Millennials Shift Toward Social Responsibility.

• Author: Peavey, Brian
• Position: BUSINESS & FINANCE

MILLENNIALS are the future; there is no doubt about that, but it has been said time and time again that they do not have a good work ethic nor care about things like other generations. They also have been labeled as egocentric, entitled, and, at times, outright lazy. However, these traditional views of millennials are changing and our approach in marketing to them must change as well.

It is not that we were all wrong about millennials, but guess what?--they grew up. Just like generations past, they have emerged from their self-absorbed, coddled, little worlds to become part of society. Granted, it has not been without some growing pains and fretting along the way, but yes, they now are at the age where they have solid jobs--although they still are prone to bouncing around on the career path--and are starting families. They took longer than prior generations to come to the conclusion that having a (somewhat) settled life can be pleasing, but they are arriving nonetheless.

As the millennials have grown into their definition of maturity, they have discovered that they do care about things other than themselves; they just do not care about things the same way as their predecessors. They are just as passionate about what they believe in; their objectives and causes simply are different.

Once they identify their causes or projects, they actually are quite dedicated to reaching their goals. They are creative and tech savvy, so they are able to develop and/or research their way to find solutions. They do not particularly enjoy standard work hours, but their drive does not diminish at 5 p.m.--in fact, quite the opposite. They may continue to toil well past the traditional 40-hour workweek if they are passionate about the job. The key is to identify the employees that align with your company's beliefs and vision and then turn them loose.

Millennials are looking to make a difference in this world, not just with their work but with their dollars, whether that be the brand of dish soap they purchase or the political candidates they support. They want change and they support those brands and people that align with their interests. Some 70% of millennials will spend more on brands supporting causes they care about. Moreover, Forbes reports that, by 2020, millennials will represent nearly half of the working population, and they currently control 2.5 trillion dollars in spending power. It is worth paying attention to this demographic.

Companies are...