What Generation Are You Marketing To?

I see a lot of companies that are still stuck in the Dick and Jane world where Dick was the favored child (and his father the ruler of the house) and Jane was always in a dress (as was her mother). Marketing to women didn't exist in those days. Marketing was "sexist" - focused on men because men paid the bills. And, some still feel that way.

Let's flash forward - to a world where Jane rules (whether you recognize it or not, the fact is women influence the purchase of over 80% of all goods and services today). A world where Dick is happy to defer to Jane's judgment (let's face it, men still hate to shop). Let's talk marketing to women, that works.

Here's my thing - our local grocery chain, Wegmans, recently changed their logo. That's right - their logo. One of the major images that represents everything they are about. Something that appears on everything they market - their uniforms, grocery bags, flyers, website, and images throughout their store. Their LOGO - which is, as any branding expert will tell you - the image that represents the Wegmans story.

Seems like a risky idea, when you stop and remember that Wegmans has been around since the 1930s. Why change? Why monkey around with a logo - one that's as recognizable as Wegmans' logo is?

Here's what president Colleen Wegman had to say about why Wegmans did this, "When we looked back at some of our earliest logos, they conveyed the warmth and personal attention to detail that we hope reflect our brand. The family culture in our company continues to grow. It was time to go back to our roots and to a logo that is welcoming because it is more like a family signature.” [my bolding]

You're scratching your head saying, "But doesn't this new logo, that goes back to the company's roots, reflect a move to those good old days you're always saying we should get out of?"

Not at all. It reflects the recognition that today's merchants and service providers need to create a  personal connection to their customers and clients - very much like those good old days, but with a twist: with the reognition that women have bulging pocketbooks and that they control the family spending, in most cases.

Family counts - and Wegmans' new logo is a perfect invitation to all of their shoppers, but especially to women. It's almost as if they're saying, "From our family to yours."

Face it, today's women shoppers are a demanding group. They buy it all, from tires to trucks and babie items to books. 'Family' is all about Moms and Dads, as I mentioned in an earlier post. Today, I'm emphasising the Moms. Consider the Baby Boomer women, who are very much aware of their trillion dollar spending power, and who actively create that sense of down-home cooking and living; they will be drawn in by this new logo. 

This Marketing Charts article, "Gen X and Gen Y Moms Use Internet Differently," says Gen Y Moms are more "attached to media that connects them to other moms online," (born ~ 1976 - 1982, also called Echo Boommers, using Twitter, Facebook, blogs). Wegmans' logo will speak to that attachment need, to these women.

Gen X Moms, the article says, "...are less attached to digital media as a whole. They are more likely to engage in task-oriented activities...shopping online and uploading photos." (born between 1965-1981, using Flikr, Overstock, other convenient online stores). Wegmans will pull them right into the store, with this new, family focused logo.

Are you embracing the nostalgia of those good old days - nostaglia that pulses within all of these age groups - especially Moms who are drawn to images that reflect the comfort and warmth of the home? 

Clearly, Wegmans knows how to appeal to family values and personal attention. Ask anyone from Rochester, NY and she will tell you, shopping at Wegmans is an experience. A positive experience.

Updating their logo to harken back to the days of sitting on your front porch in a wooden rocking chair, waving to folks passing by, sipping Green Tea, is the right thing to do. Because, even while we gals are sitting in that rocking chair, we're surfing the net on our laptop, using a wireless connection, and we want the places we choose to shop to recognize our need to stay connected to our roots. Nostalgia - use it. It's very big with generations of all ages.

Hey, I wonder what's on sale at Wegmans today?

Comments

[Search Engine Optimization Services]

Nice post.