Do you know what generation you belong to?
Marketers have given labels to groups of people born during a certain period of time in order to help identify whom they’re trying to reach. It helps to know what age group you’re looking to target when you are marketing your brand, product, or service. But do you know the classifications that are used and what ages/years it covers?
With the coronavirus pandemic there is expected to be an increase in babies born in the next eight to nine months, these babies, in turn, look to be given their own generational label the ‘Coronials’ or ‘Gen C’ defined by the pandemic.
The generations don’t just have age in common they have similar experiences, are subject to the same technologies and political situations which in turn leads them to be given a certain set of stereotypical attributes.
There are no hard or fast cut-offs for dates for each generation but there is a general agreement that aligns to the dates shown in the above chart.
If you find yourself on the cusp of a generation then choose the one that you most identify with.
Defining factors & stereotypes
Gen Z and Millennials tend to be adept at technology and are defined by social media. These are the generations that have taken to social media and made it their own. Most, if not all, social media influencers will fall within these generations.
Technology has helped shape generations, the Baby Boomers are defined by television which gave them the opportunity to be more connected with the world. Gen X is the generation of the computer age, whereas Millennials saw the launch of the internet and Gen Z is defined by mobile phones and wi-fi connectivity.
The following is a breakdown of some unique definitions attributed to the generations that can help to profile your target audience when looking to expand your brand reach.
Gen Z
The digital generation, heavy mobile phone users, tech-savvy, strong political views, more tolerant of others, Tik Tok, and Insta over Facebook!
Millennials
Most millennials found themselves joining the workforce during a recession, plus this generation spans a very turbulent political era too, with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan along with 9/11, 7/7, and other terrorist attacks.
They may be referred to as the entitled generation, the hipsters. They are tech-savvy and live on social media, are unique and ethical.
Gen X
Materialistic, into brands and luxury items, competitive, ambitious, strong work ethic, invented new music genres like; punk, indie, grunge, and techno.
There is a subsection to this generation that overlaps into the Millennials, those born between 1975 and 1985 who are referred to as Xennials – the older millennials, they are seen as the cross Over Generation.
Baby Boomers
The huge post-war generation, the ‘Flower Children’, ban the bomb movements, confident, idealists, revolutionary, into vinyl and movies, great consumers, and into environmental protection.
The Silent Generation
So named because it is thought they were told to keep quiet about their views on current affairs but in contrast played an important role in civil rights movements and lived through the Great Depression.
The Greatest Generation
Parents of the Baby Boomers grew up during the Great Depression and World War II.
Defining your target audience
When looking at your marketing strategy and communications plans you need to consider your target audience and using these classifications is one way for you to help build a persona of those you want to reach with your brand messages.
Once you have defined your target audience you will need to think about how best to reach them, by what medium and what messaging you should use. For example, don’t use Facebook if you want to target Gen Z, think Tik Tok, Insta, or Snapchat, for example.
Think in terms of your audience, what will resonate best with them, when trying to reach them and you will ultimately get better results.
