New Zealand companies and organizations got together in order to mentor select New Zealand youth so that they could excel at the Entrepreneurs in Action 2017 event. The goal was to help them get everything that they need as well as the inspiration to make their vision a reality through entrepreneurship.
A Collaboration of Sponsors
The event was held by Young Enterprise that is an organization helping to get enterprise programs and related financial literacy resources out to teachers throughout the country so that they can best help the students that they serve to reach higher. Massey University and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) were the primary sponsors, and some excellent teams were fielded. For example, the Youi NZ young entrepreneurs were mentored by the insurance company. Each team consisted of a total of eight high school students elected specifically to take part in the business competition.
What Was in The Challenge
Entrepreneur in Action 2017 is now an annual event, and one of the main draws was the inaugural Massey Innovator's Challenge that put 8 teams, with 8 members each, up against each other on the issue of food waste and how to cut down on it. There was also the Trade and Enterprise challenge with similar objectives.
Some of the high school students collaborated on a new way to get fresh New Zealand spring water to the masses in an inventive 'push-to-disperse' bottle so that the contained capsule of natural and organic fruit juice concentrate could be released through the mechanism. Another inspiring product was called the Inkdicator Smart Strip that was so named because it changed color based on the amount of released nitrogen that happens to increase during a natural process when packaged dry goods start to dry out. The strip helps to alert consumers when products that they have in storage are likely not good to eat anymore.
Awards - Everyone A Winner
In the end, everyone on the teams was a winner because all of them received matching $1,000 scholarships to Massey University with the winning team in the Innovator's Challenge each receiving an extra $2,000 as well. They are all definitely going to be able to put their inquisitive minds and passionate work ethic to full effect at one of the three main campuses throughout the country. Massey University has a number of different colleges and degree programs that touch just about every industry, and it is one of the closest things to a national university that the country has so the prizes are surely appreciated.
Millennial Appeal
These young minds showed that they really have the fresh outlook and ability to connect that millennial appeal to a startup and new product. In the same way, you can follow various steps to help make sure that your brand and product is attracting as many in that segment of society as possible. Here are some guidelines to millennial appeal:
1. Have a Strong Online Presence and Focus
Everything is happening online nowadays, and this is even more so with smartphones that allow it all to be done on the go. The attention span is very short, and an impression has to be made almost immediately to avoid losing potential customers to the others in a market. Therefore, a millennial appeal requires a large amount of online marketing rather than the traditional routes. Do not be afraid to pay a little extra in order to get a brand into the mind of this younger crowd.
2. Mobile Browsing is Ubiquitous
The mobile segment of site visitors has been continuing to explode, and now the statistics are supporting the fact that the majority of people are using a smartphone or some other device such as a tablet to access their information. It can practically be assumed that every visitor is on such a device, and the site code and such needs to be targeted to that demographic. This may require a renovation if the web application is older.
3. Content Marketing and Brand Story
The millennials do not want to be fed the traditional advertising schemes. A simple jingle or logo will not be enough in many cases as they want to hear a story about the company. Some good examples are stories about the rise of a company or the innovation within a product that helps to make a difference, but these are not the only ones, and innovation and creativity should be used to attract them.
4. Facebook Pays
There are a number of different advertising options that can be done on the Facebook platform so that these people are reached during the time that they spend there, and that is nearing an hour per day for each person. Here are some other great Facebook statistics for New Zealand entrepreneurs. It is now, and has been for some time, the hottest leisure activity among that segment of society. You should test some campaigns and go with one that works.
5. Edgy is Attractive
There must be an edge to a product that helps to set you apart from the gobs of competition that seemingly grows more and more every day. Your product has to have something that makes it obvious on a first impression that it is different from the rest, and then much of the marketing will handle itself.
The organization is continuing to help to inspire, and the future holds great things for all involved. By following the above tips and taking a special millennial direction as part of an advertising campaign it is possible to set your brand apart from its nearest neighbors, and that segment of the population is one that can bring dividends well into the future due to its younger makeup. The millenials have a myriad of favorite brands, with most of them being chosen because of their ability to do something for the 17 to 37-year-olds. So, do not let your product get overlooked.
