I read a couple of very interesting articles today on Generation X - my generation. It seems that it’s a generation label that is highly disputed in terms of the time span it includes, but it appears there’s general agreement that it at the very least covers those born between the years of 1965 and 1979.

According to Wikipedia, the term itself was first used in relation to a study carried out in 1964 which pre-dates the “purist” qualifying period, it was then used by a band in 1976 (interestingly, Billy Idol was a member - yeh Billy!). It came into popular use in 1991 via a novel by Douglas Coupland - Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture.

So what are the attributes of Generation X that marketers need to really understand? According to a DarwinMag article Gen X is:

- Tech-savvy
- Blunt
- Independent
- Skeptical
- Knowledge-seeking (and sharing)

I’d agree with that :)

Wheras baby boomers are quite loyal to brands, those of Generation X are known to shift loyalties at the first snafu on the part of a company. According to DarwinMag, Gen X’ers are shrewd online shoppers and also play a huge role in the purchase decisions of their baby boomer relatives.

If X marks the spot for your company, these articles will be of interest to you:

Talking ’Bout Whose Gen X?

Turn Gen X Influence Into Action

Other web marketing articles