Dive Brief: 

• Millennial males are a valued demographic, but marketers don't have a great understanding of this generation, which has a total of $1 trillion in student debt and 62% employment (only half of which is full-time). 
• Due to low income, very few males in Generation Y have cable, but they aren't opposed to smart, well-targeted advertising. 
• The easiest way to grab millennial males' attention in marketing is to use humor or other millennials, with Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns becoming especially popular because they provide value and cut out the middleman. 

Dive Insight: 

Any investment in marketing to millennials, particularly males, has to be viewed as a long-term growth proposition. The generation is struggling with debt and a challenging job market, so their discretionary income is spent very carefully. Marketers may do best to target specific passions rather than the demographic at large, and would certainly benefit in focusing on their value propositions.