Print Marketing to Millennials & Gen Z

Did you know that Millennials spend more time reading their mail than any other generation? And that 92% of college students prefer reading printed materials to digital material? Yes, you read that right! Even in a generation that grew up in a digital world, if your target market includes these generations, you may be missing a big opportunity if you are not utilizing the power of print within your omni-channel marketing strategies. There are a lot of misconceptions about the power of print marketing and today we’re going to explore ideas for reaching these generations with your print marketing strategies.

Millennials (Born 1981 – 1996)

Millennials are the largest generation in the US, representing a population of over 72 million. This generation is tech savvy, social savvy, educated, and spends $600 billion in the United States each year.

The following are some characteristics of this generation: [1]

Appreciate experiences
Care about values
Value purpose
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Budget-friendly
Want to stay connected
Choices are important to them
Value sustainability
Seek recognition
Instant gratification
Value speed and convenience
Trust Influencers

Stats: Here are some interesting Millennial stats:

77% of millennials participate in loyalty reward programs [2]
90% are social media users [3]
88% take the time to look through their mail to make sure they are not discarding useful information [4]
75% say that receiving personal mail makes them feel special [5]
62% have visited a store in the past month based on receiving information in the mail [5]
65% like coupons for retail businesses and 69% like coupons for restaurants [5]
82% cite print as a part of their purchasing journey [6]
89% check their mailbox at their first opportunity [6]
77% pay attention to direct mail [6]

Print Ideas for this generation:

Incorporate an omnichannel experience
Build trust and loyalty through incentives
Be authentic in your communications
Variable data printing – make it personal to them
Give them choices – “this offer” or “that offer”
Let them know what your brand is doing to make an impact to build a connection with them
Give them an offer that is quick to redeem and convenient
Include content about what are others saying about your brand to establish trust

Generation Z (Born 1997-2012)

This generation represents 20% of the U.S. population and has become one of our most technologically savvy generations, as they grew up with electronic technology and the internet.

The following are some characteristics of this generation: [7]

Focus on career/financial stability
Strong family influence
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Thrifty
Value brick-and-mortar experiences
Appreciation for physical media
Value physical experiences
Prefer personal communications
High expectations
Values cross-functional communications
Instant gratification
Tactile experiences matter
Personalization matters

Stats: Here are some interesting Gen Z stats.

98% of this generation owns a smartphone [8]
2X more likely to shop on mobile devices than millennials are [9 ]
65% of this generation sees value in coupons, discounts, and rewards programs [10]
72% of Gen Z says price is the key factor in purchasing decisions [1 1]
88% prefers omni-channel brand experiences [12]
68% of Gen Z expects brands to contribute positively to society [13]
Spend about 1 hour each week reading magazines [14 ]
92% of 18-23-year-olds find it easier to read printed content than digital and the response rate to direct marketing is 37% higher than for email [15]
Average attention span of 8 seconds (vs. 12 seconds for Millennials) [16]

Print Ideas for this generation:

Coupons to drive them into your store or online
Variable data printing – make it personal to them [17]
Give them several call-to-actions to different types of media sources
Make your offers easy to redeem
Consider a unique tactile experience or die-line to gain interest – something that stands out
Use multi-media experiences
Help them feel connected to your brand
Easy, quick visuals to catch their attention
Give them an incentive to collaborate with your company – reviews, interactive games, etc.

Print Marketing Millennials — Photo by **Andrea Piacquadio** from **Pexels**

Reach Millennials and Gen Z with Print

If you are ready to reach these demographics, we are here to help. Whether it’s unique die cuts, tactile experiences, or something completely out of the box, let us turn your ideas into reality and help you tap into this market with your print strategies to drive results. Download our whitepaper on why direct mail prospers in a digital world and request a sample pack today to get your creative juices flowing!

Bio: Melissa Fransen is our Marketing Manager. She started with Nahan in May of 2017. Melissa is responsible for Nahan’s marketing initiatives, which includes everything from conference planning to social media initiatives. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband and enjoying time in the outdoors with family and friends.

Cover Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels