How Different Generations Choose Different brands

In the first class of Consumer Behaviour, we learned about the behaviour of different target customer groups depending on their age, gender, generation or current life situation. In today’s article, I will present to you how different generations choose different brands based on an interesting 2018 WARC article I found about “How brands can effectively engage young consumers”. Being born in the first year of Generation Z (1997), I will compare my generation with the older ones when it comes to choosing a brand.

Before starting, let’s look at the 4 categories that the generation have been split in to:

• Baby Boomer generation (born 1946-64, usually parents of Millennials)
• Generation X (born 1965-79, usually parents of Gen Z)
• Generation Y / Millennials (born 1980-1996)
• Generation Z (born 1997-2012)

1. 1 Generation Z has a shorter attention span than the older generations

(Van den Bergh, 2018)

And a Case study: “Skincare brand Garnier developed an augmented reality app to bring Egor Kreed – Russia’s biggest pop star – to life in virtual reality. Girls who bought the Pure 3-in-1 face cleanser and downloaded Garnier’s Pure app saw a mini version of the singer greeting them by name and performing a dance routine. They could then record themselves dancing next to the pop star and share their videos on social media to win a real-life performance from Kreed. More than 21,000 unique videos were created and shared and sales of the product went up by 49%.In the image above we can observe”

Young customers are multi-screening on more than one platform at a time (most important ones being Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube), that meaning their attention needs to be captured on multichannel – on mobile, video, social as well as offline too. Millennials are more likely to play games when watching TV or look for info about the brands they see in commercials.  Older generations like X or Baby Boomers are more interested in surfing the internet and checking the e-mails as a side activity when watching TV.

1. 2 Generation Z looks for innovation and personalization when looking for a brand

(Van den Bergh, 2018)

When it comes to what are the important characteristics for a brand or product our parents are probably looking for a clear, simple and authentic brand rather than a trendy one. Younger generations are more into more innovative, that allows personalisation and represents them as a person. But in the end, everybody is looking for a product or brand that makes them happy.

1. 3 Generation Z appear more career-minded, willing to sacrifice fun for money

                                                          (Van den Bergh, 2018)

I must be honest and say this one surprised me in a good way. I see more and more young people wanting to start their own business and older generations are encouraging this, starting from Gary Vaynerchuk giving advice to youngsters on how to grow on social media and in business and finishing with young people like Henry who started his official business journey at the age of nine when he launched children’s brand Not Before Tea. That means that younger generations start looking for brands that show them how they can improve themselves or their lives are appreciated and products that can help them pursue their dreams and become successful in life.

Millennials are looking more for a good work/life balance and older generations are looking for a safer approach, preferring being close to family and having a secure financial situation.

In conclusion, younger generations are looking for brands that are unique and give the option to personalize their products to create their own identity or show their talent. Older generations are more likely to identify with a brand that is simpler and more practical to their needs. With the information I have given you can you relate this to yourself, your friends and your relatives (grandparents, parents, siblings, etc)?