ALL IN ALL IS ALL WE ARE: Gen X Experiences Middle Age
DIGITAL EMBRACERS
When Gen Xers go shopping, the Internet is integral to their experience. But, likely because of their time and financial constraints, the way they shop online and interact with brands is often different from the ways younger generations do.
"Unlike Millennials, Gen X really has no interest in co-creating or engaging with brands—they don't want to post twenty videos on a brand’s Web site, they don’t want to see what other shoppers are doing necessarily—they're really using digital in a much more practical and information-gathering way," Brooks says. "Part of it comes from frugality—they need to make smart decisions with the money that they have, so they tend to be much more focused on the research aspects of what digital can do for them."
Companies need to provide Gen Xers with accurate information about their products, emphasizing quality, value, and function, and focus on building a rapport with them. Furthermore, businesses need to be wary of relying on the same strategies they use to reach Millennials and Centennials (the youngest generation, also known as Gen Z), as these can alienate Gen X. "If your brand is using digital in a way that is more geared towards Millennials, and towards that kind of engagement, [with a] co-creation aspect to it, it can be off-putting to Gen Xers, who also kind of have a bad taste in their mouth about Millennials and see themselves as being distinctly different from the generation coming up [Gen Z]."
Brooks uses the example of buying a new car to distinguish how Gen Xers and Millennials approach shopping in the digital sphere. "Millennials are much more comfortable doing everything with the car online—they're happy to just order the car online and show up at the dealer and pick it up without any kind of conversation or discussion," Brooks says. "Gen X is really struggling with that—even though they're fully embracing and comfortable with digital, they still have a need, for a purchase that large, to be in the dealership, to talk to the dealer, to sit in the car—they need all of that tactile experience." Nevertheless, Brooks notes that when it comes to smaller purchases, Gen Xers are just as comfortable as Millennials buying online.
"The great thing about digital is that if brands have the courage to embrace transparency, to embrace peer reviews, to connect honestly with their customers, then Gen X is going to really respond to that, because they feel like they can trust that company with their money and with their time," Brooks says.
DEMANDING RESPECT AND INTEGRITY
Customer service is another crucial aspect to building a relationship with Gen Xers, and businesses need to know that Gen Xers expect respect. "If you have a brand or if you're marketing a brand that is appealing to the Gen X demographic and service is part of your brand, then it needs to be really still grounded in very traditional service where the customer is always right, the customer is treated with respect, [and] they're greeted with a smile," Brooks says. "Of course, technology [that makes] things easier should be a part of that, but if the service is much more casual and relaxed and Millennial-focused, it will be a real turnoff for Gen Xers."
Understanding the differences between Gen X and the younger generations when it comes to marketing lies in how each group interacts with brands. "Millennials and Gen Z really want to engage with the brand—they want to feel connected to the brand, that they have the same sort of values, that when they’re wearing their clothing or carrying their product that it’s representing more than just that product's use but also their kind of philosophy on the world. Gen X doesn't have that need, but they do need confidence in a brand, and they need information, and they need a brand to be up front with them," Brooks says.
Ultimately, the key to reaching the Gen X demographic is integrity—which, given that its members may be in a financial crunch supporting multiple generations on a single paycheck, companies should take seriously. "Brands and marketers should really be giving Gen X the information that they need as quickly as possible with as much transparency as possible, and as much peer-reviewed information as possible," Brooks says.
Assistant Editor Sam Del Rowe can be reached at sdelrowe@infotoday.com.
How to Connect with Gen Xers
• Recognize that they might be more financially squeezed than previous generations.
• Know that their ideologies and tech usage often sit between Boomers' and Millennials'.
• Be informative and up front with them.
• Emphasize price and value.
• Instill integrity and confidence in your brand.