Generational Marketing - Gen X

Generation X " the cohort of consumers aged 18 - 29, who were profoundly affected by the economic recession of the early 1990's" Soloman 2006

Generation X is commonly abbreviated to Gen X. This generation was born after the baby boom ended, the earliest birth dates used by researchers ranging from 1961 to the latest in 1981. The term Generation X has been used in demography, the social sciences and marketing though it is most often used in popular culture. There is a population of about 60million people who fall into Generation X.

Music for Advertising

The top hit songs of the 1990's were;

1. Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit 1991
2. U2, One 1991
3. Backstreet Boys, I Want It That Way 1999
4. Whitney Houston, I Will Always Love You 1992
5. Madonna, Vogue 1990
6. Sir Mix-A-Lot, Baby One More Time 1999
7. Britney Spears, Baby One More Time 1999
8. TLC, Waterfalls 1994
9. R.E.M, Losing My Religion 1991
10. Sineado’Connor, Nothing Compares To You 1990

These are songs that all age groups within the Gen X category can remember and relate to. Marketers that want to market to this particular generation could use these hit songs to reach them through nostalgia advertising.

Values

The number of divorces granted in the UK in 1961 was 27,000. This doubled to 56,000 by 1969, and doubled again to 125,000 divorces by 1972. This fact would have effected peoples values and this generation changed dramatically from the previous Baby Boomers.

Technology

Gen X would have grown up with technology booming. They had Colour TV with 30+ channels, VCRs, Nintendo Game Consoles and also Sir Timmothy John invents the World Wide Web at the start of the 90's.

Personality / Attitude

• They like money, but they also say they want balance in their lives, this makes it hard to influence them to buy
• They're self reliant and impatient
• When thousands of their parents were laid off in the early 1990s, Gen X decided company loyalty was a 'sucker act'
• Gen X adopts chameleon personality to cope - meaning the like to go with the flow and keep up to date with the latest tech

This group consumes media differently than earlier generations. Communicating with them through traditional marketing channels can be difficult. So to communicate your message, and get them to take action, research has found that the best way is with a combination of online marketing and direct mail. Direct mail is one of the most powerful ways to market to Gen X according to a recent study conducted by InnoMedia, NuStats, and Vertis. They say that 86% of Gen Xers bring in the mail the day it's delivered. Furthermore, 68% of Gen X retail direct mail readers have used coupons received in the mail. Gen X consumers rate 75% of the mail they receive as valuable.