Indian millennial—born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s—will become the largest of any country by 2021. They will become 64 percent of the Indian population in the working-age group of 20-35, according to the 2013-14 Economic Survey. That makes more than the 503 million populace of the European Union and twice that of the US.
How different are they? How unlike in the past, this generation is radically different: they’re the best-educated generation in independent India, and they remain always connected. Technology, media, and telecommunications (the TMT grouping) attract them more than any other industry. For Gen Y, Digital is a way of life.
Indian PR needs to respond to these changes fast. That’s where Digital PR for millennials must evolve. And digital PR executives must evolve too or get left out.PR needs of this era must be tuned to suit this generation. That brings you to ‘Millennial PR’.
How do we engage in PR for a generation that would rather scroll through Facebook than flip through a newspaper? How do we reach out to an audience that can never leave their smartphones? Well, if you can’t beat them, then join them. Take your PR to their platforms. Focus on getting your message across Facebook, Twitter, Buzzfeed, etc.
Millennials have a strong appetite for consuming media—they spend on average 54 hours a week, compared to a non- millennial’s average of 56. But not all these hours are spent on traditional media.
A report by LEK Consulting says that the millennials spend two-thirds of this time on smartphones, tablets, and laptops. That means this generation spends the least amount of time on traditional media than any other generation. Now, this is what challenges the Digital Media most.
The major source of news for today’s largest audience –the millennial, is social media. Millennial devour news from Facebook, Twitter, and whatnot. A study by Media Insight Project says more than 60% of the millennials use social media as the sole source of their news. Social Media has overtaken Print, Television, and Radio. So, today’s PR executive must have a firm grip on these platforms. They must go after what draws the millennial from these platforms.
A survey by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism Research says 51% of millennials access the news via social media. This is not good news for traditional PR methods. Across 26 countries, 44% of Facebook users go onto the site, via the app or website, for their news. This is followed by 19% for YouTube. Are you tuned into these trends?
These millennial — 62 percent of them agree that they will look favorably at a brand or business if they engaged with them on social media. So a Digital PR executive must convince his or her client of the importance of social media. Millennials hold the enormous spending power in their hands. Bring this fact to your client.
Of course, traditional PR will always remain relevant. Any mention in a mainstream media brings instant recognition of a brand. So you better find a perfect balance of traditional and digital PR.
Digital PR Executive must remember that opening a Facebook page or tweeting your client’s regular updates will not enthuse the millennial. To reach this increasingly important demographic, Digital PR must follow a few strategies to keep up their attention.
The best brands don’t just push out content across social media. The effective brands reach out to Millennial by relying on “influencers”—user-generated content which influences their view of a brand. Posting content is not an issue anymore—it’s influencing others to publish about your client’s brand.
Click here to know how influencers can help keep brands relevant during a crisis.
Millennials hate one-way communication. They want to reply or respond instantly to something that engaged their attention. They’re also flattered if they received a prompt response from companies about their concern. So reach out to them through Facebook, Twitter, or through discussion threads of any popular news site.
Millennials rely on technology by using various devices like mobile, computers, and anything they can lay their hands on. They also appreciate it if you engage with them through various platforms like apps, e-mail, or Whatsapp. A Digital PR executive must publish alongside press releases infographics, blogs, vlogs, YouTube videos, and much more. Check with third party measurement sites to grasp the effect of the campaign.
Digital PR to the Millennial is not another strategy. It’s the most important game plan to stay relevant in today’s challenging PR campaigns.
About the agency:
K2 Communications Pvt Ltd – is India’s leading Public Relations agency headquartered at Bengaluru. Now in its 15th year of successful PR, K2 has registered its presence in more than 45 locations across the country as a public relations company rooted in India but with a global outlook. K2 has an enviable list of clients to its credit- Wipro Limited is the leader of our client brigade for more than a decade. The other names that we can boast of having a long-term association are Azim Premji University, BASE Education, Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting (FMCG), House of Hiranandani, Columbia Asia Hospitals, AO Smith and Trio World Academy, to name a few.
Click here to check out our work.
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