“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn” should be the mantra for travel marketers targeting Millennials, says Lucy Gillions of Jackanory

We often reference this quote – which has been attributed to a range of people, including Benjamin Franklin and a Chinese Confucian scholar writing 2,500 years ago – when discussing the importance and value of experiential marketing with clients.

That’s because, even today, it has huge relevance – arguably, even greater relevance as a “Millennial mantra”, a quote that underscores Millennials’ desire to be involved in hand-picked authentic experiences, using social media to validate their choice.

It’s no longer a surprise that this emphasis on being unique and growing their identity through culturally-rich experiences and the exploration of the unknown has led to travel being of the utmost importance for Millennials – more important than escaping from their student loans, buying a big-ticket item or even improving their relationships with family and friends.

Savvy travel companies have been quick to catch on to the fact that Millennial travel experiences aren’t the same as those of their predecessors, but rather involve more adventure and the desire for more customisation.

Millennials don’t want to be told by travel brands where they should be visiting and what they should be doing when they get there. They want to be involved in the decision-making, empowered to seek out unique activities and experiences that can be validated on social platforms through a mixture of likes, shares and comments. In fact, 43% of Millennials said that the comments and likes they receive from social media are as important or more important than the trip itself.*

So how can travel bodies, businesses and brands continue to connect with Millennials and benefit from their favourable attitudes towards travel and travel-related spending?

Understanding the motivations of this powerful group of travellers should be the first step. All travel brands should by now be aware of the tensions that exist for Millennials in the travel space: **

• Comfortable vs experiential – what am I expected to do vs how can I explore outside of my comfort zone?
• Digital vs in real life – is this an experience I want to share with my social networks vs how can I live in the moment and not be distracted by daily technologies?
• Realistic vs aspirational – what can I afford vs what do I want?
• Planned vs spontaneous – can I fit everything I want to do in my itinerary vs how do I take advantage of in-the-moment opportunities?
• Informed vs inspired – what brands can I rely on for accuracy and transparency vs what brands can I rely on to inspire my next adventure?

With these tensions in mind, it goes without saying that Millennials are less interested in packaged travel options and instead want to engage in immersive, interactive and hands-on opportunities. Millennials view travelling as vital to the development of their personal narrative and identity which is why the “involve me and I’ll learn” element of the quote resonates so deeply.

They are also reintroducing the trend of food tourism by planning trips with local cultural cuisine in mind. In fact, nearly three-quarters of Millennials seek unique restaurants and dining experiences when deciding where to travel.

If authentic travel experiences are vital to growing Millennials’ personal narratives, then surely one way of connecting with them is for travel bodies, businesses and brands to tap into their own narrative, share their own stories and tease them with authentic experiences on their doorstep?

The Hamburg Convention Bureau did exactly this in order to encourage Millennials to put Hamburg at the top of their city break wish list. By creating Hamburg on Tour, an interactive, socially-shareable, free experience at a venue in Shoreditch, Millennials could immerse themselves in the story of Hamburg, get a taste of the art, culture, food and music and gain some social currency to boot.

Of course, the experience needed to be bite-sized, so as not to replace the city break itself, but also had to be exciting enough to motivate the booking.

Travel Portland took a similar approach, bringing some of the city’s most inspired offerings to The Old Truman Brewery with its You Can, In Portland pop up. From April 19^th to May 7^th, 2018, they offered free vegan tattoos, intimate DJ sets, wine tastings, artists, fashion, comedians, craft beers, coffee and more – giving visitors a taste of what Portland has to offer.

It’s clear that travel bodies, businesses and brands could do worse than keeping “involve me and I learn” as their mantra when looking to engage with Millennials.

If you tell Millennials to do something, it’s unlikely they will. If you preach at them, they won’t listen. But if you work hard to involve them in the decision-making, and offer them unique, immersive and authentic experiences, sharing the story of the destination to motivate bookings, they’ll happily use and share these experiences to grow their personal narrative and identity.

*according to Iconoculture

**taken from FutureCast Millennial Brief on Travel and Lodging 2016

Lucy Gillions is co-founder of Jackanory, an experiential and events agency which believes in using the power of stories to create unique and memorable events and experiences.

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More than half (58%) of consumers aged 25 to 34 say they’d be likely to spend more money on a brand’s products and services if they were part of its community, according to research from content agency Dialogue.

Millennials are far more committed to brand communities than the average across all age groups, which was still a creditable 40%, suggesting a tangible return on investment through fostering brand communities across the board. However, millennials consistently come out as the age group that is most committed. Some 50% also agree that they are more likely to stick with a brand than switch to competitors if they are part of a brand’s community.

Overall, brands that engage their consumers by inviting them to join a community, where they can access exclusive content and interact with other people who buy the brand, are likelier to create long-lasting relationships, according to the survey. Furthermore, developing a strong brand community can create a viable, long-term support mechanism, increasing the value of existing customers by turning them into advocates, suggesting products or services they like to other people.

Other key results include:

• 37% of all respondents are more likely to stick with a brand than switch to competitors if they are part of a community.
• Quality of service turns consumers into brand advocates in the travel sector, according to 41% of all respondents.
• Quality of products makes consumers brand advocates in the luxury (44%) and automotive sectors (37%).
• In luxury, respondents across all age groups most value discounts and offers from brand communities (47%), followed by invites to exclusive events (25%), receiving exclusive products (22%) and access to exclusive online content (19%).
• Email is the consumer’s preferred channel for communication with brands, with social media and magazines the next most popular channels.

In total, 1,200 UK consumers were surveyed by Censuswide on Dialogue’s behalf, exploring attitudes towards brand community, loyalty and communications, with a focus on the luxury, automotive and travel sectors. The research was commissioned to help brands understand why building effective communities is a valuable tactic in an era when marketers’ efforts are polarised between hyper-personalisation and mass media broadcast.

Commenting on the report, Dr Charles Seger, School of Psychology, University of East Anglia, says: “Belongingness is one of our basic human needs. We are motivated to both assert our group identification and our individuality. Brand communities can allow us to fulfil these motives. People will stay loyal to brand communities that provide a unique experience, allow us to express our self-concept, and engage us with a meaningful community.”

Chris Seaward, General Manager of the Dialogue client Porsche Club GB, adds: “Reaching a new lead is an expensive thing for a brand to do. Through a community like the Club, the Porsche brand can connect with people already engaged with the brand, and tapping into this existing community becomes cost effective. There is additional value for members and the brand as enthusiasts are regularly invited to visit the Factory in Stuttgart to see latest designs and development.”

Zoe Francis-Cox, Agency Director at Dialogue, observes: “Big data has transformed the marketing landscape. However, as the opportunities for starting a dialogue continue to multiply thanks to an increasing variety of platforms, the quality of conversations is suffering. This is most noticeable when trying to engage millennials.”

She adds: “Consumers are constantly seeking inspiration and information but over-reliance on tech-focused tools can mean that brands are communicating in a way that is intrusive, blunt and ultimately ineffective. Our research shifts the emphasis from a data-or-nothing approach. Respondents believe, as we do, that the buzz of brand communities cultivates long-term relationships, brand advocacy and boosts sales.”

The full findings from this research are available in Dialogue’s research report, The Benefits of Brand Communities, which can be downloaded here. An infographic is available here.

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