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Improve Your Market Response: Market to Generations and Not to Ages The graying of the baby boomer generation will change the way marketers think – or they will fall behind. No more can we define the 50+ market as composed of "senior citizens" who behave in accordance with our preconceptions. Next year, the oldest boomers will turn 60 – and they won't be thinking much differently than they did at 40 or 50. Society's memory can be short, but we must keep in mind that old age is not monolithic: people are shaped by their generation and their life experiences, not dictated-to by their current age. Industries, then, should be going after generations rather than people of a fixed age. Each of the six generations of consumers now co-existing in America has characteristic attributes, lifestyle arrangements and proclivities. Marketing and services must be flexible to reach across bounds and get the right response from all target groups. For example, baby boomers are not at all like their senior parents. To name just a handful of differences, they have a higher divorce rate, they are more liberal-minded about social issues, and they typically relate better to, and spend more time with, their children and grandchildren. They put less emphasis on earning and saving money, and cling to their youth. When planning marketing, businesses should study what usually motivates members of each generation. In travel and tourism, for example, programs that are fun and adventurous, with strong family and educational components, will have broad appeal for baby boomers, their children and grandchildren. Eco-tourism and cultural tours also have strong resonance for the boomer market, whose members are socially conscious and idealistic, and more interested than the average population in fine arts. In an age of pervasive e-business, companies need to pay close attention to their web sites. Often a company's home page is the first exposure clients of varied generations will have to the company's products, service and style. Careful planning and attention to detail will allow you to speak to many markets at once with your site. Keep it simple and easy to navigate, but use it to target each of the market segments you're hoping to reach. Key words in the navigation bar can draw particular generations to view your information. Try to follow up on these hits by linking to further pages of specific generational interest. It's erroneous stereotyping to believe that the internet is only for youth marketing, but it is true that mature internet users tend to appreciate different kinds of content and graphics. This distinction is generational thinking in a nutshell. Be careful making assumptions about who you're talking to – but appreciate the nuances of your market, and the range of their life stages. One size won't fit all in a market constantly changing. Back To Mature Market News → Go To The GenerationTarget.com Mature Market Bookstore → |
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