This presentation provides an overview of generational perspectives and marketing. It discusses that generations are defined by their shared experiences of key historical events during formative years. Generations last 15-20 years and have common beliefs, behaviors, and identities. The theory proposes that generations repeat in archetypes such as Prophets, Nomads, Heroes, and Artists. A generation's leadership shapes national mood in cycles of consensus building and crisis. The presentation will focus on understanding the Boomer, Generation X, and Millennial generations.

2. What is this?
This presentation is one of five presentations outlining our understanding of
Generational perspectives
1. The Theory of Generations
2. Boomers
3. Generation X
4. Generation Y, or Millenials
5. Applying generational perspectives to Marketing

3. The theory of
generations

4. introduction
 Overview
 How generations differ from lifestages
 Identifying generations
 Generations repeating themselves
 National Mood
 Summary

5. Overview
Understanding Generations is not an exact science
The boundaries between generations are blurred
The insights are not always clear cut
There are plenty of hypotheses

6. Overview
There are five generations alive today
1. The Silent Generation (Pensioners)
2. Baby Boomers (Empty Nesters)
Today we will uncover how these
generations think and feel
3. Generation X (Family)
…And understand how we can market
to them more effectively
4. Generation Y (Youth)
5. As yet un-named (Kids under 7yrs)

7. How generations differ
from lifestages

8. Trains and stations
• Picture a lifecycle track, birth as the origin and death the destination
• There are a number of generations, or trains, running at any one time
• Some trains are just beginning
• Some are reaching the end of the line
• Each train carries passengers that are alike
• But each train looks very different

9. Trains and stations
• Imagine phase of life stations arrived at during a different time in history
• The stations are:
 Coming of age Youth
 Rising Commonly known as life stages Family
 Midlife Empty Nester
 Elder Pensioner

10. Key station: Coming of age
• Of all stations, the first is the most influential
• Coming of age: Childhood, adolescence and early youth
• At this station a set of collective behavioural traits, attitudes and beliefs
have been formed
• These ‘perspectives’ later express themselves throughout the rest of the
journey

11. How does coming of age manifest in
later life?
• How children are raised affect how they later parent
• How students are taught affects how they learn
• How young people are managed affects how they lead
• How society feels about children affects their confidence
• How they are sold to affects how they feel about corporations
• How authorities operate affects how institutionalised they are

12. How are generations different
from lifestage?
Lifestages are transient
Generational perspectives stay
with us for life

13. How generations are
identified

14. Identifying generations: Age ranges
Born Youngest Oldest
Generation Z 2001 - 2017? Not born 11
Generation Y 1981 – 2001 11 30
Generation X 1965 – 1981 30 46
Baby Boomers 1943 – 1965 46 68
Silent Generation 1925 – 1943 68 86 N.B Generational cohorts
are estimates based on the
wide range of estimates
currently available

15. The generations in the labour force

16. Identifying generations
• Each generation lasts between 15 – 20 years (the time it takes to come of
age)
• Each generation has an underlying ethos / persona
• Three attributes can be used to identify it:
1. A generations common location in history
2. It’s common beliefs and behaviour
3. It’s common perceived membership

17. 1. Common location
“History shapes each generation depending on
what phase of life it occupies as it encounters
key historical events - a period of crisis will leave
an impression on children that is different from
the one it leaves on midlife leaders ”
Julian Marias

18. Identifying generations: Common location
Where the generation finds itself in history : a common historical location
• Greenham Common Nuclear protests (1983)
 Silent Midlife (Empty Nester)
 Boomers Rising (Family)
 Generation X Were at this stage… Coming of age (Youth)
 Generation Y …
• Princess Diana Car Crash (1997)
 Silent Elder (Pensioners)
 Boomers Midlife (Empty Nester)
Were at this stage…
 Generation X Rising (Family)
 Generation Y Coming of age (Youth)

19. 2. Common beliefs and behaviours
“In 2001, 8.3 per cent (4.9 million) of the total
population of the UK were born overseas. This is
almost double the proportion in 1951 (4.2 per cent) ”
ONS Population and Migration Archive

20. Common beliefs and behaviours
• How a generation’s members are different from people born at another time
• Census reports, opinion surveys, educational tests, crime records
• Provide evidence of beliefs and behaviours
 careers
 children
 gender roles
 financial security
 marriage
 materialism
 culture

21. 3. Common perceived membership
“I can’t excuse what boomers did with sex and drugs
when they were kids ”
Michael Eliason, 17, Millennials Rising

22. Identifying generations: Common
perceived membership
• How the generation defines itself: the popular consensus aligned to
• The sense of direction and popular belief
Baby Boomers see Generation X have Generation Y are
themselves on a mission of come to expect little conservative and feel
vision and values of the world optimistic

23. Generations repeating
themselves

24. Archetypes
• Generations have been studied for hundreds of years
• Some sociologists believe generations come in four different archetypes
• These are defined as Prophet, Nomad, Hero and Artist
• These have reappeared throughout history since the 15th century

25. Archetypes repeating
Generations are cyclical: every fourth generation shares the characteristics as the first
Silent Generation
Retired
‘Artists’ Baby Boomers
Working, retiring
Prophets Generation X
Parenting
Nomads Generation Y
Young adults, teens
Heroes Generation Z
Young children
‘Artists’

26. Archetypes
Prophets Nomads
Values driven, moralistic, Ratty, tough, unwanted,
self absorbed and crusaders diverse, adventurous, cynical
Boomers Generation X
Heroes
Conventional, powerful, Artists
institutionally driven, Subtle, indecisive, emotional,
trust authority compromising, repressive
Generation Y Silent Generation
Source: Strauss & Howe

27. How do generations affect
us?

28. National Mood
• Once a generation fully occupies the leadership role in midlife (Empty
Nester) it naturally reshapes the social environment and dictates national
mood
• Currently we are being led by Baby Boomers
• Increasingly Generation X are becoming influential

29. National Mood: Turnings
• What does history tell us about the mood of a nation?
• Sociologists see cycles of national mood that repeat themselves again and
again
• These cycles are sometimes referred to as Turnings

30. Turnings: The characteristic mood of the
nation Fourth turning: Crisis
We are in the
Solid public consensus, support fourth turning,
of authority, clampdown on bad moving toward the
conduct, overprotective child first turning
rearing, optimism
Third Turning: Unravelling First turning: High
Pragmatism, self-reliance, Follows a crisis…Friendly,
poor family structure, indulgent child rearing,
weakening civic habits, low contentment, order and
public trust, pessimism consensus
Second Turning: Awakening
A challenge to highs
assumptions, new spiritual
agendas, soul over science,
public order deteriorates, crime
rises, families weakening

31. The current national mood
1980’s and early 90’s late 90’s – 2015 (Fourth turning)
Families were weak Families are now strengthening
Child rearing was tightening Child rearing is overprotective
Gender roles were tight Gender roles are widening
Ideals were debated Ideals are being championed
Institutions were eroded Institutions are being founded
Culture was cynical Culture is now practical
Social structure was diversified Social structure is settling
Worldview was complex Worldview is simplifying
Social priority was individual Social priority is community
Vision of future was darkening Vision of future is brightening

32. Summary
• Each generation has their own particular attitudes
• These directly affect the mood of a nation
• Knowledge of a generations attitudes, beliefs and the corresponding
national mood can augment lifestage and demographic insights
• For the remainder of the day we will concentrate on three key targets, their
childhood and how they operate in the world
 Boomers
 Generation X
 Generation Y