Generational Marketing: Why a one-size-fits-all message is killing your brand.
- Carolina Trevizo
- Apr 28
- 13 min read
Trying to please everyone is the fastest way to become invisible to the people who are actually your customers.
In marketing, there is a lot of talk about authenticity: showing the behind-the-scenes of the company, putting collaborators and/or the CEO on camera, showing vulnerability, and connecting with the consumer on an emotional level.
This strategy of showing the brand beyond its practical functionality and creating content that honestly reveals who is behind it responds to the shifting perspectives of consumers.
Currently, the greatest purchasing power is distributed between Generation X and Millennials, so it is better to appeal to what they value in the products and services they consume; but what if I told you that the following generations don’t care about the brand you are building and have a completely different mindset?
I was talking to my 8-year-old nephew, and he told me he wanted to be like Mr. Beast when he grew up.
At first, I was alarmed because I consider him a problematic, or at the very least, controversial figure in the digital world.
"Helping other people?" I asked, recalling the influencer's philanthropic work.
"No, I want to make money making videos on the Internet."
His answer, far from being the innocent and idealized gaze of a child toward a public figure, left me thinking about the rather raw understanding he had regarding content monetization.
And my nephew is not the only one; Ayo Ogunde (2026), relates in her article “Gen Alpha already knows the friendship is the funnel. They just don't care”, that she observed how a 9-year-old explained to his mom that the reason his favorite YouTuber mentioned a certain snack brand was because they where paid to do it (not because they liked it).
The mother was stunned. The child, bored. Ogunde says that this disparity between the mother's surprise and the child's indifference is the most important brief that marketers must understand right now, and one that, unfortunately, almost no one is paying attention to.
So, below I will attempt to concisely explain the generational differences of consumers so that, starting now, you can begin to prepare your brand for what is coming:
Table of contents:
Generational Marketing: First, get to know and understand the ever-changing consumer
I already know what you're thinking: “Am I going to have to redo my brand every time a new generation comes along?”
No, I’ll tell you upfront that it IS possible to have a solid brand that doesn’t have to resort to changing its personality every 5 years to remain relevant.
But before we go into the details of how to do that, I think it’s important that we first understand why you must build a solid consistent brand with a unique voice to survive the passage of time.
Generation: | Born between the years: | Ages in 2026: |
Baby Boomers | 1947 - 1960 | Between 66 y 79 years old |
Generation X | 1961 - 1980 | Between 46 y 65 years old |
Millennials | 1981 - 1999 | Between 27 y 45 years old |
Generation Z | 2000 - 2010 | Between 16 y 26 years old |
Generation Alpha | 2011 - 2020 | Between 6 y 15 years old |
It is not enough (and never has been) to know how old your customers and prospects are and where they shop.
It is increasingly relevant to understand what their perception of brands is, what they value (beyond the practical benefits of the product), and what their parasocial relationship with entertainment media and social networks is.
Parasocial relationship: A parasocial relationship is a one-sided emotional bond where a person feels an intimate connection, friendship, or familiarity with a public figure, fictional character, or influencer who does not know them or reciprocate that feeling. These relationships, developed through media, social networks, or entertainment, create an "illusion of intimacy". (Psychology Today).
If your brand continues to try to appeal to everyone equally, having a universal message for all types of audiences, it is necessary that you understand the following generational marketing insights:
Generational differences in consumer behavior
Let's start with the youngest, who—not in the future, but now—are influencing and making purchasing decisions in their homes:
Generation Alpha
Born between: 2011 - 2020
Age in 2026: Between 6 and 15 years old
Main platforms they use (currently): YouTube, video game platforms (Roblox, and video game consoles), Streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+), and TikTok.
Consumer characteristics: Accordin to a report by PwC (2026), Generation Alpha is characterized by being consumers who have clearly identified their favorite brands.
Furthermore, they feel empowered to decide on some of the purchases in their home: they add products to their parents' digital cart, use food delivery apps to order food, buy digital objects for video games with their mother’s credit card, etc.
Relevant data & statistics:
89% of children between 13 and 14 years old have their own smartphone. PwC (2026)
57% say that social media makes them want to buy things. PwC (2026)
8% use AI tools just for fun. PwC (2026)
33% say they feel their favorite streamer feels “like a friend.” KPMG (2025)
They are almost twice as likely to buy directly from a brand than the general population. KPMG (2025)
Insights: As explained by Ogunde (2026), Generation Alpha has never known a version of the internet where their favorite creator was not also a commercial entity.
The transactional side is not hidden from them; it is not a revelation, it is simply how the world works. Their favorite “friend” sells them things, their other favorite “friend” also sells them things; they have it completely normalized. There really is no capacity for disillusionment with brands, because they understand the mechanics behind them. They cannot be surprised. They do not form the intimate parasocial relationships that brands currently aim for. It is a generation for which business strategies were not prepared. It is the “post-authenticity” generation. "They didn’t “betray” the system; they simply never believed in it in the first place." (Ogunde, 2026).
What do they value?
In her article, Ogunde (2026) explains that Generation Alpha is still in constant change, but there are some things we can be clear about:
Novelty over narrative: They interact with what is surprising, interesting, or genuinely funny; not necessarily what is “authentic.”
Participation over observation: The brands that are capturing the attention of Generation Alpha are those made for interaction: games, challenges, worlds.
The “relationship” is not the gateway, but the product itself.
Consistency over vulnerability: They prefer brands that are recognizable and constantly present. They aren’t looking for the brand to be their friend, but for the brand to offer reliable solutions: that it is always there, always the same, and always does what it does.
The million-dollar question: If your brand is based on emotional connection and authenticity, what will you have to do to prepare when Gen Alpha becomes your buyer?
Generación Z
Born between: 2000 - 2010
Age in 2026: Between 16 and 26 years old
Main platforms they use (currently): TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube
Consumer characteristics: They are the first generation that does not know a world without the Internet. Social media is their “lens” by default to explore and know their surroundings, and it is their main source for discovering information. Unlike older generations, when they find an influencer they feel they can trust, they see them as a more reliable source of information than traditional media (including internet searches). They are a generation that seeks to express their individual truth; they are extremely communicative about their ideas, and they mobilize (digitally) behind the causes they believe in. They are a somewhat contradictory generation, since they are careful with their money, but are quick to spend it when the purchase has emotional weight, such as with micro-luxuries (PwC, 2025). And they also use AI tools to find discounted products, asking, for example: “What is the best mascara in terms of price-quality ratio?” But they hate it when a brand uses AI images to advertise itself.
Relevant data & statistics:
79% of Gen Z wait for a product to be on sale to make their purchase. (PwC, 2025)
Only 59% prefer to buy known brands, while 41% are willing to buy the cheaper version of an alternative brand. (PwC, 2025)
According to a 2025 PwC holiday survey, 82% of Gen Z said they planned to buy cheaper versions of the gifts they wanted to acquire, including pirated products.
Insights: As Ogunde (2026) explains, Generation Z industrialized influencer culture;
they know it is a transactional relationship, but they interact with it anyway with a certain ironic distance. They invented cancel culture, and just as they can advocate for a brand on Monday, they can “cancel” it on Wednesday. They feel disappointed by a parasocial “betrayal,” but they “kind of expected it.” They have a certain cynical mentality about it. Therefore, they are not loyal to brands.
What do they value?
According to PwC (2025):
Discounts: They are a generation that values discounts highly. They want to spend less, but expect better products and higher quality.
Practicality: They value the relevance of the product over brand recognition.
Experiences: More than half of Gen Z prefer to discover new products directly in stores. They turn shopping into a sporadic event (for example, Christmas), where they can touch and see the products directly, and be immersed in the atmosphere.
The million-dollar question: How can your brand build loyalty among a generation of “infidels”?
Millennials (Generation Y)
Born between: 1981 - 1999
Age in 2026: Between 27 and 45 years old
Main platforms they use (currently): Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, X
Consumer characteristics: They are avid users of social media, and their main reason for using it is to form their identity—that is, to curate their digital presence to shape how they are perceived. They don’t just form their identity through their social media profile, but also through the things they buy and consume. They feel deep nostalgia for “the old Internet”, and prefer human creativity over self-generated content. They place great importance on activism and social causes.
Relevant data & statistics:
They spend an average of 2.5 hours a day on social media. (Target Internet, 2026)
44% of Millennials admit to having unfollowed or blocked brands that share “AI slop” content (SproutSocial, 2026)
27% of Millennials expect brands to take public stances on political or social issues. (SproutSocial, 2026)
33% of Millennials report that they would stop buying a product if the brand’s values did not match their own. (SproutSocial, 2026)
Insights: Millennials are the generation beaten up by everyone, accused of feeling entitled to a thousand things, and being “cringe.” However, they are the last generation to remember the world without the Internet; they were the pioneers.
They lived through the transition from the analog world to the digital one, and many of the things that are today standards of the online world were invented by Millennials. According to Ogunde (2026) article, Millennials invented influencer culture and created an economy based on naively genuine parasocial relationships.
That is, for the Millennial, these relationships felt real. Being a fan of something meant investing emotionally in it, but when they managed to see behind the curtain (for example: it became clear to them that the “genuine” recommendations of a brand were nothing more than economic deals between parties), they felt deeply betrayed.
What do they value?
Humanization: Millennials value brands being human, from showing the human side of companies to content generated by humans (not by AI).
Values: If a brand clashes with their personal values, they stop consuming it.
Consistency: They expect brands to be consistent between what they say and what they do.
The million-dollar question: How to build a brand that does not disillusion a generation with such high expectations?
Generation X
Born between: 1961 - 1980
Age in 2026: Between 46 and 65 years old
Main platforms they use (currently): Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn
Consumer characteristics: They grew up with traditional media (including cable TV and MTV) and had to adopt digital media later in life. According to SproutSocial (2026), they use a wide variety of social networks in addition to those mentioned above, such as Reddit, Threads, Substack, and WhatsApp; but not only that, they are willing to try new platforms, such as TikTok. According to GWI (2026), they are consumers with great purchasing power, who know what they want and desire it at a fair price, they investigate products before buying them, discover new products using both digital and traditional media, are brand-loyal consumers, are interested in health and wellness issues, and are more likely to adopt new technologies (including smart home products).
Relevant data & statistics:
80% of Gen X say the main factor in choosing a brand is price. GWI (2026)
They are 13% more likely to use loyalty programs than the average consumer. GWI (2026)
50% of Gen X say they prefer to pay more for a brand they already know than to risk it with a cheaper one they don’t know. GWI (2026)
45% say they are excited about advances in AI. GWI (2026)
On average, they spend 1.5 hours a day on social media. SproutSocial (2026)
31% of Gen X say social media does not influence their purchases. SproutSocial (2026)
Insights: They are perhaps the “middle child” generation, the most ignored of all (and watch out here, because they are the ones who currently have the greatest purchasing power). They stand out for their realism, pragmatism, and independence, often attributed to the fact that they had childhoods with very little adult supervision, also leading them to have an ironic and sarcastic sense of humor.
They are characterized by having a certain cynicism and being skeptical, since in their youth they witnessed strong institutional failures (Britannica, 2026), for example in the United States: high divorce rates, Watergate, the loss of the Vietnam War, the Iran hostage crisis, etc. And in Mexico, events such as: the Tlatelolco massacre, the television monopoly, the period of a single political party for practical purposes, the severe economic crisis of '76 and '82, the “Halconazo,” state repression, and the Dirty War, among others.
What do they value?
Work-life balance: Unlike Baby Boomers, Gen X prioritizes boundaries between work life and personal life.
Authenticity over style: They value authenticity, and generally distrust overly polished corporate messages.
Autonomy: They dislike “micromanagement,” as they value their own autonomy and are suspicious if messages tell them too much about “what to do.”
Being competent over being a protagonist: They are a quiet, hardworking generation that focuses on getting things done without seeking recognition.reconocimiento.
The million-dollar question: What can my brand do to capture value from such an ignored generation?
Baby Boomers
Born between: 1947 - 1960
Age in 2026: Between 66 and 79 years old
Main platforms they use (currently): Facebook and WhatsApp
Consumer characteristics: According to Target Internet (2024), Boomers are a generation with very positive attitudes toward Facebook and WhatsApp, using the platforms with pleasure and optimism, with the main goal of connecting with family and friends, but also for news and customer support. However, they also use, to a lesser extent, other platforms that have earned their trust: YouTube and Instagram.
On the other hand, GWI (2024), reports that advertisements do not resonate with Baby Boomers, and they are the generation that feels the least identified or represented in ads; therefore, only 17% tend to buy from brands they have seen advertised (versus the 25% average of the rest of the generations). Furthermore, they want authentic, traditional, and reliable brands.
Relevant data & statistics:
88% of Baby Boomers use Facebook regularly. (SproutSocial, 2025)
47% use YouTube. (SproutSocial, 2025)
39% also useInstagram. (SproutSocial, 2025)
79% of Baby Boomers also use Facebook to report complaints to businesses about the products they consume. (SproutSocial, 2025)
They spend an average of 2 hours a day on social media. Target Internet (2024)
Insights: They were the largest and most influential generation in the history of modern consumption. They created huge social movements and were the first to question trust in advertisers. According to GWI (2024), they were born in the right place at the right time, making them the wealthiest generation on the planet.
What do they value?
Contact with loved ones: They value family unity, their friendships, and communities.
Work: They are (because 4 out of 10 are still working) “workaholics.” They are hyper-dedicated to their careers, and their professional achievements define them.
Goal-oriented: They are competitive and place great value on wealth, property ownership, and monetary personal growth.
Their independence: They value their independence and self-actualization, taking great pride in being able to do things for themselves.
The million-dollar question: What are the channels and messages your brand should have to reach Baby Boomers?
The solution for generational marketing: Goodbye to the universal message
At this point, you might be asking yourself: How do I reach all these audiences if they are so different from each other? And the answer is: No, you don’t reach absolutely everyone.
You need to have an intersectional approach, where you have complete clarity of who your priority buyer personas are. I recommend that you apply a Brand Strategy Map exercise and Channel Mix definition so that you have clarity regarding:
Who is your true customer
NOT everyone is your target audience. To identify who your target audience is, you must know:
Age and generation they belong to: What characteristics does that population have?
Their purchasing power: How much do they earn and how much can/do they want to pay for brands like yours?
Social characteristics: Are they a parent? Do they have friends? What kind of communities do they frequent? What are their values?
Opportunities: What do they value about brands like yours?
Path to purchase: What are their consumption habits? How do they decide what to buy? Where do they shop?
Your unique brand essence and voice
You shouldn’t appeal to everyone in the same way; your brand must have a unique essence, voice, and personality.
But even so, it must speak differently to different segments.
To exemplify this, let’s put you at the center of this exercise: You are a unique person, with your own personality, values, and way of seeing the world. Even though you are who you are, I am sure that you don’t talk or act the same way when you are in front of your grandmother, your friends, or your dog. For each of these “segments,” you modulate your way of being. It doesn’t mean that you completely change your personality; you simply show nuances of your personality in different degrees; allowing you to be more playful and speak in a baby voice when you are alone with your dog, bring out your most social and irreverent side with your friends, and be more attentive and reserved when you are with your grandmother, but with all 3 groups, conserving your same personal essence.
The same thing happens with your brand; so if you identify that, for example, your product is aimed at both Gen Z and Boomers, you will know that you cannot speak to both in the same way.
Segmentation by Channel / Generation
Furthermore, you must understand that every media outlet and social network has a different nature, and that people consume these channels with different objectives.
Therefore, adapt and segment your message considering:
Channel: Are you on a social network, a digital search channel, traditional media, or something else?
Generation: Which of the generations do I want to appeal to? Is it 1, are there 2, are there more?
Message: How should I adapt the different messages, depending on the generation I am going to, and the channel it will appear on?
What I am presenting to you here is only the tip of the iceberg. There is much more to talk about regarding generational marketing and how to build a brand that survives the passage of time. Part of what is important is that you never leave your consumer aside; knowing them in depth will open many doors for you. Furthermore, have an intersectional strategic vision; segmentation must be accurate so that you can get the right messages to the right people. Stop trying to have a universal brand, and start being visible to those who are actually going to become your customers.
Additional sources:
About the author
Carolina Trevizo
Partner at Werko Marketing Solutions with extensive and varied experience of over 18 years in B2B companies, specializing in strategic marketing, project management, data analysis for advertising management, audiovisual production, and graphic design.
