Defining Markets Defining Moments [Hardcover]

Geoffrey E. Meredith (Author), Charles D. Schewe (Author), Janice Karlovich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 2001

If you could buy a book that would predict the buying behavior of millions of people, you'd buy it, right?

Defining Markets, Defining Moments explains the author's concept of cohort marketing," an extremely focused approach of generational marketingthat enables managers, salespeople, and marketing specialists to understand and predict a generation's particular attitudes, desires, preferences and buying behaviors -- even when they enter new lifestages. The book outlines the seven generational groups that are currently affecting the marketplace -- and the new ones that are emerging. And it presents new marketing models and practical advice, based on the author's experience with Fortune 500 companies, for tapping the minds, and pocketbooks, of various age groups. The text discusses key physical, socioeconomic, and emotional factors that influence a particular generation's behavior or profile."

Editorial Reviews

Review

“…does a good job of helping marketers do the right kind of homework before and as they prepare their products for market…”(Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol.20, No.21, 2003)

From the Inside Flap

The World War II generation. Baby Boomers. Generation X. And now, the up-and-coming N-Gen. Each group has its own mindset, tastes, and array of hot buttons shaped by generational "defining moments" such as Pearl Harbor, the Kennedy assassination, and the events of September 11, 2001. How can you ensure that your company's products and brands attract new customers across generations? This unique book provides the answers. Based on their pioneering research on generational cohorts, Charles Schewe, PhD, and Geoffrey E. Meredith explain the importance of targeting your marketing efforts to each of the seven distinct generational groups in the marketplace so that your company snags the largest share of the market. You'll learn how to:

• Understand the attitudes and desires of the population's seven distinct age groups
• Identify key physical, socioeconomic, and emotional factors for each generation
• Tailor your marketing campaigns to the minds—and pocketbooks—of each generation
• Take advantage of generational marketing opportunities outside North America
• Plan for Baby Boomers' transition to retirement—and the ascendancy of Generation X

Using fascinating case histories from their work with Fortune 500 clients, Meredith and Schewe show you how to predict each generational cohort's desires, preferences, and buying behaviors successfully. They describe the changes you need to make in your marketing strategies. And they explain in detail how targeting your marketing efforts to each cohort will ensure your company's success in the marketplace.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (December 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764553941
• ISBN-13: 978-0764553943
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,580,538 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Breakthroughs in generational marketing!, May 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Defining Markets Defining Moments (Hardcover)

Finally, a marketer's guide to generations that doesn't leave you with the 1946-1964 dates marking the Boomer generation..._Defining Markets, Defining Moments_ is a fresh new research into generations and their use in marketing, and into defining what a generation IS.

In this book Schewe & Meredith introduce cohort marketing by looking at the groups of people born closely enough together to have similar experiences growing up and coming of age. They then throw in a recipe on how to combine this with a few other demographic factors, more briefly introduced, like gender and urbanicity, to create a powerful formula for targeting demographic groups. Also included is information on how each generational personality will grow up and the way generations can continue to be marketed to as they go from adolescence to adulthood to old age -- how each generation will buy its first car, get married, buy a house or retire.

_Defining Markets, Defining Moments_ goes beyond "The Baby Boomers were born 1946-1964 after the war and grew up during the Vietnam War holding peace protests, remembering Woodstock, and are therefore a generation of ideals and can be marketed to through '60s music". These authors carefully considered their dates for the birth of generations and asked themselves exactly how old a person born in each year would be at critical moments of time. Therefore the Baby Boomers (born 1946-1954) who used to be all about love and peace are distinguished from the younger Generation Jones (born 1955-1965), the oldest of whom would be 14 and the youngest of whom (born Dec. 31, 1965) only 3 during Woodstock. Insights are gathered beyond the usual clichés captured in generational marketing books. And rather than assuming history began with the Baby Boomers and leaving everyone older behind as a pre-Boomer group of fossils as many marketers do, these authors identify three pre-Boomer groups who are under 90 today -- the soda-fountain, "Blackboard Jungle" Postwar Generation (1928-1945); the World War II Generation defined by their entry into that war of sacrifice (1922-1927); and the frugal, elderly Depression Generation who came of age learning to do without (1912-1921). An interesting analysis that could be continued with today's nonagenarians and centenarians (even though I bet too many people thought they were too thin a slice to be interested in marketing to). Planning any new updated editions?

On the downside, this book still has a few tweaks to work out with generational dates (1965: Jones or true X? Was 1920 really defined more by the Depression than the war?) or old stereotypes and clichés that linger (generations defined by the economic recession or the Internet), or perhaps just look too much like the workplace and marketing information offered in other books. Maybe it's just me and some of the sentences seem copied verbatim out of other marketing guides. Plus, the description of Generation Y, or "Generation N" (the N-Generation, 1977-19??), is a little off.

All in all, a decent marketing book and more-than-decent exercise in thinking about what really makes generations who they are. Several steps up from your annually recycled Elders/Boomers/Xers/EchoBoomers-in-the-Market guides, and a guide that will likewise give marketers who use it a little edge over all the marketers who use other books.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best on this topic I have found!, February 8, 2004

By 

L. Dias "Dr. LPD" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Defining Markets Defining Moments (Hardcover)

I highly recommand this book to anyone that wants general knowledge on generations. I found it easy to read and very useful in implementing in research I am performing on this area. I felt like this book was money well spent.