Generation X

The Lost Generation

The Lost Generation

22

14

Features 04 Who were they?

06 Why do you care?

Generation X is on the brink of becoming the most powerful generation on the planet.

They are taking over from the Baby Boomers and being appointed to the most influential jobs in politics, the media and finance.

08 What we did

There was very little existing research that actually got under the skin of this group, so we decided to embark on the biggest and most up-to-date survey ever conducted on Generation X.

10 What they are not 14 Who are they now?

16 Umbrella Trends 18 Cruisers 20 Nesters 22 Super Breeders 10

24 Believers 26 What does this mean?

WHO WERE THEY?

Who were they?

Douglas Coupland referred to them as Generation X (born 1967 – 77); a ‘lost’ generation, sandwiched between two much bigger groups, the Baby Boomers (born 1946 – 66) and the Millennials (born 1978 – 94).

We saw them as a somewhat disillusioned group; well-educated, from traditionally comfortable backgrounds, but struggling to find purpose or meaningful employment.

It was Chuck Palahniuk who summed them up best, in Fight Club: We’re the middle children of history, man.

No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War’s a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We’ve been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won’t. And we’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed off.

Early on, we discovered that existing data on this group was largely US-focused and more than ten years old. This raised several questions: Was Gen X just a US phenomenon? If not, who had they become?

Did growing up amidst massive political, economic and social change shape their beliefs and behaviours?

We set out to prove that many of the factors making US Gen Xers a distinctive group weren’t in fact localised but part of a much, much bigger picture.

The end of the Cold War didn’t just reshape the landscape of the old USSR, or reunify

04 | t h e l o s t g e n e r at i o n

Germany: it signalled the end of forty years of waiting for the world to end in a nuclear cloud. And as that cloud was lifted, another world was born. The late 1980s saw the birth of Global Capitalism, as electronic trading came to the money markets and new types of financial instruments were created to make the money work in increasingly clever and complex ways. But some of the most profound changes affected everyone on a much more personal level: this was the first generation that learnt to incorporate the internet, email and mobile communications into their lives.

Even closer to home, certainly across all western nations, this group experienced a massive step-change in household lifestyles. Divorce rates accelerated rapidly; and even if parents stayed together, daily behaviours changed as women moved into full-time employment.

For better or worse, an increasingly large number became classified as ‘latchkey children’ during this time.

This period also saw the last global recession and, for the older members of Gen X, this meant emerging into the workforce and finding that a degree was no longer a passport to a job, or guaranteed success.

Fight Club

WHy do you care?

1999

“Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need”

Why Do You Care?

So why the interest in Generation X? Why do we care about this group now?

To put it bluntly, we care because Generation X is on the brink of becoming the most powerful generation on the planet.

These people are taking over from the Baby Boomers and being appointed to the most influential jobs in politics, the media and finance. Think Larry Page and Sergey Brin, David Cameron, James Murdoch and Matthew McCauley (youngest ever CEO of Gymboree, a $700 million business).

As the Baby Boomers retire and their individual spending power declines, Generation X’s wealth is on the up.

This group is also the current generation of parents; parents who are behaving very differently from their own. As Mary Pipher, anthropologist and author of Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls, puts it: It used to be the job of parents to expose their children to the outside world; today, it is their job to protect their children from the outside world.

This is an approach that requires a vast investment of resources. Recent estimates suggest that the UK is the most expensive

place in Europe to bring up children. The cost from birth to adulthood is currently estimated to be an average of €228,000 per child, assuming the child is not privately educated. Parental spending on children in Italy and Germany rivals this total.

This is also the generation most closely aligned to the rise in new kinds of cultural values. These values drive us to demand to know where everything came from, how it got to us, what is in it and who made it; whilst expecting it to be beautifully designed. Take for example water, which has become a €51 billion market globally.

But above all this, the reason we must care about this group is that they are the most marketing-savvy generation that ever lived.

Marketing is essentially feeding the poop back to people fast enough to make them think they’re still getting the real food.

Douglas Coupland, Generation X If we, as brands and marketers, are going to connect with this group we must understand them.

0 7 | t h e l o s t g e n e r at i o n

WHat we did

What we did Our journey commenced with an examination of existing global research. We discovered that there was very little research that actually got under the skin of this group, so we decided to embark on the biggest and most up-to-date survey ever conducted on Generation X. We realised early on that it wasn’t enough to know what this group looked like and how they behaved: we needed to understand what made them distinctive, so we compared them to the Millennials (or Generation Y) as well as the Baby Boomers.

We conducted our primary research by way of ethnographic observation.

We went into people’s homes, watched them shopping, meeting their friends, feeding their children and studied their behaviour. Later we showed them the footage, and talked to them about why they do the things they do. We did this in 17 countries, across five continents, generating over 350 hours of film.

We complemented our ethnographies with an online survey of 5000 respondents. We explored their attitudes to life, brands and iconic figures of the 20th and 21st centuries. The results yielded more than half a million pieces of data. To ensure that we compared apples with apples, we stipulated that all respondents were educated to degree level.

What we found is not just fascinating, but in many cases surprising, as results often appeared contradictory. We soon realised that this reflected both the complexity and richness of the group.

08 | t h e l o s t g e n e r at i o n

WHat they are not

What they are not Comparison was vital in creating a crystal clear picture of Gen Xers and who they are today; how could we hope to identify distinctive X traits without taking a closer look at the generations on either side?

Millennial Materialists Most people associate the Millennials (Generation Y) with technology; after all, this is the group who introduced the rest of us to Facebook, MySpace and social networking. Interestingly, 45% of Generation X are active users too, although they tend to stay loyal to one site, whilst the Millennials use several.

(38% have a strong view on this; 20% more than Gen X or the Boomers). We see this in the icons they value; Marilyn Monroe - despite having died 20 years before this group was born - is very much admired, as is Princess Diana. It’s not surprising then that they love to shop far more than anyone else: 43% more to be precise.

It’s also apparent that this younger group doesn’t make the same distinctions between ‘real’ and ‘virtual’. Wherever they are, it’s real for them; Generation X, however, makes a clear distinction.

Perhaps because they’re so driven by image, they’re far less likely to worry about the ethics of brands. Only 34% say they are bothered by this, much less than the other groups.

What stood out most is the way Generation Y has embraced consumer culture; for them money and image is everything. 71% are confident that they will be successful and are happy to forget the work/life balance to achieve this. What’s more, success is measured by how much they earn

10 | t h e l o s t g e n e r at i o n

For anyone starting to feel envious about this confident group having fun and splashing the cash, you can take some ironic cheer from the fact that - even at this young age - Gen Y feels more stressed and far, far more pessimistic than anyone else. Almost 40% think that if something can go wrong for them it will, and the same number say that they get upset easily.

I shop ore theref I am

WHat they are not

Baby Boomers Some estimates suggest that Baby Boomers control 80% of the world’s assets. Indeed, there has been a view that this is the fortunate generation; one envious commentator (firmly rooted in Generation X) from The Times puts it:

more than their parents, they also enjoyed spending more. They now face anxiety about their quality of life in retirement; they worry about their pensions, investments and longterm health.

For too long the world has been run by this extraordinary generation (the Boomers). Not only were they economically blessed - affordable housing, low energy costs, free university education, fluid economies - they also had some of the most hedonistic and uncomplicated fun since the Romans: all the sex (by the time we came of age, HIV had put a stop to all that), the best music (I’m sorry, Coldplay is no match for Jimi Hendrix), all the easy idealism of privilege. They drove expensive, gas-guzzling cars without a care for the cost or the environmental impact.

On the positive side, Boomers are the least stressed of the three groups and have the most control over their own time. But they are also more cynical and disillusioned. They don’t see success around the corner and they are sceptical of corporate claims. This is the group most likely to agree with the statement: I’m fed up with hearing companies talk about how environmentally friendly they are.

Yet astonishingly, the Baby Boomers feel more financially uncertain than either of the two groups who followed them. It seems that concerns about the world economy have hit those with something to lose the hardest.

And, whilst this group might have earned

12 | t h e l o s t g e n e r at i o n

Despite the swinging sixties, the Boomers also retain more conservative core values.

They have the fiercest sense of national identity; they prefer suburban and rural living to city life; almost half are critical of working mothers; they definitely do not want a gay child and they are the group most likely to think fat people have only got themselves to blame.

Who are they now?

Who are they now?

As we undertook comprehensive analysis of our data, key themes began to emerge. It became abundantly clear that certain factors tie this group together; this was apparent across all 17 research markets.

We identified some umbrella trends for the Gen X group that gave us real insight into the people they are today.

But, as is the nature of the beast, we wanted more, much more.

And, with deeper analysis, we uncovered four fascinating subgroups; Cruisers, Nesters, Super Breeders and Believers.

Actually we discovered a fifth group as well. A miserly lot we call Rejectors, they feel alienated and cynical, expressing themselves by their antagonism to much of the mainstream. On the one hand, this does indeed prove that Douglas Coupland’s Gen Xers do still exist; but actually they account for such a small percentage (5% to be precise) that we think they’re barely worth exploring.

14 | t h e l o s t g e n e r at i o n

umbrella trends

Umbrella Trends

y 4. hnolog Tec Tool is a not festyle a Li

66% of Gen Xers believe technolo gy and science can solve a lot of the world’s prob lems. 48% say they want to use technology to not just manage, but to control their relationships with companies.

93% recognise Albert Einstein as a hero.

Diving into the mass of data, common themes began to emerge and we were able to start drawing a very real picture of just who Generation X has become.

On balance, they are conscious of not spending too much time online, and make efforts to spend time in the real world.

This was probably the most consiste nt finding, but it’s worth noting that the bigg est supporters of technology and science were the Chileans (90% think it could solve the world’s problems).

The most sceptical were the British; but then, they have been subjected to ten year s of media headlines about BSE, GM crops and hospital superbugs.

1. ssed Stre but py Hap It’s perhaps no surprise that this group feels highly stressed. Howe ver, contrary to the popular belief that stress is a modern disease, our findings suggest tha t Generation X has successfully adapted to this condition.

76% admit they are str essed, but 65% remain optimistic and ‘always look on the bright side of life’. Similarly, 72% admi t to being time-poor, bu t 65% also like to keep bu sy. When comparing ho w they feel now with how they felt when they we re growing up, almost all countries say that their happiness levels have increased.

There are two notable exceptions to this: China and Germany. In China , the situation is polarized; just over ha lf say they’re happier no w, but almost 40% say the y were happier then.

Germany is the only na tion where, overall, people were happier in the past than they are now. Our belief is that the unique events in Germany, around the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Ea st and West, created a wave of optimism that was unsustainable.

16 | t h e l o s t g e n e r at i o n

le 2. rtab o f Com us not spicuo Con

This group won’t tell you they want a Porsche – in fact one respondent told us “he doesn’t car e what piece of crap he drives” – but they do car e about things that reflect who they are; one individual showed off the salt she’d purchase d on a recent trip to the Himalayas.

There are cultural differ ences. For example, luxury brands score mu ch better in Asia and Romania. This suggests that emerging markets are playing catch-up an d responding to some of the values that Weste rn cultures displayed during the 1990s.

Overall, what Generat ion X buys seems to be more about making the m feel good, rather tha n just making them look good.

ed 3. terest In d an nic Iro

g out what’s goin owledgeable ab kn is p ou t gr os is m Th neration . They are the ge on in the world peace, The en ands like Gre br ith w d ge ga en like to explore d the BBC. They an es m Ti l e ia nc Fina n gravitate to th s, and they ofte st re te n in tio nt ra re diffe the gene scure – this was ob e th d an ic of eclect ent in all forms e indie movem that created th tend to hold said, they also at Th . re ltu cu r popula ntain a sense of commit and mai back, not fully ent. ironic detachm China only 29% an exception. In l Again, there is thing; and for al irony is a good in e, on ve think a sense of don’t ha say Americans ne -o no , er those Brits who Howev iate irony more. fact, they apprec 91%. the Germans, at does irony like

5. e nce a t h T por ce Im a Pla of lled Ca me Ho nd ests that behi research sugg me. ho at e Above all, our lif t n for a quie ar ye s er X r, ey most the exterio onic figures th ic e th at ok lo stand out When we ose that really th , ith w y tif n closely iden tions are Nelso her two genera iun re st fir compared to ot E.T. The ry Potter and s hi r fo d an Mandela, Har a homel y and created tr a un is co s ry hi ar H d fie er figure. chetypical fath ar e e. th ; m le ho op y pe ew a happ who never kn me, lonely orphan to get back ho ng n child tryi ie al rs st lo be a em is m E.T. lintered uniting the sp re s es oc pr e in th befriends. of the family he is picture exception to th e bl ta no t os The m at most of pite the fact th es D . na hi C n is agai ed, Arnold e less recognis er w s on ic r g. the othe positive ratin er got an 82% e one th as , Schwarzenegg ue tr still holds is es th po hy e the father of The hom er rating was gh hi a t go 95% score. person who Dong, with a Ze ao M , na modern Chi

---------------------------------------------42% of Irish Gen Xers are Cruisers ---------------------------------------------77% hate shopping ---------------------------------------------55% in the UK would not want

to own a Porsche ----------------------------------------------

WHO are they now? cruisers

WHO are they now?

An extension of Twentysomethings, this group still thinks of themselves as young, free and having fun.

As drifters living on the edge of the mainstream, Cruisers revel in leisure pursuits with their extended network of friends; spending their time in bars, clubs and casual relationships. Cool and unfussy is definitely what it’s all about for this group. Home is seldom seen as more than a place to rest their heads, and backpacking-style travel is high on their agenda. In fact, they’d probably like to be able to leave it all behind and explore the world.

Usually single, these eclectic mavericks love imparting their opinion and thoroughly enjoy showcasing their obscure interests and expertise. They embrace - perhaps as a reflection of their thoughtful disposition brands that embody information and knowledge. Think The Financial Times, BBC and Amazon.

Most of them still have to work regular jobs, but they’ll say it’s not a big deal. They have the self-confidence to think they’re good enough at their jobs not to have to worry about employment or money issues.

Non-conformists by nature, Cruisers seem most likely to shun establishment figures; Thatcher, the Pope and Princess Diana all scored low in our iconic survey. Instead, their

18 | t h e l o s t g e n e r at i o n

allegiance lies with those who manifest freedom and equality or who have succeeded despite the odds; for example Mandela and Gorbachev. They also dislike conventional notions of image, including the importance of design. They particularly resent the idea that one should make an effort to look good.

Little interest is shown in luxury brands - 47% think designer goods are for people who lack taste - and status symbols score fairly low on their list of priorities. They are also indifferent when it comes to lifestyle brands; iPods are firmly rejected. This doesn’t mean, however, that they are anti-possessions. Cruisers are far more likely to spend their money on products than on experiences. They just prefer independent, specialist and urban brands; especially those that help them to celebrate their individuality and sovereignty.

Casual clothing and indie music feature strongly here.

So, are they self-assured individuals who feel they don’t need to be part of the crowd?

When you scratch the surface a more discontented picture emerges. For all their express confidence, they’re not really happy with their lives. Only 34% are happier now than when they were eighteen. Although the career focused 53% aren’t finding that ‘sense of

purpose’ in their profession; just 34% respect their managers at work. Perhaps that’s why they’ve typically had more jobs than their peers. Either way, the net result is that they don’t actually think they’ll get the success they want.

Interestingly, Cruisers are the most negative towards their parents and any suggestion that they might be role models. In many ways they actually seem quite conservative. They are not interested in whether brands have ethics, are suspicious of working mothers and alternative health. Even with technology, they are more likely to keep their distance when it comes to being connected with the world. Technology still plays an important role for this group but only 36% are comfortable being ‘plugged in’ 24/7. Their biggest hate by far, is shopping.

That said, this group is definitely the least stressed. Maybe this can partly be attributed to the fact that they can maintain their distance emotionally? Or maybe they’ve just resigned themselves to the current shape of their lives?

---------------------------------------------87% believe the internet has changed

the world for the better ---------------------------------------------67% think that they’ll be successful ---------------------------------------------61% feel they’re able to change the

things they don’t like ----------------------------------------------

WHO are they now? Nesters

WHO are they now?

Nesters

Synonymous with high design and city living, Nesters are focused on creature comforts and their intimate circle of treasured friends.

Taking pride in entertaining at home and loving thy neighbourhood, Nesters adore being well-known in local shops and eateries.

They are interested in exploring arts, culture and design and frequently delve into new avenues of personal expression, such as writing, photography or dance.

Their outlook is positive, confident, relaxed and optimistic. These are the real feel-good members of their generation. They’ve got life right where they want it. They see the good in many things – technology, work, success – but they don’t pursue any of these obsessively. Balance seems to be the key word for them. They enjoy work and they have no worries whatsoever about their employability; by the same token, they’re not worried about how much they earn.

Nesters are generally positive about what technology can do for the world, but don’t try to stay connected 24/7. The big picture here is quality of life.

Nesters are real cultural connoisseurs. They covet aspirational brands and take immense pleasure in creating the perfect home - most

20 | t h e l o s t g e n e r at i o n

likely owned, rather than rented - where they can showcase their exceptional taste and successful life. Trendy design goods and hip fashion labels are at the top of their shopping list, along with luxury technology items; especially those that help them keep in touch with friends. Their ideal evening is a dinner party at home; not surprisingly, high quality food and wine are of the utmost importance.

Conversely, Nesters are practical and they have an affinity for mixing brands that make their life easier with those that reflect extravagance; furniture and cars are good examples.

Although this group lives pretty insular lives, they are incredibly liberal and love to be seen as ‘free-thinking’ and socially relaxed. If they do have children, they’re happy staying in the city to raise them; no need to take flight to the suburbs. They very much adopt a ‘live and let live’ philosophy - 54% say they would be happy to have a gay child; they’re also the most positive about working mothers. Overall, they really want to enjoy

the freedom and experiences that life has to offer; 51% say they feel freer now than in the past.

Nesters also like to travel, especially on adventurous holidays, although the mini-break is popular too, particularly when they get to spend this time with cherished buddies.

This group is most likely to be found in middle and northern Europe, may or may not have children, but are probably in relationships. Those that haven’t yet found love invariably talk about settling down and finding someone to spend the rest of their life with. Many are keen to have a family.

But is there a dark cloud amidst all this joie de vivre? Actually, it’s not dark, but perhaps a shade of grey. On the whole they are happy (55% are happier now than when they were eighteen) but some feel that they are not quite where they should be at this stage in their life. They are still looking for that ‘something’ or worrying that they will look back on life having not achieved enough.

---------------------------------------------23% think that the internet has

changed the world for the better ---------------------------------------------52% get confused by the amount

of product choice ---------------------------------------------72% feel more stressed today ----------------------------------------------

Who are they now? Super Breeders

WHO are they now?

Super Breeders For this group, it’s all about the kids.

With family as priority number one, Super Breeders aspire to create the perfect world in which to enfold their equally perfect offspring. Environmentally conscious and community-minded, this group is fiercely protective of their kids and will stop at nothing to give them a competitive boost.

They like where they live, enjoy knowing their neighbours and take a lot of pride in being a good citizen. They’re more likely to live in French-speaking countries or the United States (although they also index very strongly in Germany and New Zealand).

More conformist than our other Generation X clusters, the Super Breeders do not admire those they associate with instability, such as Gorbachev and the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna. Instead they think highly of strong establishment figures – the ones who know right from wrong – such as Thatcher and Reagan.

It’s fair to say that this group takes a more conservative standpoint; 40% think that working mothers are selfish and they feel extremely guilty when they prioritise work over their kids. 36% say they would definitely not be happy if their child turned out to be gay.

Displaying strong puritanical traits, Super Breeders are most likely to mistrust what scientists and technologists say and do.

22 | t h e l o s t g e n e r at i o n

They also tend to dislike the amount of choice available in most categories and express disdain towards ‘designer’ labels.

As parents, Super Breeders diligently guard the ‘bubble’ they’ve created to protect their kids; the internet, television, chemicals, junk food and porn are all perceived as threats.

They clearly love their children and undoubtedly want the best for them. But that also means they want them to be the very best. Being competitive goes hand-in-hand with control.

So they spend as much time educating them as they do entertaining them, making sure they can read before the other toddlers at playschool. Writing, maths, tutoring, drama, music and sport are also viewed as essential stimuli.

This group is definitely more interested in distinguishing characteristics than specific brands; organic, fresh, local, free-range, recyclable, sustainable, additive/nut/chemical free all bear strong significance here. Our data also reveals that Super Breeders are partial to establishment brands, not just the obvious ones like Nintendo, Nike and Nokia, but even McDonalds (ironic really, considering that this seems to contradict their protective instincts).

Technology is important too; they like to stay connected 24/7. This is almost certainly a result of trying to stay in touch with the friends they’ve seen less and less of since they had children.

Putting someone else at the centre of your universe can take its toll on your sense of personal identity. So perhaps it’s not surprising that this group appears much more image conscious – almost 50% think it’s important to look good all of the time. They are also more willing to consider cosmetic surgery and alternative therapies as a way of continuing to look and feel good.

Whatever we think of Super Breeders, the data suggests that feeling in control is no bad thing; this group is by far the happiest (67% are happier now than when they were eighteen).

They do score the highest for stress, as might be expected, but ultimately feel satisfied. Can we conclude that this comes from finding a sense of purpose through their children?

Who are they now? Believers

---------------------------------------------72% have a strong sense of

national pride ---------------------------------------------76% think you should look your

best every day ---------------------------------------------16%would feel ok if a child

turned out gay ----------------------------------------------

Believers WHO are they now?

More than anybody, Believers know what they want: Right now, they want it all.

This group believes in the system and is happy to play by the rules. They have the strongest sense of national identity and a belief that success will one day be theirs.

They are predominantly found in more recently developed markets, representing 40% of the country for Romania and Chile, and 50-60% in China, Korea and South Africa.

In all other countries the average is much lower; around 10%.

Believers put a lot of effort into personal image; how they look, how much they earn and the way their carreer defines them are all extremely important. But they also accept the downside; they admit to being extremely stressed and worrying about money.

Interestingly, they live with the apparent contradiction that - for all their aspirations they are powerless to change the things they don’t like. They realise that their hard work is unlikely to be formally recognised or rewarded.

Their positive attitude towards the future becomes particularly significant when we compare views towards life now, versus life growing up. In terms of optimism, almost three times as many Believers feel better about their future now than they did when they were younger. In contrast, across the West, almost as many people look back on their early adult lives with fondness and a sense that things were better then.

24 | t h e l o s t g e n e r at i o n

what does this mean?

What does this mean?

In-depth research is all well and good, but what do these results really mean for brands and marketers?

Among the groups we’ve identified, Nesters clearly represent the greatest opportunity for the largest number of brands. They are lifestyle devotees who love to shop. They care about the brands they’re associated with, and they’re both willing and able to pay for the ones that tell the rest of the world the right story. That said, the effort they make to find just the right item, even for categories that others would regard as pure commodity (remember that Himalayan salt?), makes them harder to reach for mainstream brands. Great design or the promise of an authentic experience, especially if it gives the home a unique little twist, are the pillars of brand success.

However, high design shouldn’t be confused with high price or traditional luxury. So, whilst this may be the group most likely to splash out on Alessi, Apple and Bang & Olufsen, they’re also the ones who made Zara, Ikea and Muji global success stories.

The Believers share some of the Nester characteristics but, in all likelihood don’t have the same spending power (at least at this point in time). This however, doesn’t rule them out as attractive future customers for those brands who are prepared to invest for the longer term. When we look at attitudes to brands within our survey, the countries highly represented in this group rate mainstream premium brands - such as Mercedes, BMW and Nokia - 20-25% higher than the average. But, the same level of preference does not extend to more designoriented brands, such as iPod and Ikea,

26 | t h e l o s t g e n e r at i o n

marking a significant difference with the Nesters. This would be consistent with existing experience in these markets, especially in Asia, where ‘traditional’ luxury brands continue to be regarded as extremely desirable.

The Super Breeders are perhaps the most intriguing group. It’s clear that a new generation of brands - those building credible associations with all things healthy and natural - will be potentially successful.

Conversely, brands that are viewed as ‘artificial’ (no matter how famous) will suffer.

Little Harry and Ruby are far more likely to be drinking water than something coloured and fizzy. And confectionary brands really need to look elsewhere. But, and it’s a big but, this doesn’t mean that Super Breeders only buy niche brands. We’ve seen that they do trust major brand names, including the likes of McDonalds, that you’d expect to find in the forbidden category. We suspect that this is a nod towards pragmatism and compromise; but it’s also possible that they find it too time consuming to be a puritan all the time (especially if they are working), so they occasionally lapse for the sake of convenience. Or maybe they don’t want to be the big bad mummy or daddy who won’t let their kids have what the other kids enjoy.

It’s probably outside of the mainstream that the real opportunities exist for brands trying to engage with Super Breeders. If one can find a way to activate their competitive parenting instincts, then price won’t be a major issue. Whether it’s Spanish lessons, the saxophone, summer holidays or sportswear,

Super Breeders don’t just know best, they want the best.

Cruisers are much harder to engage. They say they hate shopping, but that probably means they wouldn’t be seen dead in a shopping mall or mainstream retail chain.

Hanging around in an alternative record or T-shirt store (naturally they’re on first name terms with the people who work there) doesn’t count as shopping. Neither does anything that plays to their personal interests; collecting Italian zombie movies is a case in point. So don’t be surprised if this group knows their way around eBay. The challenge for brands is that , unlike Nesters and Super Breeders, whilst the Cruisers share an attitude, they don’t share an interest. Finding a position outside of the mainstream is a good start. The Economist and Converse are two very different but equally valid examples. This was probably the group that reignited the interest in Vespa, at least originally. Diesel is clearly trying to target them.

And, reject the Rejectors. Of course, they will still be buyers, but they are only united by their antipathy towards life in general and the world around them. We can’t decipher whether their sense of failure is matched by them being less well off; but it’s not an unreasonable assumption. In most countries they are the smallest segment, so their purchasing power is less significant and frankly, the other 95% offer plenty of scope for growing a brand.

Contact us For further information on this global research, please contact: Christine Armstrong Director of Communications and Talent BBDO Europe & Proximity Worldwide 151 Marylebone Road London NW1 5QE United Kingdom armstrong.c@proximityworld.com +44 20 7616 3474 www.proximityworld.com www.bbdo.com

Proximity Worldwide and BBDO Europe would like to thank the many contributors who made this book possible, including: Proximity and BBDO agencies around the world Sinead Madden Designer www.sinead.de Matze Schmidbauer Photographer www.matzeschmidbauer.de Precision Printing www.precisionprinting.co.uk

A special thank you to all those who kindly contributed worldwide