Millennials? The Time Is Now! – Part I

First of all, let’s start with what’s exactly a Millennial, right?

Although it’s not consensual where the X Generation ends and the Y Generation begins, the vast majority of sources define them as those who were born between the early 80’s and late 90’s, hence the “Millennial” association.

Are they actually that much important? Hum… we’re “JUST” talking about one of the largest generations in History, about to move into its prime spending years and reshape our Global Economy, so we’re gonna go with YES.

Needless to say that Hotelier Marketers just can’t afford to ignore such a critical mass when developing their Digital Marketing Strategies.

The Millennial ID? Not An Easy Task, But We’ll Try

If one dives into all the specifics we could probably write a couple of books, so we’re gonna go with a more “To The Point” approach.

Main Traits

. They Act Differently

. They Think Differently

. They’re Culturally & Racially Diverse

. They’re Independent In Their Religious & Political Views

. They’re Less Likely To Be Married

. They’re Better Educated

. They’re Closely Linked To Peers

. They’re Shaped by Technology & Social Media

. They’re Entrepreneurial

. They’re Multitaskers

. They’re Quickly Bored

. Their Attention Span is Short

And we saved the best for last… travel habits.

. They tend to prolong their stays.

. They view travel as a right, rather than a luxury.

. They’re more driven than any generation before.

. They’re not afraid to mix business with pleasure.

. They view travel as an extension of their education.

. Their booking methods are clearly unconventional.

. They’re spontaneous and always looking for great deals.

. They’re ready to seize the moment and experience the world now.

. They embrace travel as a way of bonding and learning about other cultures.

. They’re constantly on the look out for unique and memorable experiences.

. Online reviews are a mandatory stop before considering any kind of purchase.

. They’re highly influenced by friends and family and extremely trustful of their peers opinions.

Millennials = Digital

Digital is part of who they are, make no mistake about it. They’re always online and on the go!

They’ve experienced Internet since forever, so instant access to information is literally seen as a birthright.

Regardless of the digital channels and devices used, they expect a seamless brand experience at all times.

They’re expecting tailor-made quality content that’s actually relevant to their needs.

They´re more than willing to provide personal information in exchange for relevant communications and the right incentives.

They’re extremely eclectic in what refers to social media usage. Although Facebook’s still the leader of the pack, other platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat and Tumblr just to name a few, are getting more of their attention as well, so they spend more of their time in social media as whole.

Millennials = Mobile

They have the highest rate of smartphones penetration in terms of age group.

The only thing they value more than constant web access are mobile devices.

According to Expedia reports, 32% use smartphones to book their business travels.

Roughly 75% use mobile devices to access the internet and nearly 18% of them are mobile exclusive.

Extended advertising campaigns do not resonate with them, as they rather consume content in fast clips.

Responsive website, mobile-friendly messaging and mobile apps are mandatory [60% of them download them].

So how does one reach and influence their travel decisions? We´ll help. In the next chapter ;)

Bruno Santos
Account Manager | HDS – Hotel Digital Strategy
bruno@hoteldigitalstrategy.com