How to market to gen y

Be subtle and genuine
Because of the widespread use of social media to learn about products, Gen Yers are more likely to buy from a brand that was referred to them by a friend, rather than one they saw in an advertisement.

"Generation Y doesn't readily trust a marketer's effort to sell them anything," said Sarah Sladek, CEO of management firm XYZ University. "They value trust, which is why they frequently seek out the opinions of their peers and consult user-generated review sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp."

Because of the high premium on trust among millennials, Marty Brochstein, senior vice president of The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA), advised marketers to build genuine relationships with Gen-Y consumers, and not try to overtly sell.

"Use all the technological tools you have to establish those relationships with consumers as a way to build your brands," Brochstein told Business News Daily. "Use social media creatively to separate your message from the hundreds of other marketers trying to catch their attention, too."

Timing is everything

One of the most important things a brand can do to appeal to Gen Y is provide timely, relevant information about its products and services. It's important to remain conscious and aware of what's going on, especially on social media, so you can catch these consumers right as something is happening.

"Millennials have come to expect connectivity and instantaneousness in where they live, work and play," said Barry Lapides, a commercial real estate attorney with Berger Singerman law firm. "Convenience is important for them. Brands need to be timely with information and consistent with messages coming through different spectrums."

"In some respects, a small company has it easier than a large one, because it's inherently more agile, and can respond quickly to what's going on in the world," Brochstein added.

Think outside the advertising box

Today's consumers, especially tech-savvy Gen Yers, are inundated with advertisements on a daily basis. They see them on billboards and buildings, in public transit stations, on their Web browsers and mobile devices, and on their TVs. In an environment where there's an ad everywhere you turn, you have to get really creative to stand out.

"A few months ago,The Guild Agencydid a successful book launch campaign where we projected giant-sized "The Rise of Superman" graphics on the sides of buildings and bridges around NYC," Reilly said. "In many cases people didn't even know that they were tweeting or talking about a book. They simply saw an image and an interesting tagline, which was enough to pique interest. Wewere getting press twice for the same product. Once for the campaign, and once with the actual book review or author interview. It's all about creating opportunities where opportunities didn't previously exist."

Reilly noted that successful advertising and marketing toward millennials involves communicating both the innovative product attributes and, often, the social causes that those products support, conveying deep personal identity validation. This involves noticeable, digital disruption in traditional spaces.

"When it comes to advertising and marketing to millennials, it's fairly straightforward," Reilly said. "Find your purpose, and then find your surface."