Getting your message across is not a given
While Baby Boomers are more likely to pay attention to purpose ads, this group does not have a clear understanding of the messages. Only 4 in 10 (38%) Boomers grasped the ad messages – with little difference between traditional and transformational purpose creatives – while the proportions were closer to one-half for Gen X (47%) and Gen Z/Millennials (49%). (See Table 2.)
Interestingly, the youngest age group was more likely to understand the messages in transformational purpose ads – those that celebrate consumers’ actions and downplay the brand – than “traditional” ones.
Table 2. Purpose message clarity across the generations
Ads that delivered the message All generations: Hiring Chain Gen Z & Millennials: Dove Colgate, Tula, Ben & Jerry’s, Chipotle, and Patagonia Gen X: Toyota, Colgate H&M, Soda Stream, and FedEx Boomers: Toyota, Ben & Jerry’s, and H&M
