Target marketing based on age groupings is nothing new – advertising companies have been doing it for ages. However, this approach by Heineken struck me as particularly interesting from a generational perspective. The Heineken Ideas Brewery is in itself a great concept for the younger generations as it is allows consumers to share thoughts directly with the brewery and plays into the Xer and Millennial desire to be recognized as individuals with individual wants. Apparently the company wasn’t satisfied with its sales to the Boomer generation and decided to ask consumers their ideas for new products that would attract this… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Blog, Product DesignI’ve long recommended that employees connect younger employees with the elder statesmen (and women) of the company – either in addition to or instead of the traditional “next level up” mentor system. From a generational perspective, it seems that this youngest generation in the workforce has a sense of idealism that resonates with older generations – and is wholly lost on the Gen Xers in between. At MoSoConf – Canada’s mobile and social conference held in Saskatchewan last month – marketing exec Michael Douma delivered the keynote address with a speech titled “Thinking Like a Millennial in an Industry of… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Generations, Product Design, WorkplaceIn a recently issued report, “Life insurers cast the net wider net for growth: Enter Gen X” the Deloitte Center for Financial Services touches on many of the reasons why life insurers should put more resources behind targeting Generation X buyers, a market segment they have typically eschewed. The report is applicable beyond the life insurance industry, however, as it hits on several of the stereotypes that have kept Gen X out of the spotlight for many professional services. Namely, they have a different buying structure and skeptical nature, which makes for a longer, less easily controlled sales process. But… Read More
Categories: Blog, Product DesignYou have to appreciate the irony of a totally younger generation communication tool being used to explain an older generation. Check out this info graphic/comic that attempts to convince advertisers and businesses that their traditional target demographics are not aligned with the actual buying power in the country today. There are so many things I love about this. As I mentioned, an info graphic is such a Gen X and Millennial way of looking at things – content may be king, but only if it is entertaining! And yet the comic styling is classic Boomer. It really is brilliant piece. … Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Blog, Product DesignFollowing extensive market research, Chevrolet has designed two new models just for Millennials. As we’ve noted before, Millennials have proven to be less enthusiastic about automobiles than previous generations. They put off getting drivers licenses and say they prefer other forms of transportation. To make a car that Millennials could love, GM surveyed about 9,000 of them and then factored their input into two new designs, which were unveiled last week. GM enlisted MTV’s Scratch division to identify features that would appeal to the next generation of buyers. Among other preferences, they found that they love social media and connectivity…. Read More
Categories: Automotive, Product DesignMarketers and advertisers have all the reading material on Millennials they could ever want, in the form of books, surveys, and market research. Now, a new unit of NBCUniversal called Curve Films has produced a film that documents Millennials’ outlook and position in the marketplace. The film, “Y Now,” is aimed at Madison Avenue, and distills research about Millennials into 22 minutes of interviews with 9 real live Millennials. Each interview segment is designed to represent a different stage or type of the Millennial generation from those just out of school to those who have started careers and families. It… Read More
Categories: Blog, Product DesignMillennials expect technology to do just about everything for them. They even expect it to take the place of cash in the near future, according to a Visa survey. 80% of Millennials already shop online. Another 63% uses the Internet for financial transactions. 19% use their cell phones for that purpose, too. 8 in 10 Millennials now say they expect all shopping and transactions to take place online or through technology. 73% believe that should be possible using a smart phone or other mobile device. According to the survey, only 23% of Millennials’ purchases now involve cash, a figure that… Read More
Categories: Blog, Downloadable Media, Product DesignMacy’s, the venerable department store giant, is launching 13 new clothing brands and expanding 11 others to appeal to Millennial shoppers. Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren predicts Millennials will be “the single biggest purchasing group, bigger than the Baby Boomers,” and declares, “We must be the place of choice for this consumer.” As we’ve suggested here, Millennials can be divided into two distinct groups and so, smartly, some of Macy’s new brands will be targeted at consumers aged13-22 and others at those aged 19-30. Macy’s estimates that Millennials can spend at least $65 billion annually on department store retail fashion, alone…. Read More
Categories: Product DesignThe recent Intelligence Group survey of Millennials found that they interact with candidates and political parties in the same way the interact with their favorite brands: through causes and social media. In Millennials, the president of the Group sees “little distinction between airing their support for a candidate, a cause, a team, a movie, a birthday, or a pair of shoes they’ve purchased.” Indeed, brand loyalty and brand evangelism expressed through social media channels are key Millennial consumer traits that shape their political activity. Two-thirds of them said in the survey that social media activism was more effective at creating… Read More
Categories: Product Design, Voting Behavior