Winning the hearts and loyalty of Thai millennials through cause-related marketing

 During this festive time, many of us gather with families to carry out many good and noble acts such as paying respect to elders, joining religious ceremonies, and giving alms at temples. It is safe to say that doing something virtuous is deeply rooted in Thais’ beliefs.
Coincidentally to how much Thais value these noble deeds, one of the top 10 marketing trends for 2015 released by trendwatching.com, one of the world’s leading trend firms, calls for brands to act nobly and stand for a good cause.
Sure, doing good-cause marketing in Thailand would probably work positively for older generations. However, there have been some doubts lately over whether these noble beliefs would still apply to the social media-addicted newer generations – or the ‘millennials’, as the world calls them.
By definition, millennials refers to those born between 1980 and 1996. This is the group who grew up through the age of rapid digital transformation. They are not bound to the same old rules of society, and they believe themselves to be more like freedom fighters upholding their own unique values.
This definition alone brings about an earth-shaking question: Do Thai millennials care about good causes, and if brands act nobly?
As clarified by the recent “Millennials” study released by IPG Mediabrands, the answer is yes, they do!
Thai millennials care about noble causes more than ever, and they are expecting brands to support good causes, as well. From the study, 84 per cent of millennials believe that brands should not stick to just selling their products or services. Brands should be going beyond that if they want to attract millennials.
Sixty-three per cent of the millennials also place high hopes in brands to act as a force of good.
Furthermore, 59 per cent of these independent new-generation individuals also believe that brands should play a role in improving worthy causes.
Ultimately, if brands are able to prove to millennials that they are a force of good with the intention to promote worthy causes, 53 per cent of millennials say that it will increase their loyalty towards the said brands immensely.
From the data point reflected by this study, being a millennial myself, I would like to take this opportunity to say a few things on how brands can touch the heart of fellow millennials through a good cause-related marketing campaign.
If you were a marketer who wanted to have a shot at cause marketing, here are a few data-driven directions to the heart of the millennials.
A brand needs to be able to give millennials more than they asked for, as 77 per cent of this group want more choices to choose from in life. The campaign directed to this group should be informative and sharable, as 70 per cent of this group will share things they appreciate.
The message should be serious but delivered in a light-hearted tone and, above all, engage millennials in the process because 63 per cent of this group want to share and express their thoughts with others.
When launching a cause-based campaign, lead it with social media as 95 per cent of millennials are social addicts, and 50 per cent of this group juggle around more than three devices simultaneously for constant connectivity.
Lastly, make sure that your campaign is innovative and life-changing for your millennials audience. Some 52 per cent value new and never-seen-before experiences, while 74 per cent hold a negative belief that the world will never improve. The brand needs to prove them wrong and show them the catalyst for positive change.
In the end, to understand millennials, one has to think like a millennial. The elements above are just some thought-openers reflected from data. If you truly value millennials as your audience, you may want to consider a cause-related campaign.
Remember the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge from last year? It became so popular globally and was widely spread because it was able to attract the millennial sharers through all the right elements. Show the millennials that your brand stands for a good cause, and their hearts will be all yours. This article was written by Maas Virajoti, group head, Strategy & Innovation, IPG Mediabrands Thailand.