In my April 2007 Rough Notes column, I provided an overview of some of the differences in expectations, communication styles, and use of technology among various age groups. The more you start to realize that “age matters,” the more successful you will be in catering to the wants and needs of different generations. In this column I will focus on how your marketing approach should be customized based on the age group you are targeting. I believe that you need to create at least four different marketing approaches.

The first lesson learned in Marketing 101 is to get to know and understand your intended customers. Following are some ideas on how you can begin to understand how generations see “marketing” differently.

When you create marketing programs for seniors, it is important to understand several characteristics. For those who reached their 60s in the 1980s, retirement typically meant a relatively passive period of’life. By contrast, many of today’s retirees see their retirement years in a different light. They see retirement as a time of exploration and reinvention. They’re traveling, volunteering, spending more time with family and friends, and taking up new hobbies. Some even enjoy their work so much that, in part, they view it as another form of recreation; others remain active in the workforce for intellectual stimulation. Because this generation accounts for 70% of financial assets there is opportunity for agents. Seniors are living longer and thus are concerned about security and stability.

Physical changes that occur with age are universal, however. Seniors and Boomers experience changes in eyesight, hearing, mobility, and strength, and these changes should be taken into consideration when communicating with them.

Take the design of marketing material, for example. For most people, the eye begins to change during the 40s. This can alter ease-of-readability. The eye’s retina begins to yellow, making it harder for older persons to distinguish between blues, greens, and purples, and easier to see reds and oranges. Glare also becomes a problem, causing Boomers and Seniors to have difficulty reading a message on a high-gloss paper. Whether using paper-based or online marketing materials, remember to keep the design and content simple.

It’s an erroneous notion that these consumers are completely clueless when it comes to technology. The reality is much different. Half of all Americans over age 60 use the Internet. The comfort level with using the Internet for purchasing decisions or using Web or phone self-service varies from consumer to consumer. But to assume that older consumers dislike technology can substantially stifle an agency’s ability to connect with these clients. They will use the Internet to research products and services.

Baby Boomers

More than half of the almost

76 million Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) are 50 years old or older, while the rest crest the hill at the rate of 10,000 a week. Like Seniors, one mistake companies often make about this cohort is to assume that it is less technically savvy than younger generations. Having grown up during the tech revolution, most Boomers are well versed in many of the different communication channels.

Boomers will contact you using the channels they’re most comfortable with because that’s the channel they’ve been using for years. If a Boomer is contacting you via e-mail, make a note and make sure that subsequent contacts are sent via e-mail. It’s a simple concept, but one that agencies fail to pick up on. This group’s knowledge and adoption of technology comes primarily from what they learned at work.

Baby Boomers have high expectations concerning the marketing and sales pitches that companies use to acquire their business. With this group, your post-purchase customer service levels had better live up to the promises made during the sales process or they will take their business to someone else.

Many marketers believe that a consumer’s brand preferences are fixed by age 50. While this may be true of the Seniors, Boomers appear just as likely to switch brands as younger generations. Baby Boomers are also smart consumers. Don’t use vague, mass-marketing advertising with generic messages. Communicate the clear-cut benefits and values of the product and/or service you’re selling.

Generation X

This generation (born between 1964 and 1978) often gets left out primarily because of size. Gen X is only about 49 million strong, and as a result, many marketers have realized this group’s spending power will never reach that of Gen Y and the Boomers. Boldness, youthful rebellion, and benign anarchy remain the hallmarks of the generation, even as it begins to have families and start businesses. Many in this generation think of themselves as disloyal to brands and skeptical of big business.

Xers are very sensitive when companies try to “sell” them or when they suspect that they are being exploited. They’d rather believe that they are part of a dialogue with the company. Use a straightforward approach. Today there is so much marketing noise that this generation has learned to ignore it as not interesting or relevant to them. Thus, mass marketing and selling can fall on deaf ears, and fake personalization can hurt rather than help.