Next-Gen Insights: Millennials

TL;DR

Millennial consumers grew up bridging analog and digital life, making them highly adaptable and highly selective. They need real substance throughout the buying journey.

The generation that saw everything evolve at once.

Millennials have watched entire platforms and technologies rise and fall. AIM messages, landlines, MySpace, early Facebook, Vine, and the golden age of Tumblr. They saw all of the downfalls — and as a result, they are often wary of flimsy digital brands. This unique vantage point created something powerful: adaptability.

They learned media literacy the hard way, navigating a rapidly shifting internet while still being told by older generations that they were “doing it wrong.” Today, many Millennials curate their digital lives with intentional boundaries. Some have deleted Facebook. Some avoid advertising-heavy platforms. Many prefer Reddit, podcasts, YouTube, and reliable media personalities on platforms that control the noise.

Yet they still engage actively in “Gen Z arenas” like TikTok and Instagram. They’re selective, not absent. And they expect brands to respect this selectivity.

Research first. Purchase second. Trust always.

Millennials do not “just buy.” They investigate. They cross-compare. They read the reviews and then read the reviews about the reviews.

Sources like Wirecutter, Reddit, Consumer Reports, or CNET hold more weight than influencers. For big purchases, the desktop computer is still the home base. They want detail, credibility, and clarity before committing — and making a big purchase on mobile is nothing short of sacrilegious.

Millennials at Phire Group are quick to note that past economic volatility still informs their purchasing habits. They lived through recessions, student debt, housing challenges, and the cultural narrative that they “killed” various industries. This has inspired a scarcity mindset, pushing many of them to embrace ownership and intentional investments rather than disposable, trend-chasing products.

For your brand, this means delivering real substance. Give them information that offers transparent comparisons, verified testimonials, honest product stories, and user-friendly research paths. Show them you understand their cost-conscious, choice-heavy world.

Millennials reward brands that treat them like informed adults, not targets to be nudged. Because they have spent most of their lives cutting through the noise — and they only come back when you speak at their volume.

Explore more Next-Gen Insights. See our pieces on Gen Z and Gen X.