Leadership through the eyes of the millennial

The Emerson Group’s Matt Poli spoke with a panel of millennials, rising stars in their respective fields, to explore what makes millennials tick.

Much has been written about millennials. But what’s really on their minds? How can marketers and retailers appeal to their preferences? To help get a better look, The Emerson Group’s VP marketing, Matt Poli, gathered a panel of rising young stars in their respective fields to explore what makes millennials tick.

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“There are many perceptions,” Poli said. “Our objective is to look through the lens of millennials.”



The panel — which included Bethany Edwards, the co-founder and CEO of LIA Diagnostics; Jason Loomis, director of paid media at VaynerMedia; Stephanie Ramirez, senior manager of social media for FLAMA, a division of Univision that targets Hispanic millennials; and Anne Cashman, a brand manager at Johnson & Johnson/McNeil Consumer Healthcare — explored how millennials are setting themselves apart from previous generations, and what motivates them.



“We haven’t seen as dynamic an environment as we see today,” Poli said, noting that there are no longer characteristics specific to a drug store or a discount store. Prescriptions can be procured at a discount store and a sandwich at a drug store. “And you can use your phone to dial up whatever you want from Amazon and have it waiting before you get home. We are competing for the consumer’s attention,” he said.



That’s why understanding the consumer is more important than ever. Looking across multiple generations and ethnic groups, it is important to take note of the briskly growing Hispanic population, which is pegged to hit 58 million in the next five to 10 years.



But millennials have become the largest demographic in the United States, some 77 million strong. These new shoppers are directing how products go to market today. “Thirty-second TV spots on primetime are no longer the norm,” Poli said. “You have to capture their attention.”



Working for a larger company, J&J’s Cashman said her firm must strike the proper balance to manage its multi-generational workforce. “The opportunity came up to better connect the generations, and we piloted a program of mentors and mentees,” she said. The goal was to uncover better ways to communicate across the organization. “What I got out of it was that my organization is listening, and we rolled out a program to reach all levels so everyone’s voice can be heard.”



Speaking for the media side, Loomis pulled back the curtain on reasons why VaynerMedia is one of the fastest-growing marketing firms in the business. CEO Gary Vaynerchuk, Loomis explained, considers himself the head human resources employee. “He hires people on talent and culture, and if you have both, he is going to find a role where you will over-index,” Loomis said. Investment in talent comes right from the top, and employees are treated as partners who share the vision. “He meets with every new hire that comes through the door to make sure they are connected and invested,” Loomis said.



A strong example of the “cause-driven” purpose that fuels many millennial professionals, Edward’s company, LIA Diagnostics, is working to bring an eco-friendly, flushable pregnancy test to market. “This is something my team and I are creating because it must exist in this world,” she said.



Zeroing in on Hispanic millennials, Ramirez talked about what Univision is doing to reach a younger audience. “We know the younger audience isn’t speaking Spanish,” she said. While they may at home, at school and in other settings, they don’t in school or in social life, and that differs from the Univision model.



“We are a startup at Univision — a small team within a big organization. We are creating content for millennials by millennials. We are [like] a rebellious child. We don’t listen to the rules,” she said. Univision has allowed the FLAMA team to forge its own path and, based on the results, the strategy appears to be working.



The importance of taking a chance was once again underscored when J&J’s Cashman talked about a risky move of her own, when she jumped from the company’s steady skin care business to the McNeil Consumer Healthcare divison, at a time when the company was facing some serious challenges when several of its leading brands, including Tylenol and others, were forced to temporarily exit the market. Among the key reasons she decided to take the dive was the respect she had for those who were working to help McNeil rebuild. “I felt I had a greater purpose and the challenge to be part of a bigger cause,” she said. “It helped me become who I want to be as a leader.