According to data from a recent study we conducted with BuzzFeed, millennials perceive adulthood in much the same way as their predecessors. For the research, we targeted a population made up of Gen Z, millennial and Gen X consumers, ranging in age from 13 to 45 years old. Regardless of age, all generations agreed on the markers of adulthood – such as an interest in buying homes, parenting products and financial guidance – and the desire to achieve those markers. However, the path to get there is decidedly different for younger groups. And, ultimately, this affects brands and the way they reach their audiences.

In a recent article by Rebecca Brooks for the American Marketing Association, “Three Things Marketers Get Wrong About Millennials,” she covers this study and gives marketers some tips on how this new path to adulthood can help to guide outreach efforts.

She writes that “Most brands are still communicating with millennials as if they’re capricious college students who don’t have a care in the world. While many millennials have yet to reach the milestones that are indicative of adulthood, the delay isn’t a rejection of societal norms, but indicative of the intense opposition they face to reaching these desired goals.”

In the article, she delves into the specifics of these challenges, such as college debt, inflation and income inequality, and a technology-driven culture. Each of these factors means a new and different approach to marketing such as talking frankly about value, displaying empathy, and seeking a depth of audience understanding that was not required by previous generations.

Check out the whole article here: https://medium.com/ama-marketing-news/3-things-marketers-get-wrong-about-millennials-8e056cb5ffa