Top 10 misconceptions that sabotage marketing to mature audiences – #2

January 19th, 2010 by Robbie Magee

In recent decades, the rate of social, technological, educational, and economic change has accelerated to the point where different generations have grown up altogether with varying “standards” and life experiences. These differences have shaped the unique value systems of each generation.

Research indicates that the majority of intergenerational conflicts arise from value differences. Understanding generational values and how they have developed over the years can help us all to alleviate stress among the generations, as well as challenge one of the misconceptions that sabotage marketing to older audiences:

#2: Generation gaps are shrinking.

Just because older and younger generations’ lifestyles share similarities—especially when it comes to technology adaptation—don’t assume the gap is shrinking. In fact, the generation gap (historically referred to in the singular) appears to be multiplying.

Consider people who are now in their seventies: Married, working, and raising children at a young age, they followed the rules and did things by the book. They value discipline and doing the right thing, even if it means taking the more difficult route.  And, for accomplishing this,they wish to be respected.

By comparison, today’s fifty-year-olds grew up testing the system, pushing the limits. They paved the way, and expect their kids to do the same. “Boomers” want personal gratification, so messages such as, “Your contribution is unique,” work best. “Generation X-ers,” on the other hand, want independence. They like to hear, “Do it your way.”

According to Morris Massey in “The People Puzzle,” “we cannot change the generations, nor reconcile their differences.  Instead, we need to acknowledge the validity of their values, and to change how we motivate and work with differing generations.”

For marketers, the challenge is remembering that, unless we’ve experienced something personally, we can’t truly relate—or, to use an old hippy phrase, know where someone is “coming from.” Accept that we can’t change the way older audiences will perceive or evaluate our offerings.  Instead, believe that their reactions will be based on deeply held value systems and a lifetime of experiences that may differ greatly from our own.

We are, after all, products of our generations.

- Robbie Magee

This entry was posted by Robbie Magee on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 and is filed under Advertising, Communication, MF, Marketing, Mature Market, Senior Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.