Nowadays with social media, the youth audience has become the most influential consumer group where the potential to grow brand loyalty is the highest. However, attracting this kind of crowd may be quite the daunting task.
Here are 3 strategies to attract a youth target audience that we found in China:
1. Let THEM decide what they want!
Personalization is a well-known strategy in marketing. Consumers want the ability to choose a product that is tailored to the individual.
Just recently, Chicecream’s R&D team went on a quest to find the ultimate flavour for their youth consumers. By launching a marketing campaign on Chinese social media, they sought their answer by asking Chinese youth what it meant to be young and what taste best represents youth. As a result they came up with two new flavours: grapefruit and marscapone cheese.
The key here is that Chicecream asked and delivered exactly what their consumer wanted. They did not assume and instead engaged their youth audience to define the right flavour assortment.
How are you engaging your target audience?
2. Make it PLAYFUL!
Are you done with that popsicle? Don’t throw out the stick!
Yili Ice Cream is ensuring their fun ice cream experience extends beyond the last bite. By connecting their popsicle sticks to other fun activities - in this case arts & crafts and Lego’s - they have created a sense of commonality with their consumer. As a result, an emotional bond is created with the targeted consumer.
How are you bonding with your youth consumer?
3. Promote VALUES that go beyond ICE CREAM
Mengniu Ice Cream focused on building the self-esteem of their female youth consumers. Their key message revolves on showing their high quality consumers only deserves high quality ingredients.
Their advertising claims that “Each girl has an independent, confident, exquisite soul and a heart that loves life. They will not make compromises, only do their best”
This is a unique value proposition that is often seen in the cosmetic industry (Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign). We are now seeing it being applied to the ice cream industry.
How is your brand or product supporting your target audience’s key values?
Food for thought...