Everyone knows that marketers must address THE established age cohorts:
Gen Z
Millennials
Gen X
Boomers
Right…?
Wrong. These ‘lifestage’ ranges were made up by us marketing types and, it turns out, don’t reflect like-mindedness out in the real world of consumer behavior.
For one thing, we see that “Millennials” actually break into two distinct groups when it comes to their consumer psychology – and the resulting behavior in terms of what & why they buy.
Going back to pre-COVID, led by our principal neuroscientist Sigi Hale, Ph.D., we regularly measure the psychology of the US gen-pop via our Omni-Pulse measure, and analyze the longitudinal trajectories – which gives us a much purer view of the WHY’s in the marketplace, and helps predict what’s to come.
In short, Young Millennials (25-30), are looking quite unique when compared to their older, or younger, peers.
And the struggle is real.
This age group is:
Frustrated – feeling activated and pressured more-so than other cohorts.
Introspective – focused on what’s best for ME as an individual.
Concerned – even when it comes to everyday products, worried about time constraints and potential disappointment – even more-so than every marketer’s current favorite catch-phrase: ‘inflationary pricing.’
So, generally speaking, if you want to serve the needs of 25-30-year-olds:
Recognize they perceive daily life, and product decisions, very differently from their older millennial peers.
They expect individual attention – not mass-messaging to the tribe.
Time and disappointment are just as valuable as actual money in guiding their purchase decisions.
And in the next meeting where someone inevitably brings up Millennials, be sure to inquire whether they mean the older or younger portion of this familiar audience…
