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A n ic h eo r a t r e n d s e t t in g m o v e m e n t

Written by: Véronique Esposito

Article Overview: Most of the consumers these brands or products are addressing are notslackers or teenagers;they are wealthy,well-educated individuals withadult responsibilities,well-paid jobs,and often families of their own.Sowhy are all these grown-ups cultivating more and more juvenile tastes intheir choice products and entertainment? Are they just a niche or agrowing consumer basis that companies could be ignoring at their peril?And if so what is the best way to address their needs and aspirations?

A n ic h eo r a t r e n d s e t t in g m o v e m e n t

Most of the consumers these brands or products are addressing are notslackers or teenagers;they are wealthy,well-educated individuals withadult responsibilities,well-paid jobs,and often families of their own.Sowhy are all these grown-ups cultivating more and more juvenile tastes intheir choice products and entertainment? Are they just a niche or agrowing consumer basis that companies could be ignoring at their peril?And if so what is the best way to address their needs and aspirations?In a market environment that is evolving from being product focused toproviding customer experiences,understanding the fundamental needs,values,icons and experiences of consumers is more important than ever.Generational mindsets,hopes and fears strongly influence what and howpeople buy,and therefore it is critical to understand what these are todevelop the most effective marketing strategy for your brand.As kidults or adulescents deliberately challenge age definitions and refuse- or postpone - traditional rites of passage,it could be tempting to viewthem as one large group of consumers refusing to age and holding on totheir teenager or childhood’s dreams.It is true that to indulge in this kindof lifestyle,most of these consumers come from wealthy and urban upperclass,but they do not all belong to the same generation.While theirjuvenile behaviour and interests appear at first similar,they are not drivenby the same needs or aspirations because they’ve not all grown up in thesame historical context.

U n ) r e a s o n a b le o p t im is m ?The trendsetters pushing this“Peter Pan”movement are mostly thechildren of the 68 generation,also known as Generation X.Aged between25 and 40,they are often considered as the“sacrificed generation”becausethey were the first to endure divorce,monoparental or reformed families,working parents,latch-key lives,violence on television and in the streets.They have grown up with AIDS,no job security,traditional values breakingdown,the growing menace of terrorism and“religious”wars and therealisation that governments - when these can be trusted - will not help orsupport them in the future.Obviously in this whirlwind context,their life ismore complex than their elders’,and these“Xers”have a tendency tobelieve that older generations - including baby-boomers who are stilltoday holding the reins of business and power - are responsible for theworld’s mess they and future generations will be left to live with.So there is little wonder that the signs of adulthood have lost their appealand that this generation aspires to escape this world by seeking thecomfort,fun and innocence of childhood memories and experiences.Butwhile they share a“carpe diem”attitude,they are not sceptics who rejectresponsibilities.They are just aware that it’s ultimately up to them to lookafter their own well-being and future.They are in fact incredibly mature,

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