Category: Retail

Examining Gen Alpha: The Spending Habits of “Little Adults”

Post author By admin
Post date May 30, 2024

Gen Alpha, the successors to Millennials and Gen Z, are reshaping how we think about marketing with their unique traits and tech-savvy nature. Let’s uncover what makes these globally aware kids tick and how businesses can keep up.

The Death of the “Tween”

Remember the early 2000s when tweens flocked to malls, heading straight to Limited Too? It was the younger version of The Limited and a go-to spot for logo tees and glittery accessories. As a 12-year-old girl, it was your favorite store. Or maybe you preferred Wet Seal, Delia’s, The Body Shop, Lush, or Charlotte Russe, places where young people explored who they wanted to be. By the late 2000s, Limited Too was gone and so was the tween shopping experience.

Gen Alpha, kids 14 and under, are known as the ‘landmark generation’ but surprisingly have few dedicated retail spaces. This is odd because they’re expected to be the largest generation in history, with over 2 billion born between 2010 and 2024. With nowhere to go, older Gen Alphas are jumping straight into adult brands like Starbucks, Lululemon, Sephora, Walmart and Target, influenced by their millennial parents.

Younger Gen Alphas are even more influenced by their millennial parents, who are still shopping for them. These parents do a ton of research before buying anything and exhibit higher brand loyalty, preferring nostalgic choices for their kids such as Disney, Lego, Nintendo and Fisher-Price.

To add further nuance, it should be noted that attempts by adult brands to target Gen Alpha separately, like Project Gap, don’t top their favorites list. That honor goes to brands like Amazon, Apple, Nintendo and Target—places adults love too. Gen Alpha and Gen Z share almost the same top 10 favorite brands. This generation is very brand-savvy, so businesses need to stay authentic. Speaking to them like they’re children can come off as patronizing.

At the end of the day, while Gen Alpha may have distinct brand preferences, they don’t yet have independent purchasing power. The reality of what brands kids are repping is down to what their parents are willing and able to buy them. So brands continue to market to adults, even if their consumers are getting younger by the day. If you’re wondering why 10-year-olds’ Sephora shopping carts are filled with retinols and heavy exfoliants, look no further than who’s paying for it.

Who’s influencing who?

These shopping habits were built online over the past decade, first on Instagram and then on TikTok. Gen Alpha has grown up digitally connected, learning to “get ready with me” by listening to their favorite YouTubers list off the brands they consume during their daily morning routine, or things like WaterTok and IceTok, where recommendations about ice cube trays and water additive packets are free-flowing and monetized.

Certain products have reached cult status thanks to their constant appearances in Instagram Stories, YouTube haul videos and TikTok For You Pages. These brands do more than just serve a purpose though, they help tweens feel accepted in a community of multigenerational tastemakers. Buying these brands is like a rite of passage into adulthood and a way for Gen Alpha to join online culture.

Around 25% of Gen Alphas say influencers are their main shopping source and nearly 60% of their parents note that their kids watch shopping content, influencing their purchases based on favorite YouTube or Instagram personalities. This trend means companies should look into influencer partnerships for effective brand promotion.

However, to give credit where credit is due, Gen Alpha is changing how they use media, shifting towards more entertaining and funny content that sparks engagement. They value digital and human connectivity, pushing companies to create shareable and conversation-starting content.

Sustainability or Bust

While parents and influencers shape their choices, Gen Alpha has strong opinions. About 66% prefer buying from companies that make a positive impact and 67% want careers that help save the planet.

It makes sense that Gen Alpha is so eco-conscious—they’re growing up in a time of big environmental awareness. They’re more informed about issues like climate change, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss than previous generations were at their age. Sustainability is part of school curriculums, all over social media and a priority for many of their parents.

As a result, Gen Alpha prefers eco-friendly products like those made from recycled materials, biodegradable items and minimal packaging. They support brands with ethical practices, including fair trade and corporate social responsibility. They also favor locally sourced and organic products to reduce carbon footprints. Brands need to keep innovating to meet Gen Alpha’s high sustainability standards.

Marketing to Gen Alpha

Now that you understand what influences Gen Alpha’s buying preferences, let’s talk tactics for effectively marketing to them:

1. Leverage Influencers: With many Gen Alphas looking to influencers, collaborating with popular YouTubers or Instagram stars can significantly sway their purchasing decisions.

2. Nostalgic Branding: Since their parents are loyal to familiar brands, tapping into nostalgia in your campaigns can resonate well.

3. Entertaining Content: Create humorous, shareable media to match Gen Alpha’s love for engaging content.

4. Balancing the Experience: Blend online and offline interactions to play on Gen Alpha’s value for connectivity.

Adopting these marketing tactics can allow businesses to navigate the unique characteristics and preferences of Gen Alpha, ensuring a meaningful and impactful presence in their world.

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Retail Marketing Communications Digital Media Advice

3 Ways Integrated Media Can Increase Retail Visits

Post author By admin
Post date February 28, 2024

In today’s rapidly evolving marketing landscape, a successful campaign requires a strategic and integrated approach to media planning. Integrated media planning involves carefully considering various media platforms to reach your target audience effectively. By crafting a cohesive and consistent brand experience across multiple channels, you can maximize your reach and drive tangible results. This blog post will dive into the power of integrated media planning, debunk the misconception of a digital-only approach and highlight the benefits of digital retail media for growing brands.

According to Hubspot, an integrated media plan revolves around answering critical questions about your target audience and determining which mediums will best reach them. Whether it’s Instagram and Twitter to engage millennials or a combination of radio and Facebook to connect with Gen X, an integrated approach ensures that your ads are consistent and coherent across different channels. The goal is to present a unified campaign to audiences, regardless of where they come across your brand.

While digital marketing holds significant importance, it’s essential to recognize that driving reach in the retail sector necessitates the strategic interplay of various tactics, as emphasized by Blue Onion Media. This means leveraging traditional methods that may have been considered “dead” alongside emerging options. The key is to find the right mix that aligns with your target audience and campaign objectives.

For growing brands, digital retail media presents immense opportunities, particularly in leveraging the online presence of larger retailers, as noted by Tinuiti. By strategically placing targeted ads, brands can tap into the existing visibility of established online marketplaces and connect with highly relevant consumers who are actively seeking products to purchase. Moreover, digital retail media enables brands to capitalize on the exponential growth of e-commerce, access valuable customer and sales data, and enhance visibility through trusted channels.

The statistics from Tinuiti further underscore the significance of retail media networks in the marketing ecosystem. With annual sales growth exceeding 20% and projected to reach $41 billion by 2030, these networks are becoming a major player in the digital ad spending landscape. McKinsey predicts that the combination of retail and traditional media capabilities could generate an estimated $1.3 trillion in enterprise value by 2026. As online retail sales are forecasted to surpass $7 trillion globally by 2025, accounting for over 23% of all retail sales, the effectiveness of retail media ads will continue to drive growth in the e-commerce sector.

In this blog post, we explore three effective ways integrated media can increase retail visits, drive foot traffic and boost sales. By harnessing the power of social media engagement, innovative offline marketing tactics and retail media networks, retailers can create a comprehensive and impactful strategy that stands out in the dynamic retail landscape. In the following sections, we outline each approach in detail and provide actionable insights to help you implement these strategies successfully. Stats from: Tinuiti, eMarketer, McKinsey.

Social Media Engagement: Generating Buzz and Driving Traffic

In today’s digital age, social media plays a pivotal role in attracting customers to retail stores. By effectively leveraging social media platforms, retailers can generate buzz, increase brand visibility and drive foot traffic. Here are some creative ideas to harness the power of social media for increasing foot traffic:

1. Run social media contests or promotions. Encourage customers to visit your store by organizing contests or promotions exclusively on social media platforms. Offer enticing incentives such as exclusive discounts, freebies, or giveaways for those who visit your store and engage with your brand.

2. Engage with customers through compelling content. Share behind-the-scenes glimpses, sneak peeks of new products, or customer testimonials on your social media channels. This not only creates excitement and anticipation but also gives customers a reason to visit your store to experience these offerings firsthand.

3. Collaborate with local influencers or micro-influencers. Identify influencers or micro-influencers in your target market who have a strong social media presence. Collaborate with them to promote your store and encourage their followers to visit. This can significantly expand your reach and attract a broader audience to your physical location.

4. Create interactive and shareable content. Develop interactive content that encourages users to tag their friends and visit your store together. This could include polls, quizzes, or challenges related to your products or store experience. By making the content shareable, you can amplify its reach and generate organic word-of-mouth referrals.

Innovative Offline Marketing Tactics: Standing Out in a Mall Environment

In a bustling mall environment, it is crucial to think outside the box and implement innovative offline marketing strategies to capture customers’ attention and drive foot traffic. Consider the following tactics to make your store stand out:

1. Organize live events, pop-up shops, or workshops. Host unique and engaging events within the mall premises to attract customers and provide them with memorable experiences. This could include product demonstrations, interactive workshops, or live performances. These events create a buzz and make your store a destination within the mall.

2. Collaborate with complementary retailers in the mall. Forge partnerships with other retailers in the mall that offer complementary products or services. Together, you can create cross-promotions, joint events, or loyalty programs that incentivize customers to visit multiple stores. By offering a cohesive shopping experience, you can increase foot traffic collectively.

3. Utilize eye-catching signage and displays. Capture the attention of passersby with visually appealing signage, window displays, or interactive installations. Use creative lighting, bold colors, or unique visual elements that align with your brand identity. These attention-grabbing displays will entice customers to step into your store.

4. Offer exclusive in-store promotions or limited-time deals. Create a sense of urgency and FOMO (fear of missing out) by offering exclusive promotions or limited-time deals that are only available to mall visitors. Highlight these offers through various channels, including social media and mall directories, to create awareness and drive foot traffic to your store.

Retail Media Networks: Amplifying Visibility and Targeted Marketing

Digital retail media has revolutionized how brands connect with customers and increase foot traffic. Retail media networks offer unique advertising and promotional opportunities within established e-commerce platforms or retail websites. Here’s what you need to know about leveraging retail media networks:

1. Understand retail media. Retail media refers to advertising and promotional opportunities within online marketplaces or retail websites. By utilizing these networks, brands can reach customers who are already in a shopping mindset, increasing the chances of driving conversions and foot traffic to their physical stores.

2. Targeted marketing through retail media. Retail media networks allow brands to leverage customer data to target specific audiences based on their preferences, purchase history and shopping behavior. This targeted approach ensures that your ads reach the right people at the right time, increasing the likelihood of driving foot traffic and conversions.

3. Measuring impact and optimizing campaigns. Retail media networks provide valuable insights into customer engagement, allowing brands to measure the impact of their marketing investments. By tracking key metrics such as sales data, customer behavior, and ROI, brands can optimize their campaigns, refine their targeting strategies, and calculate the effectiveness of their retail media efforts.

4. Improving overall visibility and brand recognition. Placing your products within trusted and popular online marketplaces through retail media networks can significantly improve your brand’s visibility. When customers see your products in reputable online retail environments, they are more likely to trust your brand and be enticed to visit your physical store to make a purchase.

In conclusion, Integrated media strategies that combine social media engagement, innovative offline marketing tactics, and the power of retail media networks are essential for increasing retail visits, driving foot traffic, and boosting sales. By implementing creative ideas, leveraging targeted marketing, and providing unique in-store experiences, retailers can stand out in a crowded marketplace and attract customers to their physical stores.

For more detailed insights and guidance on taking your retail brand to the next level, check out Push’s Retail page here. You can also find valuable information on how to make your retail brand stand out in our blog post here.

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Retail Branding Advice

How to Make Your Retail Brand Stand Out in 2023

Post author By admin
Post date March 11, 2023

In 2023, you should be thinking of ways to improve consumer experiences both in stores and online. Today’s customers are willing to spend more to receive an upgraded shopping experience, so you’ll need to make sure your customer experience is seamless in the real world and digitally.

With the advancing technology in retail settings, the product itself is not enough to bring in new customers. Consumers are valuing their overall experience with a brand now more than ever.

Let’s take a look at ways you can make your brand stand out from the competition.

1. Accentuate Value

Rising prices are forcing customers to pick and choose what they are spending their money on. As a retail brand, you should aim your focus on things like the quality of your products, customer testimonials, and how your pricing compares to your competitors.

Your audience will be comprised of two types of buyers: full-priced buyers and bargain hunters. By splitting your customers into these two areas, you will be able to direct the correct messaging to each type of customer.

2. Differentiate Your Brand

Make sure your customer knows what makes you unique and why they should continue to choose your brand over the competition.

Make sure your customers have a smooth and exciting shopping experience. This could turn your first time buyers into loyal customers.

3. Tell a Story

With increased competition in the Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) space, you will need to find creative ways to gain new customers and keep existing ones. One of the best ways to do this is to tell a story that is relatable to customers. By telling stories through your campaigns, your brand can reach the right audience and get consumers interested in your products. Make sure to put the customer at the center of the story and show them how your brand can benefit them.

4. Be Real

The rise of social media is no secret, and brands are using social media sites such as TikTok and Instagram to their advantage. In 2023, you will need to communicate your brand messages through a number of channels to stand out to Millennial and Gen Z shoppers. Make sure to show your brand’s personality and authenticity through your social media content to gain interest from this audience.

Today’s consumer values sustainable practices in both their daily lives and with the brands they purchase from. Shoppers are looking for products that are free from harmful or synthetic ingredients, minimal or recyclable packaging, and other sustainable brand practices.

Important Features to Utilize for a Better Integrated Shopping Experience

Chatbots – Adding AI chatbots to your online stores can help customers with quick questions and order concerns. This will lighten your customer service team’s load so they can focus on the most important and complex issues.
Social Commerce – Today, online shopping and social media use go hand in hand. With social commerce, customers are able to use their favorite apps like Instagram or Facebook and shop directly on posts they see in their feed. Consider setting up your business profiles with the social media shop features.
SMS Marketing – SMS is a great way to get promotions and upcoming releases in front of your target audience. With a 98% open rate, SMS Marketing is a simple yet highly effective strategy to use.
Flexible Payment – A popular trend among DTC brands is flexible payment options. These “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) options help brands cut down on abandonment rates and help make more sales, especially for higher cost items.
Personalization – Using polls, quizzes, forms, and surveys can help your brand ethically learn about customers and their habits. You can use this information to personalize the customer shopping experience.

Need More Support?

We can help. As experts in the restaurant industry and real estate industry, Push can help create unique and personalized marketing strategies to help you maximize your potential. Check out more of our work here.

Retail Marketing Communications Digital Media Advice Trends

Using SMS Marketing to Get Return Customers to a Retail Shop

Post author By admin
Post date January 21, 2022

Despite recent events sky rocketing the success of retail SMS marketing, text strategy has steadily grown in the last decade. From time pressing promos to lapsing coupons, retail SMS marketing campaigns have proven to be a more effective marketing channel than email campaigns. You’re able to send short, to-the-point, high priority messages straight to the consumer’s preferred channel of communication. When it comes down to it, 78% of shoppers say SMS is the fastest way to reach them and they are six to eight times more likely to engage with text messages than emails.

In fact, 99% of SMS marketing campaigns are read and email marketing has failed to meet the same metrics, dropping 47% in open rate performance over the last 5 years. Through open lines of communication, like text messaging, you can make your retail shop more accessible. Social media platforms and SMS marketing allow shoppers to interact with your brand on a personal level. Sharing feedback and coming face to face with your brand’s voice in casual settings are just a couple of reasons shoppers are able to build a relationship and trust with your store.

Retail SMS marketing technique wins engagement over shoppers at every level of the marketing funnel. Whether they are prospects or existing customers, shoppers signed up for your store’s SMS marketing builds customer loyalty and fosters repeat purchases. Once you have their information, you can send new discounts or products available your shoppers might be interested in.

You can make your retail SMS marketing campaigns more successful by sending personalized and pertinent messages. Bulk text blasts are a thing of the past and are not viable in the retail industry. One-to-one messages deliver content shoppers truly want to read and have the potential to communicate your brand’s voice, values and image on a completely different level. To see how Push has helped retail stores seize their potential, check out our case studies.

So how can you push retail SMS marketing messages to drive sales? Here are four tips get shoppers back in-store.

1. Deliver discount details:

When shoppers know a sale is starting, and more importantly ending, it will drive more traffic to your store and website to purchase before the promotion is over.

2. Send can’t miss coupons:

More often than not, coupons are extremely timely. They are a simple marketing strategy to attract shoppers for saving on regular prices. But it also positively impacts your customer loyalty, therefore increasing repeat purchases.

3. Enrolled loyalty program messages:

If you don’t already have a loyalty program, you should consider setting one up for your loyal shoppers. Personalized messages are important to this audience because you are making their shopping experience quicker, easier and personal. Loyalty programs not only measure repeat purchases but connects your brand to shoppers.

4. Seasonal sale reminders:

These promos bring in big bucks and helps sustain stores during slow periods. You can also build off of these sales to increase loyalty among shoppers.

For more strategies on how to drive traffic to your retail store, check out our previous blog titled 5 Strategies to Bring Customers Back to Your Retail Shop.

Email marketing may not be completely out of the picture, but shoppers are 40% more likely to convert when they receive text marketing. If your goal is to drive in-store traffic and increase repeat purchases, retail SMS marketing is a useful resource. Short, concise and personalized text marketing, according to the voice and tone of your brand, has shown statistical success and can help your store grow in more than one aspect.

Retail Social Branding Marketing Communications

4 Ways to Use Social Media for Retail to Drive Sales

Post author By admin
Post date November 11, 2021

Social media platforms are very powerful tools for brands. And while their primary use is for sharing content and customer engagement, there are ways to use social media platforms to drive sales. Here we discuss 4 ways brands can use social media to make their cash registers ring.

Identify the correct platform to activate.

Different social media platforms are utilized in different ways by different audiences. Knowing what you want to say is great, but knowing where best to say it is equally important. Your message, your offer and your desired audience should dictate which social channel you choose to activate. While not all social channels will directly drive in-store sales, all platforms should be used in ways to help you reach this goal. To get the right social media mix, you need to analyze each social channel to determine where your audiences are and how they behave on the platform. Then tailor your campaign messaging and calls-to-action accordingly.

Use your social media channels to showcase your brand’s voice.

Social media platforms give brands the opportunity to speak directly to their followers, fans and the public at large. In fact, 60% of consumers engage with brands across their social channels before making a purchase. By consistently using your brand’s voice across all channels, your current and potential customers will better understand who your brand is, how you speak, and what you stand for to determine whether or not they want to engage, interact, and ultimately purchase something from you. That’s not to say you say the exact same things in the exact same ways across all channels. There is a time and a place to let your brand’s hair down if you will. For example, Wendy’s brand voice on Twitter is notoriously irreverent, sarcastic and even combative, whereas their voice on Facebook, while still fun and irreverent, dials down the combativeness and dials up the legit customer service responses.

Make your store accessible and shoppable directly on social media platforms.

Of all the retail social media tips, this one is a bit of a no-brainer, but critical to driving sales, both online and offline: make sure customers can access your store without leaving their current social media platform. At the very least, you should provide your store’s key information on all of your social channels—URL, physical address, phone number, hours of operation, etc. But various social channels now offer ways to showcase and sell your products within their platforms. For example, Instagram allows you to create a shoppable feed where users can view and purchase tagged products within lifestyle images and checkout without ever leaving the app. Your online efforts pay dividends offline as well. After following a brand on social media, 84% of people will visit the brand’s physical store closest to their home.

Increased Reach through paid ads.

As social media feed algorithms continue to evolve and organic reach declines, paid social advertising is a great way to reach your desired audiences. Most social media platforms provide the powerful ability to create custom audiences to advertise to that can greatly increase traffic to your business. With an effective paid social media strategy, you will be able to see tangible data and results that could provide key insights into your overall target audience and positioning in the marketplace. You can even tailor ads to specific objectives like click-throughs, reach, impressions and engagement. These tools allow you to truly streamline your message and customize your ads to make them extremely effective with the audiences that matter to your brand.

We hope you find these tips helpful, but if you need assistance with retail social media marketing, don’t hesitate to reach out—407-841-2299.

Retail Marketing Communications

5 Strategies to Bring Customers Back to Your Retail Shop

Post author By admin
Post date September 9, 2021

A year and a half into the pandemic, we all know that COVID-19 has led to dramatic changes in the retail landscape and has altered consumer expectations. Many retail stores have had to shut their doors or lack in-store experience due to a shortage of merchandise or staff. Customers have also grown more accustomed to shopping online over the past year, making it even harder to get them to come in. Even so, a little effort to get customers back into your store can go a long way, especially since a sizable 82% of Millennials still prefer in-store shopping to online. Consider these five strategies to attract customers and drive them to your shop.

Give guests a reason to visit.

One of the simplest ways to drive guests in-store is to give them a reason to visit with real benefits. Maybe that’s offering a special in-store discount. If that’s not possible for all guests, consider an initiative that rewards loyal customers for coming back, seeing as 62% of customers expect discounts or offers based on past purchases. You could also consider hosting local events that make the in-store experience more compelling or offer exclusive products and services in person that aren’t otherwise offered online.

Drive visits from your digital platform.

Even if you want your store to be your customers’ final destination, they’re likely going to find you online first. So make sure you have an updated website and active social media presence that will help keep you relevant and top of mind with customers. A digital presence that matches your in-store aesthetic will also help motivate people to visit to see more after getting a peek at what you have to offer online.

Invest in local SEO.

But to get those visits from your digital platforms, people need to be able to find you first. That’s where a strong local SEO presence will help. Given that 72% of consumers have been shown to visit a store within five miles when they did a local search online, it’s worthwhile to work with an SEO expert and invest in this area to make sure your site is optimized as it should be.

Focus on health and safety.

Given that we are still in the midst of a pandemic, it’s important to make sure your customers know you care about their health and safety. Clearly post or display the precautions your store is taking and what is expected of guests in-store. And if you do need to close due to illness or exposure to COVID-19, make sure to post your updated hours of operation on your website and social media pages so customers aren’t frustrated if they try to visit in person.

Leverage your employees.

And finally, be sure to utilize your employees to help boost your marketing efforts—a topic we wrote about in more detail here. Your employees are the people who can best advocate for your business and help spread the word through their networks. A few ideas to consider are allowing them to post guest blogs or updates from your store’s social media pages and encouraging them to share those posts to their own channels. Another area not to overlook is training. Making sure your employees are all on the same page and have the same solid understanding of your store can help them accurately reflect your brand’s values to customers and to their broader networks.

We hope these tools and tips can be used to help shore back up invaluable in-person traffic to your store. For more on how Push can help with your retail marketing efforts, contact us or here or call 407-841-2299.

Retail Marketing Communications

Getting your Employees to Add to your Marketing Efforts

Post author By admin
Post date August 19, 2021

The people who can advocate best for your business are often the people who live and breathe it every day—your employees. They can be an incredibly valuable asset as you look to improve your marketing and communication efforts. So how can you utilize them effectively? Take a look at the following four ways to help bolster your bottom line with the help of your employees.

Listen To Their Ideas

Your employees are often the ones closest to the day-to-day operations of your business, and they likely could provide critical insight into better ways of working or offer ways to get the word out that you may not have thought of yet. More importantly, they’ll feel more connected to and invested in your business when they feel listened to and heard. So make sure you have an ongoing and exciting way to collect their feedback and ideas, whether that’s an old-fashioned suggestion box, dedicated email address, or even a Slack channel where people can drop ideas or easily collaborate.

Encourage Them to Spread the Word

We know word-of-mouth marketing works, and your employees can be some of your most powerful megaphones. In fact, 42% of online customers ﬁnd recommendations from friends and family inﬂuential, and your employees can help make your business seem more relevant to their peers and social circles. So encourage employees to spread the word about your business via their social media channels, whether that’s posting about certain products, sharing their positive experiences as an employee or even just by sharing, liking or commenting on your brand’s social pages. To help incentivize them to do so, you could consider giving employees personalized coupon codes and rewarding those who help to bring in the most business.

Promote Employees on Your Social Channels

Put a face to your business by promoting your employees on your social channels. Not only will that help make customers feel more acquainted with your brand, but it could help your employees feel more attached to your brand and more motivated to re-share your store’s posts on their own social channels. For example, you could do short proﬁles on employees, have them take over your page or handle for a day to give customers a look into your story from their unique POV, or even write a guest blog. They could also demonstrate a favorite product or model new clothes, knowing that 73% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product or service if they watch a video explaining it beforehand.

Incorporate Them Into In-Store Marketing Efforts

Statistics show that 70% of customers make their ﬁnal purchases in brick-and-mortar shops, not online, so it’s important that your in-store marketing efforts are equally as compelling as those online, and employees can be a huge part of that push. Start them off on solid ground and help them put their best foot forward with proper training. This will ensure they can effectively help customers, communicate your brand story and make visitors feel even more connected with your store.

We hope you’re able to apply some of these employee marketing tips to help drive business. For more on how Push can help with your retail marketing efforts, contact us or here or call 407-841-2299.

Retail Digital Media

Bringing Customers Back to your Store — Gen X vs Millennials

Post author By admin
Post date July 29, 2021

With different life experiences, it’s no surprise that each generation has it’s own unique set of shopping habits. So when the majority of spending power comes from two different generations, it’s important to tailor your marketing efforts to each group. Here, we’ll look at the differences in communicating with Gen-Xers and Millennials, especially when using digital media to get customers back to your store.

How Gen X Shops

Gen X was born between 1965 and 1980 and are currently ages 41 – 56, with many entering the prime earning potential of their careers. They represent consumers who are familiar with with both modern and traditional marketing, so that nuance should be kept in mind when crafting a digital marketing strategy.

As noted in an eMarketer study, Gen X is extreme in their brand loyalty relative to those in other generations. As a retailer, you can tap into that brand affinity by building trust with this audience through honest messaging and reliable products. In return, they’ll reward you with a willingness to a pay a premium for the products they love.

This group is also savers. They look for deals on line and actively use coupons and promo codes. Keep this in mind for your digital marketing efforts and use either in your advertising to drive them to purchase.

Finally, while Gen X is active on social media, more than 80% of them report that email is their preferred means of using brand messages. When trying to target this audience, make sure you have a robust email marketing strategy in place and use email to share product news or promos.

How Millennials Shop

Millennials are typically defined as being born between 1981 and 1996, with most coming of age during the information age. So while all ages are increasingly swayed by social media, when it comes to purchases, it’s no surprise that it has more of an outsized impact on this generation. According to Synchrony Financial, 68% of Millennials admit to being strongly influenced by social media posts while 84% say user-generated content has at least some effect on what they buy. When targeting this audience, it’s critical to have an engaging social media strategy in place. Influencer marketing is also huge with this demographic and could be beneficial to your brand or store if it’s the right fit for you.

Seeing shopping as a social event is another trait that strongly characterizes the Millennial market and sets it apart from older generations. Can your store offer an experience beyond just the product or service you sell? Making your store inviting, exciting and Instagram-worthy can go a long way to bring this generation of shoppers in-store. And be sure your online presence matches your carefully curated in-store presence to create a cohesive brand experience.

What’s Important to Both Generations

close up of a Millennials and gen x holding cell phones

Social causes are increasingly popular with consumers and making your customers know that you care about the same issues that they do can boost their brand affinity and loyalty. Authenticity is key here—make sure there is follow-through on the part of your brand versus just empty messaging.

Regardless of which generation you’re speaking to, honesty and reliability appeal to shoppers of all ages. Truthful product usage messaging and customer reviews resonate with both Gen X and Millennials. For all audiences, straightforward, relatable language should be used across your marketing touchpoints, from social media to digital ads to email newsletters, to create a lasting connection with your customers, no matter their age.