The document discusses how traditional demographic categories like social class and generations are becoming less relevant due to societal changes. People now have more blurred life stages and create multiple online personas. Brands need to embrace hyper-personalization using big data to understand each person as an individual rather than relying on broad demographic groups. The key is recognizing how little we actually know about people and that they will define themselves in ways other than traditional demographic boxes.

2. THE DEATH OF WHO...
THE BIRTH OF ME
© Elmwood
An Elmwood Masterclass
July 2015

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‘Social Grade’ was created by the National Readership Survey in the ‘50s.
A: Upper middle class - “higher managerial, administrative & professional”
B: Middle class - “intermediate manergerial, administrative & proferssional”
C1: “Supervisory or clerical.....
C2: Skilled manual
D: Semi skilled and unskilled manual
E: Pensioners, lowest grade workers, unemployed and state benefits

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THE NUCLEAR FAMILY HAS LONG EXPLODED!
‘Social Grade’ reflected a world where people behaved and
aspired to archetypes, consumed what were told and brand
comms was limited to TV & print....

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“PERFORMANCE ATTAINER”
“SENSORIALISTS”
“BARGAIN HUNTER”
“BEST”
“BETTER”
“GOOD”
Brand owners have long used this – often as a basis for targeting and as a way to organise range architecture...

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HARD UP OR CLUED UP?
But how do we understand and talk to Andy,
who is joining this growing trend?

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“I need
something quick
and easy for
breakfast.”“I need
something easy for
packed lunches.”
“I need gluten free.”
“I need something
that lasts.”
“I need
something a bit
different for
lunch.”

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IT’S FUNCTIONAL NOT EMOTIONAL
(PURCHASE DECISIONS ARE DRIVEN BY FEELINGS & SUB-CONSCIOUS THOUGHT)

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LIFE-STAGES ARE BECOMING BLURRED

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1945 NOW
BABY BOOMERS
1945 – 1965
In possession of
70% of the US’s
disposable income
GENERATION X
1965 – 1985
Spend most money online
GENERATION Y
1985 – 1995
‘Millennials’
Holding off on big-
ticket purchases such
as cars and homes
GENERATION Z
1995 – 2002
‘Generation D’
‘Screenagers’
Want convivial real
world experiences
GENERATION i
2002 – NOW!
‘Tweens & Kids’
Expects to see
online technology in
every environment

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“These new, smaller stores will
offer all-natural food at lower
prices and be specifically
geared to this demographic
segment (Millennials). They
will be tech-savvy, more
streamlined in design and
unlike any of the other stores
you’re seeing out there.”
SO EVERYONE OTHER THAN MILLENNIALS WANT
EXPENSIVE ANALOGUE CLUTTER?

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SO 60 YEARS SINCE THE NATIONAL READERSHIP SURVEY,
WHERE HAVE WE ARRIVED?

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THERE’S A SEISMIC SHIFT HAPPENING THAT MEANS WE
NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK OF DEMOGRAPHICS

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WELCOME TO ME

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FLAT-AGE SOCIETY
Three out of four
Americans aged 57–
65 regard themselves
as middle-aged or
younger.
The term ‘old’ is dead. People are living longer, healthier
lives. They don’t look, act or feel old. Boomers are revving
up rather than slowing down.
Twitters
fastest
growing group
of member’s
Fastest
growing gym
membership
of any age

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mzEdK6Y1Og

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As both sexes acclimatise to a changing society, they will
reassess their relationship and roles. As ‘women get an even
footing with men in terms of education and income, a
generation will have to re-adjust,’ - David Autor, associate
department head of the MIT’s Department of Economics.
NON-GENDER ARCHETYPES
‘This is the female century. It has been a long wait, but women are
taking control of their destiny. The real people we have to take care
of in this century are men.’
Paul Seabright, author, The War of the Sexes
‘Men have become defined by what they consume, which has
led to a feminizing process. Men are now more comfortable
with their home lives and fatherly roles. They used to not have
relationships with their children. With this re-connection
with the home comes a sense of emotional emancipation.’
Dylan Jones, editor of men’s magazine GQ
In the UK the
majority of video
gamers are women

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs

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THE SHARDED SELF Zilla van den Born faked a five-week
trip to Asia using Photoshop
Emma Jones and Sam Ellison - Marketing Week
We now create several versions of the self, all
with different personalities and personas, not just
between the online and offline worlds, but
different versions of the online self.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X065319VGm0

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HYPER PERSONALISATION
A new era to embrace, delivering surprise and delight through
hyper-personalisation. Brands harnessing the power of the
cloud where technology is the enabler and data the currency.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=intua_p4kE0
Exclusively designed for 6 billion people

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MY FORMATIVE
YEARS
(HARD)
WHERE I NOW
FIND MYSELF
(SOFT)
THE OPTIMISED SELF

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SO WHAT’S THE WAY FORWARD?

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It’s all about understanding how little we know...

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It’s all about BIG data...
…knowledge is power!
IBM Watson
Personality Insights

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It’s all about understanding that it’s
all in continual flux…
…the only constant is change

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It’s all about understanding that your audience will define
themselves for “boxes” they are happy to be in.... by
interest, attitude or world-view…

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ME
THAT’S SOME OF THE THINKING BEHIND ONE OF OUR 5 GLOBAL MEGA TRENDS…

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Tim Leonard
Brand Provocator
timothy.leonard@elmwood.com
Dan Monteith
Global Brand Provocation Director
dan.monteith@elmwood.com
WE’D LOVE TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION…

34. © Elmwood
THANK YOU
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