Advanced marketing to Gen X

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Advanced marketing to Gen X trailing-edge
Boomers

• Suzanne Kart, M.A.
• Director of Marketing, LERN

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What will we cover

• Define trailing-edge Boomers Gen X
• How to use generational characteristics to
  effectively market to these groups
• Discuss how to use social media to reach these
  groups
• Discuss traditional methods of reaching these
  groups

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Four generations of adults

• Matures born before 1946
• Baby boomers born 1946-1964
• Gen Xers born 1965-1980
• Millennials born after 1980.

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So what does this all mean?

• Times are changing and age does matter

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How did Suzanne get interested in this topic?

• 1996
• 1997-2006
• 2007

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Who are the trailing-edge boomers?

• Born 1958-1964

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What makes 1958 different?

• It was the first year in a 11-year decline in
  births

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Why is this group more X than Boomer?

• 1956 male white-collar workers surpassed
  blue-collar workers.
• First generation to be raised in predominantly
  white collar households.

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Why is this group more X than Boomer?

• Kindergartners of the JFK assassination
• Six-graders of the Kent State shootings
• High-schoolers of Watergate
• College students of the Iran hostage standoff

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Why is this group more X than Boomer?

• First generation to be diagnosed with Attention
  Deficit Disorder and treated with medication.

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Why is this group more X than Boomer?

• During leading-edge boomer years, lawmakers
  lowered the drinking age to 18.
• In 1978, states began raising the age to 21 again.

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Miami Rhapsody clip
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Who are Gen Xers?

• People born between 1964 and 1980.

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No longer the disaffected youth
No
YES
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Gen X childhood A snapshot from American
Demographics magazine

• First to grow up with computers
• First to play video games
• Grew up after the 60s
• Grew up after Watergate
• Grew up against the backdrop of Iran-Contra
• Our defining values Irony, realism and
  pragmatism

Information from Paradox, published in American
Demographics, May 2004
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They are skeptical of institutions

• Watergate, Iran-Contra, and
• Clintons half-truths about
• Lewinsky
• Paying dues is seen as outdated

Source 25 Sentences That Define a Generation, By
Graeme Codrington
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They have a unique style of learning

• Mosaic learning vs. linear learning
• Rapid-fire information consumption capability

Source 25 Sentences That Define a Generation, By
Graeme Codrington
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The impact of Title IX (in the USA)

• Title IX passed in US in 1972 created same
  education opportunities for boys girls

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The impact of marketing to children in the 1970s

• First time children were a serious marketing focus

From The Why Behind Generation X
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The impact of the 1970s

• Advertisers in the 70s made wild claims
• friends would admire you, your family would be
  happy, your grades would improve, and your teeth
  would never have cavities

Marketing to Generation X, Richie
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Example Hot Wheels
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Enjoli

• Commercials like this also put a lot of pressure
  on Gen X girls during the 1970s that they had to
  grow up and do it all.

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Skeptical

• Cynical Gen Xers are more likely to believe in
  UFOs than that Social Security will exist when
  they retire

Understanding Gen X, Foley LeFevre
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As adults Gen Xers are not brand loyal

• Theyre open to new things and theyre willing to
  try out your competitors even if theyve had a
  good experience with you in the past

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Using Technology

• Gen Xers are tech savvy

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Blogs

• Blogs are more than websites. They are a two-way
  conversation between the blogger and the reader.

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Whats on their minds?

• Try looking at Blogs to gauge the Gen X mindset.

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Using Blogs for market research

• Find out what are the topic subjects for Blogs.
• Blogpulse.com
• Technorati.com
• Both sites have a function for searching Blog
  trends.
• You are able to search 50 million blogs for
  FREE.

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How do I do this research?
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Start with your hunch

• If you have an idea for a Gen X topic, search the
  Blogs to see if anyone is talking about it.
• Bloggers are unlikely to identify themselves as
  Gen Xers, but look for common traits
• Short, punchy sentences
• Edgy humor.

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Dont just search once

• Consider yourself the observer of a focus group
  standing behind a one-way mirror. This is
  qualitative research, so you probably wont come
  away with hard stats.

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Its okay to ask questions

• Most Bloggers post an email address. If you have
  any additional questions, go ahead and send them.
  

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Went to Blogpulse
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Searched for cooking
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One of the links went to this post about raw
foods and it becomes possible course idea
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Twitter

• Twitter is a micro-blogging social networking
  tool where you can post short messages (no more
  than 140 characters).

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Its Twitter a fad?

• No.
• It already has 70 million users

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How do we use it?

• People have to be a follower to receive your
  tweets.
• Put a link on your website so that your regular
  customers can start to follow you.
• You also need to start following others.

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Twitter is a pull communication

• Good way to give people a heads up on something
  new
• Make it worth someones time to follow you,
  dont oversell, update.

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YouTubeMarket kids classes to Xer parents
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More YouTubestep aerobics
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And one more YouTubeRecreation center
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Cell phones

• Text messaging useful, but it is essential to
  get permission.
• Many people use Twitter on their cell phones.

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Podcasting
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Anyone can podcast

• Go to podcastalley.com, download the software.
• The camera that came with your computer has a
  microphone in it.
• Start podcasting!

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Keys to effective use of podcasts

• Keep them short
• Create something of interest people would
  probably be more interested in hearing from your
  instructor than hearing from an administrator
• Change them often

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Target marketing

• Reaching these groups can be tricky
• Best way to find out what Gen Xers want and how
  theyd like to receive information is to ask
  them.

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Getting Gen Xs attention takes work

• Graphic design
• Course Descriptions
• Headlines

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Creating layouts that attract Gen X readers

• If Gen Xers arent immediately drawn in to your
  publication, its unlikely that theyll take the
  time to read it.

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Newspapers

• Since the 1970s, newspapers have seen a
  significant shift in design
• From grey to colorful
• From text-based to art-based

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Examples
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Why is this significant to Xers?

• Hey, I thought the Xers dont read newspapers!
• True, but they do scan newspapers

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Another phenomenon

• The personal web page
• Web publishing is one of the most popular types
  of internet use
• Opportunity for Xers to experience graphic design
  first hand

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Gen Xers attempt graphic design

• Homemade web pages printed holiday newsletters
  have parallels with amateur photography

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Five key points for your graphic design

• When possible, use color

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Travel Brochure

• Why it works
• Contemporary colors and font
• Its a little sophisticated, even though its
  candy
• Used to promote Miami for kids.com

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Why this works

• Contemporary colors
• Humor (also looks like Mr. Bill)
• Background pictures also point back to some
  sophistication

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Why this works

• Vivid colors
• Referring to balance a Gen X mantra
• A little humor (Gen Xers are aging and staying in
  shape is harder)

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If you really want a professional look, hire a
professional

• Xers are savvy about design
• If you cant afford a designer, stick with clean,
  crisp, and clear designs

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Why this does NOT work for Gen X

• Its easy to spot a publisher template
• Crazy line graphics
• Use of the flying orb at top
• This blue/yellow color combination is very
  traditional

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Make sure your design incorporates a verbal
message

• Your design should help Gen X readers realize
  what are your key messages

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Example

• Why this works
• The feet are wet ?
• It feels like leisure (Gen Xers look for
  work/life balance).

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Example

• Why this works
• The guy is diving ?
• Its an unusual picture that catches your
  attention
• Again, work/life balance

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Learn from web pages, magazines, USA Today

• Lots of information
• Lots of choices
• Vignettes

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Example

• Why this works
• A lot of information in one place.
• The topics are separated using boxes and red
  subheads so you can scan it easily.

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Testimonials
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Testimonials

• Gen Xers can smell Baby boomer testimonials a
  mile away.
• If you dont use any Gen X testimonials, your
  target audience may not think the courses are for
  them.

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How can they tell?

• Every generation has its lingo.

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Jeff Gordinier clip
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So whats this got to do with testimonials?

• Xers interpret Boomers communication differently
  than Boomers intend them to.
• There are a few ways to tell if a testimonial is
  probably from an Xer (or will appeal to an Xer).

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Testimonial length

• Xer testimonials are exact and to the point.

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Look for simple language

• Xers use shorter words because they dont want to
  waste time.

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Stay away from corporate lingo

• A.K.A. Baby boomer slangauge
• Xers dont tend to use the Boomer corporate slag
• Synergy
• Synergize
• Synergistic
• Again, if you go back to the movie clip, the film
  makers were poking fun at corporate speak.

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Xers value uniqueness

• Gen X testimonials will point out value and
  uniqueness of your course (because Xers value
  uniqueness).

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Motivational speeches dont motivate Gen X

• A well-crafted motivating statement has impact on
  the Boomers, but Gen Xers will be skeptical.
• They want facts, not feelings.

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Some examples of testimonials that appeal to Xers
(not necessarily made by Xers.)

• "I love you guys.  You make me love my job." 
• Karina Becerra
• Miami Dade College
• Miami, FL
• Short to the point
• We cut our deficit by 100,000 after attending
  the
• LERN Convention. Thank you, LERN.
• Dan Poepard,
• Forest Lake, MN
• Fact based
• Id trample my grandma to hear Draves speak.
• Phil Housel
• Kerrville, TX
• Grandma humor

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Questions?

• Thank you!
• Suzanne Kart, LERN
• kart_at_lern.org
• www.lern.org