Millennials are probably not the sort of consumers you would have wished for, trendspotter Marian Salzman, ceo, Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, said during her opening keynote at VMSD’s inaugural IRDC Roadshow, June 7, in Cincinnati. “But they’ve arrived. So what will you do to reach them?”
Salzman was referring to millennials’ finicky reputations, their sense of immediacy and the desire to have social shopping be a natural part of their buying experiences, among other characteristics used to define this generation. However, she says, “they’re highly sophisticated brand managers. They want good prices but also a good retail experience.”
To help retailers and designers better understand this generation, VMSD launched IRDC Roadshow, based on our popular three-day annual International Retail Design Conference. The first event brought a panel of experts on the subject of millennials to share research on specific aspects of this generation, to discuss what drives their shopping habits and how to start building a relationship with them.
The day’s highlights included speakers from Macy’s and Starbucks as well as design firms WD Partners, Little and Big Red Rooster. And before the day was over, we brought a panel of millennial design students from the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) on stage for a candid discussion on all that had been said about them throughout the day. “I might have two bucks in my bank account but life is still good,” said one. “As a millennial, I align myself with brands that represent who I am and who I’d like to be,” added another.
Thank you to our event sponsors: KDM P.O.P Solutions Group (Cincinnati), Lozier (Omaha, Neb.), Pratt Visual Solutions (Indianapolis) and StoreFloors (Atlanta).
Enjoy this slideshow from the day’s events and look for more coverage in VMSD’s August issue.
Photography: Robin Donovan and Anne DiNardo