Us — GenZ and how marketers view other older generation
What could we follow up with?
The market somehow viewed us as some digitally savvy, early adopters. If they actually want to make a trend, the marketer usually focuses on us. It is because of some following reasons.
The first is we’re more likely to have a better realistic portrayal than other genres, especially without the intention of building personal branding. It’s merely because we were born in a period when the internet became the mainstream. Therefore, we’re using it as something like everyday life, another world but still have a genuine over there.
Another reason would be we’re more likely to get involved in worldwide problems like climate change, racism, and human rights. If there’s a trend that relates to these things, our most dominant population part would make the trend even bigger. Of course, this still depends much more on how the message is conveyed to us, but most of the time, we’ll value those important things.
How about other generations?
Generation Y — Millennials
When the wave of social media has been exposed, this generation is the most early affected by its effects, especially in how they express themselves. Usually will follow what other peers say, also need some approval from friends. In this way, there are not even some ads that influence them, through other people’s opinions, it’s sufficient for them to seek information. Or, through searching online information, searching for what’s material, and some reviews around the way. Now marketers have fewer ways to impact the customer. The more content is distributed, the more effort marketers have to make in order to impact users. Especially in today’s wave of social media started becoming a part of our daily life.
But there’s one point I want to address here. Of course, it might upset you but it’s the truth. Though people tend to rely on their trust, marketers still can hear what that opinion is through social listening. I am nothing wrong with it here, you’re using apps for free, primarily through messaging, and calling. The thing a company wants from you are those conversations between your friends, it’s more realistic than forcing you to fill out the form.
It is called Big Data. Developers will start analyzing those data, marketers will have that analysis, and start making insights, and appropriate modifications through indirectly listening to you. That’s the price for using it for free. I mean life is all about give and take, you can’t use other people’s efforts for free.
This time, mostly this generation would prefer something rather than ownership. That’s why subscription is more dominant in the market. Businesses get more money from subscriptions rather than some products that last long. It doesn’t require much repairs, therefore it relies more on how to spread and rewrite your brain so that new products matter more than the old ones. You have to throw away the old one to buy a new one. The same thing happens for Elon Musk’s cars.
This generation now covers most of the workforce. Their personality can be separated into categories. The first part would be that ‘professionalism’, born in the 1980s, notably this time happened financial crisis. They will be more aware of the line between their own lives as well as how the playground should not affect their work. However, this line is much more ‘grey’ in the later 1990s, when opportunities are more opened to people, mindset slowly changed from being ‘professional’ to blending between interest and work, meaning they seek something that could fulfill their life rather than something that could bring more money.
Generation X
In their own lives, this period is more likely to be expressed through the portrayal of the film Friends. They have more time with peers rather than family, it’s the incentive to make that one become trendy. If you’re an IETLS learner, we might see it but don’t think you’re Gen X. This generation is exposed to some technologies shifting from DVD to MTV and MP3. Unlike Generation Y, their experiences give them a better role in the workforce, meaning a higher status when working. But because of the intolerance of Boomers, they tend to leave the company and create their own.
My mom and dad are Gen X, they’re not really open to the ‘weirdness’ Generation Z has. It’s not ‘Alright son tell me your own stories’ but would be something like ‘You’re son, equally have to hear me’. I find it hard to find myself in this background when most of my opinion is being suppressed by them. I am sorry for letting you read something out of the main focus. It’s some of my insights about this generation.
Marketers usually don’t pay much attention to this generation due to the lack of enjoying newly released technology. The products should be born with the purpose serving this specific might have us paying attention to. They don’t cover much of the population now, therefore, there ain’t much impact we could make if we point trendy things to this generation.
Baby Boomers
This gen experienced most of the turbulence of the Worldwide wars. For the sake of easier understanding, all the effects of those dangerous, lostness that derived from those unidentified benefit events were placed on their own shoulders. Because of those reasons, they’re unlikely to welcome modern technologies, therefore being reviewed with the lack of breaking the conventional. Nowadays, we tend to live healthier, as well as Baby Boomers, still some of them dominate the leader of companies, and some other younger generations (Millennials) tend to leave unto find a better place. This generation, however, used to be the main focus of marketers, partly the release of marketing 1.0
Now, the reason most of us find it hard is the living of all these generations all at once, in the wave of technologies. I myself find it hard to settle in these situations, therefore, our generation tends to be more depressed than any other gen. The most informative information I found from the psychologist from the University of Southern California is that we should impact the mindset of our parents (or they should be like) you have to listen to us to accept the gap and start learning how to listen.
And a small message to some depressed peers that have suffered with your parents (I’m genZ), each of us has our weakness, and we might find a good approach, slowly impacting their mindset. Don’t seek death, it’s not a good way to corporate with a situation, find something healthier.
Reference: Marketing 5.0
