The millennials make up a staggering 25% of the world’s population, but within this massive group, there are smaller consumer niches that represent opportunities for both consumer product brands and retailers. Case in point: The Shareables.

These young people are part of a new global movement that believes it can be more practical to share unlimited products and services than own one item. It’s a phenomenon you can already see taking hold within the tech world.

Airbnb makes it easy to share your living space with strangers by listing it for rent on the site as an alternative to a hotel room. LYFT is a smart-phone app that facilitates on-demand ride sharing among strangers. And Cookening links dinner hosts, who cook in their homes, with strangers who want to try new food and meet new people.

Who are the Shareables?

They’re individuals who learned to share their entire lives. They have Boomer parents, who were more open with their kids than past generations, and they’ve grown up sharing information online. A tough job market also makes them more open to pooling resources. They tend to connect online first then meet up offline to share resources. Shareables by the numbers:

Age: 22-30

Education: 61% are college educated, according to The Millennials: American Born 1977 to 1994.

Typical salary: $39,700, according to a study from PayScale.com

Buying power: $18 Billion

Marital status: 69% have never been married, according to The Millennials: American Born 1977 to 1994.

Digital natives: This niche makes up40% of all Internet users, according to Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World.

Social media savvy: Millennials account for 60% of all Facebook users worldwide, according to Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World.

Living arrangements: Only 10% live by themselves while others live with roommates or even parents, according to The Millennials: American Born 1977 to 1994.

Where they live: The largest sharing communities are in big cities in the U.S. and Europe, such as New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Munich and Paris.

How to Reach Them
The Shareables still need some stuff, but it must fit their lifestyles. They’re looking for practical items, such as tools or cookware, and items that help them socialize, save money or support the environment. Shareables also like to test out new things, so appealing to their sense of curiosity is always a good bet.

Have a product that fits the bill? You’ll find these digital natives online: They spend significant time on social media, blogs and even digital newspapers. More specifically, Shareables frequent Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and such blogs as Shareable, Collaborative Consumption, and Sustainable Brands.

To be successful, digital ads should follow the same attributes of sharing: direct, personal, instant and emotionally satisfying. Try targeted ads that use tracking to serve up ads linked to each consumer’s online activities. To make your campaign instant, allow millennials to share or like ads on their favorite social media platforms.

Finally, traditional coupons do not sway this niche, but Shareables do respond to incentives. They’re looking for ads that allow them to enter a sweepstakes or support a product or company that’s ethically transparent.

Are you ready for the Shareables? They might be buying less, but they still open their wallets when the product—and message—matches their lifestyle and values.

For a great video of Airbnb host testimonials see below:

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