When it comes to how consumers want to hear from marketers, it’s not surprising to learn that different generations express different channel preferences.
What is surprising turns out to be the extent of common ground, identified through research conducted by the data, technology and marketing services firm Data Axle. I recently asked Data Axle SVP strategy and consulting Stacia Goddard to fill us in.
Paul Talbot: Where is the common ground on marketing shared by Boomers, Millennials, Gen X and Gen Z?
Stacia Goddard: When it comes to marketing preferences, the amount of common ground among generations might be surprising.
Across the board, consumers want personalized communications and experiences from brands they have relationships with and are loyal to. We found that 88% of Millennials share this desire, followed by 87% of Gen Z and 82% of Gen X. At 77%, Boomers also show a strong desire for one-to-one acknowledgment from advertisers.
In regard to channel preferences, every generation is looking to communicate with brands via email. In fact, all generations except Gen Z name email as their top preferred channel for brand communications. Millennials desire it most, at 64%, followed by Boomers at 58%. But even Gen Z, who ranks social media as their most preferred channel (at 63%), holds email as their second choice at 56%, outpacing Gen X at 53%.
Talbot: Where are the greatest disparities?
Goddard: Newer channels, like influencer marketing, reveal some of the largest disparities by age. Less than 4% of Boomers, for example, express interest in hearing from brands via influencers while nearly one in three (or 29%) of Gen Z does, more so than TV (27%), mail (23%), online advertising (23%) or text (19%).
We see similar trends with preferences for social media (20% of Boomers vs. 63% of Gen Z) and online advertising (25% of Boomers vs. 42% of Gen Z). On the flipside, Boomers are still much more eager to connect with brands via TV ads (40%) than Gen Z (27%), although CTV is gaining impact.
We also saw interesting disparities in how brands are building trust and loyalty among the generations. Gen X, for example, is most responsive to loyalty programs, with 57% saying these help earn their loyalty to the brand overall. Millennials are right there with them at 55%. Surprisingly, Boomers place the least importance on these programs, at 42%.
Talbot: How can marketers whose segments include each of these generations make the best use of this data?
Goddard: Brands should look at both sides of the data to create omni-channel programs that bring greater levels of personalization and engagement. Mass media can leverage generational insight to deliver more meaningful messaging, while addressable channels can become more personal on the micro-segment and individual level.
This data shows not only commonalities and disparities between generations, but also that there are differences within them.
Talbot: Media planners have historically used broad demographic targets, such as Adults 18-49. This strategy underscores the risks of broad reach, given that the interests of a 19-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman are likely to be quite different. How can your research help media planners develop what may be more relevant demographic targets?
Goddard: Without a doubt, brands and agencies need to be getting more granular in how they think about target audiences. Generational benchmarks such as ours form a foundation for a more-nuanced personalization approach.
From there, it’s important that marketers then seek out sources of data and signals that can help strategists and media planners dive even deeper into their target audiences, not just age-based insights, but also other demographic, attitudinal and behavioral characteristics as well as data indicating personal communication, channel and device preferences.
Talbot: Any other insights from the research you’d like to share?
Goddard: While this research compares generations, our intent was as much to look within them as across them. While overall each generation’s buying habits, media preferences and desire to engage with brands varies, it is important to note that generations are not segments, and even segments are too broad today.
Generations are populations with common characteristics based on shared historical life events and social mores, but generational insight needs to be combined with the personal attitudes and behaviors of the individuals within those generations.
This article was written by Paul Talbot from Forbes and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].
