Millennials' Discomfort with Silence Should be Music to Marketers' Ears - Radha Subramanyam

We know that Millennials are a hyperconnected generation but we are just beginning to understand their dislike of silence amp8211 and what it means for marketers As research has shown whether at work on the way to class in the car at a mall or on the couch this generation feels quotuncomfortablequot in silenceYoung consumers are so enamored with sound wherever they are amp8212 and increasingly when they39re on the go given the continued growth of mobile usage that they are willing to spend hundreds of dollars on quotBeats By Drequot and other designer headphones amp8211 generic budget earbuds simply fall short when you are constantly tuning in Younger generations have become accustomed to amp8211 even dependent on amp8211 having a soundtrack throughout their day In a very real way they are captive to their own need for sound and radio amp8211 broadcast or digital amp8211 has never provided more options to fill the void In our survey 85 of listeners aged 1824 said radio is more accessible than ever and 75 say they can access radio anywhereThanks to smartphones increasingly ubiquitous WiFi and faster mobile networks these consumers rarely have to endure silence if they choose not to And the implications for marketers are massive particularly because consumers don39t listen in a vacuum amp8211 in fact just the oppositeWhen Millennials listen they39re often online glued to their social newsfeeds email and text messages Thanks to smartphones and social networking even 300 noisecancelling headphones can39t isolate listeners from marketing messages Millennials39 incessant need for a soundtrack is clear amp8211 and it holds a number of implications for marketersInteractive Ads amp8211 Millennials have Facebook Twitter Instagram text messaging and the rest of the web at their fingertips day and night quite literally in fact amp8211 78 of respondents keep their smartphones in the bedroom at night and 60 keep their phones within arm39s reach while they sleep Broadcast radio with calling in quottexting inquot has always been interactive Use digital to take this relationship even further Marketers who give listeners something to share are rewarded with greater reach and wordofmouth endorsements The lesson Don39t just advertise amp8211 engageDirect Traffic amp8211 Since consumers have their phones out or within reach while listening to music send them to a webpage or the company39s Twitter feed for additional contentPrimetime is Any Time amp8211 Unlike TV radio listeners are tuned in all day Don39t limit your ads to traditional rush hoursMultitasking amp8211 Take advantage of consumers39 tendency to multitask and give them something to do on a variety of media channels online TV radio and mobile For example tell listeners to tag photos on Instagram with a specific hashtag to win prizesA Voice in Millennials39 Ears amp8211 A majority of radio listeners view onair personalities as local celebrities and say they engage with their favorites regularly on social media DJs can be used as spokespeople particularly when there39s a natural personal connection between himher and the brand or productUnlike past generations think those who devoured the morning paper and television evening news Millennials are tuned into a full range of media from the moment they wake up until they close their eyes at night For this generation silence is not an option The combination of roundtheclock connectivity and a need to fill the silence means that for the first time marketers have the opportunity to reach this key age group nearly 247But this requires rethinking decades of deepseated assumptions about the best way to reach consumers Marketers who fail to understand this amp8211 who attempt to engage a 25yearold consumer today as they would have even a few years ago will miss their target and a tremendous opportunityRadha Subramanyam is a seasoned media and entertainment executive with a significant track record as a leader in Media Research and Consumer Insights She is one of the few individuals in Media who has worked in TV Digital Radio and Social media Her experience in these various media forms spans the Programming Marketing and Advertising Sales aspects of the business She is well known for her translation of research and insights into actionable strategy for the companies she works for as well as their clients and partners She is a visible speaker at events around the country and the world Radha can be reached at radhasubramanyamclearchannelcom Read all Clear Channel39s MediaBizBloggers commentaries at Clear Channel Check us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggerscomFollow our Twitter updates MediaBizBloggerThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all 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Millennials' Discomfort with Silence Should be Music to Marketers' Ears - Radha Subramanyam

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