💾 Boomers Gonna Boom

In Today's Issue

• Revenge of the Boomers

• Look Beyond Buyer Personas

• Gen-Alpha Goes to Sephora

• Analyzing Analytics

• Don’t Go Dark (Patterns)

• Sunk Cost Fallacy

The Future of Marketing Is Intergenerational

Older Americans are playing an increasingly important role in consumer markets. But shifting the focus from Gen X to Boomers isn’t the right approach to crafting more effective marketing according to one expert. Mauro F. Guillén of the Wharton School looks beyond generational thinking to imagine the future of branding.

Trends indicate that in no more than five or six years, Americans above the age of 60 will become a larger consumer group in terms of income than the 20-to-34-year-olds. This means that in order for companies and brands to remain competitive, they must stop considering older consumers as an afterthought.

Companies must also recognize that blanket generational characterizations have long lost their appeal. 

Generational thinking is absurd at a time when the revolution in real-time data from smartphones and digital platforms offers more accurate ways of predicting and shaping individual consumer behavior.

People nowadays would like to play, learn, work, and rest at any age they feel like doing so — not necessarily whenever tradition says it is “age appropriate.”

It’s time for marketers to shed old ways of thinking and realign their priorities. The first step is to become an “ageless” brand, one that emphasizes common values across different age groups. The destination must be to build “post-generational” brands to create a narrative that allows generations to influence each other’s preferences and purchases through their interaction.

Look Beyond Your Buyer Persona - February 21st (today) at 1 PM EST

It’s finally happening! This is what we’ve been waiting for. The VP of Marketing at SparkToro, Amanda Natividad, will be joining us on today’s live Brain Gainz session to show you how you can use audience personas to your competitive advantage.

This session is open to the public, so you can register now and join us in a few hours. Amanda will show us how to do audience research, including segmentation and understanding your customers’ sources of influence. 

You will be able to level up your messaging and pitches to make a greater impact, giving you an edge over your competitors who rely only on “buyer personas” or “ideal customer profiles.” 

Register Here To Join Us

Note: While this workshop will be recorded, the recording is only available to our Data Driven Insiders Members. If you can’t make it live, you can still join Insiders with a 7-day trial.

💄 Gen Alpha goes to Sephora

It seems as though Gen Alpha kids are skipping that awkward in-between phase previous generations suffered through in middle school, seamlessly transitioning from childhood to a performative kind of adulthood. 

It was only a matter of time before the need to look and act grown-up would spread beyond dance videos on TikTok to the ways in which Gen Alpha participates in the market. Kids see role models online and know what they need to buy to become like them — adult, mature, non-childish.

🧾 Meta apologizes after ad error causes campaigns to overspend by ‘thousands’

Meta issued an apology to advertisers following an Ads Delivery outage that resulted in campaigns overspending by “thousands.” The tech giant confirmed that services are now restored and expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to advertisers.

If you were affected by the Ads Delivery outage, applying for a refund is necessary, but it’s important to note that payment is not guaranteed. To enhance the likelihood of receiving a full refund, there are specific steps you can take.

🎓 Binghamton research shows how companies can hype new products

Preannouncement marketing can often influence a product’s success, whether it’s an upcoming blockbuster movie or a new product rollout from major companies like Coca-Cola or Apple. 

A research study from Binghamton University’s School of Management shows how companies might use this type of marketing to their advantage. Associate Professor Debi Mishra, a marketing expert, observed that “new products are the heartbeat of a company, especially those products that are more consumer-facing, so how a company communicates with consumers or stakeholders about new products is the key to future growth and survival.”

• Mark Zuckerberg finally tried the Apple Vision Pro and compared it to the Meta Quest 3- gregisenberg on X

• Late to the Google Analytics 4 party?- Jay Bower on LinkedIn

• GA4 Migration- Adsliaison on X

• Nearly 80% of people surveyed said they've purchased from a company after seeing an ad without clicking it.- Cory Dobbin on X

What are dark patterns in marketing?

Dark patterns in marketing include such things as deception, covert information, different treatment for different customers, restrictive access, information overload, and stirring up emotions.

Not only could dark patterns prompt a user to leave your site — resulting in a loss of potential business — they also could prompt an inquiry from federal regulators and/or state attorney generals.

In October 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a dark patterns enforcement policy statement advising companies “against deploying illegal dark patterns that trick or trap consumers into subscription services.”

It’s important for marketing and the legal department to ensure their marketing plan meets federal, state, and local regulations. This means connecting on potential issues around your website, social media posts, press releases, sweepstakes, copyrights, and emails and other forms of communication. Questions to ask include: Are you following social media policy guidelines? Do you post rules of contests in the fine print, where users can see it?

By cultivating a positive digital experience and avoiding dark patterns in marketing, you can attract more customers, boost your bottom line, and cement your reputation as a trustworthy company that provides value to its clientele.

• Dealing With Sunk Costs - Business Unfiltered Podcast

• We Spent $1M on Google Ads - Here's What We Learned - Jackson Blackledge on X

• Why Marketing Needs a Data Shift.- Allie Kelly on Intensify Podcast 

• New: Uploads on Mobile, Posts-Only Feed, Channel Memberships Free Creator Gifting, and more! - Creator Insider on YouTube

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