How Generational Fractures Impact Target Demographics
“We want to target millennials.”
Too often, we as marketers fall victim to generalizing a generation as one group of people. Millennials are this. Baby Boomers are that. If we’ve learned anything from this recent pandemic, it’s that not only is each generation affected differently by these life-changing events, but groups of people within these generations are affected directly.
In other words, these life-changing events create ‘generational fractures’ that cause groups within a generation to think differently about what they value and how they view the world.
While the ages of generational divides can be a little blurred based on source, consumers have assimilated into the generations they were born into—from socially savvy Gen Zers to industry-crushing millennials.
To really understand a target audience, marketers need to dive deeper to recognize what makes these consumers tick and what major events have shaped their world views. That’s where generational fractures come in. A generational fracture is a large-scale event that touches all parts of our lives and affects how people interact with the world around them forever in the wake of this event. Some generations have lived through multiple generational fracturing events, but every generation has experienced at least one.
Depending on the age someone is, they will have a very different reaction to the event. People who are technically the same generation but at different stages in life will have different reactions to the event and therefore different worldviews and value systems after.
“Married with young children” is a life stage that could apply to someone 25, 35 or 45, but each of these age groups are closer in needs than they are to someone the same age who is single without children. Marketers may find more commonalities in life stages than they do in generations.
For example, a Gen Xer who recently purchased a new home may have more in common in terms of purchasing behavior with a millennial who just purchased a home than with another Gen Xer who has lived in the same home for 15 years. Identify different life stages in each generation and the generational fractures that separate their values to best target and understand each audience.
Remember to avoid stereotyping generations and don’t try to be ‘hip’ or ‘cool’ just to appeal to a younger audience. It’s alright to evolve, but not to change the brand identity overnight.