I don’t know about you, but for many of my coworkers (and myself) the countdown to some much-anticipated time off to enjoy the holidays is underway. But before you start your own countdown I hope you’ll take a gander at the mature marketing stories of the last week that drew the greatest interest among our social media followers. Have something to share? Please be sure to add to the comments section.
MOST SHARED: According to Ford Motor’s Futurist, Sheryl Connelly, there is a defined shift taking place in the consumer culture — guided by the Millennials. According to Connelly, this shift is driven mainly by the generation’s continued reliance on and comfort with technology and social media. The insights are based on a survey of trends — citing a continued rise in consumer optimism in 2016 and beyond.
“For Baby Boomers, it was all about stuff — and that’s not surprising when you consider the ethos of that generation: early to arrive and last to leave, the most dedicated employee,” Connelly said. “That was the recipe to get ahead and the return was great: financial security for the rest of your life and for your family after you were gone.”
Where Baby Boomers drove — and continue to drive — the craze for SUVs and record-setting sales of luxury cars in recent years, Millennials “do not associate their level of success or affluence with what they own — it’s more attributed to what they have access to,” Connelly said. “You curate your identity by the experiences you have had. That’s a fundamental shift in the marketplace.”
Connelly goes further to note new offerings including Uber and other services that are highly utilized by Millennials, moving them farther away from car purchases. So what do these insights mean for mature consumers? While Boomers and beyond may not be as reliant on technology, they do use it (see our Social, Silver Surfers insights to learn more). Most importantly, technology means that marketers can continue to create meaningful, authentic engagements with their target market. Something Boomers and Seniors appreciate.
MOST CLICKED: Millennials are the most creative and Boomers the best trouble shooters. This, according to a recent survey from Workfront.com.
The survey polled workers across all generations to understand perceptions and workplace insights in a variety of verticals. Other insights from survey participants included:
- 82% of workers log into their email during off hours, mainly citing the reason as a desire to get ahead on their workload.
- Overall, workers love email and see it as effective for internal and external communications; however, survey respondents also rated it as a high barrier for getting things done.
- Boomers were rated as least likely to take responsibility in the workplace, but were also ranked the generation with the highest work ethic and noted as the best trouble shooters.
- Gen-X was most revered by their peers.