A lot has been written lately on the differences between the generations: Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y (or Millennials). Each demographic is unique. Delivering messages and information using appropriate channels is becoming more complex and challenging. Gaining insight into our audiences is critical if we hope to reach prime decision-makers.

In the B2B world we too are beginning to see a transition in our clients’ audiences. Key decision-makers including engineers, designers and specifiers are getting younger in age. It makes our job a bit more complicated. Each generation has different ways they prefer to receive information and the tools they prefer to use to collect information. Did you ever notice those who will read long documents on-screen versus those who are more comfortable reading a printed version of the same document? I’m in the latter group. I still find it more comfortable reading long documents that are printed. I like to highlight passages and make notes in the margin. I know I can do that online and save some trees but that’s what I’m accustomed to. I think I’m showing my age. The point is that we need to understand all the ways our audiences search for and receive information.

I was reading a summary of a roundtable discussion in the September 2011 issue of DIRECT MARKETING NEWS titled, “B-to-B Success Depends on Social, Data Clarity,” and it confirmed what we’ve been experiencing. A question was presented regarding various channels of communication, with social media being the focus. Debbie Reichig, SVP of business development and marketing at Clear Channel Communications, made this remark: “We have to be very cognizant of the fact that the people that we're selling to are very young themselves, disproportionately so for some strange reason. It is dealing with the more middle-aged person and reminding them that they have to form these relationships with every tool that they have, especially when they are an older salesperson dealing with a younger buyer. You really have to make that extra effort to communicate with them on the level that they are used to.”

Makes sense to me.

You can find the entire article online at: http://www.dmnews.com/b-to-b-success-depends-on-social-data-clarity/article/210175/

That got me thinking. What were others discovering about our audience’s demographics? I came across an article written by Carolyn Buck Luce, global pharmaceutical sector leader, Ernst & Young. Ms. Buck Luce’s article is titled, “Demographic Shifts Transform the Global Workforce.”

This article is very enlightening. It describes how worldwide, the labor force demographics are shifting. Although global population is projected to grow from 6.9 billion in 2010 to 7.6 billion in 2020, the working-age population is expected to decline. Compounding that, there is a growing mismatch between the skills employers need and the talent available. Part of the reason is the rising skill level needed in the evolving global economy.

All this is interesting but who might fill the skills gaps was a real “eye-opener.” Ms. Buck Luce describes desperate employers becoming more accepting of diverse employees, particularly women and older workers.

Women are an increasingly well-educated source of talent and have entered the workforce in even greater numbers. However, their talents are still often underutilized, particularly in societies with traditional views of gender roles.

The inclusion of the older worker—or Generation U (unretired) really got my attention. The Pew Research Center predicts that these older workers will fuel 93 percent of the growth in the U.S. labor market through 2016. The AARP chimes in too; they believe that 80 percent of baby boomers will keep working full- or part-time past their current retirement age.

You can read the entire article here, http://www.ey.com/GL/en/Issues/Business-environment/Six-global-trends-shaping-the-business-world---Demographic-shifts-transform-the-global-workforce

Our customers’ decision-makers include Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y (or Millennials) and now Gen U. We can assume our target audiences might include males and females, ranging from 25 to 65 years of age or older. Each demographic is unique. Each expects relevant information to be provided to them via outlets with which they are most comfortable interacting.

Delivering messages and information using appropriate channels is becoming more complex and challenging. Gaining insight into our audiences is critical if we hope to establish credibility and build relationships. Without a unified strategy and without messaging and tactics targeted to each segment, we might miss reaching some prime decision-makers.