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Millennial

Consumer Trends
Millennials influenced most by blogs,
respond to native over traditional ads and
family inheritance/students loans have no
impact on their spending habits.

2015

OVERVIEW

On October 26, 2014, 1,300 Millennials from Elite Dailys database of


readers and contributors were surveyed on various consumer-related
topics. The study was implemented to obtain a better understanding of
our audiences consumer behavior, social media consumption and media
expectations. The results have shed light on some notions we had already held
about Millennials. For example, it has always been our belief that Millennials
look for authenticity when consuming content.
It is interesting to note the behavioral shifts from generation to
generation and, more specifically, from Gen X to Millennials. We surveyed
Millennials on a wide variety of topics, including one of the biggest issues
facing Millennials today: student loan debt and the resulting personal-finance
issues. Millennials were among the hardest hit in the economic downturn;
they carry an enormous amount of student loan debt and face a job market
in recession. Currently, student loan debt is $1.2 trillion dollars, and tuition
costs have surged 500 percent since 1985.
Brands frequently pose the question of how to engage Millennials. We
specifically looked to see which social networks influenced Millennial
spending and how that spending was broken down; our survey covered
everything from savings and rent to entertainment and loans.
We found that Millennials comprise a vocal and active generation
that wants to have a prominent voice in regard to issues and products
that affect daily life, including cars and mobile phones. The social
generation is heavily connected to brands and one another other, aiding
in the fluidity of conversation between business and consumer, and also
peer-to-peer interaction.
Elite Daily is the premier online news platform for and by Millennials, the
leading source for breaking news and entertainment for the future leaders of
our generation, with an audience of over 74 million monthly unique visitors.
We are releasing this first study in order to identify Millennial-consumer
trends and also enable brands to maximize their relationship with Millennials.
We believe that Millennials are valuable to brands because they are early
adopters and active brand ambassadors on social media.

OVERVIEW

Special thanks to Dan Schawbel of Millennial Branding for partnering with us


on this study. Schawbel has worked on several research studies focused on
millennials in the past years and sees the value of working with Elite Daily to
help brands become more aware and equipped to work with millennials.

METHODOLOGY

Elite Daily and Millennial Branding conducted a public opinion survey among
people of the Millennial Demographic. The study was conducted via a web
survey utilizing the service Survey Monkey, an independent survey technology
service company with 10 years of experience in survey methodology and web
technology. Interviews were conducted from October 14 to October 19, 2014
among a nationally representative sample of 1,302 Elite Daily readers and
contributor respondents age 16 and older. Of those respondents, 1,134 were
between the ages of 18-35. The margin of error for the total sample is +/2.71% at the 95% confidence level. The margin of error for 18-35 respondents
is +/-2.91% at the 95% confidence level.
This study is designed to capture, from a random sample of millennial
readers/subscribers of Elite Daily, baseline information about the Millennial
consumer spending and then a snapshot of their digital media consumption
and taste.
For this survey, Elite Daily distributed the survey to their newsletter
subscribers and 5 Facebook groups who were identified as Elite Daily readers
via Facebook polls. The purpose of the study was introduced to potential
respondents and the nature of participation explained. The completion rate
to the respondents was 60% per cent. Meaning that 60% answered ALL 42
questions and the remaining 40% answered some but not all.

METHODOLOGY

Eligible Respondent
The survey was administered to any person age 16 and older who is a
registered subscriber of the Elite Daily Newsletter and/or a member of Elite
Dailys contributing network. The survey utilized a self-administered question
to verify the respondents age eligibility.
Sampling Methodology
An Opinion Poll methodology was used for the survey via the Internet.
We utilized a sample of the Millennial population (Approx. 86,000,000
according to the U.S. Census).

MILLENNIAL
CONSUMER TRENDS

Millennials, born between 1980-2000, are more ethnically and


racially diverse than previous generations; they are highly-educated,
well-connected and purpose-driven.
The demographic analysis of the survey assesses the characteristics of
Millennials, born between 1980-1996, as they begin to express their
individuality while simultaneously obtaining the economic ability to
embrace their newly found adulthood.
100

What is your age?

80
60
40
20
PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN
1,211 ANSWERED 91 SKIPPED

0
UN

18
ER

35
30-

29
25-

4
8-2

35+

RACE AND ETHNICITY


Of the Millennials surveyed, about six in ten (64%) are non-Hispanic
whites. One in ten participants is Hispanic (11%), which proves similar to
Asian/ Pacific Islander (12%); 7% identify as African American, with the
remainder identifying themselves as mixed race.
100

What is your ethnicity?

80
60
40
20
PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN
1,302 ANSWERED 0 SKIPPED

IT
WH

E/C

AU

A
ASI

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MILLENNIAL
CONSUMER TRENDS

EDUCATION, MARITAL AND EMPLOYMENT STATUS


Millennials are the most educated generation in history: 6 in 10 have
a 4-year bachelors degree, 1 in 10 has a masters or PhD and 1 in 4 is
currently enrolled as a full-time student at a university or college.

100

What is the highest degree or level


of school you have completed?

80

If currently enrolled, highest


degree received.

60
40
20

PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN
1,302 ANSWERED 0 SKIPPED

A
E
EE
EE
ING
EE
TED
REE
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OM
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TRA

It is no surprise that Millennials are postponing marriage, with 8 in 10


classifying themselves as single; 1 in 10 married Millennials is putting
off having children and an unprecedented 4% of Millennials are married
with children.

100

What is your marital status?

80
60
40
20
PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN
1,302 ANSWERED 0 SKIPPED

0
IDS

,
O K
HIP
P, N
ERS
I
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MILLENNIAL
CONSUMER TRENDS

This trend may correlate to Millennials being under-employed


and graduating with heavy student loan debts as they enter the
workforce. Fifty-percent of millennials have a full-time job, while
8% have part-time employment and 1 in 10 is self-employed or
working as a freelancer.
Of those surveyed, only 4% are unemployed and looking for work, which
suggests that the workforce is hiring Millennial talent. As previously
mentioned, 1 in 4 Millennials is currently a full-time student and 5%
classify themselves as other with responses ranging from Full-time
student with part-time work to Volunteering and Interning.

100

Employment Status:
Are you currently?

80
60
40
20

PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN
1,302 ANSWERED 0 SKIPPED

0
EE
LOY

FUL

IM
L-T

MP
MP
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F-E

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DE

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HE

IDENTITY, PRIORITIES, AND OUTLOOK


The Millennial generation proclaims itself to be a unique, creative and
purpose-driven generation. This is made evident by its record-breaking
volunteering hours, the amount of non-profits it has founded and the
number of socially-focused entrepreneurial companies this generation
has produced. It is evident that Millennials value identity, finance and
social issues that impact them directly.
Millennials comprise the first generation to believe it will not be able to
afford its own housing. At this moment, 6 in 10 Millennials say that they

MILLENNIAL
CONSUMER TRENDS

cannot afford housing, which sheds light on the economic stability of


this generation.

100

Approximately how expensive


of a house can you afford

80

(or have you bought)?

60
40
20
PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN
1,181 ANSWERED 121 SKIPPED

A
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AFF

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This, however, does not impede on the direction that they undertake for
their civic engagement. When asked if about their knowledge of current
events and civic issues, 9 in 10 Millennials said that they were somewhat
or very informed; we can attribute this level of cognizance
to the generations ability to be always connected.
When asked to name the most important civic issue, roughly a quarter
of Millennials said equal rights and equal pay (27%) was the most
important issue, followed by protection of the environment (19%)
and access to healthcare (14%).

100

Which issue is most


important to you?

80
60
40
20

PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN
812 ANSWERED 490 SKIPPED

0
E
ER
TY
NA
PAY
ION
AR
NG
UA
ION
VER
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MILLENNIAL
CONSUMER TRENDS

Millennials are passionate and purpose-driven; they like to contribute


their time, money and effort to causes that are bigger than themselves.
They expect this personal sentiment of giving back to society to be reflected
in corporations and businesses, with 1 in 2 Millennials stating that it is very
important and 2 in 5 in agreement that it is important/fairly important for
companies to give back to society.
PERSONAL FINANCE & STUDENT LOANS
Millennials may not necessarily be happy with the current economic
downturn as they are simultaneously forced to absorb the brunt of the
2008 financial crisis, a recession and massive student loan burdens
however, they remain cautiously hopeful about their financial futures.
The majority of Millennials surveyed (77%) agree that the bad economy
has impacted their ability to save and spend money, and believe that
they wont get social security at age 66 (62%). Despite the $30 billion
inheritance that Accenture predicts will transfer from Baby Boomers to
Millennials in the upcoming years, 57% said that the money wouldnt
change their spending habits.
Furthermore, 1 in 3 Millennials is already paying off student loans with his
current job and parental support (23%). More than half of Millennials believe
that they are already knowledgeable about managing their own finances and
only 8% believe they have no knowledge whatsoever.
1 in 2 is putting between 10-20% of his income into savings accounts,
but 1 in 4 Millennials is currently not saving any money. While 3 in 4
Millennials spend between 10-20% of their income on fun activities,
1 in 3 Millennials puts the same 10-20% toward healthcare cost.

The Greater Wealth Transfer : Capitalizing on Transgenerational Wealth Transfer by Accenture 2012 http://
www.accenture.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/Accenture-CM-AWAMS-Wealth-Transfer-Final-June2012Web-Version.pdf

MILLENNIAL
CONSUMER TRENDS

As the demand for home ownership declines and the demand for rent
increases, it comes as no surprise that an overwhelming 96% of Millennials
spend up to 50% of their income on rent. In order to keep rent cost down,
Millennials are willing to room with 2 or more people (77%).

100

Approximately how much


money would you (or do you)

80

spend on rent per month?

60
40
20
PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN
1,181 ANSWERED 121 SKIPPED

0
TS

0
00
00
500
00
500
00
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2,5
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MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA, TECHNOLOGY AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOR


Unlike prior generations, Millennials rely mostly on blogs; 1 in 3 selected
them as a top media source before making a purchase. Less than 3% of
Millennials rank TV news, magazines and books (traditional media sources)
as influencing their purchases and only 1 in 100 said that a compelling
advertisement would make him trust a brand more.
10

Rank the following media sources


by how often you review them

before making a purchase:

6
4
2
RANK BREAKDOWN
878 ANSWERED 424 SKIPPED

0
S
ES
S
GS
WS
ITE
SIT
NE
INE
BLO
AZ
TV
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W
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MILLENNIAL
CONSUMER TRENDS

Millennials (58%) expect brands to publish content online before they make
purchases and rank authenticity (43%) as more important than the content
itself when consuming news (32%).
Millennials dont trust traditional media and advertising and are looking for
the opinions of their friends (37%), parents (36%) and online experts (17%)
before making purchases.

100

What matters most to you


when consuming news?

80
60
40
20

PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN
965 ANSWERED 337 SKIPPED

H
UT

EN

T
ITY
CY
EXT
EN
TIC
NT
NT
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SPA
N
TRA

OT

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MILLENNIAL
CONSUMER TRENDS

TECH & SOCIAL MEDIA


In todays digitally-connected world, tech devices are becoming more
and more important to Millennials for media-consumption purposes;
87% of Millennials use between two and three tech devices at least once on
a daily basis; 2 in 5 are either very or completely likely to purchase a tablet
computer in the next five years, while 30% are gearing up to purchase some
form of wearable devices. This use of state-of-the-art technology makes
the Millennial generation the most connected generation thus far in history.

COMPLETELY

How likely are you to purchase the


following in the next five years:

VERY
MODERATELY
SLIGHTLY

PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN
1,195 ANSWERED 107 SKIPPED

NOT AT ALL

SM

AR

TPH

E
ON

AR

HO

USE

TA

T
BLE

A
EAR

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DE

ICE

Millennials utilize their devices to stay connected with friends, family


and colleagues through social media platforms. Facebook is the number
one network that influences their spending habits (42%), followed by
Instagram (21%), Pinterest (12%); with 6% each, LinkedIn and Twitter
are tied. With over 1.2 billion users, Facebook is by far the largest social
networks, and Millennials flock to it much more than competitors for
purchases and relationship management.

10

Rank the following social networks


by how much influence theyve

had on your spending habits over


the past year:

6
4
2

PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN
878 ANSWERED 424 SKIPPED

0
FAC

EB

K
OO

LIN

KE

DIN

ER
AM
EST
ITT
GR
TA
TER
TW
INS
PIN

RE

IT
DD
GO

OG

LE

LUS

YO

UT

BE
SN

APC

AT

MILLENNIAL
CONSUMER TRENDS

MOBILE PHONES
Phone ownership and access to digital media content on mobile apps are
important to Millennials; 97% of Millennials are more interested in buying
a smartphone than renting one. This supports the notion that Millennials
want ownership of their media, data and information that is stored on
their mobile devices.
Additionally, 64% have spent or would spend between $100 and $300
on a smartphone and 89% are either very or completely likely to purchase
a smartphone in the next five years. Brands and media companies should
be creating mobile app experiences to engage with the ever-rising mobile
Millennial consumer; 2 in 5 Millennials are either very or completely likely
to download a mobile app using their smartphones to access digital
media content.

100

Approximately how much money


would you (or did you) spend on

80

your smartphone?

60
40
20
PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN
1,181 ANSWERED 121 SKIPPED

0
0
0
500
500
$30
$20
$
T
D $
N $
ND
ND
NO
AN
A
N
A
A
H
A
H
0
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$10
$20
TER
$4
LES
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W
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BE
BE
BET
G
HIN

100

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Brand loyalty is important to Millennials and is earned based on product
quality, a good customer experience and support for society; 60% said that
they are often or always loyal to brands that they currently purchase; 48%
said that the quality of the product is the most important attribute they check
for before they decide what to purchase, which is more than twice that of
price (21%). When asked about what influences them to share information
about a brand online, 39% said a quality product and 30% said a good
customer experience.

MILLENNIAL
CONSUMER TRENDS

If a brand engages you on social


networks, such as answers one of
your questions on Facebook, are
you more likely to become a

62% YES
38% NO

loyal customer?

PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN
1,302 ANSWERED 0 SKIPPED

Millennials want brands to engage with them on social media and to be part
of their product development team; 62% of Millennials say that if a brand
engages with them on social networks, they are more likely to become a loyal
customer; 43% say that Facebook is the social network that most influences
their spending habits, followed by Instagram (22%) and Pinterest (12%).
Brands should start, if they have not already, reaching out to Millennial
consumers to assist them with development of future product or service;
42% of Millennials said they are interested in helping companies develop
future products and services.

100

How interested are you in helping


companies develop their next

80

products or services?

60
40
20
PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN
869 ANSWERED 433 SKIPPED

0
ED
ED
D
EST
E
EST
STE
ERE
TER
ERE
TER
TER
T
T
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GH
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STE

An interesting highlight, which is good news for the automotive industry,


was that 71% of Millennials would rather buy a car than lease one and 43%
are either very or completely likely to purchase a car in the next five years.

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