How to market to the generations 2007 duane dj sprague

L H M A D V E R T I S I N G

The Generational Imperative

Generational Marketing and Advertising Strategy

2007Duane “DJ” Sprague


To Be A More Effective Marketer You Must:

Understand your customers enough to get inside their head Understand their perspective and generational viewpoints See advertising as they would like to see it Use the mediums they consume Speak and communicate in a way they understand and prefer Walk a mile in their shoes Match your sales staff to your customers Understand that “one size does not fit all” Do not be a lazy marketer


4 Generations of America

The Silents 62-80

The Boomers 43-61

The X’ers 26-42

The Millennials Birth to 25


The Silents Overview

Born 1927-1945 62-80 years of age Grew up before “malls” when the local

shopkeeper and clerks knew their name and stood behind their products

Courtesy is very important to them Give them genuinely personal service



Chat with them, make them feel comfortable Develop a relationship with them Be more formal: please, thank-you, Sir, Ma’am Prompt and full responses to their questions Remember the days of full-service gas

stations, and clerks that carried out the groceries to the car? They do



They are patriotic, politically active, news reading, plugged-in

They are open to new products and services because it makes them feel “young” and “alive”

Receptive to advertising, changing brands and trying new products

Spend freely on grandchildren, travel, cars and housing

Have a desire to grab life by the horns while they can



A passion to connect with their grandchildren They remember the solidarity of the American

family from their childhood when divorce and broken families were the rare exception, and they want to be that stability for their grandchildren

Solid people with good-old-fashioned American values (read “The Greatest Generation” by Tom Brokaw)


Marketing to the Silents

Develop a relationship Give personal service with respect and courtesy Use large fonts and contrasting colors (Gen X and

millennial designers don’t get it!) Use long copy and tell your story Make use of rewards and reminders (remember

“Green Stamps” and “Blue Chip” stamps? Service and birthday reminder cards?)


Marketing to the Silents

Nostalgia works! Bring back “the good old days” of the 50’s Bargains, promotions, coupons and discounts work Remove the risk because this is not a risk taking generation Don’t hype or lie. Prove your claims and back it up! Stand by your word and be a “vendor of honor” Group events, seminars and experiential opportunities work Educate. They are hungry to learn Use inter-generational images and life stages


Marketing to the SilentsMedia Consumption

This is the TV, Movie, Magazine and Newspaper generation

Long form advertising and infomercials work!

Long form direct mail that tells the story and explains the offer and benefits


How To Make It Work

Don’t clutter your TV ad with too many visuals moving too fast, or fast copy reads

Don’t clutter your radio spot with too many audio layers. Make it audibly pure and clear

Use talent they can relate to that is courteous and sincere

Use large fonts and contrasting colors Explain your offer and guarantee it Use older sales people who “get it”


How To Make It Work

Link advertising, education and promotion Portray real people Utilize multi-generational and emphasize love

and fun with their kids and grand kids Use repetition


How To Make It Work

Pictures and images Emotional touchstones: security,

independence, information, intimations of immortality

Focus on convenience and “in and out” as shopping is not a pleasant experience for them


The Boomers Overview

Born 1946-1964 Age 43-61 today The largest generation alive! 76 million strong and

43% of the civilian work force Workaholics Wealthy, free spending, open to new brands, products

and services, and receptive to advertising Staggering purchasing power Demanding customers and not blindly brand loyal



Boomers and X’ers tend to distrust authority They value “values” and have a moralistic

perspective They are becoming empty nesters Workaholics, and they define themselves by their

careers They are time stressed and they seek fast and

convenient no-hassle, reliable, and they are willing to pay for it



Two groups of Boomers: First wave is the Vietnam Generation, who are the

idealistic social activists of the ’60s Second wave is the “Me” Generation, and grew up in the

“time to party” era of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s They share one credo: Forever Young Strong sense of family and right and wrong Optimistic, but want to make the smartest possible purchase


Marketing to the Boomers

Tend to respond to celebrity endorsements They are receptive to advertising and new products

and services, and buying habits and brand preferences can be changed

Make them feel young and smart Present life as one continual ageless adventure The first wave will especially respond to socially and

environmentally responsible companies



They love meaningful detail that differentiates a product or ads real value

They are news hounds and like their information organized like USA Today. No cute story telling, just the facts

Use large type and contrasting colors Give them fast and easy shopping and selection Connect them with their families They prefer text more than any other generation



Make sure your advertising, marketing and sales staff are not all younger than Boomers

They love experiential, eco and learning vacations Hot categories: cars, high tech, real estate, home

improvement, fitness, nutrition, skin and haircare, cosmetic surgery and sporting goods

What’s important: staying young, finances, their kids and grandkids, career


Marketing to the BoomersMedia Consumption

Broadcast and cable TV, talk radio, classic rock, public radio and public TV

Movies USA Today and local newspaper Magazines (news, general interest and special

interest) Internet Direct mail


How To Make It Work

Provide fast service and instant gratification Make your company socially or environmentally

responsible Save them time Make them feel younger Recognize their career accomplishments and

aspirations, and their desire to connect with their family

Help them attain their financial objectives


The X’ers Overview

Born 1965-1981 26-42 years of age in 2007 About 33% fewer of them than Boomers and Millennials 40% of them had lived in a single parent HH by age 16 The most skeptical and cynical of older generations and

institutions



They offer loyalty to their own generation, but not institutions

They spent less time around older people than any other generation, and there is a significant disconnect between them and older people

More of a “Me” generation than any other Self-focused and self-immersed Inclination to change jobs frequently



The “in debt generation” as they have expensive taste and know quality due to their dual income, workaholic, guilt ridden Boomer parents who spoiled them

They insist on a healthy work/personal life balance Techno savvy and excellent multi-taskers Take pride in their acceptance and tolerance of all

ethnicities and lifestyles Identify with pop culture of the ‘70s and ‘80s, and like to

poke fun at it


Marketing to the X’ers

NOT watching TV news or reading newspapers (build your web sites and mail business)

Cynical of advertising hype and laugh at it Street smart and advertising savvy They need to be convinced with proof, facts And W.O.M. from their peers They feel disempowerd to change government or

institutions



They enjoy unexpected and clever tricks and surprises, irony, twists and turns and mystery in advertising. Have some fun

Give them options and choices Indifferent to “brand” and skeptical of commercials Mix and match multiple media in unique ways Show them how they can have fun Celebrate their open mindedness to diversity



Anti-commercial commercials work well that make fun of the hype of traditional advertising. Saturn, Target, Sprite

Mountain Dew wove extreme sports with wacky humor

Deliver attitude No-nonsense honesty works well too They like edgy programming: “Survivor”, “X Games”,

reality TV and “Friends” the ultimate Gen X show



Make your ad visual, as they prefer “reading” visual images

Use pop culture in your ads. Berry Burst Cheerios did this with the pop tune “I Think I Love You” by the Partridge Family and the 1974 hit “Hooked on A Feeling”

High tech, humor, parody, or edgy work


Marketing to the X’ersMedia Consumption

Reality TV, Friends, X-Games, VH1, That ‘70s Show Radio Internet with e-commerce functionality, feedback

option, visual imagery, pages that don’t scroll, limited text, instant gratification, and a URL that is easy to remember and catchy: amazon.com, monster.com, yahoo.com

Multiple platforms


Making It Work

Use a tongue-in-cheek approach, make it fun and funny, high tech, retro ’70s & ‘80s or edgy

Don’t make it a typical ad, make it a “non-ad” so it entertains as it slips in a subtle message

Use pop culture music from the ‘70s and ‘80s and it’s okay to poke fun at it

Use visual pictures, metaphors, stories and concepts that convey the message vs. ad copy

Use mix of traditional and non traditional mediums


The Millennials a.k.a Gen Y Overview

Birth to 25 Born 1982 to present Ethnically diverse (1/3rd are minorities) Very tolerant of divorced HHs and gay lifestyles, but

traditional family values are more important to them than Gen X’ers

Have a positive, more respectful view of older people, and they LOVE their parents

They influence family spending


The Millennials Overview

Use technology to connect them to other people (email, IM, text messaging, social media, mobile apps)

More interested in spirituality than Gen. X’ers A strong sense of community service Internet is what TV was to Boomers. They MUST have it “Hip” is essential Peer-to-peer recommendations and approval are

extremely important



A renewed interest in reading print (they like to research products for maximum value and cool factor)

91% value companies that support good causes They are fashion conformists: Abercrombie, Hollister,

American Eagle, Quick Silver, Aeropstale, Roxy, Zumize, Hurley They’re very brand conscious and self confident Susceptible to the next, newest fad without logical

reason



They spend less time watching TV, listening to the radio, listening to pre-recorded CDs, reading pop culture magazines or consuming the major sports

More time on internet, listening to single songs on iPod, texting, and watching DVDs


Marketing to the Millennials

Multimedia messages are essential Internet is medium of choice Let them interact with the brand Customize their online experience Offer online surprises for those who look hard

enough Be optimistic and upbeat Viral marketing works


Marketing to the Millennials

Weave in multi-generational talent Use bright colors Ads that present kids as being smarter, doing good

deeds and often in teams Spokespeople who are nice people (Dennis Rodman

is out) Animals work (Taco Bell Chihuahua) Link message to community service


Meaning of Brand by Generation

Silents: a brand confers status Boomers: a brand means only as much as I think it

does to me X’ers: Brand confers status, but it’s not what other

generations think about the brand that counts, it’s what my peers think

Millennials: Brand confers status, “hip” and acceptance by immediate peer group

How to market to the generations 2007 duane dj sprague

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Transcript of How to market to the generations 2007 duane dj sprague