On no…it’s Generation X
Dec 27, 2014
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
On no…it’s
Generation X
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
What is this?
This presentation is one of five presentations outlining our understanding
of Generational perspectives
1. The Theory of Generations
2. Boomers
3. Generation X
4. Generation Y, or Millenials
5. Applying generational perspectives to Marketing
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
introduction Childhood
Instability
Individualism
Marketing
What do they look like now?
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
A reminder… Nomads Generational X archetype….
• ratty
• tough
• unwanted
• diverse
• adventurous
• cynical
Childhood was experienced
• Without religion
• Rising crime rates
• Weakening family values
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Why are they called Generation X?
“This generation is
underemployed,
intensely private
and unpredictable”
Douglas Coupland, Generation X, 1991
X refers to the lost, disenfranchised, nihilism felt by this generation
It was popularised by Douglas Coupland’s book…
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
What has been written about them?
Symptoms that have long been commonly attributed to
Generation X
• Cynicism, alienation, amorality
• Childlessness, pessimism, distrustful
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Childhood: How were they made to feel this way?
Generation X children were valued less than Boomer children
This was manifest in many ways
• Culture: Film
• Politics: Social policy
• Parenting: Detached
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Childhood: Culture and film • During Generation X childhood, ‘Devil Child’ Films became popular
• 1965 Children of the damned
• 1968 Rosemary’s Baby
• 1973 The Exorcist
• 1974 It's Alive!
• 1976 The Omen
• 1976 Carrie
• 1978 Halloween
• 1978 Omen II
• 1980 Friday the 13th
In total 22 popular films were made…since 1982 there have been 9 Source: IMBD
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Childhood: Politics
Tightening UK welfare state measures penalised parents
• Benefits were reduced and means testing was increasingly used
• The real value of child benefit reduced from 1975 - 1983
• In 1980 the Education Act relaxed the provision of milk and meals and
limited free school meals to children receiving supplementary benefits or
family income supplement
• The UK government was increasingly preoccupied with pensions
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Childhood: Parenting was Detached
• Family values deteriorated
Rising divorce rates (peaked in 1993)
Delaying birth until later….
Numbers marrying falling
Numbers remarrying rising
Increase in step families (social vs. biological parenting)
• For those born in 1970, by the age of 5, 9% had experienced family
disruption*
• Generation X kids childhood was often insecure and unpredictable
*Source: Osborne and Milbank 1987
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Instability: Lack of Stability
• Cold War kids
• Most Gen X remember Ronald Reagan and President Gorbachov
• Gen X childhood was full of newspaper headlines that sensationalised the
nuclear threat
• The nuclear mushroom cloud was etched on the mind of every child and
teenager
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Instability: Emerging world concern • During the early 80’s the Ethiopian famine highlighted African poverty
• Gen X-ers were confronted by disaster and parents inadvertently induced
guilt about their own childhoods
“eat up your meal, there are children in Africa…”
• However, Boomer pop stars and musicians galvanised a suitably reactivist
response in the form of Live Aid
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Instability: Economic instability • Margaret Thatchers monetary policy had a major impact on the country
• The new economy in the square mile was impressive
• But it left huge depression in many parts of the country
• Key issues were
Spiralling interest rates
Unemployment (3 million)
Industry closure
Strikes, notably the miners strike
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Instability:Recent BBC Blog on Xer
coming of age
……..Going into the job centre where the cards were yellow with age, asking why they weren't
taken down and being told that then there would be no cards at all. Unemployment marches,
anti-nuclear marches and the forlorn chant of Maggie, Maggie, Maggie, out, out, out. Tax cuts
for the rich, job cuts for the working class. The introduction of cash machines, the rise of aids
and heroin addiction. Watching the Falklands war on television, the marriage of Charles and
Di. Riots on the streets, many of which were never reported, supposedly to prevent copycat
riots. All in all, a decade which served only to induce severe depression in most people.
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Instability: Can we play? No.
• In 1985 AIDS was diagnosed
• Via a government campaign and media spotlight it soon found its way
into mainstream consciousness
• At school, college and university Xers were warned about unsafe sex
and needles
• However confusion reigned and rumours spread about saliva –
meaning kissing was a potential threat!
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Individualism: De-classing
• During the 80’s and 90’s the UK became less class focussed
• This was a direct influence of Generation X disenfranchised view of society
• The fall out was a more democratic view of the population
Income became the new status indicator
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
The rise of individualism • Another key aspect of the Xer 80’s environment was the rise of individualism
• This was driven by Thatcherism
“Roll back the frontiers of the state that stifles individual initiative and
watch the genius of the British people flourish”
Margaret Thatcher, 1981
• Over the decade
Owning a property became more realisable
Privatisation meant stock ownership increased
New business start ups rose by 110% in 1985*
*Source: DTI SME Bureaux
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
The rise of individualism
• The fall out on culture over the decade meant…
Income distribution became increasingly polarised
A strong work ethic emerged
Materialism increased
Yuppies!
Dinky’s!
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Individualism: Music genre!
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
The rise of individualism
Youth culture was becoming more complex
• Music became increasingly fragmented
Birth of Punk
Birth of Hip Hop
Birth of Rave
Birth of New romantic
• Fashion and fashion labels became more accessible
High street fashion chains
Sports fashion was born
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Increasingly tribal behaviour
• As influences from other countries became prominent
• As previous youth generation trends were revisited
• As new trends were forged
A new, increasingly fragmented marketing
target emerged
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
In a word…
Me, myself and I (to quote a popular hip hop group of the 80’s)
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Marketing The birth of green marketing New formats, new tastes
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Marketing
Levis groundbreaking ad changed relationships with advertising
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Marketing
Others began to use analogy rather than directs sales messages
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
What do they look like now?
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
What’s an Xer look like now?
• Oldest is 46 (Born in 1965)
• Xers are about 22% of the population – the smallest group of all
living generations
• Higher social grade than population as whole
AB 28% (22% UK norm)
C1 30% (30%)
C2 18% (15%)
D 18% (17%)
E 5% (16%)
22% Single; 72% in relationship
67% have children
73% own their home
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Boomers vs. Generation X When those born in 1954 reached 30 (Baby Boomers)
Gen X
• 12.5% were single and never wed 19.5 %
• 10% were cohabiting 20 %
• 70% were married 54 %
• 81 % of women had a child 69%
• 18 % shared the cooking 29%
• 21 % shared the cleaning 29%
• 11 % shared ironing and laundry 21%
• 27 % of women were housewives 19%
• 68 % of women had paid work 74%
• 70 % ate as a family daily 63%
• 23 % of people rate happiness as nine out of 10 or better 26%
*Source: Economic and Social Research Council
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
Cynicism is apparent...
8
9
20
28
20
28
30
37
24
23
21
15
10
12
10
1 - Strongly agree 2 3 4 5 - Strongly disagree
Source: Logistix IQ800 August 2007 data
I feel that my generation has had a good impact on the world
Generation Y
Generation X
Boomers
Born 1965 – 1981 Currently 30yrs – 46yrs
What’s an Xer look like now?
Single lives predominate
Few large families
Gender roles are blurred
Wealthy