The One Industry Not Courting Millennials

The One Industry Not Courting Millennials
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It's lobbying. Stay with me here.

Let's quickly look at Millennials. There are about 80 million of them and they are the largest, most diverse, and most educated American generation ever. But at the end of the day it's their $600B of annual spending power that the world is after. It also doesn't hurt that 50% of Millennials are extremely loyal to brands they know and love. If you get a 25 year old customer and keep her happy, she'll be a customer for a long time. At every consumer product marketing meeting in the US, there is a 65 year old asking about Millennials. Some get it hilariously wrong.

Last year more than $3B was spent on lobbying. That's no chump change. The lobbying industry has just about every client under the sun, from oil and gas companies to issue focused non-profits, everyone lobbies. Everyone lobbies because lobbying is an investment that sees one hell of a return. So if everyone has lobbyists, why not Millennials?

Historically there have been many reasons, from logistical hurdles to finding common ground, but in the last 10 years these former barriers have completely evaporated. The only reason that Millennials don't have lobbyists is because of access. Lobbyists don't market themselves to the public and you don't see commercials for lobbyists. You have to seek them out. And yes, I know, most people hate lobbying because they think it's a form of corruption. But lobbying just means talking to elected officials, and it can be done right if it is done honestly, transparently, and for the people. Lobbying is one of the most powerful tools we have to create the future we want and deserve, and Association of Young Americans intends to sell a better product at better prices.

Association of Young Americans is in the business of lobbying for Millennials. Like all new disruptive startups, we're building a better product for a fraction of the price. Old lobbying is boring meetings in a stuffy room. New lobbying gives Millennials tools to directly engage with lobbyists and elected officials. Imagine if a lobbyist live streamed her conversation with a congresswoman, and all her constituents could interact with them both in real time.

It's easy to think of us as a grassroots movement--getting young people excited about reclaiming their future. And make no mistake, that is what we are doing, but at the end of the day we are selling something. We are selling a really cheap investment opportunity that has a potentially priceless return. Like any product or service, whether it be a pair of jeans or music streaming, you only reap the benefits if you buy it. You don't get to wear the jeans home just because you think they're awesome. And like everyone else selling something, the service provider only succeeds if lots of people buy it.

The Association of Young Americans is selling a vision, and it only works if young people choose to invest in their future, and get their friends to do the same. Lobbying is the product you never knew you needed. At $20 a year, I think it's a steal.

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