Demographics series: That's a wrap.

Over the past few weeks, we've looked at the big things brands need to consider when marketing to different demographics to attract and retain customers of all ages.

We kicked things off by looking at Gen Z – a group that brands often feel unable to understand. Ended by looking at the Silent Generation – who are all too often neglected. And shone a light on every generation in between. So, we wanted to conclude the series by reflecting on what you can learn once you start tailoring your marketing and loyalty approach.

Here are our top tips for tailoring your marketing and loyalty strategy to different demographics.

1. Don't make assumptions.

One theme that constantly popped up throughout our series was businesses making ill-judged assumptions about their audiences based purely on their demographic. And following these assumptions tends to lead to brands alienating their audiences and missing the mark.

This issue spanned every demographic – from assuming that Gen Z's wouldn't be cynical about links between societal and brand values to treating baby boomers as 'old' and presuming they aren't digitally savvy. Letting these misconceptions guide your brand's approach will only hinder your efforts to develop and nurture a relationship with your audiences.

It's vital to really get to know your audience and use data to tailor your approach based on science and data. If you're just going off instinct, you're likelier to be misguided by false prejudgments.

2. Understand what motivates them.

If you want to develop a marketing strategy to target a specific demographic, you've got to understand exactly what motivates them – and then create calls to action that tie into this. 

As we delved deeper into each demographic, we found that different generations are motivated by very different things – some demographics varied depending on which end of the scale they sat within the group.

You've got millennials that crave experiences, Gen X that simply want to know what's in it for them, baby boomers that love to share, and Gen Z's that need to see a greater good – that's a lot of needs. And all these needs require a different approach to hit the sweet spot with each generation.

To guarantee a successful strategy, you need to know exactly what motivates your audiences and tweak your marketing strategy to suit them. Failing to do so is pretty much guaranteed to see you fall short of achievement.

3. Keep it engaging, and don't underestimate delivery.

No matter the generation, one thing consistent across all demographics is a hunger to be engaged. Making your entire customer journey experience as engaging as possible is crucial, but what each generation finds engaging can change massively from group to group.

Here are a few examples: a focus on spending time with family and loved ones is likely to resonate with the silent generation, yet personalisation is king for Gen Xs, and baby boomers are perhaps the most likely to engage with shareable content.

But the key to success isn't just developing engaging content; it's all about making sure you deliver the content in the right way for your target audience. Whether it's videos for Gen Zs, in-depth guides for baby boomers, experiences for millennials, or a printed letter for the silent generation – getting the delivery right is just as essential to your success as getting the content right in the first place. So, discard any idea of a one-size-fits-all approach, and make sure you talk to audiences about the right things in the right places.

Want to find out more about how to make meaningful connections with each generation? Check out our demographics series here. Or, if you'd like a bit of help developing an engagement and customer loyalty strategy that targets a specific demographic, please get in touch today.