How Millennials Are Changing Not Just Politics… But Your Business.

Posted by Ashley Nicholls on July 21, 2016 at 8:00 AM

pexels-photo-92730.jpegWith the conventions halfway over, shall we talk politics?

(Just kidding, that sounds awful. We know you get enough of that on your Facebook newsfeed.)

But in seriousness, this year marks an election that is largely based on the voters of the Rising American Electorate – the new American majority of voting-eligible citizens. They will make up a majority of voters for the first time this year.

Who makes up this R.A.E?

  • Millennials
  • Unmarried women
  • Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans

The infamous Millennials… again? Their importance continues to grow as they come into a place of power, both in the electorate and also to your business. 

As of this year, they are the largest living generation. In less than five years, they will make up 1/3 of the adult population. In less than ten, they will make up 75% of the workforce.

Millennials (specifically those 25-34 year-olds) are in the middle of life’s biggest decisions: marriage, children, purchasing their first home. They are literally laying the foundation for the rest of their lives… and not necessarily in the traditional order.

Like everything in their lives, they’re doing things differently than the generations before. And in order for brands (or parties) to build a relationship, you have to be willing to do things differently too. 

Their ideals are different. In politics, they’re seeking a more responsive and effective government – and one that is not corrupted by huge corporate campaign spending. They’re looking for equal pay, transparency, long-term solutions for Medicare, Social Security and Clean Energy.

Energy?

They’re interested. They want to know more, both on the short-term efficiencies and long-term savings. In KSV’s latest market research, we found:

  • They want a trusted advisor.
  • They want more communications and encouragement from their utility.
  • They want feedback and updates on progress and consumption.
  • They want to live smaller.
  • They live, work and play on a smaller screen, meaning you need a mobile-first communications strategy.
  • They expect (not want, but expect) personalized communications from you, or they won’t pay attention to it.

On Tuesday, we presented the closing presentation at the AESP Online Conference on this very topic – Engaging Millennials and why they represent the greatest challenge and opportunity to the industry. And we got a lot of questions, about how to engage them, what we've seen work, and how to make our offers relevant.

Interested in learning more? Reach out to Ashley Nicholls, Director of Energy Strategy/Principal.

And download this 2-page brief on the Two Things to Know about Millennials + Energy Efficiency

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Interested in hearing more from KSV? Check out our upcoming event:

Connected: Meet the utility customer of the future and why they are changing your business today.

August 4th

AESP Brown Bag Webinar

Topics: Utility Communications, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation