COVER STORY
By Carissa Gingras
Next-gen OPE users (Part II):
Winning over Millennials
through marketing
Last article in a two-part series
T
this digital-dependent group. If marketing
to these individuals sounds challenging,
consider this: By 2030, Millennials will
own more than one-third of all the singlefamily homes in the United States. That's
probably a group you want as a customer.
So how exactly do you reach this new,
younger generation of outdoor power
equipment buyers? In my previous article
in March 2013 OPE, I provided three sales
strategies to sell outdoor power equipment
to Millennials. In this article, I will
Refresh your website —
and go mobile
Millennials are the most online
generation of all time. They research
online, they keep in touch online, they
shop online, they pay bills online, and
many even "watch TV" online. With 95
percent of all Millennials "online," your
website becomes the virtual storefront of
your business.
Before these individuals even step
foot in your dealership, they have visited
your website. So, make sure your website
is accurate and showcases the latest
products, as well as includes product
reviews. According to a 2012 study by
BazaarVoice, 51 percent of Gen-Yers
Photo courtesy of Consumer Engine Group,
Briggs & Stratton Corporation
hey're technologicallydependent, ethnically diverse,
and socially responsible.
They are also skeptical,
independent, and harder to
reach with mass marketing. For example,
more than 40 percent of Millennials —
individuals born between 1977 and 1995
— don't have landline phones, making
traditional methods such as Yellow Pages
advertising that may have worked with
past generations an ineffective tactic with
share with you tips on finding this new
customer because marketing to this group
comes with its own set of guidelines.
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OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT