We all know that consumers are shying away from blatant marketing and are now relying on word of mouth or discreet PR methods for educating their brand choices. As if this didn't make life difficult enough for brand marketing teams, we are also seeing a blurring of boundaries as generations move ever more closely together and marketers can no longer rely on demographic targeting by, for example, age. As "Cross-generational marketing" looks set to become the next marketing reality, what are the opportunities for brands? What is the potential for design?

First, let's set the scene. We recently conducted sociological and cross-generational research across the U.S. and U.K. The research started out exploring the premise that, as the millennial generation faced the realization it might be the first generation since the war to grow up poorer than its parents, and with student debts rising and job security long gone there might be intergenerational conflict. In fact, after conducting extensive research we found the opposite. Ties between parents and children are closer than ever, and the parental generation that grew up in the liberal '60s and '70s is, in fact, far better equipped than previous generations to empathize with the problems their kids are going through. In many cases teenagers are happy to spend leisure time with their parents hanging out, playing video games, and perhaps most importantly for marketers shopping. It is quite interesting to note that the ever-popular chain Old Navy (currently the most successful arm of the Gap Inc. retail empire) has built a hugely profitable business around the idea of parents and "tweens" shopping together. Old Navy is just one of a growing number of shrewd and forward-thinking businesses that is realizing the power of the "full-nest" family and the very real area of previously untapped opportunity this could present for brand owners.

We previously wrote about the growing trend for "memories and reconnection" and, without wishing to repeat myself, the idea of connecting generations through flavor, format, or well-loved childhood brand is never more prevalent. It is interesting to see flavors such as cocoa, raspberry, butterscotch, flavors normally associated with childhood and sweetness, re-emerging and designed and packaged to present a sophisticated and altogether more adult take on these familiar favorites, e.g. Green & Black's recent foray into extending its flavored offer with variants such as "Butterscotch & Ginger." Many beverages from vodkas to herbal teas are experimenting with the flavors of yesteryear in an endeavor to both recapture an existing audience and entice a new one. Consumers of all ages buy and buy into food and drink brands, and it is maybe time for some brand owners to be a bit more savvy about redefining their offer to integrate rather than segregate their target audience. Maybe breakfast cereals to take just one example could consider the opportunities offered by today's "young old" and "old young" consumer? Some adults already eat and enjoy cereals designed, packaged, and marketed for and at their children, but what if some childhood favorites, such as Frosted Flakes and Cocoa Puffs, were made more adult in presentation and flavor? Maybe look at reducing the sweetness and upping the chocolate content? And what of the classic single-serving variety packs? Could they also not be reformulated and resized to recapture the hearts and minds of the modern, full-nest and adult family?

Interestingly, a new fast-food concept called Cereality has recently been set up in several U.S. cities, with the aim of serving young and not-so-young office workers their favorite cereals all day long, with additions like fruit, yogurt, etc. The brand owners of Cereality have concentrated on the convenience and structure of the concept although, at this stage, the brand does remain largely un-designed and formulaic, which obviously echoes the need of the consumer of any age to understand the functional benefit of the product. But is it really desirable? Design. Desire. Brand owners do need to remember that these two words are remarkably similar and are closely connected if the former is done beautifully. Desire is a universal emotion and there is a very real opportunity for design, as the key interface between product and consumer, to build desire and convey an individual message to each and every consumer.

Let's consider another market category the cosmetics industry. How does a business obsessed by age and how to combat the signs of it react to a society that no longer acts its age? Again, the answer is to avoid the age-obsessed agenda and concentrate on designing the product to make it attractive to consumers of all ages. There are not many that have made the step but one iconic product that comes to mind is Chanel. A black and gold color combination may now be the fashion statement for this season but just maybe the fashion intelligentsia are recognizing the significance of timeless appeal as epitomized by the simple elegance of Chanel's fragrance and makeup? Chanel appeals to a broad spectrum of ages and connects generations of women by maintaining consistent and classic structures and graphic identity that, in turn, allow each and every woman to express some of her individuality in the fragrance experience.

In marketing to a cross-generational audience, everything from form, copy, color, and function has to work in ways that make us feel our futures are more youthful despite the age we are, but don't sell us the unreal illusion that we are getting younger in age. Consumers increasingly distrust grandiose claims and those products to successfully target the age spectrum will be those that put the emphasis on "health and well-being for all" communicated through modern, optimistic, and youthful but not trendy design.

The other factor to bear in mind is the difference between someone's actual and mental age. The old adage "you're only as old as you feel" has never been more prescient, and brands seem to find it very difficult to feature older people without being patronizing. Why?

The obvious message is to listen to the consumer and focus on the properties of the product and the benefits it can bring to people of all ages, i.e. the new Toyota Prius. It's not selling to an age, a gender, or a personality type but it's selling itself as being environmentally sound.

The successful brands in this market will continue to be those that understand from the beginning the type of consumers they are trying to reach, and ensure their brand message, products, and packaging work together to meet the true needs of their customers.

As the effectiveness of advertising reduces due to channel fragmentation and consumer message editing, design should be recognized as one of the strongest weapons in the brand marketing armory with designers taking responsibility for the totality of packaging and its targeting. Design is the key medium for connecting and communicating the benefits of both product and brand by linking human choice with desire. Ultimately, understanding consumer motivation is the key to imagining the future of desire.

*This article was originally published in the December 2005 edition of STEP inside design magazine.

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