A Millennial Mamma’s Perspective on Innovation

A MILLENNIAL MAMA’S PERSPECTIVE ON INNOVATION

Millennials. We’ve heard so much about them over the years – and now over half of them are parents. Millennials, also known as Generation Y are the parents to Generation Alpha (birth years early 2010s to mid 2020s).

I am Katie, born right in the middle of the Millennial Generation. I live in suburbia in Southern California and have two children, a one-yearold and a three-year-old. I’ve worked for Marketing by Design for 9 years, working on packaging design projects in sales, marketing, and creative account management. Following design trends for many years, as a parent I now have a new perspective on innovation for products across all categories. Order Pickup, with Target leading the charge. With no order minimum, an easy-to-use app, and highly accurate fulfillment, this free service is saving parents lots of time, not to mention less buckling & unbuckling of car seats. For food, we are looking for products that are can be easily packed into a Bento Box for lunch at the park, or packed into the diaper bag for healthy snacks on the go.

As Millennials, we are digital natives to our core. Social media heavily impacts our buying decisions. We decide where to shop and what to purchase based what we see on our feeds, or what Instagram accounts are tagged in a cute photo of a friends’ baby. We unfortunately are also known as Generation “Me”. We are filled with confidence and tolerance, but as the selfie generation, we can also be self-centered and entitled. Many of us faced the challenge of starting jobs during the recession, and/or being at the peak of our careers as COVID-19 hit. Even though these things curbed our optimism, our passion for change remains strong. We are filled with a desire to see change in both society and business. We care about sustainability, ethical practices and equality.

With all of this in mind, it seems there are five key purchasing values for millennials:

EFFICIENCY:

As digital natives, we are leading the pack with online purchases. Almost half of us shop on Amazon at least 1x/week (Source: Advanis Insights). My family has packages delivered just about daily. We value options like

ETHICS:

Millennials believe in the power of an individual to affect change. We believe when we make a purchase that is serving a greater cause, it matters. We embrace personal responsibility, and we like to see companies that will partner with us in this way. We want to know that the packaging is recyclable (or that it’s not). Across all categories, we are aiming to purchase products that are organic, sustainable, and ethically produced.

KATIE LOCKE

Sales & Marketing

MBD

DESIGN:

Whatever we buy might wind up in a picture on social media. We care deeply about the design of a product. We are all “photographers”, so we have no tolerance for mediocre imagery on packaging. Most of us will purchase a product simply for the packaging design. We might purchase Honest Diapers simply because the print sparks joy or looks cute in pictures on our stories. We want the actual packaging to be designed in a way that is efficient, like baby food in a BPA free pouch with a twist off lid for on-the-go and easy storage.

VALUE:

Nearly all millennials use coupons… digital coupons and promo codes, that is. We care about value. 60% of us prefer to purchase retail brands over national brands (Source: MillennialMarketing). With the impact of the recession and COVID-19 on our spending patterns, we are seeking products at a reasonable price. What hits the bullseye? When a retail brand offers a product that is organic, ethical, a fair price, and nicely designed. It’s an easy choice.

HEALTH:

We care about what we put in our bodies, on our bodies, on our babies, and in our homes. We go on Pinterest or blogs to find healthy (and often plant-based) recipes, and then we make our grocery lists accordingly. We care about providing a healthy, balanced diet for our children. We’re always looking for new healthy snacks to take to the park beyond the classics: an applesauce pouch, a granola bar, and crackers. Anything with an added better-for-you component is a win.

While trends are often changing, values can remain the same throughout a generation. As we consider how to innovate new products for millennial parents, it’s important to keep these over-arching principles in mind. And when there is a perfect blend of these values – especially produced by a retailer – it’s an easy yes.

Katie Locke Sales & Marketing, MBD

If you’ve ever met Katie, you’ve seen or heard her excitement for building or rebuilding brands. Her passions also include just about every facet of food and eating experiences. For the past 9 years, Katie has worked in Sales & Marketing for Marketing by Design (MBD), a branding and packaging design agency specializing in high volume retailer programs. At MBD, Katie gets to blend her passions by talking to thousands of National and Private brand leaders, mostly in the food industry, about expanding & enhancing their presence in market and on shelf. MBD’s track record for creating intuitive design systems for store-wide branding and rolling out more than 10,000 SKUs each year gives Katie ample reasons to boast about what they offer.