蘑菇AV

Emphasize practicality with Gen X. Gen X mobile gamers play when the opportunity arises, such as being in a waiting room or commuting. Lean into their penchant for efficiency by making sure your ads are simple, fast, and to the point. Prioritize puzzle and logic mobile app games if your target customer group is Gen X or boomers. Interactive ads, particularly play ads, are a good fit for this group.

Millennials are the most likely to find them extremely intrusive (19%), while Gen Xers are the most likely to say they鈥檙e completely unobtrusive (33.5%). Still, 52.9% of consumers who鈥檝e made a purchase through a QR code are millennials compared with just 31.9% of Gen Xers. Millennials and men show the highest trust in affiliate ads.

Handing out en masse: Consumers are giving out their whereabouts in bulk, and the gap is narrowing between people who do so with one person versus three or more. 41% of Gen Zers, 34% of millennials, and 42% of Gen Xers share with three people. 16% of Gen Zers and 12% of Gen Xers go even further, handing that information out to five people.

Generational targeting that addresses the unique worries of Gen X and millennials, who feel the most pressure. Positioning financial professionals as partners in long-term resilience beyond wealth growth鈥攅mphasizing planning, not just products.

But Pandora鈥檚 free service ranks above Spotify鈥檚 among Gen X listeners, according to CivicScience. Thirty-five percent of Gen X users ages 45 to 54 listen to the free version of Pandora, making it the leading ad-supported digital audio platform for younger Gen Xers. This is likely because this cohort generally doesn鈥檛 change their digital habits without a reason, and Pandora works well for them.

How we got here: As prices remain elevated, Gen Zers鈥� parents鈥攎ainly younger baby boomers, Gen Xers, and older millennials鈥攈elp them with groceries, cell phone bills, health insurance, rent or mortgage payments, and tuition costs. They believe these strains are temporary, however: 37% of parents expect to stop payments within two years and another 28% in three to four years, per Fortune.

And this share worsens for certain generations: millennials (34%) and Gen X (31%) are most likely to lack emergency savings, while baby boomers (16%) are least likely. Inflation is the top reason consumers blame for their lack of savings, with 73% of US consumers saying it鈥檚 preventing them from saving as much as they should.

Among all generations, Gen Xers are the least likely to cancel their subscriptions (66% versus 72% of the total population), according to a June 2024 survey by LendingTree. A quarter of Gen Xers watch Disney+. At 25.5%, Gen Xers are in third place for Disney+ adoption among the generations.

Another 55% are more likely to buy from brands that prioritize green initiatives, while 50% are more likely to buy from brands that emphasize DEI. 70% of US adults expect that brands will follow through on their social stances, with over three quarters of millennials and 71% of Gen X feeling this way.

Key stat: The younger the consumer, the more likely they are to accept cookies if asked. More than half (57.6%) of US Gen Z consumers say they 鈥渙ften鈥� or 鈥渁lways鈥� accept cookie notifications, compared with 53.4% of millennials, 46.8% of gen X, and 36.0% of boomers, per a July 2024 蘑菇AV survey.

Gen Xers (72%) and boomers (70%) mostly use Facebook to follow/engage with health influencers. Why it matters: Consumers aren鈥檛 just following health influencers for entertainment purposes. Many people bring up social media-acquired health information to their doctors. And lots of younger folks act on the advice they鈥檙e getting on social platforms.

Baby boomers (69%) and Gen X (56%) spend most of their gaming time on casual or mobile games. Millennials also prefer that format but play sports games more than any other generation. Platforms have an impact: 39% of respondents said their purchase decisions are at least 鈥渟omewhat influenced by advertising seen in video games or by video game-related brand promotions.鈥�.

Ferrell has widespread appeal across generations鈥攎ost notably with PayPal鈥檚 core customer base of millennials and Gen X. And the sweepstakes can encourage consumers to pay with PayPal more frequently over the next few months for a chance to win the money. (Customers can win up to five times.)

Gen Z is rapidly closing the adoption gap, on track to surpass Gen X users by 2028. The shift is driven by Gen Z's increasing disposable income as they enter the workforce, coupled with their enthusiasm for emerging technologies and AI-enabled features. Despite this momentum, significant growth potential remains untapped, particularly among older demographics.

Gen Zers lag behind millennials and Gen Xers in digital buyer penetration, as a large portion of Gen Z does not yet have disposable income. As these future digital buyers grow up and become financially solvent, their digital behaviors should be closely watched. Financial rewards are not the only motivation for Gen Z.

Walmart is the preferred grocery store for Gen Zers (63.2%), millennials (62.8%), Gen Xers (64.0%), and boomers (63.3%), per YouGov. Target ranks second by over 20 points, with 42.5% of consumers saying they would consider Target for their next grocery shopping trip. Key stat: Secondhand ecommerce could see a big bump from tariffs.

Trust in AI search tools varies across generations, and older consumers鈥攑articularly Gen Xers and baby boomers鈥攁re skeptical of AI as a whole. 46% of Gen Xers and baby boomers who dislike AI summaries cited mistrust in AI itself. Gen Zers and millennials are more likely to criticize AI summaries for errors, and over half (58%) who dislike AI summaries pointed to inaccurate information.

Younger consumers are particularly prone to switching, as 81% of Gen Zers and millennials changed brands in the past year鈥攕ignificantly more than Gen X (74%) and baby boomers (63%). High prices are the primary factor behind this shift, cited by 66% of respondents, well ahead of the second-largest issue, poor customer service (43%).

In comparison, only 15% Gen Xers and 13% of baby boomers have done so. Saving versus spending: Despite the risk of tighter budgets as general costs rise, there鈥檚 a behavioral gap for some shoppers between financial anxieties and continued spending on nonessential tech. 60% of consumers are adjusting or will adjust their budgets and 40% are cutting back on nonessential spending.

Gen Xers鈥攚ho are largely the parents of Gen Z鈥攆eel their jobs don鈥檛 pay enough for financial security. Many have multiple jobs to make ends meet. What this means for banks: Gen Zers are correct in thinking they need more money than their parents to feel financially secure鈥攖hey just may not need double. This highlights again the complex relationship between Gen Zers and their Gen Xer parents.

By the numbers: Over 2 in 3 Gen Zers in committed relationships have carried out 鈥渇inancial infidelity,鈥� versus 54% of millennials, 33% of Gen Xers, and 30% of baby boomers. Of Gen Zers who live with their partners, 63% believe financial infidelity is at least 鈥渁s bad鈥� as other types of infidelity. But financial infidelity shouldn鈥檛 be confused with financial autonomy.

Almost three-quarters (72%) of Gen Z consumers have purchased an item directly from a social media platform, per Grin, compared with 65% of millennials, 60% of Gen X, and 46% of boomers. Roughly 2 in 5 (38%) Gen Zers make a social commerce purchase at least once a week, while 31% do so at least once a month.

That figure worsens among certain age groups: millennials (34%) and Gen X (31%) are most likely to lack emergency savings, while baby boomers (16%) are least likely. What this means for banks: Seventy-three percent of US consumers say inflation is preventing them from saving as much as they should鈥攁nd they likely won鈥檛 experience pricing relief anytime soon.