The Millennial-Marketer’s Bug
Every few years a new cohort becomes the growth engine, and each time the reflex in corner offices is identical: “Let’s sound young.” Slang appears, emojis pile up, hashtags multiply—and the message drifts past the very audience it hoped to impress.
The bug isn’t generational; it’s managerial. Decisions for the youngest users are made by the oldest voices, and those voices too often default to mimicry instead of first-principles thinking. The result is surface-level showmanship that fades as quickly as the meme cycle that inspired it.
A more durable path starts with solving rather than cosplaying. Teen wallets tend to open for brands that remove friction or add genuine joy, not for brands that shout “lit” the loudest.
Distinctiveness matters more than simply being “different.” Buyers remember strong memory cues - mascots, colors, rituals - long after micro-features blur together.
And clarity will always outperform cool. Nike’s “Just Do It” endures because it speaks in verbs, not vibes; it makes immediate sense to a 50-year-old and a 15-year-old alike. A brand that understands its user’s tension and repeats a sharp, ownable cue will outlive every meme cycle.