Generation NeXt Parenting

Private Eyes (Daryl Hall & John Oates)

They are watching you.

They are trying to figure you out.

They study who you are, what you buy, and where your interests lie in order to determine where you’re going with your MasterCard. Who are “they”?

They are Marketers. Do you think it’s just a coincidence that more 80s music or fads from “our time” is finding its way into TV commercials? Not quite. WE are the generation to be studied and dissected. We are “up and coming” buyers who have more money to spend than years prior. We are parents now, yet we also influence our parents’ buying decisions. (I can’t begin to tell you how many “older” people call up my husband for advice before buying a new computer or PDA.)

We have POWER! (Okay, I’m getting a little out of hand!)

Seriously, want to read about what marketers have discovered about us? Read this article, “Talking ’Bout Whose Gen X?” here

Quoting this article, here’s what Marketers know about us Gen X Parents:

“Gen X-ers, to be sure, take their parenting seriously. Raised in an era of broken marriages and whose-weekend-is-it-mom’s-or-dad’s, they’re resolute in their efforts to provide stability for their children. They also bring to parenting all the self-reliance and practicality that made them discerning shoppers in their teens. (The first generation of mall rats, Gen X-ers embraced shopping as part of their social lives.) These days, Gen X-ers understand the power and the allure of seeking and sharing information online. “This generation of parents is really very communication-driven and knowledge-driven,” says Mary Admasian, Zutano’s CMO.

Well, since some of my closest friends are those who live across the country and whom I communicate with via email . . . I’d have to agree! How about you? Do you think the marketers are hitting us right on? What are they missing?

Oh, gotta go. My IM is popping up, my cellphone is ringing, and I need to remember to charge my iPod before going on my walk today! (No joking!)

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 11:49 AM