Survey: Millennials expect brands to be upfront

St. Louis -- Whether shopping alone or in a group, Millennials remain digitally connected contacting friends and family for advice or opinions via text, phone call or social media, according to a survey conducted by Mooslyvania, an independent digital advertising agency. While 57% surveyed said they tell their friends about their purchases, 44% prefer to "show off" their purchases, even if it's in subtle ways.



Millennials fully expect marketers to be upfront when it comes to answering questions, to practice what they preach, and build trusting relationships with them by using context-driven content spread across a variety of platforms. It's definitely not a one-hit ad crowd, according to the survey.



“For years, advertising served the role of reassurance and endorsement," said Norty Cohen, founder and CEO of Moosylvania. "That role has changed tremendously. Our job as marketers is to understand how dynamically the connectivity of the next generation of consumer is evolving. For example, 40% of these Millennials have signed up to receive emails from their favorite brands. Think about that – the average person looks at their phone more than 150 times a day – and email is right in there with social media for this hit of self-assurance."



In addition to Facebook (59%), the top ways in which Millennials advocate for their favorite brands include telling their friends (57%) and shopping in-store (54%). Facebook is also a natural stopping-off point for Millennials to learn more about brands they love. In fact, the ubiquitous social media platform outranks brand websites almost two to one as the go-to for product discovery.