How Google, Target, Amazon, Chipotle create millennial brand love

How Google, Target, Amazon, Chipotle create millennial brand love

Here are a two myths about millennials:





Secrets to creating more millennial brand love


1. Co-create products, services and experiences



2. Leverage technology within their brand authority


3. Act with authenticity


4. Engage in transparency


5. Stand for a purpose that is beyond the products you sell

If you stand for more than your bottom line, millennials will more favorably view your products/services. If you stand for nothing but your bottom line, you limit your potential. Millennials care about causes and are actually more likely to show a preference toward companies that support causes — even if it means paying more for that company’s product.

6. Act like a conscious capitalist

Making a profit is a good thing, but being sensitive to the entire business eco-system, including your employees, vendors, and the environment, is even better in the eyes of millennials.

7. Treat your consumer as your partner, not your target audience

Millennials don’t want to be treated like a target audience and expect to have a shared voice in your brand planning and activation. Stop thinking target audience and start thinking consumer partner.

8. Know millennial employee love is required

Great brands like Google, Amazon, Chipotle and Target are keenly aware of the importance of tapping into employee brand passion. Many of your front-line employees are millennials. Creating extraordinary passion with your employees increases the odds your consumers will feel their enthusiasm.

What is the new definition of brand value?

In "The Participation Economy," Brand Value = Emotional benefits + Function benefits + Participative Benefits / Price.

Only high participation/high shareworthy brands will enable surprise and delight

Many of the most loved brands — Warby Parker, Ball Jar, Tom Shoes — create surprise and delight by being high participation and high shareworthy at the core.

Uniqueness impacts your pricing authority

A final key factor in this is your ability to maintain a healthy operating margin while serving your new consumer partner. In order to do this, you have to have uniqueness. The challenge for brand strategy professionals is to determine what’s no longer unique before consumers get bored.

Meaningfulness drives your sales volume potential

Does your brand create meaning for me as a consumer? Is it something deeper than the product you sell? For example, Chipotle stands for “Food with integrity” and consumers will pay a small premium in both time (standing in line) and money for products from a company that adds meaning.
