America’s Wealthiest Millennials Forge a Unique Identity
The largest generation since Baby Boomers, Millennials have long been the Holy Grail for marketers. Regardless of category, companies are trying to understand the Millennial psyche, to meet the changing needs of the most important group of consumers today. So it’s worth remembering that Millennials in the U.S. are not a homogeneous group. Asian American Millennials, for one, display striking differences versus their non-Asian peers, especially when it comes to their choice of entertainment.
Most Mobile Millennials
Asian American Millennials are the fastest growing and most affluent Millennial subgroup in the U.S. They have the highest ownership of laptops, tablets and desktop computers and are the most likely to subscribe to streaming services such as Netflix. They are also the only Millennial group to prefer Apple over Android mobile platforms.*
Focus on Culturally-Relevant Entertainment
But one of the most unique characteristics of Asian American Millennials is that culture plays a much greater part in their choice of entertainment. Whether it’s movies or TV programs, both U.S. and foreign-born Asian American Millennials enjoy entertainment programs with strong cultural ties. In fact, more than any other group surveyed, Asian American Millennials say they are more interested in a new TV program if it has actors with the same ethnic background as themselves.
It’s no surprise, then, that this cultural attachment has driven an explosion of Asian YouTube content creators with celebrity status among Asian American Millennials. YouTube channels like Niga Higa, Just Kidding Films, and Wong Fu Productions to name a few, have garnered millions of subscribers by producing original content that speaks not only to overall Millennial sensibilities, but also resonates specifically to Asian Americans.
Go Beyond the Usual Apps
And it’s not just YouTube that helps Asian American Millennials quench their thirst for culturally relevant entertainment. Asian American Millennials are active on apps and platforms that are not commonly used by their non-Asian counterparts. Many use entertainment and social media apps that originate from their countries of origin. For example, aside from Netflix, services that stream in-country entertainment like DramaFever, Iqiyi and Viki fill the Asian American Millennial cravings for Chinese, Korean and Japanese entertainment while keeping them connected to their Asian roots.
Messaging preferences also go beyond FB messenger and Whatsapp. On an Asian American Millennial’s smart phone, you may find apps like KakaoTalk , WeChat and Line. For Asian American Millennials, entertainment and social media converge on a diverse range of platforms. These platforms provide savvy marketers with great opportunities for creative marketing initiatives with unique, relevant, and compelling messages, to win over the most affluent segment of a key consumer group.
Authenticity Rules
Asian American Millennials are looking for authenticity and relevance to their lives in the media they consume. They gravitate toward shows that have portrayals of Asians that are real to them, and access streaming and messaging services that provide in-country content. To reach the Asian American Millennial, APartnership partners with organizations to ensure they are optimizing their marketing efforts by taking into account this cohort’s unique media preferences.