How brands can engage Millennial consumers

Restaurant operators are continuing to look for ways to tap into the wallets and loyalty of the Millennial generation.

Entertainment brands MTV and VH1 are providing insight into the growing demographic market with extensive research on the estimated 80 million U.S. citizens born between 1980 and 2000.

Danniele Meglen, director of ad sales research for the music group of Viacom Media Networks, parent to the MTV and VH1 networks, said the best way to successfully capture the group’s attention is to show them you're listening.

Meglen, who spoke with Nation’s Restaurant News after giving a presentation on Feb. 6 at the Southwest Media Group’s Immersion 2013 digital summit in Dallas, said, “As a generation, Millennials have had people listening to them their whole lives — their teachers, their principals, their parents. They’ve had all these ‘life coaches’ their entire lives.”

That makes Millennials ignore standard top-down organizations and messaging, she added.

“It’s all about the democratized view,” Meglen said. “The ways you can listen are by asking, ‘What do you want from us as a restaurant or a QSR that would make it a better experience for you in the future?’ Millennials aren’t afraid to share that.”

Social media, such as Facebook pages and other platforms, make it easy for a brand to ask the questions and engage the Millennial customer, she noted.

Experiences are also important for Millennials, Meglen said. “Brands that deliver on that promise of feeling good and having a good time are the ones that will do well.”

So what are Millennials looking for in restaurants?

We haven’t done any specific studies on the restaurant category, but I can borrow from a study we’ve done on retail. … Millennials are looking for experiences, and that’s where restaurants in casual dining and QSR can borrow: It’s all about building an experience and sharing in that experience.

What messages appeal to Millennials?

One of the most interesting things we’ve been seeing happening among Millennials in that space is the photography of food and how food has become a personal expression — a personal extension — of the generation. They want to try new types of foods, new fusions, new experiences and document those. I can’t tell you how many times you can see food pictures on Instagram, on Twitter, on Facebook of food and what people are eating.