“Why are so many young people flocking to brands on social media for love, guidance, and attention? I’ll tell you why. They’re isolated from real communities, working service jobs they hate while barely making ends meat, and are living [with] unchecked personal/mental health problems.”
What does that quote sound like to you? Does it sound like testimony in favor of better health care and work environments? Does it sound like a paper written by a psychology major in college? Does it sound like a series of tweets by a company that makes frozen prepackaged meat products?
You probably guessed by now, but yep, it’s that last one. Steak-umm, the Reading, Pennsylvania-based company that makes the steak products found in the grocery store frozen foods section, went on a Twitter rant this week about issues facing millennials today, like student loan debt, a chaotic social climate, growing up in the height of the internet age, etc.
Don’t take our word for it, read it right now.
why are so many young people flocking to brands on social media for love, guidance, and attention? I'll tell you why. they're isolated from real communities, working service jobs they hate while barely making ends meat, and are living w/ unchecked personal/mental health problems
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) September 26, 2018
they're crushed by student loan debt, disenfranchised by past generations, and are dreading the future of our world every day from mass media addiction and the struggle to not just be happy, but to survive this chaotic time with every problem happening at once under a microscope
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) September 26, 2018
they grew up through the dawn of internet culture and have had mass advertising drilled into their media consumption, now they're being resold their childhoods by remakes, sequels, spinoffs, and other cheap nostalgia, making them more cynical to growth or authenticity
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) September 26, 2018
they often don't have parents to talk to because they say stuff like "you don't know how good you have it," and they don't have mentors to talk to because most of them have no concept for growing up in this strange time, which perpetuates the feeling of helplessness/loneliness
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) September 26, 2018
they have full access to social media and the information highway, but they feel more alone and insecure than ever. being behind a screen 24/7 has made them numb to everything, anxious and depressed about everything, and vitriolic or closed off toward anyone different from them
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) September 26, 2018
young people today have it the best and the worst. there's so much to process and very few trusted, accessible outlets to process it all through. so they go to memes. they go to obscure or absurdist humor. they go to frozen meat companies on twitter. end rant
Steak-umm bless
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) September 26, 2018
no soundcloud to add here. at the end of the day it’s easy to tweet about problems and complain about “the other,” it’s a lot harder to improve the self and work toward solutions
be encouraged and have hope my beeflings, the world needs it
— Steak-umm (@steak_umm) September 26, 2018
This is … something, to say the absolute least. This isn’t necessarily a new standpoint, mind you. That’s not what’s interesting. Sure, millennials will likely tell you that they agree with all of this. What’s wild about this is the fact that it was Steak-umm, of all possible social media entities, that did it.
So, like, why?
The reality is that this is the social media engagement your company needs. Does it mean you need to start writing lengthy manifestos about socio-economic issues facing an entire generation? Not necessarily. (But if you think you have a good idea, by all means start workshopping it.) It just means you have to do a lot more than post a meme every now and then or make a pop culture reference once a week and expect your intended audience to engage with it.
This Steak-umm thread got just about 12,000 retweets and 45,000 likes. As of writing this, the account has more than 33,000 followers on Twitter, and has fully leaned into the “Steak-umm Bless” advertising slogan. Don’t be shocked at all to see commercials and products with that slogan on them. It’s going to work.
What this means for you, as a businessperson, is that it doesn’t matter how small your company is or even what your product is to get your name out there. What it takes is stepping up your web presence and doing something truly original and authentic. People remember those things.
Why be derivative and trite when you could forge a path toward new and exciting means of Good Internet Things.
Promo Marketing bless.
