Younger generations engaging with branded content

Young people are responding to company content and letting it into their lives with greater enthusiasm than older generations, according to a recent survey from Havas Worldwide. The company surveyed the attitudes of young people towards corporate branding, specifically around their engagement with content they consume online. In fact, 60 per cent of those surveyed…

Young people are responding to company content and letting it into their lives with greater enthusiasm than older generations, according to a recent survey from Havas Worldwide.

The company surveyed the attitudes of young people towards corporate branding, specifically around their engagement with content they consume online. In fact, 60 per cent of those surveyed reported that they consider brands to be an important part of creative online content.

As well as valuing branded online content, young people are notably more likely to identify with brands. Almost half of young respondents to the survey described brands as essential to them, compared to only about a quarter of those over the age of 55.

Unsurprisingly, technology companies topped the list of favoured brands for young people, with Samsung, YouTube and Facebook all ranking highly among those in this important age bracket.

While this survey pointed to the importance that young consumers place on effective branding, there was also a warning for corporate affairs executives. Among those surveyed, 40 per cent believed that brands do not take them seriously as customers, creating the potential for poorly managed communications to put off young buyers. 

Andrew Benett, global CEO of Havas Worldwide and Havas Creative Group, emphasised the value that a changing customer demographic is bringing for companies.

“Brands rely on youth not just for what’s in their wallets, but for what’s in their heads and hearts – their creative input, their enthusiastic evangelism, their energy,” said Mr Benett.

“And young people, in turn, want to be able to rely on brands to make their lives better and to help them stand out from the crowd. It’s a relationship built on mutual interests and trust – and it’s up to brands not to break that bond by being disingenuous or failing to keep their promises.”

As young people take up an ever-increasing share of consumer spending, savvy companies will need to invest in new forms of perception management if they want to remain relevant.

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