How Brands Can Get More Love From Afrillennials™
In TrendsThere’s a buzz in the air and there can only be one reason, we’re 2 days away from the most anticipated youth marketing event. One of the highlights for Y!CON 2016 will be Student Village CEO, Ronen Aires’ talk on the African millennial, renamed Afrillennials™. He will be taking brands into the world of the Afrillennial™, giving them unique insight on how to engage and market to this powerful group of individuals. Did you know 51% of SA’s population is made up of people under the age of 25, so as we continue to countdown to YCON 2016, we take a look at what brands can do to get more Afrillennial™ love.
The World Revolves Around Them
According to research, Afrillennials™ are brought up to be individuals who celebrate their uniqueness. It’s imperative to note they are self-centered and self-loyal. They want you to stand in their shoes and recognize what is important to them. They want you to speak to them as if you’ve studied them, talk to them like you’re equals, connect with them at their level and maybe…just maybe you will get their attention and possibly enter their “friend zone”.
It seems as though it could be as simple as speaking their language, however in your attempt to connect with them, it’s extremely important that you do not try and be like them. But why?
They See Right Through Brands
The Afrillennial™ is smarter than you think – they are well aware of brands that attempt to engage and connect with them. Your brands’ success in doing so effectively will be measured in both relevance and authenticity. Sometimes, the struggle for relevance can come across as brands trying too hard. For example, using slang that is popular with youth but completely out of context.
“It’s All About Me”
Personlisation plays a massive role when engaging with the Afrillennial™. They like to feel special and absolutely adore exclusivity. A limited addition offering that they know no one else can get their hands on, wins in this market all the time. One brand that gets this millennial concept, is Nike. When Nike drops a new Air Jordan, only a few will be available to consumers and the idea of getting your hands on a limited addition pair of sneakers that most people will never get to own, makes the youth of today fall in love with the brand even more.
Are You Listening To Me?
By listening to them and acknowledging what they have to say, connecting with them on their level and understanding their uniqueness, and making them feel like they are the only one, you’re one step closer to getting more love from the Afrillennial™.
This generation has a lot to say and they want their opinion to be heard. It’s no secret that Afrillennials™ are always connected and social media plays a massive role in their lives. They use so many different platforms to express themselves in the hope to be recognised for their thoughts and input to the universe. Research on Afrillennial’s™ clearly found that these students want others to acknowledge their opinion and their existence as a functional part of society. They want you as a brand to find out what they actually think and take the action they don’t necessarily have the means to take. They want to be engaged on a deeper level, affect action and in turn for helping them achieve these goals, your brand will reap the benefits of youth support as a collective.
Get it all at Y!CON 2016
Brands need to make Afrillennials™ feel loved in order to receive love from them in return. The exciting and complex world of the Afrillennial™ will be unpacked even further on the 17th of March at Y!CON 2016. See you there!