The Generations within Generational Profiling: Senior Marketing Segmentation

I recently came off a project where I did, among many things, research and evaluate marketing and brand efforts for 55+ audiences. As a center-demo Gen X'er, I thought I was close enough to understand this generation as I was most relative to this cusp — I was soooo wrong. 

First and foremost, this is not a "Golden Age" of folks seeking a cave where they can curl up and await the reaper. Most audiences that approach this demarcation line do not see themselves as old. This is not simply the success of thought leaders like Growing Bolder, Toyota, and Geico that have led to this trend. Among many reasons is that we're medically living longer, and therefore we as consumers have slowly disregarded the categorical timing of the past. It also helps that 'brown water' and a cigarette aren't on everyone's lunch list - but I digress.

One of the many variables that were observed in my research was the lack of 55+ categorization. So let's take it from the top:

• The Silent Generation: Born 1928-1945.

• Baby Boomers: Born 1946-1964.

• Generation X: Born 1965-1980.

• Millennials: Born 1981-1996.

• Generation Z: Born 1997-2012.

• Centennials: Born 1995 and 2008

• Gen Z, Post-millennials or "iGen": Born between 2001 and 2019

Look, I get that most folks don't like the idea of categorization for themselves. Yes, we can always find SOMETHING that we have beef with regarding the sweeping generalizations put inside these buckets. "I play video games! I want to travel! I don't have three kids!" OK, WE GET IT! I'm not here to poll your lifestyle or your choice of apparel. 

I could live the rest of my life in cargo shorts, a heavy metal concert shirt, and sneakers. That said, I now pronate and use Superfeet Green's to minimize plantar fasciitis, so we have to accept what we cannot control. Sorry, everyone, for the tangent train you didn't realize you had a ticket for.

For ease of categorization and discussion, we will consider that this boomer generation started in 1945 and went to 1970. Just stop freaking out, and work with me. This is 35 years of subcategorization that requires further attention:

• 1945 - 1950 (post-war)

• 1950 - 1960 (the 50's)

• 1960 – 1970 (the 60's)

It can be easily argued that any generation can be subdivided into further granularity, no matter how brief. That said, to call all people from what is feasibly a 25-year span subset is a mass generalization and frankly should hold no [accurate] data. Now that I get ever closer to that age bracket, I can see why. In fact, I believe that this category has more individualism and profitably granularity than the coveted 'millennials.'

Empty Nesters…

Marketing hooks are not rocket science on the surface, no matter how hard agencies attempt to convince folks. We look at fundamental truths, fears, trends, passions, geolocation, and any number of other factors that we could 'riff' on to create a memorable/thought-provoking idea. That said, the older you become, these items, in many cases, begin to multiply; in some cases physically, some cumulative, and in others by proxy.

• For instance, 20 to 30s, perhaps you're single and have no children.

• 30 to 50s, you're now a parent with parental concerns and growing fiscal responsibilities.

• In your 60s to 80s – and now you're balancing children, grandchildren, your health, retirement, downsizing, interests, and looking to invest back into yourself as you did unknowingly during the first point.

• In your latter years of 80s plus, there are an even more massive array of passions and ideologies that were not present as you face mortality and seek solace and a refection.

... and btw, most brands are investing countless sums of money for generations that are two and three times removed to express these directives. No, I'm not saying, "get off my lawn." Still, I am saying that a 30-year-old person looking at a persona that's lived through countless historical events, fought in wars, been confronted with something like cancer, and lost their spouse to a heart attack, may not have trust understanding of their target even with a 100 terabytes of data.

Yes, "youth" is very much wasted on the young.