If you're a PR pro concentrating on social media, you're probably focused on how to communicate with millennials. But have you dedicated any time to studying how not to communicate with millennials?
For a crash course in the subject, take the time to visit /r/FellowKids, a "subreddit" of gigantic content-aggregation site Reddit. It's a site dedicated to mocking examples of "advertisements and media that totally appeal to the radical youth of today. Cowabunga!"
Hopefully you perceived the sarcasm there. The nearly 130,000 subscribed users take delight in savaging brands over their awkward use of slang, dated trends and general misunderstanding of what young people relate to. One of the top posts is a tweet by Hillary Clinton: "How does your student loan debt make you feel? Tell us in 3 emojis or less." Another is a headline: "Meet Miles, BP's chatty interactive gas pump aimed at millennials." A selection of user comments on the latter:
"If this damn machine ever says 'lit' or 'fam' or asks me to dab or does any other annoying trend, I'm going to use the gasoline I bought from it and set both of us on fire."
"They could've used this innovative technology for motion-sensing gas pumps that have internet and radio connectivity in ways that could improve the world. But nope, they had to waste it on being 'hip and cool.'"
"Ah, yes, the reason millennials aren't buying gas in general and BP gas in particular is that the pumps aren't friendly enough. Not because we have lower rates of car ownership or BP caused one of the greatest ecological disasters ever."
Ouch. There's hours of reading material here for PR practitioners in danger of trying too hard and looking out of touch when the landing doesn't stick. But some of the posts offer a ray of hope. For example, this week a promoted tweet by snack-food brand Totino's made the front page:
Pretty bad at first glance, but it's actually a satirical take on artificial hipness, and the commenters jumped to the brand's defense:
Totino's' reputation for goofiness on social media precedes it, and clearly the brand has earned itself some advocates. Other posts scattered throughout the subreddit praise brands for their self-awareness. Study up, communicators: Your audience can smell inauthenticity, and won't hesitate to call it out.
Follow Ian on Twitter: @ianwright0101