Nielsen and comScore tell us from their stats that advertisers look at all of us through a generational lens. Coming from more than a decade in the television industry - both on-air and digital - I have long been taught to use information we know about what appeals to members of each of the four living generation in the US. I have brought those learnings to my work as a consultant, despite a lack of dialogue about this approach in social media and general marketing circles. This presentation was given 17th September 2010 at the Social Media Email Conference at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco (#SMMSF).

1. Email for the
Generations
Social tactics to trigger responses from the Greatest
Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennials
effectively.
Presented By Jennifer Lindsay
Jennifer Lindsay Digital and Host of The A-List

2. Defining Moments
There are four generational categories we can market to
in the US, largely defined by the ad industry
• Greatest Generation: born prior to 1946 (65-plus)
• Boomers: 1946-1964 (45-63)
• Generation X: 1965-1976 (33-44)
• Millennials: 1977-1994 (15-32)

3. The Millenials

4. Millennials
Characteristics
 Expect real-time
communication, consider
email “slow”
 Visually-oriented
 Need immediate gratification
 Share information they
consider valuable easily
 Friends = family
 Most likely brand advocates
Calls To Action
• Prefer to share via text and
Twitter
• Impulse buyers
• Will share deals as well as event
information easily
• Internet or mobile coupons ideal
• Battery chargers and in-store
WiFi entice
• If you hit a sweet spot, and they’ll
create a video about something
helpful or unusual

5. Gen Xers

6. Generation X
Characteristics
 Time considered a precious
commodity
 Actively use Facebook,
MySpace and Twitter
 Shop and price-check online
 Use email and text
interchangeably
 Self-reliant and individualistic
 Mistrust institutions
Calls To Action
 More than 80% of X-ers
actively text or email friends
deals
 Deliver quick hit info and
offers
 Reduce pressure by offering
little indulgences to make
purchasing / engaging less
onerous
 Communicate ways to keep
kids engaged – and parents
free

7. Boomers and Late-Boomers

8. Boomers
Characteristics
 Make up one-third of those
actively online
 Regular online shoppers and
big spenders
 Like spending recognition
 Comfortable with email
 Twitter is an untapped outlet:
Boomers increased Twitter
use 469% during 2009
Calls To Action
 Reach one and you can reach their
entire follower base with product info
and special offers
 Cash-back savings programs
 Upsell! Areas of interest include:
 Prescription medications
 Insurance
 Gifts for grandkids and kids
 Entertainment
 Travel
 Discount wines by the case

9. Optimizing For Boomers
 Boomers are still vital and evolving even as they approach
and reach retirement age
 The three basic life structures of Boomers: identity,
territoriality, and time
 Boomers’ identity is essentially optimistic, meaning they
have a vitality which makes them survivors, if not thrivers
 As Boomers age being close to home range becomes
more important
 As people age, their nostalgic yearnings grow, making
them more receptive to and long for positive memories of
the past

10. The GIs, The Lost and The Greatest

11. Greatest Generation
Characteristics
 Value-oriented: Want to
discuss areas of interest
 Spend most of their online
time using email and message
boards
 Baby Boomer children
influence adoption of
technology
 Asking for more social
features the more they are
exposed to gadgets such as
mobile phones
Calls To Action
 Email and message boards are
targeted channels to message
about senior discounts
 Messages need to be large
enough to be seen
 Special products addressing aging
issues and special packs for
smaller households are winners
 Message about ways you cater to
this age group, such as signage or
on-shelf or on-cart magnifying
glasses

12. Commonalities: Media &
Meals
 On average, the typical American consumes more than 35
hours of media per week across the three screens of TV,
Internet and mobile
 Across the generations, people are turning to cookbooks,
the Internet and TV for recipe ideas and less expensive in-
home entertainment as budget-conserving options
 Millennials are the most wired to the Internet, while
Generation X favors TV and the Greatest Generation reads
 As smartphones redefine customer media interaction, they
present enormous potential for generating buzz around
products, delivering timely product info and coupon codes,
and building community through brand advocacy

13. Email for the
Generations
Fin
Thank you for listening!
Questions?