How to Build an Advertising Strategy For Different Generations

Nowadays, there are representatives of four generations on the Internet: the Baby Boomers - people over 49 years old; Generation X, the youngest of whom are 35 years old; then people of the decade following the Gen X – Millennials – Gen Y; and, finally, young people from the digital Generation Z. All of them have their own interests and values formed under the influence of the world in which they grew up. In this article, we will talk about how to hook each generation and especially those over 40 with the advertisement.

Teenagers and young people under 20 years old were born in the era of digital technologies. They are heavy users of the social media platforms, cannot imagine life without the Internet; they trust brands and idols.

Young people are resistant to advertisement because they were growing up with it. To get them interested, come up with a non-trivial move. They will be hooked by a short and informative ad: minimum of text and maximum of visualization. The picture or the video should be bright
and catchy, as these people prefer to watch rather than read.

Generation Zer is a minimalist. They are not ready to waste money. They will only buy what is important and interesting to them. They prefer online shopping and are subject to viral ads.

Generation Y - they are current between 21 – 34 years old. They believe in themselves and think big. They are easygoing, tend to quickly change jobs and place of residence.

They are sociable and like companies. However, they seek solitude - they love closed groups and communities. They try to lead a healthy lifestyle. Before buying some food they meticulously study what it is made of.

They like advertisements that have mission and a development vector. Before buying a product, they will carefully study and compare all the characteristics and prices on the sites. Gen Y are fall for bonuses, discounts and gifts. They appreciate comfort, prefer to buy one expensive and high-quality thing instead of a dozen cheap and dubious ones.

The age of this group is between 35 – 49 years old. It is a generation of cynics who were living in Perestroika time. They rely only on themselves. They are incredulous, competent, prefer to simplify everything. They
are mavericks, supporters of non-standard decisions and actions. They want to give anything a try once. Everything new always stirs their interest.

Generation X is the most susceptible to advertisements. They prefer to receive information about the world through the text rather than pictures. The choice is important for them, because they grew up in a period when they did not have it. These people are in favor of an alternative. They
analyze the quality and reliability of the manufacturer before making the
purchase.

People are between 49 - 70 years old also prefer text instead of visualization. What matters to them is not the packaging of the goods, but
the benefits of them. They do not understand brands, and therefore they are not inclined to 'chase the tag' game.These loyal and reliable consumers value quality. If they liked a product once, they would buy it again and again.

If you sell goods for those who are over 40, your audience is Gen X and Boomers. Let’s see how to make an ad for these categories in order to hook them.

Text is the basis of advertising. After all, both of these generations prefer to read rather than watch videos or pictures. Write in accessible language. The text should be easy to read and understand. Do not use youth slang and foreign words. Focus on the health and well-being of customers in the ad.

Make a bet on the availability of the goods purchase. Gen X and Boomers are willing to pay more for convenience. For instance, they will appreciate home delivery.

Describe all the benefits of the bought product. If it’s a service, describe the life with the illustrative examples before receiving the service and after.

Do not look for the pictures only, be truthful. Photos in the ad should be vivid and memorable, but at the same time realistic. Do not put pictures of the models in age with expensive clothes or 90-60-90 body shapes. Show everyday life. The audience should associate themselves with the characters.

So, to summarize, Gen Z prefers visual viral advertisements, trusts brands and opinion leaders. Gen Y likes to study reviews and compare product characteristics, fall for bonuses and discounts. Gen X also likes to analyze. They make the choice depending on the reliability of both: goods and manufacturers. For Baby Boomers the main thing is not a brand, but the quality of the goods.

Written by Denis Lagutenko, Founder at AdsProfit, WOW NAIL, ProTraffic

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