An overview on the 8 week series
How can brands stay or become relevant to people, employees and consumers, in the new era, after the pandemic?
A new mindset is needed, where ethics and an attention to the mental well-being are paramount for attracting people to efficiently work for a company and for creating loyalty amongst consumers.
A global project on how Millennials interpret ethics and well-being, has been conducted from April to June 2021, involving people aged 25-40 to take part in a qualitative project consisting of the self-completion of a qualitative digital diary and in-depth online interviews with some of the most inspiring participants.
Through the research, with participants from around the world, from US to China, we collected so many interesting insights useful for brands in order to take care of the wellbeing of people, namely internal employees as well as current and potential consumers.
The project has been sponsored by Almar Quality Research, an independent Qualitative Market Research Institute based in Milan and it was conducted by myself, Giulia Fabrizi, CEO of the agency and by my intern, Alena Silchenko, student of Idea and Innovation Management from Brussels Erasmus University. We also had a precious help from CINT – thanks to Ermete Longari and Estela Michado Coppola – in the recruitment and in the connection with the selected respondents all over the world.
The reason we selected this target group is the fact that the generation of Millennials is the one, who is currently dominating the workspace. And, they will be the main group leading it in the near future as well.
This suggests that they already could start changing the workspaces to their preferences and needs, without waiting for lagging companies to overtake.
In the research, Millennial mindsets were examined from two lenses: as Employees and as Consumers
We have confirmed, and sometimes discovered, some facts related to this young generation, such as:
- The ‘unisex’ and transcultural approach to life: both women and men, in the different countries, have the same attitudes and behaviors towards the pursuit of wellness for themselves as individuals, for the society and for the planet.
- For their own wellbeing they need to:
- Live a full life, make an impact and leave a mark after themselves
- Always learn something new from anything and anywhere
- Feel aligned with coherent behaviors of others (and brands) who share the same values, selecting people with whom spending time in their life, brands to work with and also good source of information
- Feel passionate and love what they do, choosing their work and not accepting it passively
- Dedicate time for themselves to discover their identity and find an inner balance through a variety of specific activities
- Take time for religion, especially in some countries such as India and Africa
- Meditate and practice relaxing activities to charge or recharge themselves and feel grateful for whatever they have, learning to be kind with others, to keep a positive mindset which brings more happiness and energy
- For the society wellbeing they commit to:
- Be active in volunteering activities to help and care for people in need
- Pay attention to the health and wellbeing of workers and consumers giving a voice to them
- Promote the inclusion, the equality and the diversity: they desire a society respectful of these values and want to bring good practices
- For the planet wellbeing they look for:
- Special attention for the protection of nature and the environment, being aware that they will be the future generations to live on the earth
- Bringing an impact to change the world for the better
- Ecology, meaning reducing the environmental impact
- Circular and share economy as smart ways to avoid waste and bring things a new life
- For their own wellbeing they need to:
We have learnt what brands should know in order to be respected and appreciated and so the main aim of the 8 week series is to:
- invite brands to focus or re-focus on their values, mission and vision in order to stay or become relevant to the market, by addressing products, services, experiences, initiatives and events consistent with their inner purpose
- inspire brands to find ways to care for the internal community and stakeholders to create a common ethical roadmap in the workplace, promoting the mental wellbeing of the employees
- foster brands to engage consumers to get closer to them, sharing same values through products/services and also initiatives or events.
Based on our understanding of the needs and anxieties of Millennials in these times, we have developed the following 7 steps a brand should follow in order to become inspirational, a role model and an ethical example for people:
- Analyze the brand DNA in depth: it is fundamental to start from the history and highlight the authentic values guiding the company’s vision and mission
- Verify that any aspect is consistent with this company DNA, beginning with the structure and organization of the company location
- Pay more attention to the working environment and atmosphere
- Consider the relevance of the workplace and how internal community and stakeholders are supported and treated
- Take care of the sustainable way products and services are produced and delivered, considering the wellbeing of people
- Emphasize the concrete and ethical actions taken by brands to respect of individuals, society and the planet
- Last but not least, focus on the communication and the way it can be of inspiration reflecting the company’s values
It is all a question of authenticity, consistency and care!
Each week we will discuss each step.
See you next week to deepen the theme related to the first step to become ethical and attentive to the well-being of people: the DNA of the brand.
For any further information or for sharing ideas and opinions, we would be pleased to hear you: info@almarqr.com
