Marketing to the affluent millennial consumer, everything you need to know

Marketing to the affluent millennial consumer is going to be a key skill for luxury companies. There is constant chatter about millennials and whether they work hard or are hardly working. It is time to put this debate aside and pay attention.

Why are affluent millennials important to luxury companies?

Millennials are going to have a big impact on our economy.  This means that you cannot discount them and their growing wealth. The number of wealthy millennials in the United States is increasing. Millennials make up nearly a quarter of affluent U.S. households. Where does their wealth come from?

Their wealth, in fact, can be attributed to inheritance and early professional success in the technology industry.

Affluent millennials are a key consumer segment. Moreover, you might find yourself competing against other luxury brands for their attention. Marketing to affluent millennials will need a new outlook. If you haven’t already, it’s time to start shifting your thinking and strategy. Luxury consumers are more valuable when they are younger as they spend 1.5 to 2 times more than older affluents. Their expenditure applies to both luxury goods and services.

How can you successfully market to the affluent millennial consumer?

To truly engage the affluent millennial, you need to learn everything you can about them. This will help you personalize not only your messaging but also the whole customer experience. Here are some ways you can better understand and market to affluent millennials:

WealthEngine’s Step by Step guide: Marketing to the Affluent Millennial Consumer

Step 1

Start by understanding the impact of millennials on your business. Affluent millennials show greater brand loyalty than other generations. Therefore, luxury retailers should strive to understand this group and their spending habits. You should have a good idea of the economic benefit this group can bring to your specific brand.

WealthEngine’s client, an iconic US-based Luxury brand, realized an ROI of 340% in just 60 days of running a direct mail campaign. The campaign helped them gain nearly 3x more revenue per customer. They were able to accomplish this by targeting a list of 22,000 households with $5M or above in net worth, and specific demographic and lifestyle attributes. Thus, their understanding of their customer led to a marked increase in revenue.

Step 2

Next, you should build on the information you already have by appending wealth, income, lifestyle and affinity information. What interests or attributes do they have in common? Do a majority of them live in one area? This information is key because it’s specific to your brand and your millennial buyers.

WE Screen can add these key attributes to your existing data. Through screening, you can develop a holistic picture of your millennial customers. Marketing to the affluent millennial customer begins with understanding their capacity to spend and their interests.

Step 3

Once you know the characteristics of your top millennial buyers it’s time to find more just like them. WE Analyze creates a look-alike model. This means you can take your screening data and run it through analyze. The solution then finds common traits and patterns among your top customers in this segment. These patterns can help you find more prospects just like them.

For example, you can find out that your customers are all between the ages of 28 and 32. Further, you can find that they are all concentrated in the Bay Area. This helps you find more prospects like them. Your marketing can already be directed to the older, affluent millennial in the Bay Area. Doing this would help you find prospects you might have previously overlooked. Secondly, it prevents you from spending on younger millennials who may not relate as strongly to your brand.

Step 4

Marketing to affluent millennials cannot be a one size fits all solution. Therefore, you shouldn’t market to all affluent millennials with a single message. This will not resonate with some of them. Be smart and focus on the ones that most resemble your customers. Then, you should personalize your message to this group.

Step 5

Finally, don’t disregard the power of taking immediate action.  Consumers are 22% more likely to consider a brand as a result of real-time marketing. Your customers and prospects engage with your website and other channels on a daily basis. Identify affluent millennials are as they interact with your channels. This will help you personalize their experience on the fly.

For instance, let’s say your website sells luxury shoes ranging from $200- $2000. Knowing your customer’s spending capacity and interests will allow you to customize their experience. If you know that affluent millennial user 1 prefers high-heels in the $600 range, the website can start showing products in that range. If user 2 prefers sneakers in the $300 range, then the experience can reflect those preferences right when they open your website.

What Else You Need to Know

There is an added benefit to marketing to the affluent millennial consumer. Engaging with and cultivating them now can help you build long-term brand loyalty and lifetime customers.

Increase your understanding of the affluent millennial consumer, contact us to learn more.

Additional Articles:

Know Your Millionaire: Single Millennials

Redefining “Luxury Brand” for Your Luxury Marketing Strategy