Why are branding professionals so often missing the boat on reaching Generation Y?
These 15- to 22-year-olds and the kids following are pegged to be the smartest, best-informed generation in history, due to a high education level and technological advances (read, the Internet). It’s a target many brands would love to reach, but advertisers are often as not missing out. The reason? They aren’t ‘living the life,’ says Simon Williams, president and CEO of NYC-based The Sterling Group.
Simon and the Sterling Group have just released a new study called, ‘Framing the Youth Market’ which dissects branding strategy to the ‘hip’ generation. Williams says if you’re not appealing to the young, hip and cool, your brand, especially if it’s a youth brand, is going nowhere, man.
Since CEOs and other high-level managers are not part of the Gen Y age group, understanding becomes an obstacle. According to the study, age barriers divide the branding learning process and we’re the naïve ones, not the youngsters.
The Sterling Group is one of the largest branding consultancies in the U.S. Its recent clients have included Burger King, PepsiCo and Kraft.
