ADVERTISING FOR THE AGES: !TIPS FOR MARKETING TO MULTIPLE GENERATIONS

“Understanding different age groups makes advertising to them more effective, because marketers can determine what will appeal to the majority of these consumers,

and narrow down the target audience drastically.”

Rebecca Howell “Market Segmentation: The Importance of Age Cohorts”

NRF FOUNDATION !

Research indicates that generational differences define

consumers’ attitudes and, ultimately, their buying behavior.

GENERATIONALCOHORTS

When you were born determines the momentous events, social trends,

economic conditions, and cultural norms you experience as a young person.

12 years old

!

!

!1950: ‣Cold War heats up when United States convicts

communist spy Alger Hiss of perjury ‣Truman orders development of hydrogen bomb ‣United States enters Korean War ‣FCC licenses first color television broadcasts ‣“Great Appalachian Storm” ravages 22 northeastern

states, killing 323 people ‣Peanuts debuts in seven newspapers

1963 • George Wallace becomes governor of Alabama • Betty Friedan publishes The Feminine Mystique, launching

the Women’s Movement • The Beatles release their first album, Please Please Me • U.S. Postal Service introduces ZIP Codes • Coke unveils TaB, the first diet cola • Martin Luther King delivers “I Have a Dream” speech • President John F. Kennedy is assassinated

!1972 !

✓ President Nixon visits China for eight days ✓ Nixon re-elected as the Watergate Scandal breaks ✓ U.S. ground troops leave Vietnam ✓ Atari kicks off video game craze with launch of Pong ✓ Apollo 17 is last manned mission to the moon ✓ Wallace is shot ✓ The Boston Marathon allows women to officially compete

1987• Dow Jones closes above 2,000 for first time

• DJ drops 22.6 percent on “Black Monday” (remains largest one-day decline)

• Second “Unabomber” bomb explodes

• “Baby Jessica” rescued after falling into a well

• Prozac approved • Tower Commission blames

President Reagan for Iran-Contra affair

• World population reaches 5 billion

‘01 • September 11 attacks • George W. Bush becomes

president • First self-contained artificial

human heart implanted • U.S. Patriot Act becomes

law • Enron files bankruptcy • Timothy McVeigh is

executed for Oklahoma City bombing

MILESTONE THE 21ST CENTURY

marks the first time in history that members of four separate generations make up the U.S. workforce

F ATC

The age gap between the oldest and youngest workers in America is wider than ever—and likely to continue growing.

Four GenerationsSilentGeneration 1925 - 1945

Baby Boomers 1946 - 1964

Generation X 1965 - 1980

Generation Y 1981 - 2000

SILENTTIME MAGAZINE 1951:

“GRAVE AND FATALISTIC”

Lacking Conviction**or so it seemed

Having grown up in the wake of World War II, many people in this generation refrained from voicing unpopular beliefs for fear of being considered subversive.

Perhaps more than any generation since, the Silent Generation considered adulthood

a privilege—one that comes with a price.

Paying Dues

job security

Unlike their parents who might have dreamed of traveling the world or amassing corporate empires, the Silent Generation had simpler aspirations.

Midlife Crisis In the late 1970s,

companies responded to an economic

recession and high inflation by laying off

workers in droves.

Whether because they are leading longer, healthier lives or lacking the financial resources necessary to stop working, many older people are putting off retirement.

AConspicuousSilence

? QUESTION

THEORIES Maybe World War II left the Silent Generation weary of fighting on any front.

Why do those who risked their lives fighting wars to protect democracy abroad seem loath to press for equal rights at home?

Perhaps Time was correct and the Silent Generation avoids speaking out for fear of being labeled as un-American.

Or maybe the Silent Generation is not really afraid to speak up on civil rights issues—maybe its members simply like things the way they used to be.

In an American society that increasingly appreciates cultural diversity, the Silent Generation seems highly

intolerant.

Intentionally or not, members of this generation

continue to use demeaning and bigoted language, employ gender and racial double standards, and show deference to white males.

Market to the Silent Generation using

themes that feature active lifestyles. Avoid

stereotypical images of older consumers and

references to “seniors.” !!

Source: Williams, K. C. & Page, R. A. (April,2011). Marketing to the Generations,

Journal of Behavioral Studies.

Highlight traditional American values such as hard work, self-discipline, respect toward authority, responsibility, patriotism, and financial conservatism.

CELEBRITY

endo

rsem

ents

“You deserve it.”= permission to spend their money

The largest generation,

BABY BOOMERS

make up 50 percent of the U.S. workforce.

80M I L L I O N

From crowded elementary schools to depleted retirement funds, the Baby Boomer generation’s size

has burdened institutional infrastructures for decades.

Baby Boomers are the generation of television, assassinations, The Beatles, the Vietnam War, moonwalks, and the sexual revolution.

Unlike their “silent” parents, Baby Boomers were not afraid

to challenge cultural norms.

!

waged war at home against

Whereas the Silent Generation fought a war abroad to protect freedom, Baby Boomers

the people and policies that limited that freedom.

“Change Agents”! Civil Rights bills passed ! U.S. involvement in Vietnam War ended ! Legislation enacted barring discrimination on the basis

of race, gender, religion, national origin, sexual preference, physical ability, and age

! Movements to stop polluting the earth and to start conserving it instead

! Employee-focused policies, procedures, and regulations prevalent in most business organizations today

These former crusaders went to work, putting in long hours and chasing salaries that would allow them to improve on their parents’ lot.

“workaholics”

In the twenty years following the

Boomers’ entrance in the workforce,

the annual amount of time

Americans spent at work increased

an average of one full month.

“The Sandwich Generation” Boomers who care for older

children as well as aging parents.

discretionary income and time!ideal market for high- end goods and services

wordofmouth

BOOMERS

TELL THEMbut don’t

MAY BE AGING

60IS THE NEW 30

relevanceMATTERS MORE THAN EVER

Boomers may have traded marching on Washington for walking for a cure, but they’re still looking for

ways to make a difference.

“We need you.”= you are still relevant

Gen Xersinherited their Boomer

parents’ social rubble (i.e., no-fault divorce, staggering

debt, anti-American sentiment abroad, etc.)

Generation Xers were born into a culture in which birth control and abortion became prevalent—and children were seen as avoidable or disposable.

Wanted

Gen Xers witnessed Watergate, the Challenger explosion, the Chernobyl disaster, the Iran hostage crisis, and the rising gap between rich and poor.

I want my

Music videos, personal computers, the Internet, the

women’s liberation movement, and AIDS all proliferated

during their lifetime.

Attributes: skeptical; fiercely independent; technically competent; comfortable with diversity, change, and competition

The most ignored children of any generation.

Whereas the Industrial Revolution drew fathers outside the home to work, Gen

Xers probably grew up in households in which both parents held jobs.

HOME ALONe

EXGENERATION

40 percent of Gen Xers grew up in broken homes

MEi t ’ s a l l a b o u t

56 percent of Gen Xers are married, and 49 percent have children at home. In other words, the “me generation” is entrenched in the American Dream.

!Source: Randstad, 2008 World of Work Survey

WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Technology is both a blessing and a curse – employers expect Xers to work anywhere and anytime, because they can.

employmentat will

Gen Xers “can be unsure of themselves and often need

reassurance that their choices are sound.”

Williams, K. C. & Page, R. A. Marketing to the Generations, Journal

of Behavioral Studies in Business

DIYGen X women are the largest audience for

home improvement television shows. !

!Williams & Page

Educate them into buying. !

!

• avoid slick marketing • use straightforward

language • be honest and candid

“You’re in charge.”= you’re still in charge

MILLENNIAL=Gen Y

the e word

85Percent of HR executives who feel that millennials have a stronger sense of entitlement than older workers do.

-CareerBuilder.com

The September 11 terrorist attacks, Columbine high school massacre, and Katrina all happened in their lifetime; yet they tend to be optimistic about

going to college, making lots of

money, and being famous.

Other words used to describe

Gen Yers

!Sheltered

!Spoiled

! Impatient

!Disrespectful

!Blunt

!Diverse

!Thin-skinned

!Wanted

Wired

Most watched over, ever

ySol e f∅r wh√

In 1968, 18 percent of American college freshman had achieved an A average in high school. !By 2004, that figure was 48 percent. !During that same period, SAT scores decreased.

SOURCE: Twenge, J. M. (2006). Generation me: Why today’s young Americans are more confident, assertive, entitled—and more miserable than ever before. New York: Free Press.

Grade>> INFLATION

independent spellers“ ”

thx for the iview! i wud to work 4 u!! :)

Self-Esteem First.

Learning Second.

begin early

Striving to be friends with their children, parents give kids significant influence in family decision-making.

“Single-race ads would seem unnatural to this multi-ethnic generation.”!

Williams & Page

Gen Y shoppers respond best to new products and services.

“Your friends buy this.”= you can be a cool kid, too

keep in mind…

To convince Silent Generation consumers to make a purchase, stress practicality and necessity.

Waste not, want not.

SOURCE: NRF Foundation!“Across the Ages: Generational Impact on Spending”

Thrifty Boomers

Nearly a third of Baby Boomers say they only buy clothing when it’s on sale, more than any other cohort.

SOURCE: NRF Foundation!“Across the Ages: Generational Impact on Spending”

23percent of Gen Xers consider the latest trends and styles personally important

SOURCE: NRF Foundation!“Across the Ages: Generational Impact on Spending”

ON

LY

!

!

Over 20 percent of Gen Yers consider sales unimportant when considering clothing purchases.

Price is no obstacle

SOURCE: NRF Foundation!“Across the Ages: Generational Impact on Spending”

generational fallacy

While some generational traits remain consistent, others change with age.

12 years old in 2015?

IMAGINE:

•Generation Z

•The “Selfie” Generation

•Gen Wii

•The 20firsters

•The iGeneration

•The On-Demand Generation

•Generation Text

•The Swipe Generation

•Generation Wannabe

•Hashtaggers

Naming the next generation

ADVERTISING FOR THE AGES: !TIPS FOR MARKETING TO MULTIPLE GENERATIONS