The term millennial refers to the segment of population born between 1980 and 2000. This generation is sometimes called the Net generation for the simple reason that they can’t remember a time when there was no internet. This is the most technology savvy generation ever because of their association with internet and various connected devices right from the time they were kids.
They spend at least five hours per day viewing content which was generated by their peers. Such content, which is added by non-professionals, without any real motivation to do so is called User Generated Content or UGC. This includes status updates, blog posts and restaurant reviews. When it comes to trust, a millennial prefer their peers over expert advice. User generated content is also 35% more memorable than other types of media.
Marketing startup Crowdtap and the Global research company Ipsos MediaCT, surveyed 839 millennials between the ages of 18-36 in January 2014 to reveal how this generation prefers to view content. This infographic highlights the breakdown of time spent by millennials in viewing UGC and its impact on the media landscape.
- Millennials spend 18 hours with media every day, and 5 of those hours are spent viewing  user generated content.
- Social media has plenty of UGC, hence 71% of millenials take part in social networking at least once per day.
- UGC is 35% more memorable and 50% more trusted than traditional and non-UGC media.
- 74% of the respondents would trust information about product info from conversations with friends, while less than 45% would trust traditional media.
- UGC is 20% more influential, when it comes to purchasing.
- At least 60 % of millennials would use UGC before purchasing any major electronic products.
- 40% of those surveyed, referred to UGC before making any travel plans.
This research is bound to have an impact on several brands that spend most of their marketing budgets towards social media and advertising messages. Brands will increasingly rely on consumers who share the view of their peers through UGC. With such massive increase in content, brands need to know if millennials are listening to their messages, not just hearing them.
