Marketing 5.0

CHAPTER 2Generation Gap: Marketing to Baby Boomers, X, Y, Z, and Alpha

A 25-year-old assistant marketing manager was assigned to design a print advertisement for a new product intended for Millennials. After conducting interviews with a sample of potential customers, she produced a beautiful ad with an eye-catching graphic and a one-line copy, followed by a website link as a call to action. What she did not anticipate was that her 50-year-old marketing manager complained about the lack of details on product features, advantages, and benefits on that print. Thinking that her manager did not understand the minimalistic marketing approach to Millennials, she quit her job—ironically confirming her manager's beliefs that younger staff could not accept criticism.

Today, this generational misalignment is happening in many organizations. Marketers around the world are facing the challenge of serving five different generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, Generation Z, and Generation Alpha. The first four of these generations make up the workforce. The majority of Baby Boomers are still in the workforce. However, Generation X now holds most of the leadership roles globally. Generation Y is now the largest in the workforce, while Generation Z is the newest entrants. These generations have different levels of tech-savviness. Looking at the market through the generational lense will help marketers understand the best way to implement the tech-driven Marketing 5.0.

Challenges ...