Is generational marketing still relevant in an era when age no longer equates to a life stage?

avatar
by Jacob Solomon Mar 23, 2023 News
Is generational marketing still relevant in an era when age no longer equates to a life stage?

Creativebrief

Is age just a number in marketing. A lot of research points to the importance of mindsets over life-stages as an industry, but we rely on outdated stereotypes. When it comes to defining people by their age, there are many stereotypes that thrive.

Many believe that the industry needs to change when it comes to age. Half of the people in the UK are over 50. This age group is not included in 12% of UK advertising.

It is possible for brands to better communicate with this group. Consumers want to be seen as more than just the '+55' category and want to be portrayed differently.

Marketers need to embrace a full spectrum of consumer experience which goes beyond age. When age no longer equates to a life stage, we asked industry leaders if generational marketing is relevant.

Jo Vaughan.jpeg Team Eleven

Absolutely.

It's not a cliché-ridden, stereotyped, lazy view of each generation anymore. Consumers want to be seen as more than one person.

Advertisers need to pay attention to the forgotten shopper. Women over the age of 55 are often ignored by brands.

A cringeworthy line-up of incontinence products, life insurance and wills can be found when they are advertised.

They emerged from the Pandemic with the least income loss, so they should not be ignored. They will spend more money by the year 2030. They have over 30 years of spending power left, so brands should be lining up to win the hearts and pockets.

There is a shift in the industries. Changes are not coming fast enough, but we can all do more.

Generational marketing can still be effective. We need to redefine it and not be lazy.

charlotteimpero.jpg Impero

There are outdated codes and signals that lead brands to overlook potential growth opportunities.

There is a very real example that we should discuss.

They have in common. Their age is the only thing that is almost nothing. They are the same group of women who are likely to be overlooked as a source of growth. For the first time in history, women over 40 earned more than women under 40. The nuances of humanity are more likely to be wedded together by fluid shared values than a shared age range.

What are the solutions? The marketers put in a lot of effort to get to know consumers beyond the stereotypes presented to them in trend reports. Qualitative research will give you a better idea of their motives and habits. Your brand will be better for it and you will be surprised by the direction your campaign heads in.

Mercy-Abel-JohnDoe.jpg John Doe

I don't think it's relevant It needs a different perspective.

What mattered to a Boomer at age 20 will be different from what mattered to a Gen Z at the same age.

That is okay.

The broad-brush approach is not something that I want. I feel more seen when marketing accepts who I really am and what marketers want me to be. They're talking to me and not about me.

Generational marketing focuses on age rather than mindsets. It doesn't evolve with its generations. Generations should be seen for who they are today and not who they were in the past.

Insights are important because of that.

We don't talk about generations but we talk with them. We acknowledge that difference isn't bad, it's important, through constant conversations.

There is a beauty in multiple generations co-existing. There are more intergenerational conversations taking place thanks to social media. We can make good of our differences by focusing on connection and resonance instead of forgetting.

Let's not use the term "Generational Marketing". Rather than giving it a negative lens, let it be a positive one.

rachel-acne-headshot.jpg ACNE London

It used to be that questionnaires only asked about the age. It shows everything that has been wrong with marketing to children. What's the reason? Our industry has always had a lazy view of age and has a tendency to forget about Baby Boomers and Gen X due to being mostly 20 and 30 years old. Medical advances and a culture of individual freedom have stretched our time as active contributors to society.

We need to be comfortable with the idea of lifestage-flux. It is possible for us to be more cognisant of the mindset we want to attract with our creativity and brand messaging. As paths through life become more complex, we need to push clients to think outside the box.

It's still relevant. We don't all do it the same way and it doesn't define people. It would mean a correction of the obsession with younger generations to make our views more balanced so that we can find new opportunities with the older generations.

claire-hollands-mullenlowe.JPG MullenLowe group

In the context of Ageism, this is one of the last unchallenged prejudices.

Almost half of the UK's adults are over 50 and they control over $6 trillion in spending. In just 12% of UK ads, they make no commercial sense. The group often depicted as a singular demographic in need of pity and help is a trick brands are missing.

The make-up of our own agencies is not much better. 6.5% of employees in marketing services are over the age of 50, which is the same as last year, according to the new agency census released by theIPA. At MullenLowe, we are on a mission to challenge, change and drive progress.

In the first year of our initiative, we focused on attitude and not age to shine a light on the millions of people who are too often lumped together.

The over 55s were divided into seven different segments based on their attitudes, behaviors and buying preferences. The study shows that age is just a number and that there are many different types of people.

To represent this economic powerhouse fairly and to capture exactly what over 50 looks like in a way that will connect with a deeper emotional level is our goal. It will pay dividends for brands and society as well.

Ali Mcclintock Dept 2 (1).jpg DEPT

Even though generalisations rarely hit the mark or give us insight we need to build brilliant strategies, it's still silly to deny shared life experiences. The world has changed so much in the last 10 years. The cultural references that go with that age need to be understood by brands. While a 13-year-old and a 26-year-old might be only an age box away, they are fundamentally different types of consumers. It is obvious that age brings with it useful context and expectations that brands can't overlook. The epoch that shaped them would be missed if they neglected it.

kate sheehy - jwiglobal.png JWI Global

Marketing matters to people of a certain age.

We cannot ignore a person's lived experiences despite the fact that age no longer equates to a life stage. They are usually linked to the time period in which they were born. We are shaped by our formative years in a way that profoundly affects our lifestyles and buying decisions. Consumers find comfort in marketing that speaks to them on a deeper level.

When a brand tries to reach too many different ages and demographic at the same time, its message becomes less relevant. In this age of targeting and hyper-segmentation, any brand that spreads its message too thinly will be lost in the noise.

That doesn't mean that marketers should be inflexible. I believe it is more about reframing the story. The key to a better connection with your target demographic is generational marketing.

Although some brands have the luxury of being more generationally ambiguous in their marketing, the bottom line is that generations have always existed, and they will continue to do so. To appeal to consumers on a more meaningful level, marketing needs to reflect that.

Ines-Casas.jpg eight&four

We have better chances to drive action if we focus on the commons within these social constructs. Even if they exist over a spectrum, the differences are there for everyone to see.

It's a case of social media. 40% of Gen Z and Millennials make an impulse purchase on social media every 2 weeks, while 10% of Baby Boomers do the same. You have groups on Facebook for mothers and kids. Your attention spans have been shortened. So on. If we didn't acknowledge all of this, we'd be in big trouble. It doesn't mean we shouldn't account for individual experiences across stages of life Being overly generic can bring in the risk of alienating people.

When building target audiences for media, we're conditioned to look at the same things. Listening to communities online reminds us that we all have a unique experience and perspective.

Balance is the key to success. A starting framework can still be offered by generational marketing. In order to connect with the individual, I need to get a better understanding of our audience, engage in a two-way conversation to learn more, and tailor strategies and messages accordingly.