This September, our BITE team jetted off to New York for YMS (Youth Marketing Strategy). This event is fast becoming the biggest youth marketing gathering in the US, with over 400 individuals attending from brands and agencies.

Focusing on the 18-24 year old group, our BITE-sized talk explored this generation’s desire for tangible storytelling and experiences. Rather than trying to force new behaviours onto customers, the brands getting it right understand that this is a generation who experience everything through a lens. They are extremely vocal on social media and have an on-demand mindset.

Key take-outs:

Be inspired by brands with experience built into their DNA, like Nike who recently launched their Unlimited Worldwide event series across 17 countries, inviting athletes to push their limits, more here.Ensure that your brand stands for something your audience can relate to. This generation are very socially and environmentally conscious. Just look at Heineken’s kinetic dancefloor at Coachella.

Consider how technology can add new layers to a story. The possibilities for storytelling through AR, VR and MR are growing exponentially. Lockheed Martin, an American Aerospace company, cleverly overlaid VR creating an out of this world experience for school kids, with a field trip to Mars.

Be responsible, from the classroom to the home – how can you add value and not just talk to your audience? Like Barclays and their Code Playground.

Find partnerships that create new opportunities. These often happen in unlikely places and open up new experiences for your customers, such as Airbnb partnering up with the Art Institute of Chicago.

If you work for a brand and are keen to hear more about youth marketing trends, or another of the topics explored on BITE, get in touch with [email protected] to discuss a face-to-face session for your team.