How to Target Mobile Consumers, by Generation
Consumers are mobile. Every brand that is marketing today has customers that use mobile phones, smartphones, and tables, but campaigns that capture the interest of a mom may miss the mark for a retiree. The primary difference between generations and their expectations for brand engagement have to do with their approach to authority and institutions.
A quick look at U.S. Army marketing over the years offers a snapshot for engagement by generation
Uncle Sam Wants You—The Greatest Generation (65+years) are comfortable with hierarchy and authority; love institutions.
Be All that You Can Be—Baby Boomers (47-65 years) are idealistic and anti-authoritarian
Army of One—Gen X (35-46 years) are self-reliant, independent, pragmatic
You Made Then Strong, We’ll Make Them Army Strong—Gen Y (21 to 34) enjoy a close relationship with their parents, so the Army aimed this campaign at these influencers
Baby Boomers
To see our full post on this valuable demographic, see Untapped Markets: Mobile + Boomers
- Give them tons of relevant content and media
- Market also to the people who are helping them consume online
- Stay within their comfort zone
- Add Boomers to your design team
Gen X
For more on marketing to Gen X, see X Marks the (Sweet) Spot: Engaging Gen X
- Create a multi-channel strategy
- Create authentic, relevant messages
- Win them over one at a time
- Focus on building loyalty
Millennials/Gen Y
Find an in depth look at our youngest consumers at Mobile Marketing for Gen Y
- Focus on the 10% that influence
- Co-create the brand experience; bake their stories into your brand
- Provide opportunities for creating original content
- Pair with in-person events
There are also commonalities among the generations. Regardless of target demographic, create mobile campaigns that pique consumer interest, are seamless to execute, and add value in the form of information or entertainment. From 3 Rules for Engaging Mobile Consumers:
- Respect the Consumer. Use opt-in or double opt-in, and make it easy to opt-out.
- Make it Seamless. Don’t make consumers work too hard to get to your content.
- Make it Worth it. Mobile consumers demand value.
We hope these insights help you develop mobile marketing campaigns that engage and ultimately convert. Let us know how you are targeting consumers in your mobile marketing plans, in the comments below.