Generational Marketing Mix
Generational Marketing Mix
Abstract
This paper reflects upon the different marketing techniques that companies use to market to generations. Advertising companies will not be successful if they use the same ideas and techniques to market to different age groups. By using different styles, companies are able to reach the different generations.
The marketing departments of large companies are tasked with a huge challenge: advertising their products to the different generations that will utilize the products. There are five generational segments that advertisers aim to reach. These are Tweens, Teens, Generation Y, Generation X and Baby Boomers. Each generational segment is currently in a different stage in life, therefore they are looking for different things to spend their money on.
Tweens are those who are age 8-12. Hatchimals is a product that is marketed towards tweens. Their advertisements show how excited kids become when their Hatchimal begins to hatch. The advertisement shows children rubbing their Hatchimal in order to help it hatch, while the entire family looks on. While tweens like online gaming and doing what their older siblings do, tweens seem to flock to these Hatchimals due to the fact that Hatchimals are unlike any other toys that are available to them. This past holiday season, Hatchimals were extremely hard to find and were selling online for over $200. The item had an original price of $60, which made for people seeking the Hatchimals out in hopes of making a large profit. Hatchimals are sold by Spin Master, and their website offers insight into the other products they offer, which also includes an online gaming section. The ads on the website appear to be ethical and socially responsible. The company focuses on toys that inspire children’s imaginations instead of only online games. Spin Master’s vision is to, “Make Life More Fun” (Spin Master, n.d.), and they certainly seem to do that. Spin Master does sponsor events, such as the Paw Patrol Roll Patrol Tour, where kids can meet their favorite Paw Patrol characters. Spin Master does not have a code of ethics that I could find on their website.
Teens are those aged 13-19 and they spend a large amount of time online. One product that appeals to teens is Proactiv. Teens like to document every aspect of their lives in photos, so acne makes them feel self-conscious. Proactiv uses celebrities, such as Adam Levine, to show teens that celebrities have felt the same way in their lives. By using Proactiv, teens can be prettier and more popular, or so the website will have you believe. I do not feel that the company is very ethical in their advertising, as they are preying on teenager’s insecurities. Proactiv’s website does not offer much about the company, other than a history. They do have a slogan on their page, “With over two decades of skincare innovation and more than 20 million customers worldwide, there’s a reason Proactiv is the #1 acne brand in America!” (Proactiv, n.d.), which seems to be more towards selling a product than helping out in the community. I was unable to locate Proactiv’s vision, code of ethics, or determine if they participate in their community.
Generation Y is also known as Millennials, and this group was born from 1979 to 1994 so there is a 15-year age span in this group. One product that is geared towards this group is the Chevrolet Equinox. The Equinox appeals to the differing ages in the group as a tech-savvy sporty vehicle that is spacious enough for a small family. Chevrolet produces advertisements that are both ethical and socially responsible. Chevrolet is owned by General Motors, and their mission is simple, “To earn customers for life” (General Motors, n.d.). General Motors seems to care about their customers and they do not appear to just want to sell a car. They are eager to build a relationship with the buyer. General Motors supports their communities in numerous ways, one of which being recycling water bottles from Flint, Michigan where there is a water crisis. General Motors Code of Ethics includes taking personal responsibility and acting with integrity. General Motors has recently had some recalls due to safety issues, a problem that they are encouraging those affected to speak out about.
Generation X includes those born between 1965 and 1978. This group is in their more mature years, and are earning more money than the other generations. A product that is aimed towards Generation X is IcyHot. IcyHot is a pain relieving rub that helps to alleviate pain that may occur while working. There are many different products in the IcyHot line, and Shaq is their popular spokesman. Work ethic is very important to Gen X’ers and IcyHot aims to get them out of pain and back to work. IcyHot is distributed by Sanofi, and their mission is, “to constantly empower and receive the best value from our suppliers in terms of quality, reliability, service, competitiveness, and innovation, while ensuring the complete respect of our Group’s Code of Ethics and Compliance” (Sanofi, n.d.). IcyHot has a motto of, “As long as people are in pain, Icy Hot will be there to relieve it” (IcyHot, n.d.) and they seem to stand behind that motto. Sanofi’s code of ethics is very important to them and it stresses the importance of doing what is right. Sanofi is very invested in their communities and works to preserve the environment. Sanofi is also committed to working with their patients to ensure that patients receive the medications that they need, with the Sanofi Patient Connection.