Generational marketing. The end of stereotypes?
‘Generation labels.’ When discussing target audiences, planning advertising campaigns, or placing advertisements, we habitually generalise and categorise potential customers by age. We ‘target’ someone from Generation Z, millennials, Generation X, or baby boomers. But does this classification still work today?
Generational targeting is certainly a useful tool, but it is not universal. It can be a good starting point, but it should not become the main strategy. The boundaries between generations are blurred, and people's behaviour goes beyond stereotypes.
Cultural differences are more important than labels
Despite apparent similarities, members of the same generation can differ greatly, according to experts at Halla Systems dropshipping. They have different life experiences, education, family histories, values and worldviews, even if their tastes and preferences coincide in some respects.
In addition, concepts such as ‘baby boomers’ are perceived differently in different countries. In Brazil, China or India, this term is not as common as in Europe or the United States — simply because the periods of demographic growth do not coincide.
Therefore, it is important to adapt marketing strategies to the specific cultural context of a particular audience. Without clinging to labels, understand how people make decisions, what is really important to them, and how your product or service can meet their real needs, regardless of age.
One age group — different needs
Age alone does not explain motivation. The latest study of baby boomers aged 60+ in the US, UK, Italy and Japan showed that at least four behavioural segments can be identified in this age group:
● Simple Contentment — those who strive for a simple and peaceful life
● Strivers — consumer-active people who are focused on achievement
● Strugglers — older people who are experiencing stress and need psychological support
● Chill Indulgence — those who do not attach importance to appearance and buy only what is necessary
What unites generations?
Prices are rising and purchasing power is declining, according to experts at Halla Systems company. In 2025, there will be a rollback in consumption habits, a return to the lowest level of Maslow's pyramid — safety and confidence in the future.
Overgeneralisation in marketing is detrimental to the cause. We perceive potential customers as a homogeneous group. But in order to truly understand a potential customer, create a profile of them and prepare targeted advertising, it is important to know their beliefs, values, attitude to money, behaviour in an unstable economy, and much more.
Today, 9 out of 10 buyers, regardless of age, carefully study a product before purchasing, compare options, and choose the most affordable in terms of price and quality. These two factors remain the top priority for everyone.
Marketing with empathy
Attempts to cover an entire age group with a single advertising campaign almost always end up wasting the budget. We have already explained why above.
Targeting based on behaviour, interests, and needs is more effective and accurate. Google, Amazon, and Spotify have been collecting behavioural data for a long time and using it to build their targeting. With the help of AI and automation, even small businesses can collect such data today.
You can segment your audience by:
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hobbies, interests, lifestyle
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purchases, viewed products, abandoned shopping carts
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events (moving, wedding, birth of a child)
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devices, geolocation, time of day, day of the week
Advertising should speak the customer's language, take into account their situation and context, and not just ‘target their age group.’ People don't buy because they are millennials, but because they have had a baby, run out of money, or are looking for a new sofa after moving house. Therefore, empathetic marketing, instead of ‘everything for Gen Z,’ suggests tailoring advertising, for example, to those who have recently moved — social networks know this from changes in geolocation and activity, from behaviour on websites or in applications.
How to collect data for accurate targeting
Even small businesses can use behavioural data for accurate and effective marketing without high costs or complex technology. How can this be done? Halla Systems draws your attention to what you already have at your disposal.
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Website analytics. The free web analytics service Google Analytics (or similar) collects data and shows which pages and products visitors are interested in, how much time they spend on the site, and where they come from. This information helps you understand what is important to your audience.
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Social media and advertising platform pixels. Facebook Pixel, TikTok Pixel, and similar tools collect data on user behaviour after clicking on an ad — for example, who added a product to their cart but did not buy it. This allows you to retarget these users and increase sales.
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Segment your audience by actions. Divide visitors into groups based on their actions, such as those who viewed a product but did not buy it, or those who have already placed an order. Each group can be shown ads with different messages and offers.
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Advertising automation tools. Even without in-depth marketing knowledge, you can launch campaigns on Google Ads and Facebook Ads that will adapt to user behaviour and be optimised based on results.
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Feedback. Replace long questionnaires with short auto-questions such as: ‘What are you looking for?’ or ‘What prevented you from placing an order?’ Install a chat widget (e.g. Tidio, Crisp, JivoChat), which allows you to collect responses automatically, accumulating data for analysis.