A Look at Generations

By Bob Everhart

“Amongst democratic nations, each new generation is a new people.”

-Alexis de Tocqueville (1836)

Let’s ????? before we have sex.

1950’s: “Lets get married first”

1970’s: “Lets get stoned first”

1990’s: “Lets get tested first”

2010: “Lets ???? first”

Today’s Living GenerationsGeneration Born Childhood Era Coming of Age

Era

G.I. (1901-1924)World War IRoaring 20’s

Great DepressionWorld War II

Silent (1925-1942)Great Depression

World War IIAmerican High

Boom (1943-1960) American HighConsciousness

Revolution

Gen X (1961-1981)Consciousness

RevolutionCulture Wars

90’s Boom

Millennial (1982-Culture Wars

90’s BoomWar on Terror??

GI GenerationBorn 1901-1924

Today’s Ages: 79-102

Sample Members:John KennedyRonald ReaganWalt DisneyJudy GarlandJohn WayneWalter Cronkite

Headlines for GI’s• Somewhere over the rainbow (Wizard of Oz)

• Get this country moving again (John Kennedy)

• See the USA in your Chevrolet (Chevrolet)

• You can trust your car to the man who wears the star (Texaco)

• We still believe in promises (Whirlpool)

• Drink to your health with Ensure (Ensure)

GI’s as ConsumersComing of Age initiation:Great Depression and WWII

Coming of Age Social Environment:Declining Individualism, Rising Community

Ideal Entertainment:A wholesome time for everyone

Marketing Attractors:Conventional, modern, friendly, “Grand”

Silent GenerationBorn 1925-1942

Today’s Ages: 61-78

Sample Members:Colin PowellAlan GreenspanElvis PresleyMartin Luther King Jr.Gloria SteinemSandra Day O’Connor

Headlines for Silent• 29 Flavors (Baskin Robbins)

• Take it off…take it all off (Noxema)

• Five out of six doctors can’t be wrong (Bayer)

• People who need people (Barbara Streisand)

• The official vehicle of the well informed (Toyota)

• Thriving on Chaos (book, Tom Peters)

Silent’s as ConsumersComing of Age initiation:American High (1946-64)

Coming of Age Social Environment:Weak Individualism, Strong Community

Ideal Entertainment:A romantic escape

Marketing Attractors:Sociable/Packaged, Mannerly, Exotic, “Nice”

Boom GenerationBorn 1943-1960

Today’s Ages: 43-60

Sample Members:Bill and Hillary ClintonDr. Laura SchlessingerAl SharptonGeorge W. BushSteven SpielbergBill Gates

Headlines for Boomers• Hell no we won’t go (Vietnam Protest Slogan)

• We’d like to teach the world to sing (Coca Cola)

• Just one look (Toyota)

• No artificial anything (Ford GT)

• You always come back to the basics (Jim Beam)

• Finally a concept car with integrity (Buick Riviers)

Boomers as ConsumersComing of Age initiation:Consciousness Revolution (1964-84)

Coming of Age Social Environment:Rising Individualism, Declining Community

Ideal Entertainment:A meaningful experience

Marketing Attractors:Individual, classic, themed, meaningful, “Best”

Generation XBorn 1961-1981

Today’s Ages: 22-42

Sample Members:Michael DellMichael JordanQuentin TarantinoKurt CobainJeff BezosTom Cruise

Headlines for X‘ers• Why ask why? (Bud Lite)

• Grab life by the horns (Dodge)

• No rules, just right (Outback Steakhouse)

• Watch your pockets, guys (MCI)

• Life is short. Play Hard (Reebok)

• Just do it (Nike)

• Moving at the speed of business (UPS)

X’ers as ConsumersComing of Age initiation:Long Boom and Culture Wars (1984-?)

Coming of Age Social Environment:Strong Individualism, Weak Community

Ideal Entertainment:A high-stakes contest

Marketing Attractors:Optioned/Modular, pragmatic, local/efficient,“Real”

A little more X• I am either a free agent or a slave• Work is a means to an end, not an end in

itself• Higher productivity means doing more for

less-not doing everything better• What counts is my performance, not my

attitude• No sane person trusts the organization

Millennial GenerationBorn 1982-??

Today’s Ages: 0-21

Sample Members:Jessica LynchElizabeth SmartSara HughesHaley Joel OsmentAmanda Bynes

Headlines for Millenials• Regular kids…core values…zero tolerance

(School dogma- 90’s)

• Back to basics, Standards of learning (Policy slogans)

• Every generation has its hero’s (US Army)

• I love you, you love me (Barney and friends)

• Taste the Rainbow (Skittles)

• It takes a village (Book, Hillary Clinton)

• Raising PG kids in an X-rated Society (Book, Tipper Gore)

Let’s ????? before we have sex.

1950’s: “Lets get married first”

1970’s: “Lets get stoned first”

1990’s: “Lets get tested first”

2010: “Lets do national service first”

• www.millennialsrising.com• www.fourthturning.com• www.lifecourse.com