1、IPSOS VIEWS GENERATIONAL MARKETINGBreaking free from stereotypesEmmanuel ProbstSimon AtkinsonPeoples life stages and need states are often more important than their age.IntroductionGenerations are so often used as business buzzwords these days.Many of us in marketing and market research default to t

2、alking about and targeting Gen Z,Millennials,Gen X and Boomers.Its a segmentation which is widely accepted.But its also simplistic.The reality,as so often in life,is more nuanced.While specific“generational groups”might think,feel and act differently towards some of their purchases,there will be oth

3、er instances where specific traits apply across all age groups.Generational targeting can certainly make absolute sense.For example,in the U.S.comparisons have often been made between Baby Boomers,who were born into relative affluence,against the backdrop of fast economic growth and wider access to

4、mass consumption and their predecessors,the“Greatest Generation”,who had fought during the Second World War.But such distinctions may not always be relevant when it comes to Millennials,Gen Z and,coming soon,Generation Alpha.Such distinctions may generally amount to nothing less than life stage effe

5、cts1.Indeed,the latest research is showing that generational differences are fuzzy and even arbitrary at times2.We must always bear in mind that the categorisation we so often use,whichever country we are in,was defined in a specifically U.S.context.This paper urges caution about putting too much em

6、phasis on targeting one specific generation or another.As we illustrate,peoples life stages and need states are often more important than their age.Despite generational(or life stage,or age cohort)nuances,one fundamental truth remains:people crave connection.They want to feel seen,understood,and val