Millennial Pick of the Week… Burger King’s Subservient Chicken

In 2005 to promote Burger King’s chicken sandwich the company launched “The Subservient Chicken” campaign, which featured one of the most memorable viral campaigns of all time. On “The Subservient Chicken” web page anyone can “have it your way” by watching a man in a chicken costume as he performs a wide range of actions, varying from moon walking to laying an egg, based on a user’s input.

This Campaign Got Major National Attention:

Why Would Millennials Love Burger King’s “Subservient Chicken”?

1.     Personalized To Let You “Have It Your Way”. Burger King has been branding itself as the fast food company where you can always “have it your way.” Millennials love personalized attention, therefore it should come as no surprise that we would love having the right to tell our chicken what to do the same way we like to tell our waiter how to prepare it every time we order anything at a restaurant.

How Does It Work:

2.     Finally Allows Millennials To Play With There Food. Millennials are opinionated and we want to feel as if our opinion is being heard. The easiest way for a company to make Millennials feel like they care about us as a consumer is by interacting with us. Burger King chose to do this by allowing us to play with our food i.e. the product the brand wants us to by into. So next time you want to “have it your way” play with your food online or on site at your local Burger King.

Millennial Pick of the Week… Starbucks

Anyone who has not heard of Starbucks must be living under a rock. With a Starbucks on every corner, in the hands of the majority of the people in the early morning hours and featured in at least one scene of many romantic comedies it is a brand that is impossible to avoid.  Starbucks, the franchise most known for causing the world’s growing addition to coffee, despite its price tag, tends to be a favorite of millennials.

Why Would Millennials love Starbucks?

 Do I actually have to break this down for you?  Everyone knows why Starbucks is popular, but I will provide you with a list of the top ten reasons anyway.

Top Ten Reasons Millennials Love Starbucks:

1.    Everything at Starbucks is Delicious. I don’t even like coffee, but I always find something irresistible to drink.

2.    It’s Addicting. It’s so delicious it’s hard to quit, especially once you have developed a dependence on it to make it through the day. 

3.    It’s a Status Symbol. Starbucks, whether you like the coffee or not, has established itself as the premier coffee shop through media, marketing and customer’s service. 

4.    Coffee Shops are a Great Place for Just About Anything. Whether it’s a need a venue for an informal business meeting or a place of solitude to study, Starbuck is designed to meet your needs.

5.    High Quality Products. The coffee beans may not be far above the rest on the market, but the presentation and ambience around the product are making people consider the best of the best.

6.    Customizable. Starbucks always lets you have it your way. 

7.    Socially Conscious Brand. Starbucks is a proud supporter of many different philanthropic efforts, including Project Red.

8.    Convenient. Have a sudden coffee urge? Never fear, a Starbucks is always near on pretty much every corner.     

9.    Treats Their Employees Well. Have you ever heard of another company that gives anyone working at least 20 hours a week health benefits? 

10.  They Listen. The my Starbucks Idea site that lets anyone submit ideas to be implement in stores shows how much they care about the customer.

Millennial Pick of the Week… Smirnoff Ice: Bros Icing Bros

The first time I saw someone get “iced” I was completely dumbfounded, probably because it was my 23-year-old boss being iced by his boss in the center of the office. Although icing only remained the hot new thing for about as long as Vanilla Ice did in the 80’s it still earns a spot on this blog because in its hay day it was extremely popular with Millennials and it put Smirnoff Ice on the map in a way very few other beverages have.

How Does a Bro Ice Another Bro?

Why Would Millennials love Bros Icing Bros?

1.    It Was Creative and New. Bros Icing Bros was all the rage last year for two simple reasons: it was creative and new.  Smirnoff did a great job of marketing their product using a fun, trendy game and it had a good run, but unfortunately, like all other trends it faded into the oblivion because it was not built to last.

Lesson to be Learned: Nothing stays cool forever and if you want to appeal to a Millennial than you have to constantly be creating and re-creating the next big thing.

2.    Only the Cool People Were Doing it…Millennials. Most Millennials want to be trendsetters and by making it an interactive game that we could blog, tweet, and repost on YouTube Smirnoff captured our attention. Millennials want to come up with the next big thing or make some cool idea like icing popular because we decided we want it to be, not because someone else told us we should think it is cool.

Lesson to be Learned: Talk to Millennials! Find out what we think is a good idea, make it happen and watch as we turn it into the next big thing!

Millennial Pick of the Week… Allstate Mayhem Campaign

If you turned on your television than you have probably seen this campaign. This widely popular series of stories detailing how mayhem may strike at any moment has become a crowd pleaser. I personally love the campaign so much that I have forced several people on numerous occasions to watch them all.

Why Would Millennials love Allstate Mayhem Campaign?

1.    Specialized, Fresh, and Real. Although many of these advertisements are not necessarily targeted at Millennials, we still love how they are tailored to someone.  It is pretty clear that Lawn Mover and Christmas Tree are probably targeted at our parents, but that doesn’t stop us from repeatedly watching them because they present a concept in a new, interesting way that no other insurance company has done before. Most insurance companies show the “happy” aspect of insurance so you they are “on your side,” but Allstate choose to show the dark aspect of insurance with the Mayhem campaign. The Mayhem campaign, in true Millennial fashion, cuts out the BS and provides a fresh, new perspective on insurance by showing you why you need insurance.

2. Shows a Story vs. Tells a Novel. As a communications major at GWU and public relations intern I have always been taught two main things: 1. You show a good story, not tell it and 2. A concise, clear story is always more affective. The Mayhem campaign is probably one of the best storytelling methods I have seen to date. My two favorite Mayhem commercials, First Time Driver and Hot Girl Out Jogging, not only provide you a realistic scenario of why you need insurance, but also a show you in a funny, creative and concise manner that appeals to millennials.

My Top Three Allstate Mayhem Commercials:

Millennial Pick of the Week… Groupon and the Live Off Groupon Campaign 

Whether you are looking for an extreme experience like skydiving, a romantic dinner at a new restaurant or a thrilling exercise class for an affordable price Groupon is the service for you.

Launched in November 2008, Groupon is the premier site for daily deals on the best things to eat, see, do and buy in over 40 countries and in May of 2010 the company launched Live Off Groupon, one of the most brilliant social media campaigns of all time.

Live Off Groupon, 365-day challenge to never use money and only eat, sleep, and participant in what is available to you as Groupon vouchers, was mastered and documented by Groupon enthusiasts Josh Stevens. Josh Stevens, the ultimate “Groupawn,” spent a grueling year blogging and traveling cross-country to experience what many have only dreamed of all on Groupon’s dime. 

Why Would Millennials love Groupon and the Live Off Group Campaign?

1.    The Cheaper the Better. Groupon incorporates two of Millennials favorite things: inexpensive goods and new experiences.  With Pew Research pinpointing Millennals are one of the poorest generations ever with 37% of Americans between age 18 and 29 having been unemployed or underemployed during the recession, it explains why we are always looking to save a few dollars. 

2.    Always Looking for an Adventure. Millennials may not have tons of money, but that doesn’t stop us from wanting to get out and experience the world and Groupon lets us do just that. Whether you want to become an expert Zumba dancer, learn the trapeze or go on a getaway Groupon gives you a new adventure daily. 

3.    Run by a Millennial Selling to Millennials. Andrew Mason, Founder and CEO of Groupon, is one of the most successful Millennials in the world due to the fact he gets what it takes to make his generation fall in love with a brand. When reading Groupon’s three key points of its business philosophy I immediately new Andrew Mason had to be a millennial.

Three Key Points of Groupon’s Business Philosophy:

1.    “We sell stuff we want to buy.” They know what Millenials want and they give it to us. 

2.    “No BS.” They clearly know Millennials hate BS and value honesty. 

3.    Unbelievable customer service.” Millennials love personal attention and Groupon is fantastic about giving it.

Millennial Pick of the Week…Old Spice Campaign 

 Have you ever wanted to be a manly man, but you have no idea how to obtain this level of awesomeness? If you so than the Old Spice campaign featuring former NFL athlete Isaiah Mustafa is exactly what you are looking for. This campaign may not have necessarily been targeted at Millennials, but that has not stopped us from falling in love with it.

The Old Spice campaign, which is by far one of the most successful and creative marketing concepts of all time, put this company on the map in the social media world.  With over 236 million YouTube views, 80,000 Twitter followers in 2 days and a sales figure increase of 107% it is pretty clear why this campaign is a winner.

Many of the reasons Jeff Bullas references in his article 11 Social Media Marketing Lessons from the Old Spice Campaign also explain why Millennials love this campaign.

Why Would Millennials love the Old Spice Campaign?

1.    Short and to the Point. Millennials, having grown up in a digital world, are accustomed to media sound bites and twitter feeds, not newspapers and novels. Millennials want to receive information in a quick, creative, and engaging way that lets us hear what we want to hear without wasting a single moment of our precious time. The Old Spice campaign is the perfect combination example of a witty, fun advertisement that people just won’t stop watching.

2.    Easy to Share and Easy to Find.  As you are well aware millennials always have to be constantly connected. We want to be able to share pretty much every waking moment with our family and closest friends, which social media allows us to do while on the go. Therefore, because it is so easy to tweet, text or email the link to the Old Spice campaign as we go about our daily lives it should come as no surprise that we would decide to share the campaign with all of our Facebook friends.

3.    Real Time Personalized Responses.  Millennials love personalized attention and thanks to the Old Spice real time responses that is exactly what we have been able to get from Isaiah Mustafa himself. So the next time you have a question about how to be a manly man or smell like one of the most beautiful places in the world feel free to make your own video and wait for the Old Spice guy to teach you.

Millennial Pick of the Week…Ford Motor Company’s Octane Academy

Ever felt the need for speed? Always wanted to get behind the wheel with a professional driver? Never thought your dream of being in the spotlight would come true? Well never fear, Ford is here with a great new program that will let you become the X Games stars you have always envied.

Octane Academy call for admissions video.

Why Would Millennials love Octane Academy?

1.    Living in the Limelight. Millennials love to be the center of attention. Whether it is on the big stage or in the boardroom like Barney from the popular show How I Met Your Mother, we are extremely confident and will take any opportunity to prove our worth. Octane Academy is the perfect opportunity to be pushed to the limit and prove our skills to the world.

2.    Hands-On. Millennials don’t like to be told no. We are all about new experiences and getting the most out of life. Giving us the opportunity to get off the sofa and on the road with world-renowned drivers is essentially the equivalent of little girl finding out she is a princess. We never think it is going to happen, but when it does, we wouldn’t let the opportunity pass us by for anything in the world.

Check out why Millennials think they have what it takes by viewing there submission videos at http://octaneacademy.com/videos

Millennial Pick of the Week…Toms Shoes

Why Would Millennials love Toms Shoes? 

How could you not love Toms Shoes after seeing this?

1.    Civic engagement.

Toms is a company devoted to making the world a better place, a passion that Millennials also share. A Cone Millennial Cause Study done in 2006 indicates that 61% of Millennials feel personally responsible for making a difference in the world and 78% believe that companies have a responsibility to join them in philanthropic efforts. Millennials, with our youthful optimism and big dreams, know that we can and will one day change the world and any company who wants to help is on this quest has won our respect.

2.    Options, Options and More Options

Millennials love to have the power to choose, which shoe companies like Nike and Toms enable them to do. If you have ever been to the Toms Shoes website you will notice there are hundreds of different ways you can make one basic type of shoe take on an entirely new look by changing the pattern or throwing some glitter on it. Whether you’re a hipster or prep Tom Shoes probably has some shoe that you will love.

Millennial Pick of the Week…Pandora

 Before Pandora listening to the radio was an excruciating experience. Every time I turned on the radio I was either overwhelmed with hours of commercials on every station or bad songs that only seemed to get worse every time they were played on repeat.

It eventually became so painful I stopped turning on the radio altogether until one magical day when I was introduced to Pandora, one of the world’s first customizable radio stations.

How Does Pandora Work?

This is the first of a four part series explaining how Pandora works.

Why Would Millennials love Pandora?

1.     Customization. Having the opportunity to create up to 100 unique stations based on the personal preferences has revolutionized the music world. As I have expressed in several post already, millennials love options and making their favorite products their own.

2.     Makes Millennials the Masters of Their own Domain.  Millennials need to make things their own, which Pandora lets them do. Millennials like to be in control and for the first time in their lives they can control one of their biggest loves by only listening to the music they enjoy.

Millennial Pick of the Week…Apple

Have you ever been in a store the night the latest iPad, iPhone, or iPod were released?  If you have not, than thank your lucky stars because any time Apple releases a new product it is the Black Friday of technology.

Thanks to Ten Technologies for the picture. http://www.tentechnologies.com/must-have-iphone-5-features-10-most-wanted-features/

Why Would Millennials love Apple?

1.    Constant Connectivity. According Pew Research 96% of 18-29 year old millennials own cellphones and 83% of millennials sleep with their cellphone. Therefore, with arguably the trendiest, most advanced connectivity technology on the market it should come as no surprise why millennials love Apple products.  

2.    It’s New and Shiny. Ever since were children we have always chosen the shiny new toy over the old, outdated one. Whether that new toy is a furby to replace our old teddy bear or an iPad to replace a desktop PC, it is a fact of life that the new is always in and the old is always out. 

3.    Love the Brand. According to Edelman 70% of Millennials worldwide and 80% of American Millennials say that once they find a product or brand they like they will keep coming back. Apple successfully won Millennials over and as long as they keep creating products we love there is no reason why Apple won’t continue to thrive.