Whether you’re a brand strategist, content marketer, or account director, chances are you’re trying to see “what’s next” in and around the industry. So much of this “what’s next” question is dependent on one generation as well: Millennials. Members of Generation Y are the future consumers, the future decision makers, and the future innovators, and today, we’re trying to figure out what they like, and how they like it. If you’re attending Social Media Week NYC this February 23-27, be sure to check out some of the events that will discuss and dive into the world of Millennials, here are 13 sessions you should bookmark right now.
1. TAPPING MILLENNIAL FOMO: A BRAND’S GUIDE TO RELEVANCE BEYOND “REAL-TIME MARKETING”
Tue, Feb 24; 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
“In recent studies, 70% of college students reported that they would open a Snapchat from a brand, 22% of teen girls reported that they actually suffer from FOMO (fear-of-missing-out), and 28% of U.S. millennials said their cell phone is ‘an expression of who I am.’ In this session, a seasoned strategist on the front lines at creative agency Code and Theory will give a crash course on who this “new consumer” really is – how they think, behave, and feel – and will offer a new real-time playbook for social media marketers.”
2. CUSTOM CONTENT: HOW PUBLISHERS AND INSTAGRAMMERS ARE LEADING CAMPAIGNS FOR BRANDS
Tue, Feb 24; 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
“Working with notable Instagrammers, publishers are now retooling native ads and enabling brand storytelling to start on social. This enables new paths to authentically capture people’s attention via the broader media ecosystem, often before the campaign appears in print or online. This ‘social first’ content discussion will unpack the ideation, pitching, and activations for these campaigns. This masterclass-style event will be followed by an audience Q&A.”
3. CREATING VIDEO CONTENT FOR HOW IT’S CONSUMED
Tue, Feb 24; 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM
“Join us as Jonathan Perelman, BuzzFeed Motion Picture’s Vice President examines the evolution of media and how new innovations in distribution technologies have changed how it’s consumed. From LOLS to CUTE cat videos that pull at your heartstrings, Jonathan will dive into the science behind creating shareable content for the social web.”
4. SWIPE RIGHT: WHAT TINDER CAN TEACH BRANDS
Tue, Feb 24; 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM
“In an interview Match.com’s CEO, Sam Yagan, we’ll attempt to reveal how marketers can connect with their audiences in a more meaningful way wth inspiration from dating applications. We hope the audience will discover that although people share intimate details about their inner most desires on dating services every day, the most intriguing information is that which they offer without ever being asked.”
5. INNOVATIVE DIGITAL STORYTELLING IN AN ERA OF TWEETS, VINES, INSTAGRAMS AND MORE
Wed, Feb 25; 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
“How do you share an 8,000-word epic narrative in a 140-character tweet? How do you get today’s digital readers, accustomed to quick reads and rapid-fire summaries, to start reading a story and stay, actually stay, until the very last word? How do you bring writers, readers and editors together in conversation over the day’s most relevant news? This sessions will present insights into how The New York Times magazine is evolving digitally by building a new approach to audience development.”
6. THE NEW MILLENNIAL MODEL FOR BUSINESS
Wed, Feb 25; 11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
“By 2025, 75% of the global workforce will be comprised of millennials. As millennials get jobs and become leaders, they’re bringing tech-savvy ideas that’s changing business. From integrating mobile apps into meetings and networking, to creating tech-centered products that are transforming lives, and even using new social media platforms and games to innovate, this generation is embedding tech into everything they do. In a discussions with members of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, Forbes Editor Randall Lane will bring to light the not-so-distant future of our Millennial world.”
7. EPHEMERAL MESSAGING MASTERCLASS: MAXIMIZING YOUR SNAPCHAT FOR STORYTELLING
Wed, Feb 25; 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
“This session will teach the essentials on maximizing your Snapchat strategy, and how to bring storytelling to the most popular in-the-moment social sharing platform among Millenials. With over 100 million monthly active users and over a billion Snapchat Stories viewed per day, we will help you leverage your presence on the mobile app.”
8. NETWORKS OF INFLUENCE: HOSTED BY TRANSLATION, ELITE DAILY, AND CRIMSON HEXAGON
Wed, Feb 25; 4:30 PM – 5:45 PM
“With the advent of the social web, it is theoretically easier to reach target audiences, but more difficult to forge authentic connections with consumers. This shift is seen most prominently in the ever coveted Millennial audience, where conventional approaches to marketing are rendered ineffective and demography-based segmentation strategies prove to be unsuccessful. In this session we will uncover how brands can tap into the dynamic of this coveted audience and benefit from the network of influence.”
9. MAKE WAY FOR GEN Z: HOSTED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Thu, Feb 26; 2:45 PM – 4:00 PM
“While Gen Y continues to evolve and fascinate the world, attention is now turning to the cohort right behind them — Gen Z, roughly defined as those born after 1993 are some of today’s youngest entrepreneurs and consumers. Raised in an on-demand, connected and impatient culture, expectations are running high for this group that accounts for more than 2 billion globally.”
10. HOW TO MAKE ONE OF THOSE INSANELY VIRAL QUIZZES THAT YOU’RE SEEING EVERYWHERE
Thu, Feb 26; 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
“In any given month, quizzes make up some of the most shared pieces of content on the internet. Chief Qwizzard, Owen Fuller, will share lessons learned from reverse engineering an inhuman amount of viral quizzes on sites like Buzzfeed and Qzzr. He’ll teach the secrets Qwizards use to drive social traffic and lead generation, including the keys to optimizing quiz titles, questions, imagery, calls-to-action and outcomes.”
11. CULT BRANDS 2.0: HOW TODAY’S TOP BRANDS BREED LOYALTY AND FANATICISM
Fri, Feb 27; 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
“Everyone knows why companies like Apple, IKEA, and Southwest Airlines have become cult brands – it’s because they understand that they “belong” to their customers. Basic principles of cult branding can take companies to the next level by creating on-demand apps, social followings and customer incentive programs that breed extreme customer loyalty and fanaticism.”
12. STORYTELLING WITH VINE: HOW TO CREATE SHORT FORM VIDEOS THAT PEOPLE REMEMBER
Fri, Feb 27; 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
“Today, storytellers are finding increasingly imaginative ways to share their ideas with interactive and visual elements, bringing their messages to life. Outside of creating content for Instagram, Vine, and Snapchat each day, Mashable’s creative team is responsible for the creative behind many branded social advertising campaigns, having worked with Olympus, Hewlett-Packard, Hot Wheels, MasterCard and more just in the past few months.”
13. STOP CALLING THEM SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS: MTV’S PIONEERING EFFORTS WITH NEW FORM TALENT
Fri, Feb 27; 11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
“In a world where everyone is creating their own content and distributing it themselves via multiple social platforms, MTV is pioneering the way media companies tap into new form content creators and not just for their massive social following. Today it’s no longer about marketing partnerships. Instead, it’s all about the modern day talent search. Participants will learn how members of this very talented generation are able to churn out amazing, relatable content that transitioned between multiple screens – whether it be television, tablet or mobile – and why young audiences are responding in droves”
