When Coca Cola’s Executive VP Joe Tripodi spoke at Georgetown University’s alumni center recently, he focused on how to engage millennials (Gen Y), who make up 62% of employees in American organizations. Let’s break down some of his key points in terms of how a content development strategy can help an organization engage this generation of future leaders.

• A relevant brand must consistently earn trust.
Content should show what you have achieved on your mission. Results, not Plans. That’s not to say that you can’t show—through interviews and images—how your most vested community members want the world to be.
• Instead of being the best in category, a great brand needs to also be best for the community.
Corporate brands also need content that shows how they are being community partners and leaders in positive social change.
• Consumers are looking for more than a product that satisfies their needs. They are looking for human connections and powerful stories.  So if your content isn’t telling stories (i.e. you’re using too many corporate talking heads), you’re failing to connect. And if you can’t connect, you can’t engage.
• Innovation builds brands.
Your content can certainly show your own innovations in action (before and after’s are great fun on video). But you can also engage your audience by having a conversation about what innovations will impact their lives. Challenge your customer/donor/audience to bring innovations to you–from themselves or other communities to which they are connected. Now, you’re talking engagement and action.

Amy DeLouise is a video producer and brand consultant who creates content that engages different audiences to change attitudes and lead to action.