Whole Foods Success! Millennial Likes 365.
Millennials. 20-somethings. Or, to us old-timers, young people. They’re the only group who matters to corporations. Maybe I’m bitter because I’m a Gen Xer. In case you forgot, we were the forgotten generation between two behemoths – the Baby Boomers and the Millennials. Or maybe it’s that I’m a middle-aged woman who fears “age before beauty” is a passe concept young Millennials reading this will have to Google.
Regardless, because of the corporate desire to sell to the young, companies spend over $40 billion globally for market research each year, 90% of which is focused on Millennials (my guess). The $40 billion question is, is it worth it?
Whole Foods 365 {Photo: LA Times}
Based on self-described middle-class white millennial Devon Maloney’s thoughts about Whole Foods 365, the answer is YES.
I write from a market researcher’s perspective. Prior to dishing about DeathbedFood, I spent two decades talking to companies like Whole Foods, helping them to segment the market to identify their target customer, her occupation, workout, preference for SUVs and penchant for eating gluten-free.
Looks like Whole Foods did a bunch of research to create 365 for Millenials. Looks like it was worth it.
It’s tough to effectively target sardonic Millennials. Listen to Devon …
I wandered — seemingly aimlessly, but more likely along a path informed by mountains of meticulous socio-psychological research, to ensure I lived up to my buying potential.
This urban, middle-class shopper cruised the polished aisles to the dulcet tones of the Smiths, Beck, and other irritatingly focus-grouped music.
Yet despite her cynicism, Devon is literally buying into the Whole Foods 365 concept as a result of those studies.
If Whole Foods’ goal was to remind moderately affluent young people that they are, indeed, just as easily quantified and manipulated as everyone else, then ugh, fine, I’ll admit it: I’m a hypocritical millennial cliché, and 365 is kind of…nice.
Basically Devon doesn’t care that she’s been manipulated by a bunch of researchers discussing her demographic. If I were selling market research studies right now, I’d be headed to Austin on the red-eye to talk to the Suits tomorrow about their next big concept. $$$
