Rocking the Ages: The Yankelovich Report on Generational Marketing (Paperback)

by J. Walker Smith (Author), Ann S. Clurman (Author) "There is an ancient proverb: "Men resemble the times more than they do their fathers..." (more)
Key Phrases: generational marketing, rocking the ages, buying motivations, American Dream, World War, Trailing Boomers (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Smith and Clurman of the market research firm Yankelovich Partners make public the benefits of years of research to project the inclinations of the three generational categories: the Matures (born between 1909 and 1946), the Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), and the Xers (born after 1964). Their work follows in part the analysis of trends found in John Naisbitt and Patricia Aburdene's Megatrends (1982) and Faith Popcorn's The Popcorn Report (LJ 9/15/91). But while these authors tend to project a trend with some universality, Smith and Clurman have a decided generational bent, i.e., "each generation is driven by unique ideas about the lifestyles to which they aspire" [italics verbatim]. The research presented here will have pronounced implications for product service and delivery. While valuable for marketing professionals, this book will be especially useful for small businesses that would not ordinarily have access to the Yankelovich research.?Steven Silkunas, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority, Conshohocken
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"A tour-de-force perspective on social change. Drawing upon decades of the richest source of empirical data on American consumer attitudes and habits, Smith and Clurman have created a profound anthology of the times--past, present, and future." -- Michael Goldblatt, vice-president, Science and Technology, McDonald's Corporation

"More than a decade of global marketing has taught us the value of culturally sensitive marketing... Rocking the Ages helps us discern those factors, from among the many, that will make the future we hope to succeed in." -- Jim Spaeth, president, Advertisement Research Foundation

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (April 7, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887309003
• ISBN-13: 978-0887309007
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #748,546 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful sociology and history of the consumer economy, April 15, 1999

By A Customer

An incredibly quick, fun read. Plenty of insight into consumer habits and attitudes based on extensive research. The three categories (matures, baby boomers, and X-gen) may seem overly broad, but this is the first treatment of generalizations about the generations that resonates with me personally.

(As a 27-year-old, it gets a little tiring to be told you're X-gen and to constantly think that the categorization doesn't reflect anyone in my age group I've ever met, never mind me personally. This book explains why the assumptions are generally incorrect, and their X-gen data and interpretations of the data correlates - to a startlingly large degree - with my own experiences and attitudes. This lends great credibility to their insights on matures and boomers beyond the data they've gathered.)

Great reading for anyone in marketing, but also useful as a slightly twisted historical analysis of the last 70 years of U.S. history (if history can be reduced to events that influence consumer behavior).

It gets a bit repetitive towards the end, but there is a new spin on the data in each chapter. The only real downside is that it's completely U.S.-specific. I got so much out of this book that I wish there was a version for other markets in our global economy.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great way to approach sales, June 9, 2001

By	Cassandra Kendrick (Boise, ID United States) - See all my reviews

Rocking the Ages is a beautifully writen book. It takes historical events and explaines how they formed the personality of each generation. This book helped me to curve our marketing and advertising techniques to reach our customers with a positive response. It clarifies how the generations view their lives and what they buy, how and why. It has helped me to understand my customers in a more personal manner. It is easy to get trapped into the needs of one own gereration, but this book clarifies the needs and desires of all generations, and how to approach them on a marketing level.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Really hits home the generational aspects of marketing, October 28, 1998

By	workbook (Lee, NH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rocking the Ages: The Yankelovich Report of Generational Marketing (Hardcover)

It's not often a significant marketing book is published. I've often recommended that marketers read selectively in business history and management, because books that claim to help marketers (such as Faith Popcorn's) seldom deliver the goods. This new book is easy to follow and the distinction between boomers, matures, x-ers is argued quite well. It matters little whether Ted Bundy is an x-er icon or Mel Torme is a matures icon. These points are fun to dispute. But the point aptly driven home is that some of the most significant differences in consumer marketing today are generational.