroupswithineachgenerationaldemographic.

aspectstheywantto
accentuateandfitin
withthecrowdbehavior
ofthecollectiveidentities
theyaspireto.

GenYersembracecertainthemesasvitaltohowtheyseethemselves.Thethemes
includeextollingthevirtuesofyouth:Youngpeoplecelebratethattheydonthave
todealwiththeextendedrealitiesofadulthood.Theyeschewthestatusquoand
routines. They believe its great to be passionate and bad to be boring, and that
their lives should have some elevated purpose. Include one or more of these
themesinyourmarketing.
HIsforHappiness
Millennialsareemotional,somakethemfeelgood.Leveragetheirmostpositive
emotions,startingwithhappiness.Whenitcomestobrandleverage,thatsthe
emotion that counts the most with gen Y. Other emotions they find significant
include surprise, excitement and peacefulness. Evoke humor by having a
surpriseeventhappeninyourads.

Technologyisthegreat
globalunifier.Itisthe
gluethatbindsthis
generationtogether.

LeverageemotionstoappealtogenYbystimulatingthefivesenses:
1.Sight Urban Outfitters renovates its stores every couple of months.
Sinceredisacolorthatstimulates,manygenYfriendlybrandsincorporate
red in their logos, including CocaCola, Levis, Vodafone, H&M, Mars and
Diesel.
2.Sound Starbucks plans to use Spotify, a Swedish musicstreaming
service, to provide background music. Customers who use Starbucks
Spotify playlists will help determine what music plays. That is pure
engagement.
3.TouchTheAppleWatchincorporatestouchorhapticfeedbackas
a feature. When the watch receives an alert, it vibrates against the users
wrist.

Contentisyouthssocial
currency,andtheytalk
aboutthebrandsthey
perceiveasuniqueand
buybrandstheyhear
recommendedbypeers.

4.TasteTopromotetheadditionofcoffeetoitsmenu,KFCoffersedible
Scoffee Cups as coffee containers. KFC makes the cups from a
combination of sugar, paper, cookies and heatresistant white chocolate.
Whencustomersfinishtheircoffee,theycaneattheircupsfordessert.
5.Smell Sony Style stores rely on a customdesigned vanilla and
mandarinorangescenttorelaxshoppers.

ForgenerationY,
technologyismorethan
justtheirgadgetsthey
havefusedtheirsocial
livesintoit.

OtherwellknownCRUSHbrandsincludeSonyPlayStation,Vans,Converse,Red
Bull, Levis, Chipotle, Apple, Pernod Ricard and Trader Joes. Each features its
owndistinctivestyle.Thesebrandsprovideahappycustomerexperienceandstay
currenttostaycool.Theybuildenjoystrongreputationsandengenderasenseof
realnessandselfidentification.
GenerationZ
Born after 1996, the children of gen X are todays members of gen Z. They
stronglyinfluencetheirparentspurchases.GenZcaresabouteliminatingracism,
protecting the environment and supporting people in developing regions. Two
billionpeopleworldwidebelongtogenZ.TheirpurchasingpowerintheUSalone
is$44billionannually.Theyhavelittlebrandloyalty.
Forthem,coolnessisfundamental.Nevertrytoforceormanufacturecool.Young
consumers immediately spot inauthenticity. If they sense that your product is
inauthentic, its dead. Strive for credibility at every touchpoint. Engage with
younggenZconsumerstoearntheirtrust.

Themobilephonehas
becomeanewandindis
pensablebodypartof
youth.Asubstantial83%
[ofgenY]sleepwith
theirmobilephone
turnedonintheirbed.

Both generation Y and generation Z crave constant stimulation. They want


products to excite them, so smart brands routinely update their products.
Consider the Apple iPhone. A steady stream of new apps continually reawakens
consumer engagement. Apple regularly introduces advanced iterations,
promoting five generations of the device in less than five years. To remain
enduringly hot, draw in young consumers and get them to identify with your
brand.

About the Authors

JoeriVandenBergh,cofounderandmanagingpartnerofInSitesConsulting,focusesonmarketing,branding
andadvertisingforyouth.MattiasBehrerisCEOofDentsuAegisNetworkSweden,amultinationalmediaand
digitalmarketingcommunicationscompany.
This summary is restricted to the personal use of Nina Rooney (cdragon971@gmail.com)

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