Gen Z and other demographic catch-alls
Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2024 6:43 am
This is like the C-suite problem but on a much bigger scale. These generational cohorts exist to describe people born in a certain period, but the idea that those people share the same values or think the same way about a product or service is questionable. We don’t make these assumptions in our daily lives, so why do so many companies make them with their marketing?
I often see research-based content that seeks to highlight differences between generations – for example in their views on sustainability or ESG. These studies tend to draw conclusions that some generations are more interested in these concepts than others. Most of these survey segmentations are nonsense, because research has repeatedly shown that generations do not think nearly as consistently as many companies assume. It’s as scientific as horoscopes, and the assumption that all people born between two days in a year will share common characteristics.
Brand purpose
There are few topics that polarise marketers as much as jamaica mobile phone numbers database brand purpose. But wherever you stand on the debate, a common problem is that purpose is seen as a marketing add-on instead of something that is embedded in the business itself. It is not authentic.
Many companies make the mistake in their communications of seeing purpose as a vehicle for joining in on conversations around the environment or society. But this focus on following the zeitgeist is problematic because it is not deep enough: purpose should be a foundation of the business, and something permanent — not something fleeting or a reaction to news events or popular causes.
I often see research-based content that seeks to highlight differences between generations – for example in their views on sustainability or ESG. These studies tend to draw conclusions that some generations are more interested in these concepts than others. Most of these survey segmentations are nonsense, because research has repeatedly shown that generations do not think nearly as consistently as many companies assume. It’s as scientific as horoscopes, and the assumption that all people born between two days in a year will share common characteristics.
Brand purpose
There are few topics that polarise marketers as much as jamaica mobile phone numbers database brand purpose. But wherever you stand on the debate, a common problem is that purpose is seen as a marketing add-on instead of something that is embedded in the business itself. It is not authentic.
Many companies make the mistake in their communications of seeing purpose as a vehicle for joining in on conversations around the environment or society. But this focus on following the zeitgeist is problematic because it is not deep enough: purpose should be a foundation of the business, and something permanent — not something fleeting or a reaction to news events or popular causes.