Millennials: Fact or Fiction?

The primary concern of a marketer is to know where growth will come from and how to connect meaningfully with this growth curve – and gaining this knowledge is particularly urgent during a recession, when consumer disposable income is under threat. In the South African market, where the median age is 27 and more than 70% of the population is younger than 40 years old, millennials are an important audience in the growth conversation. So, while they may have moved into the background as the marketing lens has shifted strongly towards the new youth cohort, Gen Z, they cannot be a forgotten audience because beyond economics, they are the parents and guardians of the future generation.

That is one of the reasons why we have sought to quantify the ‘millennial’ opportunity. Challenging whether the global stereotypes of this market apply in South Africa and at the same time, suggesting that a less generalised and more data fluid approach will lead to more resonant and impactful demand generation or behaviour change efforts.