To deliver your marketing loud and clear, learn to speak the language of the generation you’re targeting.

• Matures
  This market responds to authority, so celebrity spokespeople and respected institutions can make a favorable impression. Stress the value and quality of products, even luxury items: they’re a reward for a lifetime of hard work.
  
  Focus on top-drawer service, and make that part of your message. Matures deserve respect and will reward it.

• Boomers
  Most boomers have a big streak of Peter Pan, so don’t make them feel old. Indulge their fondness for their formative years with music and design that evoke the ’60s and the optimism and idealism of the period.
  
  Emphasize meaningful experiences and opportunities for fulfillment. Stress products and services that can help them relax and de-stress. Among this age group the market for time-saving services is huge: most have a fair amount of discretionary income and feel their time is more valuable than their money.
  
  For this market, don’t forget to appeal to the kids, whose influence on buying decisions is major.

• Generation X
  Xers want to be recognized and respected but not pigeonholed or defined by advertisers. Assume that they can see right through marketing hype. Instead, portray products (and your intentions) in a straightforward way.
  
  Gen Xers appreciate an honest approach—like the Sprite ad that proclaims, “Image is nothing. Thirst is everything. Obey your thirst.”
  
  They respond to innovative design—like the re-introduced VW Beetle and the Apple iMac—so make sure your visuals are creative and clever, with a splash of attitude. They appreciate irreverence and humor.

• Generation Y
  Ads and marketing campaigns should be funny and quirky and should never trivialize the audience. Gen Yers respond well to direct messages—such as J.C. Penney’s successful Arizona Jeans campaign that made fun of ads that attempted and failed at “teenspeak.” The tagline for the promo reads “Just show me the jeans.”
  
  Gen Y kids want to be older than they are, so they’ll respond to messages that appear to be skewed slightly older. Ethnicity attracts them, and they’re interested in their age peers in other parts of the world. Make sure models reflect the racial diversity of your target market.