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Survey Monkey Questionnaire

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View and analyze results from the Consumer Profile (2) SurveyMonkey survey. See actual response data, text summaries and word clouds.

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Survey Monkey Questionnairre

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View and analyze results from the Consumer Profile (1) SurveyMonkey survey. See actual response data, text summaries and word clouds.

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This wouldn't particularly count in the older age group but those first 5 years. However still needs some consideration.

Thriving families who are busy bringing up children and following careers

70-99K

Families with children
Upmarket suburban homes
Owned with a mortgage
3 or 4 bedrooms
High Internet use
Own new technology

Ranked contact preferences
1) email
2) SMS
3) no contact
4) post
5) landline
6) mobile call

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Educated young people privately renting in urban neighbourhoods

20-29K

Private renting
Singles and sharers
Urban locations
Young neighbourhoods
High use of smartphones

Ranked contact preferences
1) SMS
2) mobile call
3) email
4) no contact
5) post
6) landline

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Gen Y Profiles - Brand Status Preferation

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Gen Y Profiles - Brand Status Preferation

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Overall, the majority seem to desire a 'mid-market' brand status.

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Younger households settling down with price within their means

40-49K

Younger Households

Full-time Employment

Private Suburbs

Affordable housing costs

Starter salaries

Buy and sell on ebay

Ranked contact preferences
1) mobile call
2) email
3) SMS
4) no contact
5) post
6) landline

They own smartphones, are keen social networkers, manage their bank accounts online and download a large number of apps.

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Families with limited resources who budget to make ends meet

<15K

Families with children
Limited resources
Some own low cost homes
Some rent from social landlords
Squeezed budgets

Ranked contact preferences
1) SMS
2) mobile call
3) landline
4) email
5) post
6) no contact

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Gen Y Consumer Profiles who shop with brands with a "basic" brand status

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Gen Y Consumer Profiles who shop with brands with a "basic" brand status

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Shannon

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Nadine

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Gen Y Consumer Profiles who shop with brands with a "mid-market" brand status

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Gen Y Consumer Profiles who shop with brands with a "mid-market" brand status

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Matthew

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Amir

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Anna

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Aisha

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Emma

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Justin

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Gen Y Consumer Profiles who shop with brands with a "Premium" brand status

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Gen Y Consumer Profiles who shop with brands with a "Premium" brand status

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Camilla

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Giles

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Philippa

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Francesca

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Overall, Gen Y are highly likely to shop online vs in-store. They prefer using their phone, tablet and laptop to shop but also their smart TV. They are not likely to shop offline.

Total average scores for Mid-Market Profiles:
phone - (807/7) = 115
tablet -  (834/7) = 119
laptop - (747/7) = 106
Desktop - (637/7) = 91
Smart TV - (785/7)= 112
Offline - (665/7) = 95

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Overall, most of Gen Y would prefer to be contacted via SMS. Email and mobile calls also. Post and Landline there is a very low average for people to be contacted and quite a low average on millenials who do not want to be contacted.

Mobile call - (456/4) = 114
SMS - (531/4) = 132
Email - (426/4) = 106
Post - (336/4) = 84
Landline - (288/4) = 72
No contact - (369/4) = 92

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Consultants like tables, diagrams and charts... Fashion is not a science (some might disagree...) but using this "figure" makes easier to understand and organize something so complex as "needs". Maslow was an American psychologist and was best-known for creating in 1943 the hierarchy of needs, or Maslow's pyramid. As I said, using a pyramid is an easy way to understand something such intangible as human needs, from basic needs to abstract hope.

Does it mean that, if we are hungry and don't find food, we won't be able to dream? Not at all, but I suggest to understand the evolution of societies through this pyramid. From the invention of fire, Homo sapiens started to use heavy clothes made of animal skins and use efficient tools. From then, people, technologies and wars defined what we are today (Jared Diamond would say "Guns, Germs, and Steel"). I would simplify and mention Egypt, Rome, the Middle Ages, Religions, Migrations, Colonialism, the French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Capitalism... From mass-production to mass-consumption. From Louis XIV, "le Roi Soleil" to the American Way of Life. From Versailles to McDonald's. Fashion is the consequence of refinement. Fashion retail is the business of it.

The late 19th century saw the birth of brands and retailers such as Levi's, Lanvin, Chanel and Harrods. Of course, before that, we had markets and craftsmen selling their goods locally. Nowadays, we have a workforce ready to consume.

"I consume, therefore I am".

And this is where brands create their galaxies. Just a few brands are surviving to the conglomerate era of LVMH, Kering, VF Corporation ...But private, family owned brands still survive because of their history, their stories, their charme.

The pyramid of fashion links to Maslow's needs. At the top of the pyramid, you will find the more intangible and exotic needs and therefore, supreme brand. This is a way to represent the hierarchy of brands according price and quality, but there is room for exceptions. In the internet era, some companies are offering high quality products at very good prices through selling directly to customers, without middlemen. These cost-effective fashion business models will be mentioned in the coming posts.

How did Luxury Fashion Houses reach the Olympus?

Retailers have historically measured growth in terms of the square footage of their store footprint. This means to grow through adding more points of sale: Direct owned stores, franchises, multibrand stores, store-within-store, department stores, wholesale, outlets...But coming back to the pyramid, we can see a clear segmentation of brands, from the "Gods" of the luxury industry (e.g. Hermés) to mass-market fashion retailers that are pushing to cover more than a basic need. This is what Zara is doing thanks to a fast-fashion business orientation, empowered with a best-in-class supply chain. The result is that can react to trends or be "inspired" by the top fashion designer brands (e.g. Gucci and its famous designer Alessandro Michele). Zara can deliver these new products to their more than 2.200 stores in less than 2 weeks.

What are the most important variables that differentiate and rank brands in the pyramid?

* Marketing: The most common tool and an important expense in the P&L of all luxury brands. (i.e. James Bond wears a suit from Tom Ford and the most famous celebrities are luxury fashion ambassadors).

* Flagship Stores: Luxury fashion retailers bet for high street presence. Location is key.

* Architecture/design: retailers are hiring well-known architects to create a special and unique atmosphere in their flagship stores (e.g. David Chipperfield, Renzo Piano, Zaha Hadid, Toyo Ito).

* Temples: By temple I mean the new " museums" of Luxury houses, merging art and grandeur (e.g. La Fondation Louis Vuitton by Frank Gehry)

* Customer Service: Best-in-class exclusive customer service and loyalty programs. (Some brands are doing exclusive sales in flats, just for a few customers. Others are coming to your place in order to provide a "made-to-measure dress or suit"). Read more about Fashion as a Service ( FaaS).

Source: La Fondation Louis Vuitton

* Experience: This concept has evolve because of the internet and brands are trying to offer an excellent customer experience in their stores, on the internet, thru their apps, in every single point of contact. This is why everyone is talking about the importance of Omnichannel. Brands are alive and storytelling it's a must if they want to keep their special approach to their loyal customers.

* Quality: It´s not all about marketing and experience. Quality is still a must in luxury fashion retailers. Customers are looking for handmade items and "Made in" is sacred (above all, Made in Italy and Made in France). This means that luxury retailers still produce most of their collections near shore. Off shore (e.g. China) is used to produce items for the aspirational customer, that is looking for an opening price level. In fact, Luxury retailers have evolved into vertical structured business in order to control the quality across the value chain. From fabric to retailing.

* Exclusivity: Uniqueness is given because of scarcity. This applies to raw materials, (vicugna, the South American camelids that give some of the finest fibers in the world, at a diameter of 12 μm), skilled handmade labor or type (e.g. customization) and production quantity (e.g. Hermés Birkin bag waiting list).

* Designers: Designers are the gods of the industry, with the permission of CEO that understand and make the business "possible". A designer can destroy or honor a brand. See the case of Moschino revival with Jeremy Scott.

Source: montaignestyle.com

* DNA: The fashion industry has something special compared to the rest of industries and this is DNA, roots and the history of their founders. Most of them are centenary, and they keep giving the essence of their founders. All have evolved and adapt to changes, as Darwin would suggest, but all are respectful with their values.

Top Luxury Fashion retailers from the pyramid - Update Pyramid (December 2020)

Is this pyramid immutable?

No. Brands evolve and consumers also. A wrong distribution strategy can have a negative effect on brand perception. This is the case of Ralph Lauren or Michael Kors, two premium brands that are struggling to compete in the luxury market because they are betting to every channel (wholesale, outlets, online...) and they are losing pricing control. When you are selling the same item in different channels, and price is different, customers will react. And Luxury is about uniqueness and if everyone has the same bag, it no longer becomes special. Brand positioning is flexible and to connect to new generations, to have a consistent distribution strategy and to deliver a unique and authentic experience are some of the key elements in order to succeed in the long term.

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The Fashion Retailer Maslow, evolution and Luxury Fashion

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Consultants like tables, diagrams and charts... Fashion is not a science (some might disagree...) but using this "figure" makes easier to understand and organize something so complex as "needs". Maslow was an American psychologist and was best-known for creating in 1943 the hierarchy of needs, or Maslow's pyramid.

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Masstige is a marketing term meaning downward brand extension. The word is a portmanteau of the words mass and prestige and has been described as "prestige for the masses".

The term was popularized by Michael Silverstein and Neil Fiske in their book Trading Up and Harvard Business Review article "Luxury for the Masses". Masstige products are defined as "premium but attainable", and there are two key tenets: (1) They are considered luxury or premium products and (2) They have price points that fill the gap between mid-market and super premium.

Silverstein and Fiske cite several examples:

Bath and Body Works Lotion that sells for $1.13 per ounce versus $0.30 per ounce.

Pottery Barn housewares that are considered premium but are widely available at attainable price points well below super premium brands.

Kendall-Jackson Wines that entered the market at $5 per bottle versus the standard $2 per bottle.

Porsche Boxster

Several other examples of masstige brand positioning have been proposed by Truon, McColl, and Kitchen include:

BMW 1 Series for $19,000 vs. traditional BMW sedans for $50,000

Armani Jeans for $100 vs. Armani Haute Couture for $900

Tag Heuer Formula 1 for $550 vs. Tag Heuer Link for $4,000

According to the Oxford Dictionary Online, the term originated during the 1990s. It was then popularized in 2003 by Michael Silverstein and Neil Fiske in their book Trading Up and Harvard Business Review article "Luxury for the Masses". "'Masstige' movement gains steam" by Moly Prior characterizes the product trends for the health and beauty care industries with the term. Since 2003, the marketing strategy of masstige has been used by numerous consumer goods industries that include premium level products.

Kitchen,[clarification needed ] a reasonable equilibrium between perceived prestige and price premium is critical to an effective masstige strategy. That is to say that masstige brand positioning for the consumer is to develop the brand as a premium, or reasonable level of perceived prestige yet whose price point is similar to middle-range brands as outlined in the diagram below.

New luxury brands are closer to traditional brands in terms of prestige, however in terms of price they are closer to middle range brands. Established brands command a premium at 3.1 times more expensive than new luxury brands (masstige positioning), and new luxury brands only sold for 2.2 times more than middle range brands. In terms of perceived prestige, the ratio of traditional luxury brands and new luxury brands was 1.14, while the ratio of new luxury brands and middle-range brands was 1.74. Those brands that employed masstige positioning strategy effectively differentiated themselves from middle range brands in terms of perceived prestige, and yet maintained a reasonable price premium to target middle range customers.

It has been suggested that luxury marketers thinking about developing their own masstige strategies should be aware of the possibility for brand dilution. To avoid this, it is suggested that adequate price premiums are maintained and access is limited to middle class consumers as brand dilution tends to occur when purchases from middle class consumers becomes frequent or habitual. The more available a product is the less prestigious its perception. Luxury marketers should also focus on developing a prestigious environment around the brand by advertising in glamorous magazines and prestigious stores, and holding seasonal fashion shows so that the brand appeals to consumers as an "aspirational" brand.

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Masstige is a marketing term meaning downward brand extension. The word is a portmanteau of the words mass and prestige and has been described as "prestige for the masses". The term was popularized by Michael Silverstein and Neil Fiske in their book Trading Up and Harvard Business Review article "Luxury for the Masses".

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EKB Theory

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EBK model is one of the structural models of consumer behaviour. It is a holistic model, with a full description to the decision making problem, reflecting consumer behaviour process during choosing product or service. It was developed in 1968 by J.F. Engel, D.T. Kollat and R.D. Blackwell. The name comes from the first letters of the names of its creators.

The authors distinguish 5 consecutive stages of the decision-making process (fig. 1):

1. Identification of the problem - involves generating consumer needs, consumer sees a gap between the ideal and the current state of things.

2. Search for information how to solve problem - consumer looks for information about available opportunities, search begins with internal sources (own memory), on the basis of past experience or from an external source.

3. Assessment of options - consumer examines and assesses the possible variants of choice in order to make the best decisions; This process is influenced by such factors as: criteria for assessing options, beliefs, attitudes, intentions, circumstances.

4. Choice - purchase decision arises from the assessment of goods available on the market. However, the decision might also be affected by: change of income, price family situation of the consumer, etc.

Effects of choice - purchase may induce in consumer:

satisfaction - consumer is happy with the choice, the purchase is in line with his beliefs and past experiences, in this situation, the consumer stores this experience in his information stores for use in making future decisions,

dissonance - consumer is not sure about effects of decision, doubts whether the other variants were rightly rejected, often is angry and dissatisfied, may avoid choosing this product or service again in future.

See also:

Engel J.F., Kollat D.T., Blackwell R.D., Consumer Behaviour, Holt, Reinhart & Winston, New York 1968, s. 32.

Foxall, G. (2009). Interpreting consumer choice: The behavioural perspective model. Routledge.

Foxall, G. R., Oliveira-Castro, J. M., James, V. K., & Schrezenmaier, T. C. (2011). Consumer behaviour analysis and the behavioural perspective model. Management Online Review (MORE).

Kandasamy, C. (2015). Models of Consumer Behaviour - a Study. Asia Pacific Journal of Research Vol: I. Issue XXIX.

Kollat, D. T., Engel J. F., & Blackwell, R. D. (1970). Current problems in consumer behavior research. Journal of Marketing Research, 327-332.

Author: Krzysztof Wozniak

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EBK model is one of the structural models of consumer behaviour. It is a holistic model, with a full description to the decision making problem, reflecting consumer behaviour process during choosing product or service. It was developed in 1968 by J.F. Engel, D.T. Kollat and R.D. Blackwell.

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The emergence of this type of brand resolved the traditional dichotomy between luxury and non-luxury brands. The term 'masstige brands' easily conveys their basic idea: offering prestige to the masses (some authors also use 'new luxury' or 'mass luxury' (Kapferer and Bastien 2009b, p. 312). Typical masstige brands include Coach, Godiva, Starbucks and Victoria`s Secret (Silverstein and Fiske 2003, p. 51). Although these brands are not luxury brands, they still rate higher than middle-market brands on the major dimensions of luxury products. Masstige brands concentrate especially on creating symbolic benefits and prestige; they care very much about shine and therefore also about design. Zara exemplifies the idea of selling taste and style to the masses, which is accomplished by imitating the design of luxury brands for their clothing, stores and advertising. However, as demonstrated in the Figure below, they are forced to cut back on the other major characteristics. A mass-prestige-business in the mass/middle-class market reduces the level of rarity and can only be achieved with reasonable prices, which, in turn, requires a compromise on quality and extraordinariness (see also Keller 2009, p. 295). The study carried out by Truong et al. (2009, p. 379) demonstrates that masstige brands successfully differentiate themselves from middle-range brands by their prestige and from luxury brands mainly by their reasonable pricing. The authors found out that products from luxury fashion brands are about three times more expensive than masstige products, which, in turn, are about twice as expensive as middle-range products. While there is only a relatively small difference in prestige between luxury and masstige brands, the latter were indeed perceived as being much more prestigious than middle-range brands.

The masstige strategy is also applied by many luxury brands. They are trading-down by extending their product range with masstige products that are more accessible to middle-class consumers (Kapferer and Bastien 2009b, p. 321; Truong et al. 2009, p. 379). This kind of price differentiation marks one of the major growth strategies for luxury brands. The challenge that comes with this strategy is one of preserving an image of exclusivity (Keller 2009, p. 292 et seq.). This problem has been solved by Ferrari with line extensions in product categories that do not compete with the brand's core identity: while Ferrari cars remain very expensive and exclusive, the value of the brand is exploited by offering products in categories as diverse as apparel to computers (Berthon et al. 2009, p. 54).

Both the trading-up strategy of masstige brands and the trading-down strategy of luxury brands make luxury-like products accessible for middle-class consumers. This development is referred to as the 'democratization of luxury.' According to the economic relativity of luxury (see above), democratic luxury products are characterized by Kapferer and Bastien (2009b, p. 314) as " ordinary items for extraordinary people", which are at the same time " extraordinary items for ordinary people".

Further reading about the implementation of the masstige strategey here (in German).

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I.5.2. What are Masstige Brands? | Upmarkit

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The emergence of this type of brand resolved the traditional dichotomy between luxury and non-luxury brands. The term 'masstige brands' easily conveys their basic idea: offering prestige to the masses (some authors also use 'new luxury' or 'mass luxury' (Kapferer and Bastien 2009b, p. 312).

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Avg. Visit Duration 00:18:52

Estimated Data Verify Your Website

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Traffic Sources Find out which are the main sources of desktop traffic for massimodutti.com.
April 2020 analysis

On desktop

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Avg. Visit Duration 00:18:52 Estimated Data Verify Your Website Traffic Sources Find out which are the main sources of desktop traffic for massimodutti.com.April 2020 analysis On desktop Get Full Comparison with SimilarWeb Pro Outbrain has been using SimilarWeb for over a year and it's been instrumental for our ability to analyze our competitive environment, benchmark our performance, keep track of industry trends, and generate new leads.

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How to boost Massimo Dutti's communication ? Strengths Inditex group. 667 shops - 64 countries Diversification of range Inditex’s strategy brings success to Massimo Dutti Eco-friendly and environment conscious brand: Disponibility of products Weaknesses • Massimo Dutti is limited

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On the pages of the magazines and newspapers you read, on posters and digital screens at the station, on the sides of passing taxis and buses, on billboards in the street, as you settle down to watch your favourite TV show, in your Instagram feed, and even in some video games - adverts for fashion are everywhere.

Brands are increasingly taking a scattergun approach to marketing, spreading their spend across different platforms as they seek to capture customers at numerous touchpoints. While social media remains crucial, there has been a resurgence of some tried-and-tested forms of marketing, such as print advertising and TV product placement, alongside investment in innovative new ways of getting the message across.

Frances Griffin, senior strategist at marketing and consumer activation agency MullenLowe Open, describes this as "smart creative" - using traditional channels in smarter ways: "It's about making sure that every possible place where the brand will be seen has a relevant and consistent communication. There's a lot of focus on the bigger picture. You're not just looking online or in store, but at the holistic consumer journey from first awareness through to the tills.

It's about making sure that every possible place where the brand will be seen has a relevant and consistent communication

Frances Griffin, senior strategist at marketing and consumer activation agency MullenLowe Open

"A brand might have used Instagram for years, but now it's more about combining amazing creative [content] with a targeted, relevant strategy, so you know that your message will land and resonate with the right people at the right time."

Womenswear retailer Warehouse is among those reviewing their marketing strategies for 2020. Social media has been a key focus this year, but brand communications director Jill Gate says the team asked itself: "If Instagram disappeared overnight, how [would] we continue to talk to our customers?"

The new old

Perhaps unexpectedly, this has resulted in a renewed consideration of print advertising, among other channels.
Source: Transport Media
"The print market is waning because there are fewer titles. However, there are still some quality titles that people are buying into," explains Gate. "There is a slight return to the 'life that was': buying that nice magazine for the table, buying that hardback book. We can't ignore that. It's a shift in customer mindset and the world we live in.

You don't need a huge amount of money to tell a story. You need to connect with people by talking in the right channels at the right time

Jill Gate, brand communications director, Warehouse

"What is important to us is listening to the voice of our customer. You don't need a huge amount of money to tell a story. You need to connect with people by talking in the right channels at the right time."

Young fashion brand I Saw It First's tie-up with reality ITV2 show Love Island also proved the ongoing pulling power of TV advertising. Sales of products featured on the show, which ran from 3 June to 29 July, increased by up to 600%.

"It's product placement and then some," says Charlotte Rogers, senior writer at advertising trade publication Marketing Week. "Ramping it up so not only can you see the clothes [on TV] but there is a dedicated micro-site linked to it, where you can shop the clothes and see the cast wearing them. It was a very shrewd move to bring the brand front and centre in a show like that, in a way that feels natural, especially in such a congested market."

Demographic reach

Insight company Enders Analysis estimates that the overall UK TV ad industry is worth £4bn a year. Not only that, but it can offer solid return on investment. In a survey of 2,000 campaigns, Thinkbox, the trade body for TV, found that the channel offers a return on investment of £4.20 over three years for each £1 spent.

Depending on the programme, advertisers can target a huge array of demographics with TV ads. For example, the audience watching Love Island on catch-up streaming service ITV Hub will be hugely different from those watching the Ashes live on Sky Sports. Size-inclusive menswear brand Jacamo, part of the N Brown Group, ran a campaign with Sky Sports during July and August with the aim of reaching men aged 25 to 44.

We still see TV as an effective channel, and it is one of the best ways of reaching our audience at scale

Kenyatte Nelson, chief brand officer of N Brown Group

"We still see TV as an effective channel, and it is one of the best ways of reaching our audience at scale," explains Kenyatte Nelson, chief brand officer of N Brown Group. "For many of our brands, TV is one of our most effective channels, particularly in terms of increasing market penetration through customer acquisition."

He explains that despite its benefits, the changing ways people watch TV mean that market still requires an innovative and focused approach. Jacamo's campaign with Sky Sports, for example, played out across regular TV, on-demand platforms and digital (including Sky Sports website takeovers), hitting TV watchers across numerous touchpoints - no matter how they chose to watch.

"The breath of the media offer in the AV [audiovisual]/TV space is rapidly evolving, and media owners are much more open to innovative investment models," he says. "Like any other channel, we should be clear about our objectives, be customer centric in our approach to media and message, and measure performance, so we can calibrate and optimise over time."

Game theory

Appealing to another demographic, video games provide a way to connect with a young, engaged audience: the thriving online gaming community has millions of members across the world, who watch other gamers compete in games such as Fortnite and FIFA.

Twitch, a social media streaming platform dedicated to gaming, has more than 15 million active members, and the audience for the finals of the Fortnite World Cup in July peaked at 2.3 million people on YouTube and Twitch. The winner - a 16-year-old from the US - took home a prize of $3m (£2.7m).

"Young people use Fortnite as a new form of social media. It's where they hang out now after school. It is very culturally important," says Rogers. "Integrating your brand into a platform like that is very savvy." Sportswear giants such as Nike are already exploring advertising through the game. In May, it launched a "skin" - digital outfit - of its Air Jordan trainers into Fortnite, so gamers can play with their avatars "wearing" Nike products. They can also unlock new skins by completing challenges.

"It's not interrupting their experience," adds Rogers. "It's enhancing the experience and building brand loyalty. For a streetwear brand targeting Gen Z, it could be a good opportunity."

Street style

As well as reaching customers in their homes as they watch TV and play games, fashion brands are deploying out-of-home (OOH) channels, such as billboards, transport advertising and digital screens, to create an "omnipresence". Developments in 5G super-fast mobile technology could have a huge impact on the sector.

"It should allow OOH to be more creative," notes Kelly Byrne, commercial director at fast fashion etailer Nasty Gal. "It's a channel that's still seen as pretty traditional, and a lot of the big players dominate the space. But [5G] could lead to more immersive campaigns, or target mobile ads around key placements to re-target the customer who may have seen a billboard with relevant products."

However, 5G was only launched this year and by the end of 2019 mobile provider EE estimates that just 15% of the population will be covered by the 5G network. Only eight mobile phone models on sale in the UK are currently 5G-ready, and must be on the EE network to access super-high internet speeds. As such, it is not yet an essential area for marketing spend.

It's important that we occupy the same spaces as our consumer and have presence across their journey

Kelly Byrne, commercial director at Nasty Gal

Despite this, digital OOH advertising using digital screens and billboards is steadily growing. Outdoor media analytics company Route estimates the medium generates 36% more customer "impacts" than it did 12 months ago, creating 1 billion impacts a week. As such, integrating the tool into a wider marketing mix can be a smart strategy - especially in harmony with other platforms to create a wide-reaching, high-impact campaign.
Source: Transport Media
"Each platform serves a different purpose, and we will adopt different strategies depending on what the overall goal is," notes Byrne. "For example, for a big brand launch we may employ more traditional forms of high-impact media, such as TV or OOH, whereas smaller weekly or seasonal trend messages would be pushed out primarily across digital performance and social channels. It's important that we occupy the same spaces as our consumer and have presence across their journey."

In today's retail climate, marketing budgets are tight and investment is heavily scrutinised. Traditional channels such as TV, print and OOH still hold value for retailers, but must be considered in new ways to reflect the changing ways the consumer interacts with each medium. With purpose-driven, closely targeted campaigns, brands can become part of their consumers' lives in more subtle ways than ever before, at multiple touchpoints.

Brand messaging for good causes

As well as carefully considering their channel mix, it is vital for brands and retailers to align their messaging to their customers' expectations. Marketers are responding to consumer demand for sustainable, transparent practices by promoting social justice causes and working with charities.

In March this year, lingerie brand Coco de Mer launched a campaign with activist and campaigner Waris Dirie and her charity the Desert Flower Foundation, which combats female genital mutilation (FGM).

Brands and retailers with a loyal customer base are finding that they can make a difference

Lucy Litwack, Coco de Mer

"The core of the Coco de Mer brand has always revolved around female empowerment and the importance of female pleasure - and FGM is a direct disabler of this," explains CEO Lucy Litwack. "Our collaborations with women's charities and key initiatives allow us to drive this passion forward, while also providing a narrative around the issues we believe should be given more attention, such as FGM.

"Brands and retailers with a loyal customer base are finding that they can make a difference, and consumers can feel more engaged with a brand if they support similar issues. Purpose can indeed drive profit."

Julian Kynaston, founder of brand consultancy group The Propaganda Agency, which has worked with brands including Gym King, Clipper and Ann Summers, says: "Brands with real purpose - who can demonstrate what they care about and what they are doing about their passions - are the ones that consumers care about, talk about, and build long-term relationships with."

He highlights outdoor brand Patagonia's "Don't buy this jacket" campaign, which encouraged customers to repair, re-use or recycle their clothing, as another example: "Their purpose connects directly with doing what's important for the planet - not just their profits - so it builds credibility and confidence in the brand."

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New ad breaks: how to reach Gen Z and millennials

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On the pages of the magazines and newspapers you read, on posters and digital screens at the station, on the sides of passing taxis and buses, on billboards in the street, as you settle down to watch your favourite TV show, in your Instagram feed, and even in some video games - adverts for fashion are everywhere.

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How MD gather qualitative and quantitative data

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How MD gather qualitative and quantitative data

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How can the fashion industry become more sustainable?

Second to oil, fashion and textiles is the most polluting industry in the world. Every stage in a garment's life threatens our planet and its resources. It can take more than 20,000 litres of water to produce 1kg of cotton, equivalent to a single t-shirt and pair of jeans. Up to 8,000 different chemicals are used to turn raw materials into clothes, including a range of dyeing and finishing processes. And what becomes of the clothing that doesn't sell, falls apart or goes out of style? More often than not, it is discarded in giant landfills. How can the fashion industry become more sustainable?

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Second to oil, fashion and textiles is the most polluting industry in the world. Every stage in a garment's life threatens our planet and its resources. It can take more than 20,000 litres of water to produce 1kg of cotton, equivalent to a single t-shirt and pair of jeans.

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Geography has always mattered when it comes to economic performance. When South Carolina manufacturers are struggling, producers in the South Bronx may be having a banner year. And vice versa. But regardless of location, the common denominator of today's economy is the very unique, yet developing, consumer known as the Millennial.

One-of-a-kind thinking
For those paying close attention, the Millennial demographic creates a significant opportunity for smaller, mid-market producers of product and the retailers that sell those goods. Why? Because these purveyors have the size and infrastructure that permit the flexibility and creativity to offer Millennial customers a presentation of uniqueness, whether these customer are male or female - and certainly for their children.

Millennials have demonstrated a pattern of not wanting the garment they see hanging on the four-way or waterfall at Macycs or Kohl's because they know that dozens of other garments just like that one will find their way into the closets of thousands of other people. And they don't want that. They don't want to see the same product "coming and going." They want "unique."

For Millennials, having their children show up at the playground or preschool in the same outfit another kid is wearing would be a shameful outrage. The nanny would be beside herself, not knowing how to appropriately report back to the parent.

Less is more
In this, mid-market firms have an advantage. They have an ability to create "small-batch" product and put it into distribution channels that don't require production minimums of 100+ dozen per style. They can produce items that give the appearance of "one-offs" by modifying trim, buttons and color variations on the same base or core garment, giving consumers the impression that what they are purchasing at their favorite boutique is not the same exact garment selling down the street or at Macy's.

Online retailers in particular have discovered how best to represent uniqueness in their product offerings. They constantly rotate items as they introduce new product. This encourages their followings to visit their websites often to see what's new and ultimately make additional purchases.

However, many have been unable to deliver profitability as they are still learning how to manage inventory.

Downturns breed new businesses
There is a theory that more new businesses launch during a recession than at any other time. The recent recession was just such an occasion, permitting the growth of smaller retailers offering "value," not just a "sale" or "discount day."

An example of this kind of value-marketing is HomeGoods, a new, mid-market chain that has blossomed, while sales for the home departments at Bloomingdale's and Macy's have declined. Companies like HomeGoods can thrive because they are more agile in analyzing the marketplace and then quickly are able to react in terms of unique product selection and value. Even its "mission statement" pushes forward the company's "passion for unique and beautiful finds" by buyers who "travel the globe, searching for one-of-a-kind handcrafted merchandise ... at significant savings" with "new shipments every week, so there's always something new to discover."

It's not that HomeGoods' products are different than other retailers, but while traditional retailers may use products specifically produced for them to create much larger profit margins, HomeGoods, and its parent company TJX use this same strategy to ensure a flow of the proper merchandise in the correct season.

Apparel dinosaurs
This same inability to adapt to market changes quickly has turned many apparel industry giants and anchor retailers into dinosaurs. Mammoth anchor retailers, in particular, have reacted to changes in their markets by "closing ranks," in that they take few risks and try to appeal to the most conservative consumer possible. The Millennial is not interested. Online retailers, or e-tailers, are taking up the slack. And brick-and-mortar stores such as Men's Wearhouse, which owns the Joseph Abboud brand, are among these.

While other brick-and-mortar retailers are closing stores, Men's Wearhouse saw an opportunity to thrive by using the well-known, mid-market label as a line extension to create a new destination for men's suits and sportswear customers - online. This permitted Men's Wearhouse to avoid confusing its existing customer or dilute the upscale "Abboud" brand name (by cramming Joseph Abboud product into its stores), and to target a different customer seeking a different buying experience on the web.

Men's Wearhouse's Joseph Abboud-branded product targets Millennials and traditionalists who shop online and want a personalized product. The Joseph Abboud site offers custom choices in style and fabrics and permits the shopper to mix and match for an individualized style. The suits are made in the United States (a beneficial marketing strategy) and delivered in three weeks. Price points are similar to the branded suits already available through conventional brick-and-mortar retailers but offer custom touches and custom fit.

In pursuing this strategy, Men's Wearhouse understood the challenge of selling a Joseph Abboud label into major retail outlets and side-stepped the effort and slim margins (after markdowns) by pursuing the growing base of online consumers. In this manner, a mid-market retailer found a way to create growth by identifying a niche and need in the men's suit market and filling it at the right price point. The end result is that Men's Wearhouse, a conventional brick-and-mortar retailer, was able to market the Joseph Abboud line extension profitably.

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Jack Hendler is co-CEO of Avalon Net Worth Group, a boutique investment bank with a focus on providing world-class financial and business advisory services to middle-market companies. He has significant hands-on experience in consumer products, retail, importers and manufacturing and a background in finance, marketing, production and distribution. In addition to helping the sale of privately-held businesses, divestitures for both public and private companies, recapitalizations, mergers, and financing, he has a particular expertise in assisting financially troubled companies find solutions to credit crunches, through such solutions as restructuring of debt, outright sale or formation of strategic alliances.

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Why Millennials and Mid-Market Firms Are a Fashion Match

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Geography has always mattered when it comes to economic performance. When South Carolina manufacturers are struggling, producers in the South Bronx may be having a banner year. And vice versa. But regardless of location, the common denominator of today's economy is the very unique, yet developing, consumer known as the Millennial.

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It also speeds up stocktaking by 80%, freeing up time for better customer care. This system is now available across Zara´s entire store base as well as Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti and Uterqüe. The entire process is scheduled for completion in all the Group's brands in the summer of 2020.

Other customer advances being trialled include:

The integrated stock management, which is in place in Zara stores in 58 markets and completed in Uterqüe, that allows to fulfil customers' online orders both from store warehouses and online stockrooms, helping to shorten delivery times and enhance customer service.

Value-added customer services as same-day delivery -already on offer in Madrid, London, Paris, Istanbul, Taipei, Shanghai, Sydney, Warsaw, Toronto, Moscow, Mexico and New York- , and next-day delivery -available in Spain, France, the UK, Poland, China, South Korea, Canada and Australia.

mobile payments across 27 markets, which we will soon extend globally, simplifying the purchase and returns process.

the removal of paper tickets for all online orders from each brand already in 54 markets.

self-checkout, making the payment process easier.

interactive fitting rooms, in which customers can request new colours, sizes and personal shopping advice through a tablet device in the fitting room, as well as get tips on how to combine fashion items with a 'match with' option.

Automated order delivery points at Zara, where shoppers can pick up orders placed online at their convenience. These are currently available at the stores of Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Bilbao (Spain), Glasgow (UK), Haussman (Paris, France), Leicester (UK), Liverpool (UK), Marineda (A Coruña, Spain), Milan (Italy) and Stratford (London, UK).

Social media is also proving to be a valuable opportunity for us to strengthen our relationship with our customers. We are delighted that our customers talk to us about everything from the latest trends to supply chain integrity, giving us the chance to explain our commitments to sustainability, society and the environment. The group currently has over 175 million followers in social media.

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It also speeds up stocktaking by 80%, freeing up time for better customer care. This system is now available across Zara´s entire store base as well as Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti and Uterqüe. The entire process is scheduled for completion in all the Group's brands in the summer of 2020.

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There's no doubting Zara's status as an international fashion retail giant.

The fast-fashion experience it provides could be one of the many reasons why it has consistently remained popular among consumers worldwide, especially those who constantly seek the latest fashion trends.

However, there is much debate on whether Zara advertises much. After all, how does a retailer survive without advertisements? And if Zara doesn't advertise, how does it keep up with its main competitors - namely H&M?

"Here's what makes Zara truly unique: the company only spends about 0.3 per cent of sales on advertising, and doesn't have much marketing to speak of," Pietro Barbieri-Hermitte, planner at customer engagement agency TMW Unlimited, told Retail Gazette.

One of Zara's key strengths, according to Barbieri-Hermitte, is its ability to put its customers first and its determination to receive customer feedback.

"Asking for customer feedback is more than lip service at Zara," he said.

"When a customer says she loves (or hates) an article, this gets reported back to headquarters, and communicated to in-house designers, who apply the feedback to future work.

"And its store managers are far from minimum-wage employees. They're experts in fashion and observation, and are taught how to pay attention to what customers are saying and doing to reflect what moves the brand needs to make next."

Barbieri-Hermitte added: "By including customers in the design and improvement process, Zara builds massive brand loyalty."

Rodrigo Perez-Vega, a lecturer from Henley Business School, elaborated further on the way the Spanish retailer used its stores as a source of information.

"This is a smart strategy, as it is harder to replicate by competitors," he told Retail Gazette.

"It would require a change not only in their marketing communications strategy but also in their supply chain management and might be beyond the scope of many marketing managers behind other high street brands."

It could be argued that Zara's success can be credited with its store locations, as many are situated in city centres where footfall is consistently high. And while it is a fast-fashion brand, its stores are usually located in places where high-end shoppers are likely to visit.

Seb Dean, managing director of Imaginaire Digital, agrees with the store location strategy.

"This, coupled with their products which look premium, with the high street price tag, is likely what powers their marketing as people are likely to ask where their customers have bought items of clothing," he said.

"It's clearly working, their brand name gets over one million searches per month in the UK."

It could also be argued that Zara gets away with minimal advertising thanks to its reputation. Either way, the fashion retailer still invests marketing and advertising despite the belief that it doesn't at all. Nonetheless, it usually depends on social media to accelerate sales, rather than traditional forms of advertising such as billboards or magazine adverts.

Senior account executive at W Enterprise, Georgina Ince, believes Zara's advertising efforts are limited, which is what helps it stand out from its main competitors.

"Zara embraces the luxury brand ethos 'less is more', with most of their content displayed through images and videos on their website and social," she said.

The Inditex-owned retailer was one of the first in the fast-fashion industry to invest in building a sizeable online fan base. It currently boasts over 30 million Instagram followers and 28 million Facebook fans. Alistair Green, chief strategy officer at creative agency Studio Blvd, said this was evidence that Zara was a pioneer in its use of social media and influencers.

"Before most brands had embraced social media as a platform that could tick all the boxes - reach, frequency, engagement and purchase - Zara was already building up significant fan bases and investing in high quality social content," he told Retail Gazette.

"That has put Zara in the position that their owned social channels are really the only channels they need to use and invest in."

Green added: "Zara invested in high quality online content while most other brands were under the illusion that online content could be done quickly and cheaply while traditional print and TV still required huge budgets.

"Zara also was the pioneer in influencer marketing, using influencers and their reach and engagement potential before most other brands, they now focus on using influencer models as the traditional influencer marketing approach has become saturated."

Indeed, marketing from social media influencers may be one of the most critical ways in which Zara partakes in advertising. It's also arguable that the recent rise of Instagram shopping has made things even easier for the brand, especially how users can now use the platform to "swipe up" or click through "shoppable" images to purchase a featured item straight away when pops up while viewing a story or as a post on the discover page.

Edward East, founder of influencer marketing agency Billion Dollar Boy, said: "If a TV campaign drives people into the store, influencer marketing delivers those shoppers right to the checkout. It has become window shopping 2.0.

"Shoppers can be inspired by their favourite fashion consultants and can go from seeing a product to learning about it, to choosing to buy and then actually buying it in just a few clicks.

"Everything is being driven towards driving sales in a way that more traditional approaches struggle to do."

Jen Musgreave, strategic insight director at marketing agency RAPP, said Zara's advertising also extends to customers' email inboxes.

"They are a digital brand in the same way that Asos is: they subvert digital channels to do the awareness job that other brands use ATL advertising to do (press ads, posters)," she said.

On the flipside, experts have argued that there is an imbalance in terms of how much both fashion and luxury spend on print advertising compared to how consumers shop. Tom Holt, chief executive of consumer strategy consultancy Pragma, said this was outdated for the common consumer journey, which often starts digitally.

"For Zara, a brand that prides itself on turning around key fast fashion trends, printed media lead times are often too slow," he told Retail Gazette.

"They need the immediacy and the impact of the Instagram influencer to reach their audiences, while items are still in stock.

He added: "Creating seasonal must-have items also adds a scarcity affect, which is a perfect storm on social media."
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How does Zara survive despite minimal advertising?

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Zara is known for capturing fashion trends from the catwalk and putting them into their global store network quickly. However, unlike many other fashion retail giants, it doesn't rely on promotional marketing or advertising. So how does it still grow?

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Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

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Massimo Dutti epitomises a natural elegance that appeals to urbane, independent and cosmopolitan men and women.

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The new PAPER magazine started as a tribute to those who appreciate high editorial quality, a risky and brave project that dares to put small gems on paper, which even if at first glance may seem reserved to a few culties with a sophisticated style or to professional sybarites, the truth is that anyone with a bit of sensitivity will be able to enjoy not just to beautiful images but also the excellent content and design. Even if some insist on saying that 2.0 society is not the least interested in paper-format information and favours the immediacy of online news, initiatives like this one from Massimo Dutti show that the two options compensate rather than exclude each other, as magazines can create communities and bring brand value starting from something physically tangible.

The new PAPER magazine was created as a sophisticated product with great suggestive power. Following the brand's briefing the editorial team has focussed on consolidating a generic look & feel offering an overall image that transmits the new values of the brand: sophistication, innovation and surprise. So, the new magazine amazes with a new and elegant typography, new sections and new content that encompass all the lines of products in Massimo Dutti's universe: Women, Men, Boys&Girls and Personal Tailoring. PAPER enhances the brand's values in an elegant and inspiring editorial context that can count on the best fashion and lifestyle editors and creators of original content both for its regular features and for unique events that make the news.

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The new PAPER magazine started as a tribute to those who appreciate high editorial quality, a risky and brave project that dares to put small gems on paper, which even if at first glance may seem reserved to a few culties with a sophisticated style or to professional sybarites, the truth is that anyone with a bit of sensitivity will be able to enjoy not just to beautiful images but also the excellent content and design.

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Companies are fiercely competing for millennial mindshare and it's only the beginning. There are eighty million millennials in America alone and they represent about a fourth of the entire population, with $200 billion in annual buying power. They have a lot of influence over older generations and are trendsetters across all industries from fashion to food. Companies have been struggling connecting with this generation because many of the traditional methods of advertising have proven ineffective at capturing their attention. Furthermore, many companies believe in certain myths about millennials that are just plain inaccurate, including that they aren't brand loyal.

As a millennial myself, born in 1983, I know how we operate and with my peer network, I always confirm my own assumptions as well. In order to better understand this extremely important consumer, we partnered with Elite Daily, the voice of Generation Y, on a new comprehensive study released today. "Our findings confirmed that millennials are highly educated, career-driven, politically progressive and--despite popular belief--do indeed develop strong brand loyalty when presented with quality products and actively engaged by brands," says David Arabov, CEO Co-founder Elite Daily. Here are the top ten new findings that we gathered through this study, where we interviewed 1,300 millennials:

1. They aren't influenced at all by advertising. Only 1% of millennials surveyed said that a compelling advertisement would make them trust a brand more. Millennials believe that advertising is all spin and not authentic. That's why they use Tivo to skip commercials regularly and avoid banner advertisements on Facebook and various news websites.

2. They would rather buy a car and lease a house. 71% of millennials would rather buy than rent a car, where as 59% would rather rent a house than buy one. 61% admit that they can't afford a house. The economy has had a major impact on millennials, many of whom still live with their parents, have crushing student loan debt and are underemployed. Since they are getting married, having children and getting decent paying jobs later in life, they are putting off owning a home. A car is cheaper and they need one to get around even if they're still in their parents basement.

3. They review blogs before making a purchase. 33% of millennials rely mostly on blogs before they make a purchase, compared to fewer than 3% for TV news, magazines and books. Older generations rely more on traditional media, whereas millennials look to social media for an authentic look at what's going on in the world, especially content written by their peers whom they trust.

4. They value authenticity as more important than content. 43% of millennials rank authenticity over content when consuming news. They first have to trust a company or news site before they even bother reading the content that they produce. Blogs are meant to be authentic and many of them are run by a single individual. Millennials connect best with people over logos.

5. Their future inheritance won't change their buying behavior. Despite the $30 billion inheritance that Accenture predicts will transfer from Baby Boomers to millennials in the upcoming years, 57% said that the money won't change their spending habits. This is surprising because most people would think that this money exchange would make millennials spend even more yet our findings report that it won't have an impact.

6. They want to engage with brands on social networks. 62% of millennials say that if a brand engages with them on social networks, they are more likely to become a loyal customer. They expect brands to not only be on social networks, but to engage them. This obviously takes more labor from companies to be able to maintain social networking feeds, but it's worth it if you want to reach millennials.

7. They want to co-create products with companies. 42% said they are interested in helping companies develop future products and services. In our society, companies usually create products and hope that their target market will consume them. When it comes to millennials, they want to be more involved with how products get created. Companies that enable them to be part of the product development process will be more successful.

8. They are using multiple tech devices. 87% of millennials use between two and three tech devices at least once on a daily basis. 39% are either very or completely likely to purchase a tablet computer in the next five years, while 30% are for wearable devices. When there's new technology available, you can bet that millennials will be all over it! In order to keep your brand relevant, and appealing to millennials, you need to be able to engage them on new platforms as they are released. For instance, having an application on the iWatch could be a good long term investment.

9. They are brand loyal. 60% said that they are often or always loyal to brands that they currently purchase. The sooner you build a relationship and deep connection with millennials, the better because they will continue to purchase from you as an adult.

10. They expect brands to give back to society. 75% said that it's either fairly or very important that a company gives back to society instead of just making a profit. They are sick and tired of corporate greed and are still recovering in the aftermath of the financial crisis. Millennials love brands that support their local communities and would rather purchase from them than competitors.
Dan Schawbel is a speaker and best-selling author. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

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10 New Findings About The Millennial Consumer

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Companies are fiercely competing for millennial mindshare and it's only the beginning. There are eighty million millennials in America alone and they represent about a fourth of the entire population, with $200 billion in annual buying power. They have a lot of influence over older generations and are trendsetters across all [...]

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Have you ever wondered who are your customers? How old are they? How do the shopping habits vary among age and generations? In this article, we will define Generation Y and Z, and you will learn how to adjust your marketing tactics to target two biggest generation groups - Millennials and Post-Millenials.
Table of contents: What do we know about Generation Y?
What do we know about Generation Z?
What about Generation Z vs Y personal qualities?
How does Generation Y & Z difference influence online shopping?
How to win generations over?
Who will be next?
What do we know about Generation Y?

Nowadays, Generation Y makes up the workforce majority worldwide and comprises around a quarter of the global population. There are several different views on who to call Millennials. Some researchers think that these are the people who were born between 1980 and 1994, but another smaller group argues that the time frame is 1982 to 2004 [1].

Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter appeared in the 21st century and became the main fellows of the Millennials in the US in their professional and social life. Together with the significant historical events of the 21st century, they caused a substantial change in the way Millennials think and behave. Gen Y is that very generation that watched the dawn break over data tsunami that hit the humankind with the internet appearance. To date, Millennials represent the most educated population group.

One of the most distinct Millennial habits is a constant connection. Most of the Millennials can hardly remember a time when they were not connected to the web 24/7. Sharing their feelings and thoughts on social media on a daily basis, these digital pioneers cannot live without posting online. Due to the regular use of multiple social media accounts, and text messages, Gen Y is also characterized by shorter memory spans compared to the previous generations. They are also known as the first clip thinking generation. They have obtained the habit of perceiving information in short fragments of narrative and struggling when faced with more extended, more complex ideas.

Since now the Gen Y representatives are approximately 25-39 years old, many of them are about to start paying off their student debts. Once they come closer to that, the luxurious wedding expenses come into play. In most cases, financial instability pushes Millennials to choose access over ownership.

What do we know about Generation Z?

In case you were wondering what generation comes after Millennials, the answer is right here. It is Generation Z, people who were born between 1995 and 2010. Another group of researchers consider people born between 2004 and 2018 Post-millennials. Now, they are the largest generation that has ever existed as in 2019 it makes up around 32% of the global population [2].

The average representative of this generation receives the first mobile phone at the age of 10, and Post-millennials are likely to grow playing with mobile phones and tablets of their parents. As you have guessed, it has a significant impact on their personalities. Gen Z was born in an age of rapid innovations, and their expectations from technologies and stuff they purchase are really high. Today, the features like Advanced Face ID, retina screen, LCD and 4K videos are perceived not as wonders, but instead are taken for granted. On average, Gen Z spends at least 3 hours a day on their mobile devices.

As a matter of fact, if we do not take into account the infants and toddlers, Gen Z consists of the youngest people on the planet. As soon as this generation members mature into the adolescent identities, their personalities are likely to morph, and yet, it is hard to predict how.

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What about Generation Z vs Y personal qualities?

95% of Millennials still spend a lot of their time watching TV, but they already tend to choose Netflix over the traditional cable providers. It has become the first generation to feel entirely comfortable with mobile devices and tablets. On the other hand, 32% of Millennials will still use a computer if they want to make a purchase online.

Millennials were born and raised during the economic boom, and tend to be optimistic, trusting, and work collaboratively. While Gen Z, on the other hand, grew up in the time of recession, and this economic pressure shaped them to be more pragmatic. This generation possesses a much higher awareness of global problems than the previous generations. Approximately 60% of Post-millennials claim that they want to change the world compared to 39% of Millennials.

Being present during the financial struggle of their parents and the whole community, Generation Z learns about personal finance much earlier than their parents and grandparents. They have adopted a more fiscally conservative approach and will try to avoid debts, by all means, using debit cards and mobile banking over the credit cards.

Generation Y has become digital pioneers, while Generation Z is already digitally native. Born and raised in the hyper-connected world, Post-millennials are generally independent, sceptic and hold to more realistic views than Gen Y and the ones before it. For Post-millennials technologies are not the modern Wonder of the World, and most of them take progress for granted not being amused by top-notch devices. While Millennials strongly prefer digital communication, Generation Z will choose for face-to-face communication when possible [3].

How does Generation Y & Z difference influence online shopping?

It may seem unusual, but having no significant age difference, Generation Y and Z are distinct from each other in how they shop, what they purchase, and in the way they view their money.

It is an interesting fact that in comparison with Gen Y, Gen Z prefers shopping in stores over online shopping [4]. They find it important to feel and see products for real to ensure the high quality, and they also seek the experiences that happen in stores. On the other hand, Millennials are obsessed with online shopping. Some of them still remember the world without 24/7 connection, and they tend to take advantage of internet convenience every single time. Data from the Numerator InfoScout OmniPanel consumer panel of more than 500,000 U.S. shoppers reveals that Millennials see more value in online shopping than Gen Z. It also shows that the online channel captures 10.4% of Gen Y spend, compared to 7.4% of Gen Z spend.

Millennials have higher expectations for customer experience, and 75% of them will pay more for it compared to 69% of Gen Z. As it was mentioned before, Post-millennials possess higher personal finance awareness than previous generations [5]. Today's teenagers are more interested in saving money than Millennials were at that age. Gen Z is attracted to purchases that maximize the value of every dollar and highly prefers cool products over cool experiences. The possible reason is that products may seem something long-lasting, and experiences are temporary and do not possess financial value.

Post-millennials are less likely to plan their purchases. Shopping lists are popular among 59% of Millennials and 51% of Gen Z. It means that they may be more receptive to offers designed to prompt impulse buying. But on the other hand, realistic views make it less likely that Post-millennial will get hooked by some advertisement. They are much better in self-directed research looking for information mostly on social media or YouTube.

When Millennials were teenagers, it was the brand name frenzy time. Fashion sense could be shown only by wearing t-shirts, jeans, and shoes from the hottest brands. Now since they have become adults, and their purchasing power increased, Millennials are able to pay more for their favorite brands. Gen Z, on the other hand, doesn't want to be defined by any brand other than their own. Independence is their priority. However, both generations show less trust in brands than previous generations. The sign of independence we can also see in the fact that according to Salesforce Research, over 55% of Millennials do not mind companies using their data, but only 44% of Gen Z agree.

We have seen that Millennials like authenticity, but Post-millennials took it to a genuinely new level, they are way more obsessed with finding brands that feel authentic. They deeply respect the brands that reject using PhotoShop in their catalogs and marketing campaigns. Gen Z wants to see not overly polished content.

With every new generation, the attention span gets shorter, which is a bad sign for the marketers. Targeted with thousands of ads a day, on average the Generation Z members pay attention to the ads for maximum 8 seconds, while their predecessors do that for 12 seconds.

How to win Millennials and Post-millennials over?

The oldest Millennials by now are 39 years old, while the oldest Post-millennials are 24. As you can see, these two largest generations are the most prominent customer groups of most of the online stores, so for every merchant, winning them over is the task of great importance.

The following ecommerce tips are foreground:

1. Mobile first. If your website is not mobile-responsive, in the eyes of Gen Z and Y, your brand does not exist. It's just that simple.

2. Use social media, and make a difference, while Gen Y members check the public opinion on the product on Facebook and Google, Gen Z tends to use Snapchat and Instagram [6]. Increase your social presence to make them notice you, and involve social media influencers to promote your profile.

3. Don't get fooled by the youthful looks; Generation Z is not kids anymore. Their purchasing power has already exceeded $143 billion. Don't you agree that this number is to be taken seriously? Millennials are also not teenagers, as some might still think. They are adults who are going to become the wealthiest generation that has ever existed once they inherit from their parents.

4. Take into account your customer preferences. While Generation Z is likely to choose a cool product over a cool experience, Generation Y chooses cool experiences over cool products. Gen Z is more materialistic. They seek to become the owners of unique stuff that their neighbors or friends don't have.

5. Understand the difference in the way Gen Z and Y choose the products to purchase. Millennials tend to read the reviews and comments, look through the discussions about the product if there are any. Post-millennials, on the other hand, are attracted by interactive product presentation. They seek shows in any product they buy. There are no marketing means that would work out better with Gen Z than proper show. Doubt it? Just think about Gucci marketing campaign. Released by a famous American rapper Lil Pump in 2017, the song Gucci Gang is heading towards 1 billion views on YouTube. With its help, Gucci has targeted young people, and according to Google Trends data, searches for Gucci went sky-high with the clip release.

6. Use different advertising techniques. The advertisements that deliver emotions like the ones with kids, cats, and dogs, successfully capture the eye of Millennials. We can already see this tactic being used by such brands as Mercedes, Target, and Subaru [7]. Mercedes actively uses dogs as well as other animals like elephants and deer in their advertisements. Already for a while, Target uses a white bull-terrier with the red target around the eye as their mascot. Subaru advertises its cars as "dog tested." No one can deny that Gen Z is not the target audience of these companies; their main customers are Millennials. Generation Z is more likely to get interested when they see some celebrity, musician, or a famous athlete. 29% of Gen Z claims that celebrity endorsement influences their purchases [8].

7. Understand your consumer persona. You need to realize that the customers might have different interests even within a single product category. For example, Gen Z concerns themselves with sport, and Gen Y wonders fitness. Basically, it means that Post-millennial is likely to buy some unique sport shoes, and Millennial will go for Nordic walking poles. Defining your customer, you need to hit the aim.

8. Use video content - a lot of it. Clip thinking has become a reality with Gen Y and kept flourishing among Gen Z members. Both of them simply cannot live without videos. Also, there is a small but influential detail - you need to keep an eye on video duration. As we mentioned earlier, the average advertising attention span of Gen Y is 12 seconds, and Gen Z has it even shorter - 8 seconds. Make sure to get to the main point faster and keep the intro short.

Who will be next?

Generation Z is succeeded by Generation Alpha - children, born between 2010 and 2025. Kids of the tech-savvy optimistic Millennials and born-online sceptic Post-millennials, they are expected to become the generation with the best formal education and technological supply. Besides that, Generation Alpha is going to influence the family budget allocation and large purchases more than any kids or teenagers of the past.

Generation Alpha is not content with only Barbies and Lego - they demand gadgets. There is already a rising number of YouTube influencers among Generation Alpha kids. Most of the parents are familiar with Ryan's Toys Review channel, that has over 20 million active subscribers. According to Forbes, Ryan is currently the highest-paid YouTube star, which is quite an achievement for a 7-year-old boy. Other big names are Mila and Emma Stauffer. The girls have over 4 million followers on Instagram. 8-year-old Coco Pink Princess is a fashion kid influencer who has already featured in her Instagram account clothes and accessories from such brands as Gucci and Burberry.

They are not only advertising toys, games and children's clothes from famous brands anymore. More and more kid influencers create toy and clothing lines. 4-year-old Millie-Belle Diamond even appeared on the New York Fashion Week. Their impact on the economy is slowly but steadily recognized. As a result, some brands take the course on establishing long-term relationships with their customers from an early age.

As you can see, the new generation of influencers is on the rise. Even though there is still quite some time until they grow up, it is safer to research your audience and get your marketing strategies prepared from early on.

Conclusion

Wrapping it up, we can say that in 2019 Millennials and Post-Millennials having over $600 billion in purchasing power combined have become the core consumer focus for a great majority of retailers. These two generations are the main customers in the sphere of ecommerce. At the same time, it is essential to keep in mind their differences. They cannot be mixed and taken as one target group even though they are close in age. Both of them possess distinct features that any marketer should take into account to win their hearts.

Furthermore, age is not the only indicator to segment your audience. Gender has a great influence on shopping habits as well. Find out more about how men and women shop online in our article.

Who are your customers? How do you segment your online store audience? Share your experience in the comments section below.

[1]Generation Y: a guide to a much-maligned demographic, by Kate Lyons, the Guardian, from 2016.
[2] Gen Z Is Set to Outnumber Millennials Within a Year, by Lee J Miller and Wei Lu, Bloomberg, from 2018.
[3] Everything you need to know about Generation Z, by Sharon Florentine, CIO, from 2018.
[4] Millennials Tried to Kill the American Mall, But Gen Z Might Save It, by Jordyn Holman, Bloomberg, from 2019.
[5] In Regions Hit by Recession, Gen Z Is Turning Out to Be Frugal, by Lisa Du and Ellen Milligan, Bloomberg, from 2019.
[6] CNN Business exclusive: Snapchat is betting on this former Amazon exec to go after Gen Z users, by Kaya Yurieff, from 2019.
[7] Pet Pampering Surges as Millennials Practice Parenting, by Adrianne Pasquarelli, AdAge, from 2018.
[8] How Celebs and Brands Can Get in the Game with Gen Z, Nielsen, from 2017.

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Generation Y vs Z - How Do They Shop Online?

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Have you ever wondered who are your customers? How old are they? How do the shopping habits vary among age and generations? In this article, we will define Generation Y and Z, and you will learn how to adjust your marketing tactics to target two biggest generation groups - Millennials and Post-Millenials.

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Companies are fiercely competing for millennial mindshare and it's only the beginning. There are eighty million millennials in America alone and they represent about a fourth of the entire population, with $200 billion in annual buying power. They have a lot of influence over older generations and are trendsetters across all industries from fashion to food. Companies have been struggling connecting with this generation because many of the traditional methods of advertising have proven ineffective at capturing their attention. Furthermore, many companies believe in certain myths about millennials that are just plain inaccurate, including that they aren't brand loyal.

As a millennial myself, born in 1983, I know how we operate and with my peer network, I always confirm my own assumptions as well. In order to better understand this extremely important consumer, we partnered with Elite Daily, the voice of Generation Y, on a new comprehensive study released today. "Our findings confirmed that millennials are highly educated, career-driven, politically progressive and--despite popular belief--do indeed develop strong brand loyalty when presented with quality products and actively engaged by brands," says David Arabov, CEO Co-founder Elite Daily. Here are the top ten new findings that we gathered through this study, where we interviewed 1,300 millennials:

1. They aren't influenced at all by advertising. Only 1% of millennials surveyed said that a compelling advertisement would make them trust a brand more. Millennials believe that advertising is all spin and not authentic. That's why they use Tivo to skip commercials regularly and avoid banner advertisements on Facebook and various news websites.

2. They would rather buy a car and lease a house. 71% of millennials would rather buy than rent a car, where as 59% would rather rent a house than buy one. 61% admit that they can't afford a house. The economy has had a major impact on millennials, many of whom still live with their parents, have crushing student loan debt and are underemployed. Since they are getting married, having children and getting decent paying jobs later in life, they are putting off owning a home. A car is cheaper and they need one to get around even if they're still in their parents basement.

3. They review blogs before making a purchase. 33% of millennials rely mostly on blogs before they make a purchase, compared to fewer than 3% for TV news, magazines and books. Older generations rely more on traditional media, whereas millennials look to social media for an authentic look at what's going on in the world, especially content written by their peers whom they trust.

4. They value authenticity as more important than content. 43% of millennials rank authenticity over content when consuming news. They first have to trust a company or news site before they even bother reading the content that they produce. Blogs are meant to be authentic and many of them are run by a single individual. Millennials connect best with people over logos.

5. Their future inheritance won't change their buying behavior. Despite the $30 billion inheritance that Accenture predicts will transfer from Baby Boomers to millennials in the upcoming years, 57% said that the money won't change their spending habits. This is surprising because most people would think that this money exchange would make millennials spend even more yet our findings report that it won't have an impact.

6. They want to engage with brands on social networks. 62% of millennials say that if a brand engages with them on social networks, they are more likely to become a loyal customer. They expect brands to not only be on social networks, but to engage them. This obviously takes more labor from companies to be able to maintain social networking feeds, but it's worth it if you want to reach millennials.

7. They want to co-create products with companies. 42% said they are interested in helping companies develop future products and services. In our society, companies usually create products and hope that their target market will consume them. When it comes to millennials, they want to be more involved with how products get created. Companies that enable them to be part of the product development process will be more successful.

8. They are using multiple tech devices. 87% of millennials use between two and three tech devices at least once on a daily basis. 39% are either very or completely likely to purchase a tablet computer in the next five years, while 30% are for wearable devices. When there's new technology available, you can bet that millennials will be all over it! In order to keep your brand relevant, and appealing to millennials, you need to be able to engage them on new platforms as they are released. For instance, having an application on the iWatch could be a good long term investment.

9. They are brand loyal. 60% said that they are often or always loyal to brands that they currently purchase. The sooner you build a relationship and deep connection with millennials, the better because they will continue to purchase from you as an adult.

10. They expect brands to give back to society. 75% said that it's either fairly or very important that a company gives back to society instead of just making a profit. They are sick and tired of corporate greed and are still recovering in the aftermath of the financial crisis. Millennials love brands that support their local communities and would rather purchase from them than competitors.
Dan Schawbel is a speaker and best-selling author. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

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10 New Findings About The Millennial Consumer

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Companies are fiercely competing for millennial mindshare and it's only the beginning. There are eighty million millennials in America alone and they represent about a fourth of the entire population, with $200 billion in annual buying power. They have a lot of influence over older generations and are trendsetters across all [...]