Our client, the San Antonio Book Festival, was interested in improving its online communication strategy among Millennials. They would like to use their website (http://www.saplf.org/festival) and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram) to engage a larger share from this segment. The main goal was to offer Millennials an appealing message that would be consistent throughout all platforms (webpage + social media) and formats used (text, video, audio, pictures, etc.) Our task was to propose an action plan to achieve this objective. Our plan was to contain explicit advice regarding the various ways they could use their online resources to attract and engage more Millennials. We were able to provide useful advice and recommendations, by conducting two types of analysis: 1) Audience Analysis: What are Millennial’s online habits? What type of content engages them the most? Are all Millennial’s the same? If not, how many different groups of Millennial’s exist? Are there any identifiable trends when marketing online to them? Can you characterize the different groups’ online habits and behaviors? 2) Peer Analysis: We examined thoroughly what other book festivals similar to SA’s are doing as part of the online and social media marketing strategies to engage Millennials.

1.
San Antonio Book Festival Case Study
Trinity University
Lauren Jaramillo, Victoria Mosqueda, J. Ademar Perez
Millennials: Who are they?
According to the Pew Research Center, a “Millennial” is someone born after 1980 and
before 1997 (roughly 18- to 33-year-olds). This generation is known for being highly connected
online (75% of them, according to the Pew study), less religious than their elders, and are on
track to become the most educated generation in American history. They are also the most
racially diverse generation yet.1
Millennial Quick Reference :2
Millennials may be reading
more than older adults, and
are ​as likely​to use libraries as
their elders, but they assign
less value​to them.
Least overtly​religious
American generation in
modern times, but not
belonging ​does not mean​not
believing: Millennials pray as
much as their elders did in
their own youth.
More than half (54%) ​have
some​sort of college education,
and they are ​more likely​to
complete high school when
compared to other generations
at the same age.
Distrustful​of people. Some
academic researchers suggest
this is a result of ​changing
values​over the last two
decades.
Optimistic​about the future,
but generally not happy with
current economic
circumstances. 88% believe
that they will be able to earn
enough money ​in the future​.
About 75% have ​never been
married​. However, when asked
to rank in order of importance,
“being a good parent” and
“having a successful marriage”
were the ​top two results​.
1
“​Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change, Executive Summary,​”
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2010/02/24/millennials-confident-connected-open-to-change/
2
​Information courtesy of the Pew Research Center’s series on Millennials: http://www.pewresearch.org/topics/millennials/

2. However, they’re not all the same.
Boston Consulting Group ​segments millennials into six distinct groups. They include:3
29%
Hip-ennials
Heavy social media user​, but
does not contribute content.
Female dominated​and below
average employment Primarily
students. ​Globally aware​,
cautious consumer and is
hungry for knowledge.
22%
Millennial Mom
Older​and has the ​highest
income​of millennials. ​Hungry
for knowledge​and very ​social​.
Family oriented, confident, ​tech
savvy​with a high online
intensity.
16%
Anti-Millennials
Not interested in buying
eco-friendly products or
services and is ​very
conservative​. Prefers comfort
zone over change. Slightly
more female and from the
Western part of The U.S.
10%
Old School Millennial
Not connected online, ​cautious
consumer​and ​charitable​.
Spends ​a lot of time​​reading​,
and spends very little time
online. Older, confident,
independent, and
self-directed.
10%
Clean and Green Millennial
Impressionable​, healthy, green,
positive and ​cause-driven​.
Greatest contributor​of
content, usually cause-related.
Male dominated​, youngest and
a full-time student.
13%
Gadget Guru
Successful, wired, ​confident
and free-spirited.
Male dominated​, above
average income and single.
Greatest​​device ownership
and offers most content.
Content: What are they attracted to?
In a study conducted by IDG Group , tech industry Millennials were asked what type of4
content they engage with, and what attributes attract them to a website. Their findings can be
applied to any entity utilizing any online medium. Among participants, the study found that:
Desired content:
● 75% of Millennials​​wanted news
● 59% of Millennials wanted​​information
about travel
● 62% were interested in ​food
Attractive attributes:
● 59% of Millennials said their favorite
websites use​​amazing graphics
● 57% of Millennials said their favorite
websites have​​brief, well-written
content
● 58% of Millennials said best websites
have ​engaged communities of fans
● 76% of Millennials said their favorite
websites have​​content that is easy to
understand
3
“The Millennial Consumer,”
https://www.bcgperspectives.com/content/articles/consumer_insight_marketing_millennial_consumer/#chapter1
4
“Here’s What Drives Millennials to Their Favourite Websites,”
https://www.postplanner.com/how­to­reach­the­millennial­generation­with­social­media/

3. Peer Review: What can be learned from others?
Here are some tactics other book fairs are using to target Millennials:
Texas Book Festival
● Website: has its ​own domain name​; easier to discern SEO statistics
● Entertainment: ​live bands​and ​other forms​of entertainment
Tucson Festival of Books
● Social Media: there is a ​live twitter feed​on the homepage, visitors tweet about
the TFOB using identifiers like @TFOB and #TFOB
● Education: authors are ​available for school visits​around Arizona; engaging with
students who might want to learn more about the TFOB
Los Angeles Times​Festival of Books
● Theme/Tagline​: “Music. Food. Culture. Art. Fun.” Simple, effective, and
attention-grabbing
● Shopping​: vendors, booksellers, and non-profit organizations provide
opportunities for purchases
● Festival After Dark: ​night time component
Printer’s Row Lit Fest
● Audience: ​large variety​of genres and authors; attract a wide range of consumers
● Tribbooks App: consumers can download ​two free e-books​each week; allows
access​​to Printer’s Row book reviews
Brooklyn Book Festival
● Children’s Day: ​a specific day​before the festival dedicated to children with
events, authors of children’s books, and vendors who ​accommodate children
● Location: ​no restrictions​; ​move from place-to-place​throughout the week to
clubs, parks, libraries, bookstores and many other venues in New York City
Miami Book Fair
● Target Audience: multiple target markets; ​breadth​of genres, ​depth​in ages.
● Live Stream​: three possible ways to do so
These events all employ different, but similar tactics to engage ​all​audiences: ​strong
online components​to their events, whether a separate website or well-visited social media
portals; ​strong location content​that appeals to a variety of potential attendees and transfers
well to online portals; and ​something unique​, like free e-books, live streaming, and more. We
believe it is a combination of these tactics that generates a desire to attend.
San Antonio is no stranger to festivals: cultural, seasonal, and regional. However, many
of these festivals have an inherent theme. Whether that be tamales, beer, halloween, or
anything else, a successful festival is almost undeniably recognizable and memorable because
of its ​theme​.

4. Steps to Take: Adopting a New Approach to Interaction
Consider this question from the point of view of a potential attendee:
“What can I gain from engaging with you online and/or attending your event?”
Think of this question without the intention of marketing to Millennials first; many
generations are interacting with the San Antonio Book Festival online. What will be done with
these relationships (however they may be measured: likes, follows, retweets, etc.) once they
are made? What will be done to maintain these connections, and why? A hallmark of a good
social media strategy is ​purpose​. Within purpose is where segmenting and targeting for
Millennials will take root and bear fruit.
A Closer Look: Social Media Analysis
Facebook
(1,876 likes)
Twitter
(745 followers)
Instagram
(216 followers)
Pros
● Largest​audience
● Focus seems to be on
authors, upcoming books,
and ​author-related
events; children and the
older audience
● Videos feature activities,
have upbeat music, and
are ​relatively short
Pros
● Visuals: ​consistent colour
scheme​across all
platforms; hashtags and
highlighted content in
pink ​pop
● Engagement in the form
of ​retweeting​authors
and local library events
Pros
● Great ​quality​images
● Links: to the festival's
homepage in biography
and in each individual
post
Cons
● Content on wall is a
mixture​between
eye-catching and
uninspiring​, which is a
hindrance to successful
engagement
Cons
● Content: ​weak​; posting
only 3 times a month;
seems ​inconsistent​in
terms of authors
featured, links, etc.
● Lacks concise, easily
discernible message
Cons
● Sparse​, inconsistent
posting
● Author-focused
● Wordy​captions
YouTube (2 Subscribers)
We omitted YouTube in this analysis because it can serve as an aggregate for all
audiences and be a source of post- or share-worthy content as opposed to a
platform benefitting from a tailored strategy.

5. Keep it Simple: Suggestions for Social Media
The focus is on Millennials, yes, but we believe that all audiences will benefit from:
High-Quality Images
Remove pixelated images, and
only accept crisp, clear, and
vibrant high-quality images;
they​imply high-quality​.
Concise Copy
Remove cluttered hashtags,
clunky quotes, or content that
doesn’t add to the mission and
purpose of the San Antonio
Book Festival. ​Strive for
simplicity.
Video Content
High-quality and ​very short
(maximum of 30 seconds); data
is expensive. Strive for
intriguing, emotional, and
different​. Utilize ​YouTube​as a5
foundation for such content.
Relevant Information
​Question every idea​for a
potential post. Does this
link/photo/etc. truly fit with
the mission and purpose of the
San Antonio Book Festival?
Emphasized Themes
Within the main theme of a
book festival, emphasize ​a
smaller theme​, or ​many​: such
as food, social issues, green
living, and more.
Beautiful, Consistent Content
Don’t be afraid of bold colours,
rich textures, and loud fonts.
They’re ​eye-catching​. Post
frequently and thoughtfully. Be
consistent, both with timing
and message.
The Trouble With Hashtags
They’re a popular, go-to marketing mechanism. If done well, they could prove to be
worthwhile. The magic is in choosing something simple, relevant, and, most importantly,
providing a reason for someone to use it​.​Every inch of the festival should prove to be a
photo-worthy moment if promoting a hashtag is of interest because it’s unpredictable to
know exactly where attendees, not just Millennials, will take photos promoting their
presence at the Book Festival.
We’ve refrained from being precise in our recommendations (stating to post 3 times a
week on Instagram, for example) because we feel that our suggestions form a model that can
be applied to any platform used by the San Antonio Book Festival. Furthermore, metrics such as
frequency should not be determined by us, but by purpose, message, and intentions. Consider
creating a short questionnaire or survey for attendees to fill out to ask them exactly how they
want to be engaged. With the amount of information that is available online, the constant
bombardment of advertisements, and intense competition in forming relationships with
users/attendees, it would be wise to contemplate where the social media platforms of the San
Antonio Book Festival would fit best.
5
Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm0gnSPF72E

6. Staying Ahead of the Curve: Our Tips for Maintaining Your Edge
In this final section, we reference ways to maintain prior suggestions but also long-term ideas
for the festival as a whole.
In terms of Festival content:
● Expand​the list of genres to appeal to Millennials: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Action &
Adventure, Travel, Food, and controversial authors and their books just to name a few
○ Popular authors and series​to use as references: John Green, the ​Divergent​Series,
the ​Hunger Games​, and YouTube authors
○ Potential author to reach out to: L.C. Hamilton, author/playwright of ​Fatal Heir
● Focus on making the Festival an ​event that attendees plan for in advance​. Work towards
integrating more of San Antonio and its ​cultural hubs​near the event space into the Festival
● When marketing the Festival, be ​sarcastic and have fun​with what’s going on. For example,
a Buzzfeed article was recently posted about Trinity University6
● Consult ​out-of-the-box references​on what topics are trending for Millennials7
In terms of the website:
● Consider creating a unique, individual
website ​independent​of the San Antonio
Public Library; adds to the perception
that the San Antonio Book Festival is a
stand-alone event
● An independent site would allow for
more ​fluid information searches​with
less distracting, irrelevant information
● Links to the San Antonio Book Festival’s
social media sites should be included as
opposed to those of the San Antonio
Public Library
● An independent site would also provide
a basis for SEO marketing, Google
Analytics and its associated metrics, and
a ​data-backed assessment​of the San
Antonio Book Festival’s online presence
In terms of Social Media strategy:
● Featuring ​different demographics​(age,
gender, sexual orientation, race, etc.)
may contribute to a more welcoming
identity for the San Antonio Book
Festival that Millennials might respond
positively to
● Consider creating a ​long-term research
strategy​aimed at understanding all
attendees and their online habits, what
they’d like out of a connection to the
San Antonio Book Festival online, and
how often they’d like to see content
● As for graphics, there are a ​slew of
resources​to consult: Pantone for the8
latest trends in colour; COLOURlovers9
for colour combinations; even doing a
search for “Graphic Design” on Pinterest
will conjure up trending and innovate
practices; lastly, look to new book
jackets for more ideas
● Search ​local terms​(“San Antonio”) on
social media sites to gauge relevance of
local hashtags and trending topics
(especially frequency)
6
“16 Reasons Why Trinity University Is A Terrible Place To Go To School,”
http://www.buzzfeed.com/theandyace/16-reasons-why-trinity-university-is-a-terrible-pl-1tcm9
7
“13 Book Club Books For Millennials, Because, Yes, We Read,”
http://www.bustle.com/articles/83722-13-book-club-books-for-millennials-because-yes-we-read
8
​http://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year?from=topNav
9
“Explore Over a Million Color Palettes,” http://www.colourlovers.com/palettes