In the United States, Millennials are rapidly adopting new and constantly evolving technologies that allow them to access content in new ways. This presents exciting new opportunities, but also considerable challenges for marketers, as Millennials become ever-savvier online citizens with increasingly short attention spans. As marketers struggle to meaningfully connect with this illusive audience, traditional advertising methods are being ignored, click through rates are dropping and overall return on investment is trending downward.

The solution lies where Millennials are spending their time. They are flocking to social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) where they are creating highly engaged, global communities that are consuming and sharing an ever-growing breadth of content. Brands that once struggled to reach their target audience online find that, by developing Branded Content that integrates with social media, they can engage with these communities in an honest, authentic and personalized way. This new “opt-in” content form puts the user in the driver’s seat and integrates the brand in a more nuanced, authentic and impactful way. The result is content that is entertaining, informative and highly personalized.

The Music Experiment program leveraged multiple platforms (on-air, digital, social, experiential, PR) to reach and engage with Millennial consumers. Custom on-air and digital advertising and promotions on MTV channels drove users to the custom built digital hub, MusicExperiment.com, which was continually refreshed with exclusive content. The program’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest channels provided on-going engagement and content updates. PR and grassroots activity further drove buzz and stoked excitement around the project. At each event an on-site Ultrabook installation allowed attendees to instantly print photos, share them on Instagram and project them onto the walls of the venue.

The Intel integration, throughout all facets of the Music Experiment, helped create an immersive environment where engaged fans could learn about, and interact with, new Intel Ultrabooks. The heightened level of interactivity throughout the program had fans praising both Intel and MTV Iggy for their originality, authenticity and fan inclusion.

The experiment paid off. As a result of the campaign, fans were 135% more likely to have seen advertising for the Intel Inspired Ultrabook than the average laptop/notebook. They were 80% more likely to be interested in Intel’s overall brand and 175% more likely to consider purchasing an Intel Inspired Ultrabook. Overall, Millenials generated 180m impressions, nearly 74m of which were digital.