Generationally Savvy

Business Leaders - Ignore at your Peril the Lessons of "The Brand Called Obama"

Often times leaders want to know, how do I communicate my message and initiatives in a way that will activate Xers and Millennials wholehearted participation?

The April 2008 Fast Company article "The Brand Called Obama" by Ellen McGirt illuminates how Obama has employeed inclusive rhetoric, authentic calls to action, and leveraged social media tools to connect with the younger generations in their generation style.

McGirt asserts, "The promotion of the brand called Obama is a case study of where the American marketplace-and, potentially, the global one - is moving."

Whether you agree politically with the platform and policies of Barack Obama, as a manager, leader or co-worker in today's marketplace you will be impacted by the bar of expectation he is setting for today and tomorrow's leaders.

Craig Newmark, the Founder of Craigslist captures the essence of Obama's use of a new way of thinking called "adaptive leadership," by saying "I see him as a leader rather than a boss." A leader, he notes, gets people to do things on their own, through inspiration, respect, and trust. "A boss can order you to do things, sure, but you do them because it's part of the contract."

Take a moment to check out this article. Whether Barack Obama wins his party's nomination, a difference has been made in the leadership and business landscape that Americans will be feeling for years to come.

Selling to the Generations - X-ers The Forgotten Market

X-ers grew up on sophisticated marketing and have been deconstructing advertising messages since they were "knee high to a grasshopper" (aka very young).

X-ers, only 44 million ever born, are book-ended by the Boomer and Millennial generations and tend to end up being over-looked on many levels, and they resent it. The good news is if you pay attention to an X-er's interests and values and answer their piercing questions, you have a loyal customer who spreads the word quickly and earnestly about you.

          What are the X-er's thinking when they make purchases...

Well ... X-ers are quite cynical of big promises and hype. During their formative years they saw:

• institutions and leaders caught lying,
• divorce rates sky rocket, and
• big business layoff their parents without warning.

As they entered the workforce, they found it already filled to capacity by their Boomer predecessors and parents. However, a small window of promise and opportunity opened up through Technology. The Dot.com era was a time of possibility and opportunity for X-ers.

The world wide web was somewhere X-ers could thrive and be respected for their talents and unique contribution. But the crash in 2000 and the increases in off-shore outsourcing of IT jobs have left the X-er's more skeptical than ever.

So be ready to give it to them straight! They can spot hype from a mile away. They are street-smart and advertising savvy. X-ers need to be convinced that they can trust you and your promises. Remember they grew up on broken promises.

With guilt-ridden, divorced, dual-income parents showering them with presents, they grew up with expensive tastes and a good eye for quality. They respect quality and know it when they see it.

Being treated with respect is something they passionately desire. Avoid messaging that obviously stereotypes or compartmentalizes them. They are a generation of individuals. They don't like the term "Gen X" because it hasn't been explained that it is not a derogatory term. (And frankly too often it's been spoken with a derogatory tone by superiors.)

X-ers need more reassurance than other generations. With an underlying insecurity to their generation, you will do well if you position your products with positive and reinforcing signals, remedies and encouragement.

• Forget the hard sell.
• Get to the pragmatic facts.
• Reduce their uncertainty and show how they are protected with your product or service purchase.

But not in a schmaltzy way.

• Be straight
• Write in a clear and bottom line tone
• Be sincere  and show you caring about them

X-ers don't care about your product until you demonstrate you care about them as a customer, as a person, as a valuable partner for the future.