Putting labels on a group of consumers is convenient. It allows brands to easily identify target markets, beautifully placing individuals inside labeled boxes. If you’re a keen observer, you’d notice that brands create the boxes first—labeling each with attributes—and allow consumers choose the box they think/feel they belong in.
We know about the baby boomers and millennials, whose attributes are primarily age-driven. If you were born between the 1980s and the early 2000s, you’re a millennial. Your parents are baby boomers.
Now, a new group has recently emerged: Generation C, or the connected consumers. Unlike boomers and millennials, members of Gen C are not bound by age. The label was obviously created to accommodate brands in setting trends, marketing and, ultimately, making sales.
Presenting Gen C
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Digital marketing company Propelrr defines Gen C individuals as those who “wake up and sleep with their smartphones, access and actively engage on social media platforms on a daily basis.” It’s highly probable that you’re a millennial and not part of Gen C, unlike your connected consumer granddad who’s on Facebook 24/7.
The rise of Gen C poses a new challenge for marketers and content creators. Gone are the days when people consult high-brow fashion magazines for trends. Influencers on social media, most of whom are unsigned endorsers, are now the captains of the consumerism ship. A high-school student in Japan with 1 million followers on Instagram has greater power in endorsing a product than a professional model on glossy magazines.
Your marketing recipe: content marketing
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Marketing strategies have evolved with technology. For instance, consumers no longer want to be told what to do and what to buy. If you’re selling mattresses, you’d need to skip the boring details about mattress technology. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on billboard ads showing your handsome product. Instead, do content marketing. Talk about the benefits of sleeping and why getting adequate rest is important in getting tasks done. Offer facts and figures, and let your consumer decide. Content marketing is about “enhancing consumer behavior and reinforcing brand significance.”
Top brands for Gen C
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There are companies that nailed content branding strategy for the lucrative Gen C market. While there is no exact science on how to hit the bull’s-eye in the marketing game, it’ll help to know what others did. It may have been research, luck or both. Who knows?
Here are lessons from 10 of the top brands for Generation C that you should know.
Dove: The real beauty of marketing
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While Leonardo DiCaprio and his army of supermodel ex-girlfriends can effectively (and beautifully) wield the marketing sword, there’s nothing like an ad that millions of consumers can relate to. Who can relate to Hollywood demigods anyway? Beauty brand Dove understands the necessity to be relatable. Its three-minute Real Beauty Sketches video, which featured unknown women sharing their definition of beauty, earned 163 million views on YouTube. Gen C is a connected market in every sense of the word. Establishing a meaningful connection is your top priority.
Burberry: From stuffy to hip
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If you’re old enough to have experienced the early 1990s, you know that it was the decade when British luxury brand Burberry started offering clothing products other than its iconic raincoats. Plaids were in for years, and they have become a classic, thanks to Burberry’s ability to reinvent. Today, the used-to-be-stuffy brand is a preferred choice for Gen C—both the young and the not-so-young. The company is nailing the digital marketing game, keeping a stronghold in social media platforms. The click-to-chat function in its website is everything a Gen C shopper needs.
GoPro: A world of me
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This is the era of self-tribute. We’re stripping fame from the echelons of the elite and distributing it among ourselves. This democratization of fame is made possible through social media and video sharing platforms. According to Google, Gen C is “empowered by technology, living in the moment, always on.” Action camera maker GoPro combines tech, the consumers’ hunger for adventure and the demand for self-tribute. No wonder videos of adrenaline-chasers jumping off planes or diving underwater garner the most views online.
The power of introverts
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You don’t need to announce to the world that you’re content with being yourself—flaws and all. An important segment of Gen C comprises introverts or individuals who prefer to be alone or belong in small groups. Introverts also flourish in the digital age, which allows them to connect with communities without the pressure of face-to-face interaction. In fact, many startup founders and tech movers are introverts. Sports brands, knowingly or unknowingly, appeal to these individuals.
You and Nike, Adidas and Under Armour
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Nike, Adidas and Under Armour tell consumers to succeed in their sport (and in life) via their unique strengths and abilities. Nike says,” Just do it”; Adidas ensures that “Impossible is nothing”; and Under Armour wants you to tell yourself, “I will.”
However, it doesn’t end there. Gen C people are content creators. Google data reported that 83 percent of these consumers have posted a photo they took, while 65 percent have uploaded a video they created. All three sports apparel brands also infuse tech with its traditional product line. They also offer fitness apps that go with gadgets.
iEverywhere with Apple
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Gen C strives on “connection, community, creation and curation.” If there’s a brand that answers to all of these, it’s Apple. The tech giant’s product line helps lift consumers’ creativity through its hardware, software and applications. It’s not afraid to take risks—continuously reinventing smartphones—and keeps in touch with people. It doesn’t need celebrities as endorsers–it creates celebrities out of its endorsers: its loyal users.
LV, Chanel, Gucci and all the luxuries in the planet
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Gen C individuals are materialists, according to professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. These people are always in the know, constantly connected and enjoy life’s comforts. Gen C may be young professionals in their 20s or baby boomers in their early 50s. For a brand, it’s a huge challenge to be able to crack into such a wide-range market.
Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Gucci are luxury brands that have weathered financial crises, cultural shifts and evolving trends. One strategy that these brands nailed is using influencers to their advantage. Bloggers and social media stars are their most powerful tools that can turn new consumers into cult followers.
You may be a new player or a famous name, but when it comes to tapping Gen C, it’s everybody’s game. Putting out your logo in national publications will no longer cut it. Create meaningful content that will connect with consumers and post it in the right platforms. Understanding the ideal audience for your content is key.
Kimberly Grimms is a futurist who spends most of her time monitoring social behavior in search for new consumer trends. Follow her @KimberlyGrimms.
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