Having run a multi-state franchise company with multiple brands it became obvious to me early on that if one were to properly respond to the needs and desires of your customer base; you must indeed, understand generational marketing. The Xers have a completely different mindset than the Boomers or the Matures. As I thought about this I also realized that it did not matter if you business was big or small; if you were the franchisee or the franchisor. All businesses must understand who their customers are and how the think and how this relates to their buying behavior. I am going to recommend a book to you, which you should go out and read immediately: Rocking The Ages-The Yanelovich Report on Generational Marketing By J. Walker Smith and Ann Clurman. This is a great book and it should be read by everyone who owns a business; big or small. It starts out and ends with an interesting thing that happened at Playtex. Youll have to read the book to understand. It discusses the Xers, Boomers and Matures (those citizens who grew up right after the depression. Their buying habits and thought processes that go through their heads when making a buying decision. If you will read this book now and then think about it as you watch the Olympic games and how they market TV ads, you will see the trends and the target market. You may say to yourself that was a great commercial or that commercial is stupid. Well the one that will be considered stupid to you will be absolutely brilliant to a person of another time period. Look at the Dell commercial, Youre getting a Dell, Dude! this commercial as funny as it is relates to all age groups and if you read Advertising Age Magazine this quarter you will see articles which rank that ad amongst the Taco Bell Dog, Wheres the Beef, Have it Your Way, Joe Izusu, Lindsey Wagner Ford Commercials, E-Trade, and Fed Exs newest ads. They are playing to a whole new marketing segment. They are blending the commercials to meet all age groups. Do yourself and you business a big favor, read this book and then think on it. |
