Streamlined Branding for Gen Y

Highly media savvy, Generation Y may be the generation most conscious of being marketed to. As a result, they constantly scrutinize ads and branding with which they are continuously bombarded. A San Francisco research firm conducted a survey of 100 “trendsetter panelists” in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami to better understand what brand communications Gen Yers receive best. An article by Kevin Ransom, “Reign of the Plain: Survey Finds Gen Ys Prefer Brand Simple”, shares the results of the survey which state the Gen Y trendsetters are drawn to brands which approach them in a "straightforward and stripped-down way, use plain packaging, and avoid excess." Another article by Sarah Perez entitled “Why Gen Y is Going to Change the Web” says that these digital natives are also more concerned about their friends’ opinions than about ads. She quotes retail analyst James R. Palczynski who said Gen Y responds less to traditional ads and more to “humor, irony, and the unvarnished truth."

You will notice that the top 15 brands listed from the survey results not only offer clean, simple ideas in their design and packaging, but also in their no-frills attitude which bleeds through to their products. “Reign of the Plain” notes that these highly respected brands offer consumers a convenience which may be related to Gen Y’s responsiveness to environmental concerns. This article concludes saying, “The bottom line ... is that any company that is inconvenient or confusing, or that used over-designed imagery, is seen as out of touch and too ‘corporate.’”

The 15 Most Trusted brands determined by the trendsetters in the survey were:

1. Apple
2. Trader Joe's
3. Jet Blue
4. In-N-Out Burger
5. Ben & Jerry's
6. Whole Foods
7. Adidas
8. American Apparel
9. Target
10. H & M clothing stores
11. Levi's
12. Volkswagen
13. Converse
14. Vitamin Water
15. Red Stripe beer
    

“Brands that succeed in the future will be those that open a dialog with their customers, admit their mistakes, and essentially become more transparent,” says Perez. For the most part, these characteristics are representative of the brands above. These 15 brands not only use stripped-down marketing and plain packaging, but many also use humor or are known for their non-bureaucratic corporate cultures.

Is it possible that the adversity to excess displayed by Gen Y could be related to their shrinking attention spans? It is repeatedly studied and reported that younger generations have shorter attentions spans, allegedly as a result of heightened media bombardment and constant exercise of mental fast-twitch muscles through video games. Or perhaps the desire for straightforward information is simply a sign of Gen Y’s tendency to be information and text scanners, as seen in web reading studies. It could be that this generation is simply adapting to the increasing amount of information immediately available at their fingertips. Bottom line: if you’re targeting Gen Y, get straight to the point.