Disclaimer: As a Millennial I do not plan on using this post to bash and or write gross generalizations about my generation. I plan to discuss cultural trends I am familiar with and how a brand can use them to its advantage.
Bragging culture is not merely a millennial trend – it’s a human trend. However Millennials have an advantage when it comes to self-promotion: the Internet.
We’ve got selfies to show off our pretty young faces and Instagram and SnapChat filters to enhance what we don’t find pretty. We’ve got countless Facebook albums and tweets to show off what we’re seeing/buying/eating/thinking at every second of every day. And we like it.
Smart brands are seeing this trend and giving it thought. Smart brands realize that this isn’t just surface narcissism, but a real trend in the way Millennials relate to themselves and the world around them. That trend is being able to show off or “brag” about your user experience.
Tara DeMarco said it best in her post:
“47% of Millennials want brands to provide inspiration for things to do, make, or buy…Millennials are always on the lookout for new experiences. In fact, they’d rather spend money on experiences than on goods. Brands who provide and inspire new activities therefore become a more important part of Millennials’ lives. Your brand is no longer simply your products – it’s every interaction people have with you, and smart brands are making these interactions more frequent, interesting and brag-worthy.”
And she’s right. In addition to validation, my generation is looking to get something more than just a product. The Internet has given us almost too many options, and we easily lose interest if a brand isn’t offering something we see as “real” or “noteworthy”.
So how does a brand get users to brag for them? There are multiple ways. Being brag-worthy could mean offering users a once in a lifetime experience, whether it be remotely or in person. It could mean promoting consumers; helping make them a little more famous than they were the day before. It means being innovative but just trendy enough that you don’t lose your audience.
One of the best examples that I’ve experienced of a brand being brag-worthy is when Victoria’s Secret came to my college campus. They took over the amphitheater in the middle of campus with their giant pink and white balloon arch, pop up shop, and photo booth props. Girls. Went. Ape.
The event created multiple opportunities for us female students to brag on behalf of Victoria’s Secret. First and foremost, the event was a surprise, which meant that the moment the truck pulled into campus tweets were flying. Everyone wants to be the first to release information. Second, the event had a lot going on. There were giveaways, chances to take and post photos, not to mention the ability to buy limited edition yoga pants without leaving campus.
Victoria’s Secret did it right. Obviously they’ve got a huge team and a large budget to work with but that doesn’t mean smaller brands can’t recreate the same sort of user experience that allows for bragging opportunities.
So, I leave you with this takeaway: if you want Millennials to brag about you, you must put in the resources to be brag-worthy. It takes planning, insight, and some money but the return on your brand’s investment in user experience will be well worth it.
The Art of Brain Tickling 