Generational Marketing: How to Engage Consumers From Every Generation

Studies show that consumer behaviors and tendencies vary from generation to generation. Their differences can be attributed to their upbringing, culture, political environment, and exposure to technology over time. These observed shifts in behaviors led to what is now known as Generational Marketing, the development of specific marketing strategies to target each generation of consumers.  

Depending on the nature of your business as well as the services and products that you provide, identifying your target generation demographics and understanding their consumer behaviors are crucial in increasing your sales and brand reputation.  

Baby Boomers (1946 - 1964)

Having lived in a time when the current digital landscape is still in its early stages, baby boomers are more inclined to traditional advertising and marketing strategies. This includes television commercials, radio advertisements, and print media like newspapers. These traditional mediums are still the most effective in reaching this generation, however, it is still advisable to invest in social media and other digital platforms as they have slowly embraced them in recent years.  

Baby boomers are most active on Facebook compared to the other generations. Hence, having a good Facebook page and marketplace for your brand is essential. In making content for this age group, keep it simple and straightforward. Use themes of family and values to invoke a sense of warmth or trigger a sense of nostalgia by recreating familiar events that will remind them of their younger years.  

This ad by Google for their Live Captions feature on Google Meet about a CODA or “Child of Deaf Adults” invokes a sense of warmth with its parental theme and inclusive story.

This Travelers Insurance ad shows a father and his daughter managing a shop together over the years. When a natural disaster destroyed their precious shop, the dad was able to rebuild and pass this legacy to his daughter through an insurance. This ad invokes a heartwarming feeling to its audience with its themes of family, hope, and perseverance.

Generation X (1965 - 1980)

This generation is probably the most ‘accessible’ generation when it comes to marketing as they tend to consume media in equal parts traditional and digital. However, since this generation also experienced great economic instability, they may come off as more skeptical towards advertisements and marketing efforts than the other generations. As people on the front lines of any workforce that are bound to check their emails first thing in the morning, email campaigns are highly effective in reaching this generation 

In planning a marketing strategy for this generation, feature customer testimonials on your content and landing pages as they value peer reviews and word-of-mouth the most when it comes to buying any products or services. In sending out email campaigns, catch their attention with limited coupons that they can use when they make a purchase from you. Through this, you can slowly build their trust leading to long-term brand loyalty. It is also important to take note that this generation values brands with advocacies that benefit society.  

Slack features its customer testimonials and stories on its website so other people can easily view them. Various customers from different fields were showcased to highlight how anyone can effectively use their messaging program.

Airbnb is an online marketplace for affordable short-term homestays and lodging that has gained increasing popularity over the past few years. They released airbnb.org, a nonprofit organization made with over 100,000 registered hosts who have offered their homes in times of crisis. With this campaign, Airbnb was able to give back to the community and provide a safe home to those in need.

Millennials (1981 – 1996)

As the first generation to grow up with modern technology, millennials are known for being internet-dependent when it comes to purchasing anything. Brand and product information should always be readily available on the internet as this generation tends to do prior research before a purchase. A clean, complete, and easy-to-navigate website and social media accounts can greatly increase positive impressions from this generation. Unlike the two older generations, millennials are less loyal to brands and are more inclined to go where there are observable improvements. 

Innovation is the biggest thing millennials are looking for in any market. They like having new technologies and changes to look forward to and dislike stagnancy. Like Gen X, this generation also values peer reviews and brands with social initiatives. Engagement is essential and user-generated content is highly encouraged.  

Apple created a buzz among Millennials when they announced their newest iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Promax models. Apple has consistently delivered new innovations for their mobile phone lines and their new model announcements always got this generation hooked and interested.

Generation Z (1997 - 2012)

Being the most tech-savvy generation, they are the most reliant on social media content and reviews in various platforms. Generation Z loves to consume short but entertaining content, typically in the form of bite-sized videos. This is the main reason why TikTok and Instagram have become the biggest platform for this generation. Meanwhile, this generation is also known to hate and avoid blatant advertisements the most, hence the use of ad blocks while browsing.  

Influencer marketing is highly effective in engaging and earning this consumer generation’s trust due to their exposure to those types of content. Being active on social media, creating content that follows the current trends, and increasing audience engagement are the ways to grab this their attention. Keep the excitement and entertainment going for this young generation by pushing out consumable content and encouraging active participation on your campaigns will surely win them over.  

In 2017, Spotify released their ‘Spotify Wrapped’ feature that allows users to take a look back through their last 365 days via the songs and artists they listened to most. Since then, this feature became the best and most popular user-generated content among Gen Z and Millennials. This has become an annual tradition that people look forward to seeing by the end of each year, allowing them to share their Spotify wrapped to their friends and followers and taking over social media.