Millennial trust websites more than social media, EXP Nigeria study finds
Millennial believe more and trust the information on companies’ websites rather than influencers who push various brands on social media platforms according to findings generated from a recent study tagged ‘Casino Millennial’.
The study was conducted by EXP Nigeria Limited in partnership with REACH Technologies aimed at giving useful insights to brand owners on how best to engage millennial as well as understand their spending patterns.
The programme themed “Uncovering Monetary, Social and Professional currencies in the African Millennial Experience” was held in Lagos, Nigeria five days after the maiden Thought Leadership Session in Accra, Ghana and it is expected to hold today, Friday, 12 July in Nairobi, Kenya.
While making his presentation on ways to take insights and how to engage the millennial, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, EXP Group, David Boon, said the study was aimed at achieving a better understanding and local insights about millennial in African continent.
In his words: “If I have 32 million followers it means absolutely nothing. All it means is that I have got 32 million people that may see something that someone posts, great! But then what next?
“What we found out is that influencers are not only influencers they are just another form of the media; so you pay them to actually go and promote your brand to the circle of followers and at the end of the day it is awareness. So, what we are after is not just awareness but the real engagement with millennial.”
Speaking in the same vein, the Chief Executive REACH Technologies, JR Kanu, affirmed that millennial do not trust the social media platforms or influencers as a source of truth emphasising that brand owners should pay more attention and update their companies’ websites as that was the only source of truth that millennial trust when dealing with brands.
Kanu said: “Don’t ignore your website. As a brand, your website is still the first and most important asset you have in terms of communicating who you are and what you do. Social media is going to be somebody else’s’ platform but your website is yours so do not ignore your website.”
Asked how the study will benefit REACH, he added: “For REACH, it gives us access to the kind of people that are often asking these kind of questions. We love what we do, we do it because we want to see money that is going to be spent by African millennial accurately and. We partner with EXP because we know that they are already doing this in an authentic way.”
Meanwhile, the Group CEO EXP Group, Carol Abade, pointed out that the study would be extended to other major cities across the African continent.
Abade stressed that additional three countries would be added by 2020, explaining that the study would be conducted annually.
Asked what brand owners should do with the study, she said: “I think brands must really make sure they understand what that leverage power is. Millennial ambition outmatches their spending power but their influence is far bigger than what brands have ever seen before.
“So how do you tap into the right channels to use them as influencers for the bigger spenders, the bigger middle class and how do you make sure that as they grow into a much bigger middle class you are interacting with them in a way that is relevant.”
On her part, the Managing Director, EXP Nigeria Limited, Rosemary Akpo, noted that the researcher interviewed over 11,000 millenial in Lagos, stressing that findings generated from the study were mind-blowing.
In her words: “We interviewed over 11,000 millennial in Lagos for this study. I was already quarrelling with the results if it weren’t for the sheer number of people that we interviewed and I saw the raw data myself. Then I realised that what I had always believed for the past years was actually not true.
“When we saw it we decided that the information will not be kept to just ourselves. We need to do our clients good by sharing that information with them and the fastest way to do that was not to go from office to office. As you can see, it is an exclusive event, so 98% of people who are here today are our clients.”
Akpo continued: “The findings are surprising, so for me, my top one is money is not the primary driver to the millennial. They want personal growth and progress that is more important to them than just money; so when they choose a career, they are looking for a career that will progress their personal growth not just pay them well for the moment.
“The second thing that surprised me was the fact that the social media influencers are not as big as most brands think they are. This people are actually going to websites to find out accurate information and a lot of brands today no longer look at their websites. They just pay social media influencers but don’t look at their websites. Meanwhile, millennial are telling us to visit your website when we want to find out the truth about you. So we need to make conscious effort in updating our websites with accurate and real time information.”
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