Generation Cohort Marketing

There are lots of articles about the Millennials ..marketers are always looking for some "tag" that describes a population and predicts their behavior.

Generation-based marketing can be a little dangerous.  I'm a Boomer ... but I know Boomers that are very similar to me and, yet, others that could well have come from a different planet.  But, the experiences that shape a generational cohort can, often, shape their attitudes.  The Boomers' independence and drive for change was likely spawned by the student revolution, the Vietnam War, "sex, drugs, and rock and roll," and a rebellion against the thrifty and suffocating characteristics of their parents.

Millennials have been a concern for marketers because they are sooooo different from other cohorts in terms of their behaviors and because they change with the wind.  Many marketers were hoping (praying?) that the would grow up and be more "conventional" as adults.

This article, "Millennial Values Do Not Change With Age," debunks that expectation and points out

that the tectonic shifts that have shaped this generation have made them permanently fixed within their own cohort values. So if you are a classical cultural organization ... or a mainline church or charity ... or an established entertainment medium like broadcast TV ... you should get used to the idea that this cohort is not going to flock to your business model - UNLESS you can make that business model relate to their values. 

Marketing has always been about a focus on the customer.  We can't just hope for the customer to change to our model.  We're going to have to figure out a model that works for them.