I was recently asked to contribute my thoughts about a survey of Millennials, the generation of people born between 1980 and 2000, in order to help inform our understanding of their attitudes about healthcare. It really got me thinking about this group of people.  As a Gen-Xer myself, my first thought was to wonder how this generation is different from my own.  Were they considered to be “slackers” like we were at the time? Are they better educated? Do they have more options than we had? What are their political leanings?

As a healthcare media relations professional, I then wondered how they consume information, especially the onslaught of health information and the multitude of channels to which they were likely subject throughout the day. It may be hard for some of you to imagine, but when I was a young 20-something we weren’t even on the Internet quite yet!

Always keen to learn about marketing to specific demographics, I did some research and found a great website (http://www.pixelsandpills.com/2011/05/11/generation-health-marketing-millennials/) that outlines some key elements of things to consider in marketing efforts to this generation.  As I suspected, an understanding of the generational differences in online usage is key as well as taking into account that Millennials are used to instant gratification. While Millennials have instant access to a wealth of health information via their smartphones etc., it is interesting to note that offline input from friends, healthcare providers and parents is also very important to them. Moreover, in terms of their own personal healthcare experience, a recent survey by Capstrat-Public Policy Polling indicates that a majority of Millennials do not wish to communicate with their healthcare providers via social media, instead turning to more traditional ways of communicating.

I know that any healthcare communications plan these days must contain a social and digital media element, but I was heartened to learn that traditional media is still an important piece of the puzzle.  When it comes to Millennials, a communications plan that harnesses the synergy of traditional media and social/digital media will likely have the biggest impact in targeting your audience.

Do you have suggestions for targeting Millennials?

 

To reach Chris:

Phone: 212-584-5480
Email: chris@blisspr.com
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