BRANDING   |   POSTED ON 03.02.2015

Each different generation has a specific culture that goes far beyond mere demographics. When you are defining your branding strategy your target generations need to be considered in detail. Your target generation will determine how you should speak, brand, market, engage and connect. They each have specific influencers, sales and marketing triggers, purchasing influencers and ideal leadership types that will ensure that they either respect your brand or not.

Traditionalists/Builders

Born: 1925-1945

Influenced by: Authority officials

Acceptable marketing channels: Radio and print advertising

Purchasing influencers: Brand emergence and storytelling

Idea influencers: Authoritarian commanders

2014 Example: Tennis Australia: Closer to the action

Baby Boomers

Born: 1946-1964

Influenced by: Evidential experts

Acceptable marketing channels: Traditional and mass media

Purchasing influencers: Brand loyal authorities

Idea influencers: Commanding thinkers

2014 Example: New Rules for Sponsorship-NAB

To promote the sponsorship of the Aussie Rules Grand Final, NAB ran a campaign and competition where winners not only won tickets but also ‘stand-ins’ who were delegated to complete the tasks they should have been doing on the day of the game.

Generation X

Born: 1965-1979

Influenced by: Pragmatic practitioners

Acceptable marketing channels: Targeted/direct media

Purchasing influencers: Brand experts

Idea influencers: Co-ordinating doers

2014 Example: Share a Coke – Coca-Cola

To reconnect with customers, Coca-Cola created a bottle with the 150 most popular Australian names printed on them. The campaign was so popular that it was rolled out around the world.

Generation Y / Millennials

Born: 1980-1994

Influenced by: Experiential peers

Acceptable marketing channels: Electronic or viral media and through friends

Purchasing influencers: Friends, no brand loyalty

Idea influencers: Empowering collaborators

2014 Example: Fair go bro – Virgin

Targeting ‘young always on’ and ‘lighter users’ of Virgin mobile services, the campaign used the lesser-known brother of Brad Pitt to ask for a fair go. The campaign worked over several stages to engage and allow friends to share the media.

Generation Z

Born: 1995-2010

Influenced by: User generated forums

Acceptable marketing channels: Interactive campaigns

Purchasing influencers: Positive brand association, trends and brand evangelism

Idea influencers: Ideal-inspiring co-creators

2014 Example: Mobile Medic – Australian Defence Force

The Australian Army challenged medical students to diagnose real injuries and ailments displayed on billboards and posters that linked to an augmented reality app. With the app, the students could use virtual stethoscopes, CT scans etc to aid their diagnosis and connect them to the brand.

Designing a campaign or brand with a specific generational audience in mind – contact brand agency Liquid Creativity to learn more.