Digital CPG Blog

The news just keeps getting worse for brands trying to reach that millenial generation.

“According to a new report from Forrester Research, just 6 percent of 12-17-year-olds who use the Web desire to be friends with a brand on Facebook, despite the fact that half of this demographic uses the site,” reports ReadWriteWeb.

“”Even scarier for brands: Young people don’t want brands’ friendship, and they think brands should go away,” reports AdWeek.

“So what should brands do? According to Forrester’s report, they might be better off being more reactive than proactive, and they should listen. Just 16 percent of young consumers expect brands to use social media to interact with them, and 28 percent expect those brands to listen to what they say on social sites and get back to them”

Eh, I’m not so sure. Maybe brands could just be smarter about how they’re engaging online, as I suggested last week. That doesn’t mean not getting involved, but creating campaigns, content and engagement that has been deeply curated and cared for. The thing with Gen Y is, they can see right through you. Brands will have to be better, and all consumers will be better for it.