"Making a Stateside Splash with Pocky" The Miller Group
Bill Williams of The Miller Group speaks with us on how agencies are reaching out to Generation Z and younger audiences in all realms - including B2B - of brand communications in a way that resonates with their digitally driven culture.
In what ways are you leveraging new platforms and technologies to engage and resonate with the digital-native nature of Generation Z and younger consumers? Further, what channels and formats are you prioritizing and how are you adapting your content for these platforms?
The platforms we prioritize are based on a problem we're trying to solve. Lately we've been more active in brand activations and 1:1 marketing supported heavily by social and digital. We leverage platforms that favor short messaging, immediate engagement, and interaction. We're also getting more active in podcasts. In the end, we believe content is as important as channel.
How are you tailoring your messaging to align with the values and interests of modern consumers, and how does this differ from your approach with previous generations?
Times change, values don’t. Selling things, whether product, service, or charity, still takes differentiation and an emotional tug, and approaches differ by category. Overall, what we do tailor is presentation. The world today talks in headlines – short, fast, and to the point. Less hyperbole, more meaning.
What role does culture, sustainability and social responsibility play in your brand's communications strategy for engaging with younger demographics?
We’re in the advice business, so the role culture, sustainability, and social responsibility play in our strategy is less important than in our clients’ and here the journey is tricky. Companies are taking a lot of heat for their ESG strategy and policies, and for taking a political stand.
That doesn’t mean these issues aren’t important, but we counsel caution on how they handle these issues publicly. When it comes to sustainability, honesty, transparency, and authenticity are key in claiming the environmental high ground. We see it as our duty and privilege to be a part of a number of organizations focused on the climate – locally (Resilient Palisades), nationally (Conscious Capitalism, NRDC, Oceana) and internationally (Creatives for Climate, Clean Creatives). These initiatives give us the opportunity to come together and discuss the environmental issues we face.
In what ways do you utilize user-generated content and interactive experiences to connect with younger consumers on a more personal level?
Whenever possible, we encourage our clients to include activations and interactive experiences as part of their marketing communications arsenal. When we align with consumers’ values – especially GenZ’s – and share a universal truth, activations and interactive experiences create a much richer and deeper involvement.
Can you share any examples of successful campaigns or collaborations with young influencers, organizations, or platforms that have helped shape your brand's communication approach for Generation Z and beyond?
We’ve developed a number of campaigns aimed at younger targets. They range from a paid, earned and social media campaign for a credit union designed to promote financial literacy for young people [“Adulting is Hard, Centra Makes it Easier”] to a brand activation/road show for a niche candy brand (Pocky) to introduce it to young people. On the B2B side, we created a series of lunch and learn presentations for architects and designers in the hotel industry for simplehuman. It's important to remember Gen Z and Millenials are an important B2B segment.