Generation y

The Rolling Stones have remained relevant to the baby boomer market by adapting to changes within it. This begins with a thorough understanding of the boomers-their market power, lifestyles, attitudes, fears, realities, and dreams-which for many classic rock bands is made easier because they are of that generation themselves.

Just as retail executives need to put themselves into the shoes of their customers by mystery shopping their stores, brand managers need to study baby boomers’ childhoods and life dilemmas. Demographics determine about two thirds of everything-what problems people face, what products they buy, and frequently how and where they buy. Understanding demographics thoroughly increases the likelihood of creating successful brands and crafting strategies to connect with them.

Show Me the People! The year 1957 was a good year for babies; an unprecedented 4.3 million of them were born in the United States, a peak not attained since.

After the war, beginning in 1946, the nation went on a re creation spree, resulting in over 4 million births per year until 1965, when the number dropped to 3.7 million. The baby boom fertility rates would give birth to the most significant generation marketers would have to appease for the next 80 plus years.

Baby boomers get attention because of their concentration, at one time 40 percent of the total U.S. population. As a result, the smaller number of consumers born later, about 41 million between 1968 and 1979, were to some degree forgotten-labeled Generation X. Those born in the 1980s and 1990s followed suit and were called Generation Y.