Clear Is Cool: How to reach Millennials
with plain language
Meghan Codd Walker and Deanna Lorianni, Zuula
Wellington | 4 November 2016
Today’s agenda
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Who are Millennials & why do they matter in business?
What do they want?
What's the relationship between transparency & trust?
Why does plain language align with Millennials’s values?
How can you reach Millennials with plain language?
What does this technique look like in real life?
WHO ARE MILLENNIALS?
And why do they matter for business?
Who are Millennials?
Like other generations, the
precise age range for Millennials
varies.
Typically, they are people born
between 1980 and 2003.
Why do Millennials matter to business?
This generation:
• Includes 1.7 billion people worldwide
• Is a bigger group than their predecessors, Generation X
• Represents 75% of the workforce by 2025
• Has an estimated $2.45 trillion USD global spending power, as of
2015
Sources:
https://www.bofaml.com/content/dam/boamlimages/documents/PDFs/millennials_primer.pdf
http://www.slideshare.net/joerivandenbergh/generation-y-around-the-world-by-insites-consulting
http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/17/how-trillion-dollar-millennials-are-spending-their-cash.html
Why do Millennials matter to business?
They are increasingly in
leadership positions —
especially in developing
countries.
Percentage of Millennials Managing Others at
Work
100
75
50
25
0
India
Source: http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY-global-generations-a-global-study-on-work-life-challenges-across-generations/$FILE/EY-globalgenerations-a-global-study-on-work-life-challenges-across-generations.pdf
Brazil
UK
Why do Millennials matter to business?
They’re more
ambitious than
people may
expect.
Source: Universum, You Got Us Wrong, p.6
How Important to You Is Becoming a Leader/Manager in Your
Career?
Why do Millennials matter to business?
Who or What Do You Think Has the Strongest Ability to Influence Society?
They have varying
degrees of belief
in business.
Source: Universum, You Got Us Wrong, p.6
HOW ARE MILLENNIALS UNIQUE?
Technological, societal, and economic factors make
Millennials unlike any other generation.
How Are Millennials Unique?
Trust Among Generations
They trust people less.
60%
Millennials are less likely to
believe that they can trust
most people.
40%
FACT: Only 1% of Millennials
say advertising influences
them.
Sources:
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/03/07/millennials-in-adulthood/
http://www.attn.com/stories/1671/five-institutions-young-people-dont-trust
20%
0%
Silent Gen.
Baby Boomers
Gen. X
Millennials
How Are Millennials Unique?
Yet ... Millennials are the most brand-loyal
consumers of any generation.
How Are Millennials Unique?
They’re digital natives.
• Have grown up with social media and
online noise
• Know how to quickly scrutinize info
and avoid content clutter
• Expect good design and information
architecture
• Want to interact across devices
Source: http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/03/07/millennials-in-adulthood/
How Are Millennials Unique?
They read differently.
• Reading is a learned skill influenced
by our culture.
• They want images and graphics that
effectively integrate into written
content.
• They read across multiple devices,
often at the same time.
Sources:
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/03/07/millennials-in-adulthood/
https://www.rjionline.org/stories/millennials-read-to-learn
WHAT DO MILLENNIALS WANT?
Studies show that Millennials value immediacy,
transparency, flexibility, simplicity, and reliability.
Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/samanthasharf/2015/06/03/death-to-dinosaur-brands-how-millennials-are-redefining-what-it-means-to-be-loyal/#53eb47d3b400
Millennials want …
One-to-one communication
They want relationships with brands
that resemble friendships instead of
traditional one-to-many advertising.
FACT: 62% of Millennials are more
likely to become a loyal customer if a
brand engages with them on social
media.
Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2015/01/20/10-new-findings-about-the-millennial-consumer/2/#52f23a0642b8
Millennials want …
Authentic communication
They want to connect with companies
that speak their language and
communicate with an authentic tone.
FACT: 43% of Millennials value
authenticity over content when
choosing whether to read something
a brand produces.
Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2015/01/20/10-new-findings-about-the-millennial-consumer/#380b53d028a8
Millennials want …
Brand responsibility
They expect companies to commit
to good corporate citizenship and
support social causes.
FACT: 89% of Millennials say they
are more likely to buy from
companies that support solutions
to specific social issues.
Source: http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/brookings-now/posts/2014/06/11-facts-about-the-millennial-generation
Millennials want …
Clear, attractive design
They expect content that shares
information in a logical order, looks
modern, and works seamlessly across
devices.
FACT: 72% of Millennials want to
connect with news across all of their
devices — which means what you share
needs to work well and look good
everywhere.
Source: https://www.sprinklr.com/social-scale-blog/marketing-to-millennials-studies-reports/
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
TRANSPARENCY & TRUST
You can’t sacrifice one and hope to develop the other.
“A lack of transparency results in
distrust and a deep sense of
insecurity.”
- Dalai Lama
Transparency shows you care
Millennials want to know
that companies:
•
•
•
Understand them
Are reliable
Are trustworthy
Caring leads to trust
Once they trust you, Millennials
are 7 times more likely to give
their personal data to a
company.
And first they look to who their
friends and family trust to
know which company to
support.
Caring leads to trust
" The trust is deeper and more intense with this
group, but the greater availability of information
can also destroy it faster.
Once Millennials lose faith in a brand, it’s nearly
impossible to win them back. Keeping positive
relationships are critical."
- "The Millennial Generation Research Review," U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Foundation
Clarity is key
When your content hides information in its language and
design, you immediately trigger concerns that you:
• Are not being honest
• Don't prioritize your audiences' needs
• Are unreliable
And consistency is crucial
Every communication touchpoint must
embrace clarity — and your audiences'
needs.
FACT: 60% of Millennials expect a
consistent experience from brands
whether they interact online, in store,
or via phone.
Source: https://www.bulldogreporter.com/channels-are-now-irrelevant-to-consumers-new-sdl-study-reveals-60-of/
WHY USE PLAIN LANGUAGE FOR
MILLENNIALS?
Millennial values and expectations align with plain language
practices.
Why use plain language for Millennials?
Plain language aligns with
4 out of 5 Millennial values:
•
•
•
•
•
Transparency
Immediacy
Flexibility
Reliability
Simplicity
Why use plain language for Millennials?
Plain language aligns with Millennial values:
• Transparency: Can immediately understand what you're saying and
build trust because they believe you
• Immediacy: Can seamlessly move across devices and easily find the
information they need
• Reliability: Can embrace your authenticity and depend on you like a
friend
• Simplicity: Don't have to waste time figuring out what you mean or
navigating confusing information architecture
HOW CAN YOU REACH MILLENNIALS
WITH PLAIN LANGUAGE?
Creating clear content is just the beginning if you want to
engage this audience.
Know your audience
• Use a conversational tone that
evokes friendship.
• Consider the many devices readers
use.
• Anticipate that they may be
distracted when reading.
• Know they have a very low trust
factor.
Make content easy to read
• Embrace mobile.
• Build the right user experience.
• Break up dense paragraphs.
• Use headers and bullets.
• Create clear paths for readers to
follow.
• Include straightforward calls to
action.
Be transparent
• Avoid corporate speak or legalese.
• Use active voice.
• Don't hide information in difficult
navigation or confusing language.
• Demonstrate your brand values.
Be authentic
• Avoid mimicking the competition.
• Say what you mean and back it up.
• Write like a human being.
• Make sure your voice matches your
brand.
• Be consistent in your brand
experiences.
The bottom line …
• To reach Millennials, you have to be clear AND compelling.
• Ensure your audience can read your message — and then
make sure your content is interesting enough that they will
read your message.
WHAT DOES THIS PRACTICE LOOK
LIKE IN REAL LIFE?
A modern retailer shows us what plain language for
Millennials looks like — and how well it can work.
Company Example: Warby Parker
Who are they?
Warby Parker is a U.S.-based glasses
retailer that sells online and in 30
company stores.
• Founded in 2010
• Valued at $1.2 billion USD as of 2015
• Led by Millennial Co-CEOs and
Founders
• Distributed more than 2 million pairs
of glasses to people in need
Sources:
http://fortune.com/2015/04/30/warby-parker-unicorn/
https://www.warbyparker.com/buy-a-pair-give-a-pair
Warby Parker: Knows its audience
• Uses a conversational tone
that evokes friendship
• Considers the many devices
readers use
• Brings humor in unexpected
ways
• Knows Millennials have a very
low trust factor
Warby Parker: Knows its audience
Excerpt from
History section
on website
https://www.warbyparker.com/history
Warby Parker: Makes content easy to read
• Shares clear, inviting messages
across all channels and content
types
• Provides mobile-friendly
experiences
• Uses headers and bullets
• Avoids needlessly long sentences
and paragraphs
• Creates clear paths for readers to
follow
Warby Parker: Makes content easy to read
Book review in
their section
selling
other items
Sources:
https://www.warbyparker.com/culture
https://www.warbyparker.com/terms-of-use
Warby Parker: Is transparent
• Certifies their transparency
and accountability as a B
Corp
• Avoids corporate speak and
legalese — even in Terms of
Use and Privacy Policy
• Explains exactly how their
one-to-one glasses
donation program works
Warby Parker: Is transparent
Excerpt from
Culture section
on website
Source: https://www.warbyparker.com/culture
Warby Parker: Is authentic
• Shares and lives their brand
values
• Writes like a friend
• Creates a consistent experience
across all interactions
• Fosters a culture that reflects
their brand
Warby Parker: Is authentic
Excerpt from
Culture section
on website
Source: https://www.warbyparker.com/culture
In short …
Warby Parker uses plain language principles to
reach Millennials.
And it's working very, very well.
To recap:
• Millennials are the largest generation in the workforce and will have the most
purchasing power by 2017.
• While they share many similarities, Millennials also differ depending on their
home country or region.
• They expect brands to provide one-on-one, authentic communication with
demonstrated responsibility and clear design.
• Transparency shows you care and fosters trust.
• Plain language speaks to Millennials’ values.
• You can engage Millennials with plain language by making sure your content
reflects and shares an authentic, transparent voice that is also easy to read.
• Millennial CEOs are driving success with consistent, transparent, and audiencefocused communications.