Why we shouldn’t be so focused on generational marketing

The web is awash with articles on generational marketing. How do you market to Millennials? What are the characteristics of Gen Z? We recycle tired stereotypes about each group and plan marketing campaigns around them. Is this really the best approach?

I’m not saying there’s no value in categorizing consumers by age, but I am saying that it’s far from the only way to segment the market, and it’s probably not the most useful. When we focus too much on age, we risk missing all the other characteristics that make people different and unique.

So let’s explore the pitfalls of rigid generational marketing and discover a better alternative.

In my teens, I moved 200 miles south from Liverpool to London. It was during this time that I discovered a troubling fact: that brands treat people differently depending on where they live. Marks and Spencer was, and still is, a countrywide department store selling everything from knickers to cucumbers. But when I went into their shops in London, the product offering was different from that in my home city. Londoners were sold nicer, trendier clothes than their northern brethren.

It was a sad fact that northerners were perceived to be less sophisticated. This type of attitude still prevails, although less so, thankfully. But it has always rankled me that I was treated differently because somebody in the Marks and Spencer marketing department in London decided to censor their offering due to my postcode. 

It’s the same with age. Terms like Millennials, Generation X, and Generation Z are thrown around like confetti when brands meet to discuss how to sell their wares. But isn’t it time we stopped putting people into a box because of where and when they were born? 

Demographics organises people by physical or external factors such as age, ethnicity, postcode, or income. Psychographics, on the other hand, deals with our internal characteristics, such as motivations and beliefs. While demographics help tell a brand what their customers are buying, psychographics can tell a brand why they bought it, which is much more valuable and, frankly, more interesting.

It is easy to categorize people by age. It’s much harder to talk about attitude because attitudes shift. Attitudes are less black and white and more gray and nuanced. We aren’t very good at nuance because it doesn’t make for easy-to-digest information. But if we’re going to understand consumers and, by extension, brands and their products, we must embrace subtlety. We must move from demographics to psychographics instead.

The internet has done a great job of democratizing the buying process. Now, we all get to see the same range a brand has to offer online, so where we live is less important. The unpredictability of global markets and extended retirement ages mean older generations are as cash-strapped as their younger counterparts. Older people are fitter than they used to be and can easily make themselves look younger these days. The lines between the generations have been blurred for some time.

And yet, our age is something we cannot change. But our perception of it can. According to the CPC, the Centre for Population Change, we define ‘old’ age as the age at which there is a 1% chance of dying. In 1955, men aged 52 had a 1% chance of dying. In 2015, it was age 63. But it’s not just about older people living longer. They also feel younger, and they behave as if they are younger, too. And at the same time, younger people are taking on attitudes traditionally associated with older people. 

Gen Z is the people born between 1996 and 2010, also known as the first true digital natives. Marketing teams get excited about this age group because they are young and can be reached easily through social media.

But something interesting is happening to Gen Z. Scarred by a lifetime of toxic social media and sick of being manipulated by algorithms, they are beginning to switch their phones off and seek out experiences that don’t involve technology, a bit like Generation X, who were born between 1965 and 1980, and Millennials, who were born between 1981 and 1996.

So, where does that leave the marketing department? It means it’s time to stop worrying about Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Instead, let’s examine attitude, not age. 

Engaging customers is a bit like dating. You may want to attract a twenty-something who enjoys extreme sports, but your signals are more loungewear. 

I sometimes work with a US-based company called Brand Lab. Brand Lab believes that “the real power of brand comes from within.” In tandem with consumer research, they encourage brands to examine themselves, what they have to offer, and how that is expressed.

Are you a brand that is fun, positive, and extroverted? Or are you serious, thoughtful, and technical? This language dictates everything in your marketing approach, from graphics to color, logo design, and the type of social media post you put out. By knowing yourself as a brand and being confident about your attitude and how to express that, you will attract customers who like your personality. Yes, sometimes that means a brand may attract a younger or older audience, but age is not the starting point. 

L’Oreal executes a strategy they call Universalisation. Their roll call of ambassadors includes a diverse age range, from Jane Fonda (87) to Elle Fanning (27). According to L’Oreal, these women are chosen for their unique representation of female strength. Their faces are used in their ad campaigns. This inclusive marketing strategy gives the brand a wide customer base. 

We get older every day. However, our attitudes grow at a different pace, and for some of us, certain attitudes may not change during our lifespan. Intergenerational marketing means brands can stop chasing what a particular age group likes and focus on the like itself. Hopefully, this will mean your brand can concentrate on delivering a message that rings true with your consumers because it won’t change too much. It will come from the heart. 

So what does all this mean for your marketing and branding work? Here are some ideas.

Use intergenerational casting to reflect age diversity authentically, and anchor your design in universal principles that feel timeless rather than trendy. For example, if you’re producing video, make sure to include a mix of different ages:

And keep the same in mind with your images, graphics, and other creative assets:

Opt for a versatile color palette — neither too muted nor too neon — to appeal broadly. Accessible typography is a must: clear, legible fonts in appropriate sizes ensure readability for all.

Most importantly, avoid age-based stereotypes in both imagery and tone; design with empathy, not assumptions.

Older people are tiresome has-beens, and young people are ignorant and foolish. It is easier to distill people down to a few soundbites than to look beyond a number. Older and younger generations have been pitted against one another when we have plenty in common. 

And yes, in avoiding the black and white, when we look into the gray, of course, there is room for demographics in marketing. It’s just a part of it, though—not the be-all and end-all. We are attracted by the same experiences at some point in our lives. Some of us grow out of them, some of us don’t. Either way, we are all connected in ways that need more exploration. 

Whatever marketing strategy you decide, visit Envato to discover every kind of asset for any kind of project, plus a full stack of AI tools, from VideoGen to ImageGen and more. For more inspiration on branding your creative business or doing branding work for clients, consider seasonal color trends and developing a brand bible.