#11 How savvy marketeers work with Generation C – V Republic
June 15, 2009 by Jake Pearce
Aisha Dajipunga works for Frucor owned by Suntory, a large Japanese food and beverages company with brands ranging from Haagen Daz ice cream, V energy drinks to Suntory Oolong Tea.
This video is a great example of how Generation C’s desire for control presents internal political and cultural challenges for corporates as much as external ones.
You will see that Aisha overcomes some of these challenges very skilfully. Yet the key issue that Frucor and many other organisations haven’t fully addressed is Generation C’s requirement for involvement which demands companies engage directly with their customers rather than using more traditional methods of ’push’ comms like traditional advertising. This creates a key question – who should ‘own’ the relationship with the customer – the company, an agency or a social platform?
Generation C demand authenticity and direct engagement. Corporates simply aren’t equipped anymore to do that – they don’t have a ‘brand engagement department’. As a result many corporates think that ‘engagement’ means – doing a good film competition once a year, allowing people to post pictures and asking market research question of their database. This isn’t enough.
Frucor has taken bold steps re. engagement – and this video shows how hard it is for corporates to come to terms with this ‘new world.’
So – youth marketing is facing the same difficulty as any other sector wanting to appeal to Generation C – the struggle of letting go of control.
Key messages from the video are:
- It’s critical that organisations find authentic ways to engage with customers
- The republic of V – was the foundation for V to find a new way to engage
- The republic of V – is an example of how corporates need to have the courage to ‘experiment’ to ‘find their feet’ in relation to new media
- TV ads are still important as they serve as a way for the ‘mainstream’ to remain aware of the brand
- Senior Management need to take the time to understand the world of Generation C or – they risk making decisions that are comfortable for the corporate but not the market they serve.
Check out V Republic now.
So – what’s the smartest marketing strategies you have seen that work for Generation C? Let us know!
