Lecture 10 - Generation Marketing

The method of marketing to a specific generation is affecting the way that we promote and sell products and services. "We are all a product of our generation" states Lake, l. 2009. Each generation have their own characteristics, because of this as a marketing target we can usually categorize by generations by the way that we act and speak as well as our belief systems. There are four main marketing generations:

Generation Y - Born After 1980
These are also known as: Millenials, or generation 2001'ers. To the right is a diagram showing the standard behaviours and characteristics attributed to generation Y - these are the findings through research by Ashridge (2009). To see more of their research LOOK here. Generation Y are known to be: optimistic, upbeat and filled with a sense of empowerment. They are a complex phenomenon and full of contradictions: technologically savvy but creative, environmentally conscious yet mobile. They expect instant rewards but also demand long term development. Finally; they think like entrepreneurs but value relationships over money. A Times Article informs other generations how to connect with generation Y. Personally; I felt this article portrayed some very interesting facts. One being that generation Y are known to be much smarter then other generations because of their level of education, thus there been more demand for them in UK firms. Being a generation Y myself, I completely agree with how they have been described.

Generation X - Born between 1965 and 1980
These are also known as baby busters. This age group grew up during the later years of the Vietnam war. This generation are known to be the most ignored, misunderstood and disheartened generation our country has ever seen. This may be due to their political experiences and cultural perspectives shaped by events such as the: cold war, the fall of the Berlin wall and the early signs of the recession in the 80's. This generation are turned off by hype advertising. This documentary shows how events that generation X'ers saw shape them as people:


Baby Boomer's - Born between 1946 and 1964

Baby boomer's are the generation named after the post war 11 baby boom. This was when people finally settled down, got jobs and settle down into families. In 2003 there were 74,000,000 baby boomer's compared with 38,000,000 in the 1960's. This graph below from 2006 shows that our population is ageing. It also found out that within the UK resident population of 60,587,000, of which 50,763,000 lived in England, 1 in 5 of them were under 16 and 1 in 6 were over 65 with an average age of 34. There are two sub categories of baby boomers. These are younger baby boomer's and older boomer's. This shows how big this generation group is! The younger generation of baby boomer's are very savvy and know allot about the product already, thus making decisions based on previous information. The Boomer's have built a resistance to advertising over the years, as they have experienced many campaigns. While marketers acknowledge the buying power of Baby Boomers, the continue to define them as a demographic niche from the 1960's. A baby boomer woman's favourite brands are: Levis, Harley Davison, Pepsi, the Beatles, and Volkswagen.

Mature Citizens - Born between 1909 and 1945

These are also known as the grey generation. The UK is becoming a 'greyer' nation. The amount of people aged 85+ will increase by a third by 2020, there will be as many 60+ as there is 20/30 year old and people will progressively live longer. The BBC news state that "there is still a generation left that is very grateful and humble, but those coming through do not always accept the first thing they are told or offered" - suggesting that they are increasingly becoming much more active and independent. As this again is such a big generation it can also be spilt up into more sub categories.

• The over 55's: either at the end of their careers or coming to the end. All commitments like mortgages etc.. will be paid off soon leaving more disposable income.


• Young Old's: Usually under 70, both partners are still alive meaning quite a large sum of disposable income. Difficult to reach though.



• Old Old's: Now over 70 and often on there own, mainly elderly women. Old Olds do not have allot of money to spend.


• Silver Surfers: Reaching maximum or exceeding life expectancy. More than likely alone and even less money. Silver Surfers say net is vital!


• Skiers: For the lucky people who make it to the last category in the Generation Grey age they will most certainly have the successful winnings of their children.