"Kids Today…" Or, Am I an Old Fogie Marketer?
By Guest Blogger, Mary Schmidt, Marketing Troubleshooter
Then, I read that the television networks are still pursuing the golden demographic of “18 to 49 years old” Never mind, that us “old” Boomers have more discretionary income. (When we’re not supporting all those 18 to 49ers who have moved back home…or worse yet, never left.) And, many of us watch the shows, such as one of my must-sees, Supernatural, specifically designed to attract “young attractive people” (the newspaper’s words, not mine.)
Us oldsters are the largest group on Facebook. Many of us, including Yvonne, are happily tweeting away…I and several in my neighborhood (including the “little old ladies”) take our daily power walks plugged into tiny little machines listening to all kinds of music (granted, I do have some Dean Martin on there…;-)
So, what’s a marketer to do? Well, I can tell you what NOT to do.
Don’t assume. Don’t presume. Recently, Michele Miller posted re the new Mars Fling candy bar. Holly Buchanan chimed in with her excellent post, Men Are From “Mars”, Women Are From Hershey. The packaging is pink with frilly, girly looking script (sigh…why and how did pink end up being the femme signal color?)…one of the the
tag lines is “pleasure yourself.” The candy itself comes in – um -
fingers. Have a fling! Your boyfriend doesn’t have to know! You don’t need to feel guilty! Sex, sex, sex…yawn.
Several of us – including Michele, Holly, me and Yvonne – think the marketing is way off base. But, is it? Or, are we being old fogies? Are we guilty of assuming and presuming? I don’t think so.
Holly is about 20 years younger than me. And, I’m pretty sure none of us are prudes (I, for one, could never get elected to public office, from what little I remember of my stupid youth. ‘nuf said.) As for “the young” thinking it’s “fun” – well, there have always been young, silly, shallow women (and men). Are there enough young and silly people to make the candy a success? (BTW – how does the stuff taste?)
Maybe if you’re new to both sex and self-indulgence, you’d buy the candy. (Every new generation thinks they invented sex, drugs and rock-n-roll, or the age’s equivalent. The college students next door proudly plaster their cars with “daring” stickers about all of it, which is actually sorta endearing, since I’m now the “cranky old lady next door.” Get off my lawn!) Me? Been there, done that. I find the whole – um – positioning of the candy to be shallow, silly…and worst of all, boring. (And most likely dreamed up by men.)
Now, I think I’ll go grab another handful of chocolate-covered nuts for breakfast…;-)
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