The word is out to marketers everywhere – today’s consumers expect more from brands than pretty packages and smart slogans. In the past two years,...
The word is out to marketers everywhere – today’s consumers expect more from brands than pretty packages and smart slogans. In the past two years, concerns that might have seemed distant to many Americans have leapt to center stage. From social justice to climate change to the pandemic, these priorities demand immediate attention and action, and for-profit brands no longer get a pass when it comes to compassion.
How consumers react to these issues – and how they want brands to respond – often varies dramatically by a host of factors, from gender to region to income group. But one of the strongest influences is generation; shared experiences across a lifetime, combined with the needs and perspectives of different life stages, make generations a powerful lens for understanding consumers and their feelings about causes.
While Millennials and Generation Z generally get credit for being the most socially aware generations today, brands seem to just be scratching the surface when it comes to targeting their purpose-driven efforts. Are cause-related brand messages resonating equally with different age groups? Do responses vary depending on the product or category? And do certain causes connect with Baby Boomers versus Gen X versus other generations?
