Tips for Marketing to Multiple Generations

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

2. “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”

3. NRF FOUNDATION!
Research indicates that
generational differences define
consumers’ attitudes and, ultimately,
their buying behavior.

4. GENERATIONALCOHORTS

5. When you were born determines the
momentous events, social trends,
economic conditions, and cultural norms
you experience as a young person.

6. 12 years old
!
!

7. !
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

8. 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

9. !
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

10. 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

11. ‘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

12. MILESTONETHE 21ST
CENTURY
marks the first time in history that members of four
separate generations make up the U.S. workforce

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

14. Four Generations
SilentGeneration 1925 - 1945
Baby Boomers 1946 - 1964
Generation X 1965 - 1980
Generation Y 1981 - 2000

15. SILENT
TIME MAGAZINE 1951:
“GRAVE AND FATALISTIC”

16. Lacking Conviction*
*or so it seemed

17. 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.

18. Perhaps more than any generation since,
the Silent Generation considered adulthood
a privilege—one that comes with a price.
Paying
Dues

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

20. Midlife Crisis
In the late 1970s,
companies responded
to an economic
recession and high
inflation by laying off
workers in droves.

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

22. AConspicuousSilence

23. ?
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.

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

25. 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.

26. 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.

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

29. CELEBRITY
endorsements

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

31. The largest generation,
BABY BOOMERS
make up 50 percent of the U.S. workforce.

32. 80M I L L I O N

33. From crowded elementary schools
to depleted retirement funds, the
Baby Boomer generation’s size
has burdened institutional
infrastructures for decades.

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

35. Unlike their “silent” parents,
Baby Boomers were not afraid
to challenge cultural norms.

36. !
waged warat home against
Whereas the Silent
Generation fought a
war abroad to protect
freedom, Baby Boomers
the people and policies
that limited that freedom.

37. “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

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

39. “workaholics”

40. In the twenty years following the
Boomers’ entrance in the workforce,
the annual amount of time
Americans spent at workincreased
an average of one full month.

41. “The Sandwich Generation”
Boomers who care for older
children as well as aging parents.

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

43. wordofmouth

44. BOOMERS
TELL THEM
but don’t
MAY BE AGING

45. 60IS THE NEW 30

46. relevance
MATTERS MORE THAN EVER

47. Boomers may have traded marching
on Washington for walking for a
cure, but they’re still looking for
ways to make a difference.

48. “We need you.”
= you are still relevant

49. Gen Xers
inherited their Boomer
parents’ social rubble (i.e.,
no-fault divorce, staggering
debt, anti-American
sentiment abroad, etc.)

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

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

52. I want my
Music videos, personal
computers, the Internet, the
women’s liberation movement,
and AIDS all proliferated
during their lifetime.

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

54. The most ignored
children of any
generation.

55. 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

56. EXGENERATION
40 percent of Gen Xers
grew up in broken homes

57. ME
i t ’ s a l l a b o u t

58. 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

59. WORK-LIFE BALANCE

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

61. employment
at will

62. 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

63. DIYGen X women are the largest audience for
home improvement television shows.
!
!
Williams & Page

64. Educate them into buying.
!
!
• avoid slick marketing
• use straightforward
language
• be honest and candid

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

66. MILLENNIAL
=Gen Y

67. the eword

68. 85Percent of HR executives who feel that millennials have
a stronger sense of entitlement than older workers do.
-CareerBuilder.com

69. 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.

70. Other words
used to describe
Gen Yers
! Sheltered
! Spoiled
! Impatient
! Disrespectful
! Blunt
! Diverse
! Thin-skinned
! Wanted

71. Wired

72. Most watched
over, ever

73. 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.

74. Grade
>> INFLATION

75. independent spellers
“ ”

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

77. Self-Esteem First.
Learning Second.

78. begin early

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

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

81. Gen Y shoppers respond best
to new products and services.

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

83. keep in mind…

84. 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”

85. 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”

86. 23percent of Gen Xers consider the latest
trends and styles personally important
SOURCE: NRF Foundation!
“Across the Ages: Generational Impact on Spending”
ONLY

87. !
!
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”

88. generational fallacy

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

90. 12 years old
in 2015?
IMAGINE:

91. •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

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