Generational Marketing

Generation Marketing

A large number of Generation techniques have been used in marketing products to specific consumers, these have previously been done by: race, religion, age, education etc. These things are still used in some product but large organisations are now using Generation Marketing to help them market products specifically to an age group and or gender. Depending on which of these categories the consumer falls (i.e. Generation X), within this will determines the products in which they are more likely to purchase.

There are 6 Different Generation Marketing Groups you can fall within:

1. Tweens
2. Pester Power
3. Generation X
4. Generation Y
5. Baby Boomers
6. Over 50's

Generation X is the term often applied to the generation born between 1964 and 1981, right after the end of the post World War II baby boom (1946-1964) that's how the Babe Boomers got there name. Generation X is often abbreviated as Gen X, for a time Generating X was called the "Baby Bust" generation, because of the declining birth rate that started in 1964.


Generation X: 

• UK: Born between 1966 and 1984 (aged between 31-44).
• Likes: Sharing, Chilling, Being individualistic, Like being around friends. 
• Dislikes: Bossiness and Being told what to do.
• Characteristics: Hard-Headed, individualistic, Arrogant, Risk Taking.
• Health Issues that Define Generation X: HIV/AIDS
• Values: Family orientated, career driven
• Advertising: Don't trust them, Sceptical, Cynical. I needs to be surprising and unexpected to impress them.

Below is a link to some very useful information about marketing and how the development of strong Internet services has meant that there are more and more people going online to view more and more videos through YouTube, JustinTv etc, how that has allowed companies to advertise product so that the people in whom are watching those videos that adverts that appear along side them go appeal to a certain gender or generation.


http://video.about.com/onlineadvertising/Brian-Price---Verizon.htm


People that fall within the Generation X are conscious of there image, and fitting in is very important so this would also mean that i would make them very materialistic as people relate "cool" people with nice cloths and flash gadgets. 

 

There has been a slight decrease in that factor of fitting in according to WARC 28% of people within generation X feel that it is important to "Fit" in and Men are more conscious of this factor with 31% of the believing that it is more important to fit in then to be yourself.

Out of all the generation, Generation X are more likely to watch programes after they've been screened. In the 21st century this has become vastly easier than it was before iPlayer, ITV Player and Fiver. These on demand website allow users which have missed programmes due to their busy schedule or in wanting to watch other programes that are currently showing, so when they have some free time as long as they are within the UK and have access to the internet they will be able to watch online Tv and choose te programes in which they want to view. 

As you can see from the two vidoes above the media can make you see what they want you to see, products in which they produce will never have as much of an impact as they make out one their adverts, but they target self conscious people such as Generation X. Products will use people inprefections against them and try and sell them a product which may may little difference. 



Products for females in Generation X

Products for Males in Generation X

Personality and Self-Concept

Personality! What is it? And how do we “Gain” a Personality?

Personality is a collection of emotion, thought and behaviour patterns which make a person who they are. The personality of a person will be made up either through their Nature, Nurture or Birthing order. 

Nature argument would be that we have already been assigned as who we are going to be before we are even born through our characteristics and our DNA and as we get older these things come into play more and more. Scientist state that a person’s personality never changes, your views or opinions on things never change but the person you are will never change completely therefore people stay the same.

Nurture is the way in which you have been brought up, the ethics which you family stand for i.e. what’s right and what’s wrong. This means that your parents or the people around you will have an input into whom you are or who you will become. Therefore if there are more than one child within the family and if they were brought up in exactly the same way as his or her brother or sister shouldn’t they contain the same personality?

 

Birthing Order can have an effect on the personality the child will have. The oldest tend to be more responsible and reliable and a figure to look up towards whereas the youngest tend to be naughty or and attention seeking. This only happens some of the time, as this can vary depending on different people, sometimes they swap roles where you see the oldest acting out and attracting attention to themselves for the wrong reason and the youngest behind the quite hide behind the door type of person who just want to keep themselves to themselves.

I personally believe that all of the above have an impact on who you become, nature sets out the building blocks through Characteristics that come from your parents and therefore that’s why so many of us are compared to our parents in different means not just based on appearance also based on what type of personality you have. Nurture comes into play as you are growing up the people around you will teach you different times and this will shape you into the person you become. And personally I believe that birthing order has the least effect on your personality but will sometimes effect on how people will behave key example: Children which have been used to being the only child will “act up” to try and gain some of the attention which the parents or other friends and relatives are showing to the new addition to the family.

 

 Self Concept 

We all have an idea in mind of what we’re like and what we think we’re like, yet soon as someone switches on the camcorder 9/10 people would say “I don’t sound like that” me included. Our self concept of ourselves may be completely different to what other think of you. As people we are never satisfied with what we have, even though we could in a highly better position the less fortunate people we still seek for more. We all are insecure in one manner or the next as we all have things we wish we had or things we wish we could change therefore our self perception of ourselves could be slightly different to what we really are.