Abstract
Discusses the relevance of mobile phone technology in marketing to young consumers aged between 18 and 22; these are the millennials who are heavy mobile phone users and often the architects of change in US culture. Shows how permission is vital in connecting with these consumers interactively: they do not hate all advertising, but they hate “spim”, which is receiving, and paying for, spam messages over their mobile phone instant messaging systems. Describes some relevant features of this converging technology: podcasting and mobcasting, super‐megapixel camera phones, television on demand, purseless payments using radio frequency identification (RFID), recognition technologies, and mobile teleconferencing. Suggests some strategies for marketing to millennials: develop case‐specific insights, target mindsets, and develop new ways of connecting with consumers. Illustrates this with the story of how Doritos promoted a new snack flavour line by targeting mobile phone‐owning millennials with billboards, instant messaging and websites.