The Marketing Industry and Generation X and Y

Gen Y consists of approximately 80 million people in the U.S. They are the fastest growing demographic in the workplace and marketplace. Globally, they are the emerging adult population that is consistently exercising more influence due to their numbers, expected longevity and hyper connectivity. Psychographically, Gen Y is known for being dependent on technology. Often disregarding what is involved mechanically, but sharply aware of efficiency and convenience, the two generations are results oriented and seekers of instant gratification (Dorsey, J. 2013, January 14) Gen Y airs on the side of environmentally conservative – which we will magnify when marketing our “no cup system” and coffee ground catch

Generation X faces many issues unique to their generation, technology was advancing, and computer were becoming more affordable and widespread. They faced both social and ecological issues, with advances in medicine that caused the generation before them to live longer, and being the one of the first generations to be effected by student loan debt. Generation Xers are often known for their high level of skepticism and their “what do I get out of this” attitudes. They are considered to be the first generation of “latchkey” kids, or kids without much boundaries. During the 60’s and 70’s divorce rates were at an all-time high, so many of the children of this generation were exposed to large amounts of divorce (Schroer). Which might explain for the high levels of skepticism and freedom they had. It seemed they also didn’t care much for politics sense they had the lowest voting participant rate of any other generation.

As generation Y, the first group to come of age in the new millennium, grows and matures, they have entered the workforce at an increasingly high rate, making them the fastest growing segment of the United States workforce (Dorsey, 2010, pg. 15). These “youngsters” are typically in their early 20’s to early 30’s, still in the early and formative stages of their careers (Wain, 2013, pg. 308). Joining these Millennials in the workforce are those known as Generation X, consisting of the middle generation born from around 1965-1984 (Wain, 2013, pg. 308). At the far end of the age-workforce spectrum sit the Baby Boomers – those born between the years of 1946 and 1964 (Kaifi, Nafei, Khanfar & Kaifi, 2012, pg. 89). And finally, the oldest generation still trying to eke out their last paychecks before retirement is the Traditionalists, born between the years of 1937 and 1945 (American Medical Writers, 2012).

During this paper, we will discuss the difference between baby boomer, and Gen X/Y. Baby boomers was the original 'generation'. And it was a useful label because, initially, it described those born in the immediate years after World War II, when there was – thanks to soldiers returning home – a significant spike in births, both in America and in Britain. Baby Boomers, as a phrase, was first used in 1970, in a Washington Post article. The phrase Generation Y was first used in a 1993 Ad Age article, while Millennials was coined by sociologists Neil Howe and William Strauss. As well as being comfortable sharing their entire life online, this is a selfish, self-regarding generation. "Let me take a Selfie," is their catchphrase. The man credited

Baby Boomers are self-assured, and independent. They also have a strong work ethic and aren’t afraid of hard work. They prefer structure, a right path of learning to reach their goals. Baby boomers aren’t afraid to put in a hard day of work when it is due. Baby boomers aren’t familiarized with technology. They appreciate a good challenge, and accept a mission to increase their knowledge and push them past their limits. Unlike Baby Boomers, Generation X is familiarized with technology and incorporates it when necessary. Generation X tends to entrepreneurial thinkers and reality driven, and their mentality is will lecture assist them in the real world. These two groups come from a different background and the way they view behavior.

Characteristics of my generation – Generation X-ers are ambitious and eager to learn new skills and they make work–life balance a priority. Gen X-ers

In a study about the civic engagement of Generation X, the U.S. Census Bureau defined this segment of the population as consisting of individuals born between 1968 and 1979. However, the upper limit of Generation X in some cases has been as high as 1982, while the lower limit has been as low as 1963 (Karp et al., 2002). This generation was also called the baby bust generation, because of its small size relative to the generation that preceded it, the Baby Boom generation. The term Generation X spread into popular parlance following the publication of Douglas Coupland’s book about a generation of individuals who would come of age at the end of the 20th century.

Regardless of intention, parents involuntarily teach their children through example and through methods of discipline and gratification. Professors Twenge, Campbell, Hoffman, and Lance, are professors of economics and psychology from various colleges across the United States; they used an example of this unintentional influence when explaining aspects of Generation X, the generation born in between the Baby Boomers and the Millennials of modern America. “GenX … had a substantially higher probability of witnessing their parents’ divorce or job loss due to downsizing than had any prior generation. As a result of these experiences, members of this cohort are purported to be independent and less committed to their employing organization” (1120.). The parents of GenX, like most parents, would in most cases not wish to create such a revolutionary difference in their children's generation. The parents most likely would have expected their children to depend upon companies and families like they once had, instead, they created a force capable of changing the workforce forever. The new found independence of employees would change work ethic ideals, meaning that commitment to an organization is no longer viewed as important as

Generation X by Douglas Coupland reveals the struggles of the post-baby boomer generation in asserting themselves as conventionally successful members of society. Written and set in Palm Springs, California, the book tells the tale of three close friends who, falling into the group of people born after the post-war baby-boom, have left behind their old lives and moved to Palm Springs in search of a cleaner, less materialistic existence. Originally meant to be a non-fiction handbook for the generation born after the baby boom, Coupland’s final fictitious work had an increasingly profound effect worldwide after being published in 1991. Influenced by his own life among other things, Generation X discusses the plights faced by “twentysomethings”

Known as the children of free love. They are also called America’s “middle child.” They are the children of those who fought in the Korean War, America’s forgotten war. This war opened the political agenda of the future generation. Generation X is the most politically driven and divided. This generation was torn between what was and what they wanted it to be. Changed by the Watergate scandal and the human rights movement that took place in the 70’s, created the core values of the Xers. The core values of Generation X are: relationships, fun, experience, freedom, and family. They are the first generation to prefer not to be labeled they pushed away from the baby boomer generations idea of saving money for retirement and moving to working to live not living to work. Although all generations are struggling to retire this is by far the generation that paved the way of work till you die. They also became the smallest population of the generations. The idea of a large family and the white picket fence took to the back burner as the idea of traveling and expanding their knowledge by experience took the forefront. Their children would benefit from this by the bonds they would have with them. They paved the way for the Millennials by creating the technological changes and taking them in with breeze. The push for the Millennials to be technologically savvy because of the

Each generation has certain characteristics and values with which the members of it can identify. Members of Generation X highly value their job and family time; so they try to find a balance between these two aspects of their lives. Generation X are hardworking people, but they are

Born in “1965-1981, they are the smallest generational group, and they are known as the latchkey children” (Carr-Ruffino, 2015) because they grew up in a period of time where either both parents worked outside of the home or they lived in a single parent. This group learned to be autonomous, resourceful, and skeptical as they spent time alone and cared for themselves as they grew up. “Key events during this generation include the Iranian hostage crisis, the aids epidemic and awareness, the Berlin Wall came down, and the Persian Gulf War” (Shaw, 2013). This generation watched the space shuttle, Challenger, explode on television while at school, and this generation was the first group of children to use computers. They are the pioneers of technology by using computers, the Internet, and e-mail technology. The Generation Xers went through the rise and crash of the dotcom bubble, and many people from this generation created startup

“Generation X” (“Gen-Xers”), born from about 1960 – 1980, maintained some attributes typical of the “Baby Boomer” generation, but feel that their upbringing was too strict. They added an emphasis on work/life

In today’s modern tech savvy world there is always a new phone, car, and the latest/hottest product that is being advertised on television or computer advertisements around the world. Who are those advertisements being geared towards? The majority of advertisements today seem to be geared towards a younger subculture age group, the millennials. While most marketing teams advertise towards the younger subculture groups, they are forgetting about another valuable age group, the baby boomers. Chapter twelve in the Schiffman text discusses different subcultures and the topic of age and generational influences on consumer behavior. The New York Times article we have chosen connects several themes/key points in the chapter such as generational age, national brand, new-age elderly, and generation Y.

The company should divide its marketing segments into the following: demographic, psychographic and behavioural. These three segments will provide Skarp Technologies with a more in-depth understanding of the needs and wants of potential consumers.