Generational Marketing

Marketing to children
When marketing to children marketers rely on what they call 'pester power'. Pester power is the idea that upon seeing an advertisement which stimulates a response children will pester their parents into buying them the product. As well as pester power children are influenced by opinion leaders in the play ground who are seen to have the coolest must have thing. As shown below the children's market is huge equating to about £2.5 billion in revenue:

Toys 2008 £2.2 Bn
Comics 2008 £129 M
OTC Kids Medicines 2009 £203 M


To aid parents in dealing with pester power the ASA (advertising standards agency) outline guidelines which every marketing campaign must follow. These are that advertisements must not take advantage of children’s inexperience or their natural credulity and sense of loyalty to avoid arousing unrealistic expectations. Also marketing for expensive toys must include an indication of their price and this price must not be minimised by the use of such words as 'only' or 'just'. Further more Advertisements must avoid anything likely to encourage poor nutritional habits or an unhealthy lifestyle in children. They should also not directly ask children to buy or to ask their parents or other adults to make purchases. Promotional offers should be used with a due sense of responsibility and not targeted at pre-school or primary school. Further guidelines are that adverts must not ask children to ask their parents to buy something for them, must not imply that children will be inferior to others, mentally harm, physically harm or condone bullying. Below is a typical childrens advert for Cadbury's:



Marketing to over 50's
When marketing for the over 50's marketers try and use stimuli that relates to their past and when they were younger. Shown below are products which the over 50's market buy the most:


The over 50's top media mediums:


The over 50's main brands:


Further to marketing to the over 50's there is such a diversity within this age group that direct marketing is probably the only way to reach each one. Linked with direct marketing the over 50's group can be devided up into 5 lifestyle groups, these are:

1. 'Thrifty Traditionals', accounting for 17% of the age group. They are not well off and budget for every penny, are heavy TV viewers and read down market tabloids.
2. 'Outgoing Fun Lovers' contribute another 20%. They are magazine oriented, enjoy travelling, eating out, entertaining and are above average viewers of TV.
3. 'Astute Cosmopolitans' account for 18% of the age group. These are the ones with most money, read broadsheet newspapers, specialist and lifestyle magazines. They enjoy foreign holidays and are light TV viewers.
4. 'Apathetic Spenders' for a further 22% of the group. They take on debt through credit cards and do not like foreign holidays. Favoured newspapers are the tabloid press.
5. 'Temperate Xenophobes' make up the remainder. They love the Radio Times, most definitely do not like foreign food or travelling abroad and are heavy TV users.

Each group is best reached by direct marketing of products and brands (shown further up the page) associated with the over 50's age group. Shown below is a typical advert aimed at the over 50's: