In the past few years, young people lived in the moment and it was all about experiences. Now, lockdown has given them time to reflect on what’s more important, making them ultra-intentional about their choices. Brands need to be on board with supporting youth, their communities and making a positive impact on the world, otherwise, they will be unfollowed in an instant and deemed irrelevant.
Young people care about empowering themselves and their community. So what do they want more than your product? Your support. You need to have their back. They need your offering to support their entrepreneurial journey, they need you to give a care about the environment and to connect them with their dreams.
Here are ten key care-related questions businesses should ask themselves in order to level up:
Income sources are down, there’s less money to play with and it’s been a real downer to lose some financial independence. Think about what your brand is doing to show that it’s conscious of lightening the load that many young people are facing right now.
Motivated by the aspiration of being an influencer and self-improvement trends, young people are authentically dedicated to becoming their best - how can you help them get there?
Short digital courses have become a loved pass-time and are seen as the ticket to freedom which young people are geared towards. There’s an authentic desire for cheaper, shorter courses. Brands developing their own unique courses or workshops are not only generating a new revenue stream but are also providing for what people are seeking.
“Glocal” is the word, in fact. While a global mentality is being cultivated, young people want to see emerging South African brands supported and realistic representations of themselves in the media. They are truly passionate about improving the local economy with a global mindset i.e.: #Glocal.
Mogorosi Mashilo 18 May 2015
Health, as in both the physical and mental health of your consumers and the health of the planet - is your brand implementing strategies that speak to the health revolution?
Instapreneurs are real. The hustle fire in South Africa is real, and young people are more interested than ever before in becoming digital entrepreneurs. They want you to recognise and support them. What can your brand do to support entrepreneurs?
E-commerce is essential. Young people are making the majority of their purchases online, and entire businesses are being built purely within Instagram. Your products and services need to be accessible digitally so get onboard and get online.
Young people’s teams are important to them. Brands that cultivate and support special interest communities and create deals that are shareable with friends and family are winning.
After an extended lack of social time, young people are itching to get back in the game as lockdown eases. Unique, intimate and instagrammable social gatherings are going to be in huge demand, so think about whether you can play a part in bringing people together again – with social distancing measures in place of course!
Creating content, products and services that people truly want to share and shout about on social media ultimately helps brands. It’s going to take levelling up to new standards of creativity and authenticity to be seen and shared above all the noise.
We can’t deny that the post-Covid-19 world requires levelling up, and it’s the youth who are pushing brands to drive the positive change that they want to see and benefit from. Now, more than ever, is the perfect opportunity for brands to branch out, speak up and truly engage with the youth.
