Terms like “Gen-X” and “Gen-Y” are often used without knowing exactly what group is being talked about. It’s generally accepted that Gen-Xers were born between the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s, meaning that they’re now in their thirties and many are approaching a milestone they dread — their fortieth birthday.
To appeal to Gen-Xers you first need to understand them and their independence. They have lots of faith in their own abilities and don’t have much faith in older generations, probably because so many of them have seen their own families come apart in divorces. They prefer to think of parents as friends rather than role models for their own lives.
Gen-Xers were influenced by an era of widespread cynicism; they have a marked distrust of institutions and traditions. Self reliant Gen-Xers feel that to a large extent they’ve developed themselves. They know that appearances can be misleading, so they’re always trying to see what’s really going on.
Gen-X believes in “savvy”, the kind of streetwise knowledge that gets it through whatever happens. They have learned that information doesn’t automatically show them the truth. Only by being streetwise and navigating through the confusion placed in front of them will they get to reality.
This naturally affects their view of marketing. Basically, they sneer at the calculated efforts to capture their attention and sell them something. Some marketers have turned “antimarketing” to cash in on this, but with varying degrees of success. Ads that don’t look like ads are sometimes successful, but anything that looks like playing on Gen-X stereotypes will be poorly received.
Gen-Xers will carry this “savvy” into their forties and beyond. It’s the strength that has enabled them to succeed despite the uncertainty that has surrounded them since Dad lost his job and their parents got divorced. They don’t want to recreate their parents’ lives; they want something much better.
The members of Gen-X have a different view of womanhood from earlier generations. They got used to their mothers having jobs and even careers — often with no father figure in sight. They perceive women as intelligent individuals with knowledge and abilities that are the equal to those of men. This has made Gen-X a generation of strong females and to some degree weakened the positions of males.
“Gen X’ers were the first generation raised where consumption is a way of life,” says Rob Frankel, author of “The Revenge of Brand X”. “Boomers bought stuff because they needed it; X’ers buy because they want it. The way to target Gen X’ers is by trying to convince them that other Gen X’ers are doing the same thing; something they can join and to which they can belong.”
Marketers have to understand that Gen-Xers will look for comparisons. They shop around for information and accumulate as much as they can before using their savvy to sort out what’s true.
They like contrasts and notice things that stand out from the background, and are disappointed by “more of the same”. They resist the “selling” component of marketing and look instead for the informational content.
With so much information at their fingertips because of the Internet, Gen-Xers enjoy carefully evaluating their choices and reaching purchasing decisions. Brand loyalty is secondary to the impressions they form during the purchasing process. How can any marketer hope to succeed with Gen-X without spending a fortune?
1. Forget Long Copy Ads
Gen-Xers don’t want to waste their valuable time reading a lot of advertising. They want product details and (if they can believe it) a list of what a product or service can do for them.
2. Invest in Brands — Continuously
Because Gen-Xers’ brand loyalty is so fleeting, strong brands won’t stay strong unless they’re constantly reinforced in such a way that Gen-X believes is both truthful and offers them something they want.
3. Sell Online
Gen-X loves to buy online. They’ve made eBay what it is today and are willing to accept the risks that buying online entails.
4. What Worked for Baby Boomers Won’t Work for Them
Just because it worked for the previous generation of 40-year olds don’t think it’s going to work for Gen-Xers hitting that milestone. Age has only made them more skeptical and distrustful of institutions.
5. They Don’t Talk to Strangers
Gen-X was raised with “stranger danger”. They rely on their own judgement and distrust marketing attempts to convince them. Unless they know you they won’t even listen to you, let alone make a purchase from you.
6. They Manage Lots of Information
They can juggle input from radio, TV, the Internet, PDAs, cellular phones and many other sources at the same time, largely by ignoring most of it. They sort through information quickly and don’t let techniques like repetition influence them nearly as much as previous generations.
7. They Appreciate Convenience
Gen-Xers want their lives to be simpler, faster and smoother. When they want something, especially information, they want it immediately. If they want to do their banking they want to do it now, so online is their preferred banking method. Whatever they do, they do it in the way that’s most convenient for them.
Gen-Xers do it their way and they do it by themselves. As they get older their independence and faith in their own abilities won’t change. Marketing to Gen-Xers is still possible, but only if you do it their way. They’ll value you for giving them information they can use and trust; they’ll reject you just as fast as they can if they find you’ve misrepresented anything.
Copyright 2005, RAN ONE Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from www.ranone.com.
Chris’ combination of academic credentials, career experience and temperament ideally suit his calling as a business development advisor. Clients say he has a mind for business and a heart for service.