Vibing with the Generations

10 Jan Vibing with the Generations

Posted at 10:27h in Uncategorized by

Overhearing a Millennial throwing their metaphoric hands in the air over not being able to understand people from Gen Z made us laugh. Not only are millennials old enough to have another generation to worry about, the cycle of not understanding the next generation continues! So, what are the traits of each of these generational cohorts and what does this mean when it comes to marketing?

Gen Z
Gen Z, or Zoomers, are the next cohort we’ve stated to group together, research and look to market to as they start to enter the job market, buy products and services and make their opinions known.  Zoomers are usually the children of Gen X and their birthdates generally range between 1997 and 2012.

True digital natives, traits of Gen Z include hard working, loyalty and responsibility. They value face-to-face communication and care about their impact on society and the environment. Interestingly they are also the most ethnically diverse grouping. The job market Gen Z faces is also predicted to look radically different from previous generations. Experts predict 65% of jobs Gen Z may do are jobs that haven’t been invented yet and what’s more, they will probably do 16-18 jobs during their working life. They also face an unaffordable housing marketing.

It goes without saying digital channels are king for this group and we’re talking phone not PC. Gen Z rely the most on reviews, recommendations, and social marketing to make purchasing decisions than any other generation. So, make sure you actively respond to comments and feedback on your digital channels!

Millennials
Millennials or Gen Y are born between 1981 and 1996 and are known negatively as lazy and entitled, scoffing avo on toast with no regard to the future. On the more positive side they are said to be self-sufficient, confident, curious and questioning. Like Gen Z, many Millennials were born with a phone in their hand and turn to the internet to solve problems, learn and connect with others. They are likely to live at home longer, have student loans, likely to marry later (if at all) and have children later (if at all). Job security is highly valued, they also face an unaffordable housing market and environmental issues are important to them.

Rapidly taking over the number of Baby Boomers at work, Millennials are now out and about buying goods and services. Millennials love the next big thing or at least the perception of what’s new. They use reviews, influences and opinions of people they trust to make purchasing decisions – user-generated content is preferred over marketing campaigns. They are not as brand loyal as previous generations and chop and change depending on price and service. However, they’re also more likely to remain loyal to brands that align with charitable causes that are important to them.

They understand digital marketing and enjoy brands who offer memorable experiences they can share with their social media following. Authenticity is key. Interestingly, this generation are also known to listen to a lot of podcasts.

Generation X
Gen X, born between 1966 and 1980, don’t get a fun name like Zoomers or Millennials and span the smallest time period of all the generational groups. Growing up as technology was advancing rapidly they straddle the digital world and have a foot in both camps, valuing the importance of both the digital and analogue worlds. They are known to be resourceful, logical and good problem solvers.

Gen X are busy people who like subscription-based buying, respond to email marketing and are drawn to products and services with eco credentials or have benefits for society.

Generation X are also brand loyal and respond to loyalty programmes. They are on Facebook and enjoy nostalgia-based marketing campaigns featuring music or celebrities of their youth.

Baby Boomers
Baby Boomers get a fun name, but not a letter code. Named after the surge of births following World War Two, Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. They are known to be committed, self sufficient and competitive. Baby Boomers had to rely on face-to-face relationships and as a result they are more “engaged” in their real-life communities and are less likely to turn to technology, but they can use it. They are also the healthiest and wealthiest generation.

They value talking to a real person, respond to upselling and deals and are brand loyal. They are big spenders who are worth marketing too, just choose your channel well as Boomers are more sceptical of digital advertising.

What’s next?
Look out for Generation Alpha (born 2013-current) as they are right behind the Zoomers and ready to laugh at their fashion choices and scorn their digital skills.

The final word

While generational marketing may help identify broad audience types based on shared values, consumption patterns, experiences and behaviours, the future is predicted to have fewer labels or fewer useful labels from a marketing point. This prediction reflects our diversity and the pushback of labelling gender, sexual orientation, etc.

 

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