Canadian Retailer - The Marketing Issue - 27

Millennials are forever connected
Mahoney: Millennials spend more time on their mobile devices than anyone else. And according
to Environics, no other generation spends more time on social media (73 per cent of millennials
access social media sites daily, versus 42 per cent of Gen Xers and 24 per cent of Boomers).
Millennials have grown up with digital technology and are used to information being at their
fingertips at all times.
For more than 100 years, Hallmark Canada has helped people connect in a meaningful and
genuine way. We see the explosion of social media as a tremendous opportunity because these
digital tools make it possible for everyone to connect with more people, more often. We are
actively involved in those conversations online through our social media channels. What we're
finding as a result is that these consumers are turning to Hallmark for help maintaining and
deepening their relationships in a more significant and tangible way.
Considering the level of connectivity of this generation and the power they represent as consumers, both today and in the near future, how are you and your teams leveraging social media
to reach them?
Zedic: It is key to communicate with this generation on
the platforms that they're using. For example, we have
found that Instagram is where our beauty customers are
engaging in conversation about products and uses as
well as likes and dislikes. So, it's no surprise that we're
leveraging this specific channel to drive our beauty
message and content and we're doing it in a way that
'inspires' our customer as it relates to the products they
are choosing and using.

Watanabe: There are great opportunities
today for retailers to create a consistent, high impact experience across all
touchpoints for their customers-mobile,
desktop, in-store kiosks, price, assortment and experience. This includes
ensuring the least amount of friction for
customers when they're in store, making
interactions as simple as
possible and as enjoyable
MILLENNIALS USE SOCIAL MEDIA
and positive as possible, reIf you want to talk to them, develop
gardless of the touchpoint.

Tate: A sense of community and integration
communication that shares characresonates well with millenteristics with popular social media
nials. But so much of it is
Castonguay: Playing in
content, like memes. At Hallmark,
about flowing information
social media-Facebook,
right down to the smaller card
and content that they're
Instagram and Twitter-is
size, our cards align with the small
engaged with and that
a critical step in engaging
images/graphics that millennials
they want. Because they're
with millennials. However,
commonly share on social media.
going to do their research
it's just as important to
when they want to buy,
understand that when
you want to put yourself in the consideration set for
millennials have complaints or praise to
them and be top-of-mind. It's also extremely important
share, they go to social media to voice it,
to understand what the objective of the channel you're
and it's the way that a retailer responds to
using is. A lot of companies become confused and try
this that will determine whether the result
to be everything to everyone, everywhere. It's about
is positive or negative. That's powerful.
understanding what you're going to do with the channel What's most powerful about digital and
and what the purpose is. It's not always about putting
social media though is the fact that you
the exact same creative in every channel you have
can measure it. You can look at data to
access to which is different than consistency. It's about
find out about your customer's behavproviding an authentic personal experience that is
iours; you can look and listen, engage, and
appropriate for each channel.
then do what's best for the brand.

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THE MARKETING ISSUE

| CANADIAN RETAILER | 27

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