Marketing Research – Generation X

Marketing Research and Promotional Message
Marketing Research and Promotional Message
Different individual social groups have different needs, perceptions, and attitudes and as a result will respond differently to marketing communications. Marketers must recognize this to make sure their message will have the necessary impact with their desired audience. This is especially true of the rather complex social group known as “Generation X”. The term “Gen X” refers to the post baby boom generation and generally covers those born from the early 1960s to the early 1980s. They would be adults of ages ranging from early 30s to roughly the early 50s and would be parents of today’s school aged children. Those in the “Gen X” group grew up during the birth of the Internet and are considered the most wired generation in American history (Miller, 2011). Gen Xers are more idealistic and entrepreneurial and generally resist the more common big businesses of the previous “boomer” generation. They are also the first generation with the expectation that their retirement must be self-funded, without reliance on a company provided pension or social security. Gen X is the first generation to have been considered to have less of a chance of achieving the same standard of living as their parents. They make less money individually than previous generations, but actually have a higher overall household income due to more women in the workforce and, as such, more two income families than in previous generations (Ehret, 2011).
Social Media Marketing
As the first generation with virtually unlimited access to information, they see through the popular marketing strategies that may have worked with the previous generations. They are a naturally rebellious and independent group and have the capacity, and willingness, to fact check anything and everything. They trust themselves first and the media least. More stock is put in the opinions of their friends and peers than the…