Close the generation gap to connect with customers, employees By Traci Matt Associate Editor . today’s world there are more peo- ple living—and living longer— than ever before in recorded history. This means more generations acting on their own idiosyncrasies, more conflicting values, and more potential for misunder- standing between age groups. Businesses which recognize and act upon these dif- ferences will be ahead of the competition. In order to communicate effectively with potential customers and employees you must find a way to grab their atten- tion with a message that is relevant to them, according to marketing expert Laura Lake. “Generational determined lifestyles and social values exercise as much influ- ence on buying and purchasing as more commonly understood demographic factors like income, education, and gender do—perhaps even more.” Lake said in order to market across generations you must understand how the motivation of your consumers correlate with the underlying values of their gener- ation. You can then present a relevant mes- sage regarding your products and services. Here is a snapshot of today’s genera- tion groups in the United States: ¢ The Mature Citizens—born between 1909 and 1945; 57.8 million live births ¢ Baby Boomers—born between 1946 and 1964; 82.8 million live births ¢ Generation X—born between 1965 and 1980; 58.9 million live births ¢ Generation Y—born between 1980 and 1994; 80.5 million live births Some demographers include children born today in Generation Y; others begin a new segment called “Generation Z,” “The Internet Generation” or “The New Silent Generation” and generally include those born after 9/11 in this population segment. The mature generation The group of Americans born after the turn of the 20th century and before 1945 is today called the Mature Generation. Some demographers include subgroups termed “The GI Generation” or “The Silent Generation” within this segment. This cohort is currently almost entirely retired. They were the first Americans to allow marketing to direct their existence. As men and women began to recover from the sacrifices made as a result of two world wars, the advertising world pounced on an opportunity to encourage indulgence in post-war prosperity. In addition to the world wars, this gen- eration’s defining events and trends include The Great Depression, New Deal, birth of the Cold War, Korean War, and suburban- ization. According to the Center for Mature Consumer Studies, these consumers are the most likely drivers of luxury cars. They are conservative when it comes to where they spend money and tend to use referrals, buy name brands, and avoid uncertain purchas- es. Conventional advertising such as direct mail, print ads, special promotions, and point-of-purchase displays remain the best ways to reach this segment of the popula- tion. Center for Mature Consumer Studies Director George Moschis said, however, that the Mature Generation is not out of reach of the Internet. “Seniors are very results oriented. If you show them benefits, they will use the Internet,’ he said. “Once seniors do become involved in Internet technology, they are devoted participants who can commit great amounts of time. In fact, seniors who have access to the Internet are twice as likely as younger people to use the technology.” The Baby Boomers Although the cry of some marketing execs is: “Move over Baby Boomers, and make room for Generation X,’ the Boomers continue to be the driving force of marketing in the United States based on sheer numbers—literally millions more people than any other demographic. They spend more than $2 trillion each year on consumer goods and services. Although most are empty-nesters, 36 percent of this generation still has a child under 18 living at home. This translates into the highest potential car-repair house- hold out there. One-third of this cohort live in single-income homes, although that doesn’t mean there is only one person liv- ing in the home. Married Boomers are much more particular about where they spend money than singles. This generation was shaped by the Cold War, Vietnam War, civil rights move- ment, the first Apollo moon landing, and the rise of the T.V. According to A.C. Nielsen Co., by the time the average Baby Boomer reaches age 65, he or she will have spent nine years in front of the televi- sion. Research by Insight Express has revealed this group is embracing mobile communication at a higher rate than expected. Approximately 80 percent of Boomers own a mobile phone, and 13 per- cent of them send text messages on a daily basis. Some even admit to texting while driving —a behavior most attribute exclu- sively to younger drivers. Researchers say this generation is the most likely to use a combination of old and new media to make purchasing deci- sions. The average Boomer spends 123 minutes a day on the Internet, yet 76 per- cent also listen to the radio (the highest of any group), and 57 percent read a local new