Marketing to your next generation of buyers will be a very different animal. Forget what might have worked with your Gen X or Millennial target audiences. Strategies to engage the next generation of brand advocates or employees will need to be built around engaging “Generation C”.
If you aren’t clear on what “Generation C” actually is – don’t worry, you’re not alone. There are multiple ways to define this generation. According to U.K. marketing strategist Jake Pearce, age does not matter. The majority of the group may be under 35 years of age, but it speaks more to a way of interacting with the world around them, than it does to their years of life.
Generation C refers to a generation of people who are involved in active dialogue with their online communities. The “C” stands for Connection, Community, Creation and Curation, and a focus on bringing the social aspect of Web 2.0 to their lives. It defines groups of people who are bound together by a love of content creation and building on the work of others to re-imagine it as something completely different, like the musical reinterpretations of Postmodern Jukebox or the creative communities at HitRecord.
A unique aspect of the Generation C audience is their high level of engagement. They are typically individuals who are motivated by honesty and integrity, empowered by technology – they are always on, living for the present and willing to give back to their communities. Stepping into this market requires a shift in perception.
Instead of speaking to passive consumers, organizations will need to involve them in creating, producing and participating. Intel successfully tapped into this with a five-month series of time-lapse photo and video contests on You Tube. ‘A Momentary Lapse’, leveraged an active creative niche to create momentum with Generation C – surpassing their campaign goals within three weeks.
The social strategy must be built to help support a strong community around your brand. It’s important to have bottom-up involvement from employees and ongoing input from community events to ensure that your Employer Brand is supported effectively.
Building a community with individuals who value a high degree of interaction will need more than a LinkedIn page and careers site. Having a website and careers site alone will not work effectively. The strategy will need to integrate YouTube along with other forms of dynamic content, and the opportunity for involvement to engage and begin to build loyalty.
Brands that take the time to understand and engage with Generation C properly will find a willing and highly influential audience. The complex interconnections create a lot of momentum. Messaging can be spread very quickly. Given that we are talking about your current consumers, promoters, and job candidates, there is very little time to waste on ensuring your employer brand strategy effectively supports this audience.
