Synopses & Reviews
"To target an age bracket, you've got to figure out birth cohortsand to do that, you've got to read this book by Meredith and Scheweand read it carefully. It brims with color, wisdom, and the latest social science findings on a topic of growing importance to marketers worldwide." Neil Howe, coauthor of Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation Learn to predict the buying behavior of these 7 generations Depression WWII Postwar Boomer I Boomer II Gen X N-Gen Find Out How Facts Like These Can Help You Hone Your Marketing Messages:
- Lifelong attitudes towards jobs, sex, money, and music are formed when we're between the ages of 17 and 23.
- The sweet and sour taste preferences of 70-year-olds are about the same as those of 7-year-olds.
- Today's teenagers distrust advertising, big-name brands, and big business in general.
- Studies show that approximately 40% of retired people would much rather be working.
- Older adults much prefer collecting rich and fulfilling "experiences" instead of collecting more "stuff" (material goods).
- In 1960, one out of seven high-school graduates in America went on to college; today, two out of three do.
- Those who came of age during WWII are the most romantic of all age groups.
"Cohort analysis really works. We have used it as a primary tool to help us understand motivations and differences in consumption patterns in 14 countries around the world. This book describes the concept in a way that brings it to life and is fun reading." David Garrett, Director, Consumer Insight and Opportunity Planning, Coca-Cola North America www.hungryminds.com
Review
“…does a good job of helping marketers do the right kind of homework before and as they prepare their products for market…”(Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol.20, No.21, 2003)
Synopsis
If you could buy a book that would predict the buying behavior of millions of people, you'd buy it, right?
Defining Markets, Defining Moments explains the author's concept of cohort marketing," an extremely focused approach of generational marketingthat enables managers, salespeople, and marketing specialists to understand and predict a generation's particular attitudes, desires, preferences and buying behaviors -- even when they enter new lifestages. The book outlines the seven generational groups that are currently affecting the marketplace -- and the new ones that are emerging. And it presents new marketing models and practical advice, based on the author's experience with Fortune 500 companies, for tapping the minds, and pocketbooks, of various age groups. The text discusses key physical, socioeconomic, and emotional factors that influence a particular generation's behavior or profile."
Synopsis
The World War II generation. Baby Boomers. Generation X. And now, the up-and-coming N-Gen. Each group has its own mindset, tastes, and array of hot buttons shaped by generational "defining moments" such as Pearl Harbor, the Kennedy assassination, and the events of September 11, 2001. How can you ensure that your company's products and brands attract new customers across generations? This unique book provides the answers. Based on their pioneering research on generational cohorts, Charles Schewe, PhD, and Geoffrey E. Meredith explain the importance of targeting your marketing efforts to each of the seven distinct generational groups in the marketplace so that your company snags the largest share of the market. You'll learn how to:
- Understand the attitudes and desires of the population's seven distinct age groups
- Identify key physical, socioeconomic, and emotional factors for each generation
- Tailor your marketing campaigns to the mindsand pocketbooksof each generation
- Take advantage of generational marketing opportunities outside North America
- Plan for Baby Boomers' transition to retirementand the ascendancy of Generation X
Using fascinating case histories from their work with Fortune 500 clients, Meredith and Schewe show you how to predict each generational cohort's desires, preferences, and buying behaviors successfully. They describe the changes you need to make in your marketing strategies. And they explain in detail how targeting your marketing efforts to each cohort will ensure your company's success in the marketplace.
About the Author
Geoffrey E. Meredith is a former SVP at Ogilvy & Mather Advertising. He is the founder of Lifestage Matrix Marketing®, whose clients have included Coca-Cola, Kellogg's, Kodak, Levi's, Nestle, Viacom, and many other Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, he has authored numerous articles on marketing, and has a BA from Princeton and an MBA from Stanford. Charles Schewe is Professor of Marketing at the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Principal of Lifestage Matrix Marketing. His clients include Kmart, IBM, Spalding Sports Worldwide, Nabisco, and Lucky Stores. He has written ten books, including The Portable MBA in Marketing. Dr. Schewe has a BA and MBA from Michigan and a PhD from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. Janice Karlovich is a veteran journalist and marketing communications writer. Lifestage Matrix Marketing, headquartered in Lafayette, CA, and Amherst, MA, specializes in strategic planning and marketing consulting based on cohort and lifestage analysis. For consulting information, contact Geoff Meredith at 925-283-4806. For speaking engagements, contact Dr. Schewe at 413-256-0914 or access their website: www.Lifestagemarketing.com.
Table of Contents
About the Authors.
Prologue.
1. Toward a New Era of Marketing.
2. What Makes Us Tick: Using the Lifestage Analytic Matrix.
3. The Depression Cohort.
4. The World War II Cohort.
5. The Postwar Cohort.
6. The Leading-Edge Baby Boomer Cohort.
7. The Trailing-Edge Baby Boomer Cohort.
8. The Generation X Cohort.
9. The N Generation Cohort.
10. Taking Generational Cohort Analysis Global.
Epilogue.
Index.