Traditional TV/ Print Appeal Per Generation
• Baby Boomer (46’-64’) – The baby boomer generation is a lucrative
audience to advertise to via TV as they utilize the medium over other
forms of media. While other generations are moving to streaming
services and moving away from cable, baby boomers are still avid cable
entertainment consumers. The appeal of cable is largely due to the
timing of TV being optimized in terms of technology around 1946 and
the novelty surrounding their media early media consumption.
Baby boomers are also avid print consumers. The appeal of print is that
it was the dominant form of media consumption before TV’s were both
prevalent and economically feasible for customers to acquire. Due to
these factors, traditional print consumption became routine for the
generation and has translated to today’s continued media consumption.
• Millennials (77’-95) – The appeal of TV to millennials is the emotional
investment associated with the entertainment medium. This
engagement with TV is due to the ability to binge watch content and
connect with characters and plots. A lot of this ability has been
extrapolated through the development of streaming services, but
advancements in DVR have made binging traditional TV just as apt an
option as a streaming service.
Traditional print is appealing to millennials as various surveys have
found that millennials engage with the medium because they find print
sources to be more trustworthy. Millennials also have responded the
appeal of print is sensory related as the smell, and the feel of flipping
through pages is a driving factor. Millennials have also been surveyed
as saying if a digital copy is of equal value, traditional print is preferred.
Appeal may also be from growing up with traditional print before
digital capacities became more popular.
• Generation X (65’-76’)- Generation X is between baby boomers and
millennials. Regarding traditional TV consumption the appeal for
generation X is largely driven by nostalgia. This comes in the form of
classic favorites re-runs. This nostalgia also drives a lot of todays
media development as traditional tv caters to gen x through remakes
that trigger that nostalgic favor for their favorite entertainment.
The appeal of traditional print to generation x is the direct nature of the
medium for consumption. The generation has low tolerance for media
consumption that lacks clarity. This comes from the generation having
upbringings that pride themselves on independence and autonomy
regarding decision making.
• Generation Y (81’- 95’) – Traditional tv consumption of generation Y
aligns similarly behind millennial consumption. Generation Y is the
latter aging demographic of millennials and have a similar sense of
emotional connection to characters and plots. Generation Y is also at
the cusp of digital transformation moving away from traditional
marketing.
Traditional print also has similar appeal to Generation Y. Millennials
and Generation Y grew up with print largely as the means for schooling
until digital became more prevalent. The medium for consumption
became routine for the generation and is still appealing to the
generation today over digital counterparts.
• Generation Z (96’- 10’) – Generation Z is a largely digital generation
that grew up with various digital capacities not in the purview of other
generations. Due to this Generation Z does not find traditional TV
appealing. There is a much greater push for streaming services as the
generation grew up in an environment that largely caters to on demand
customer needs more efficiently.
Traditional print media though is still relevant to generation Z as it is
appealing to digest over digital. There have been correlations between
the ability to digest print in a traditional format over digital. Studies
have shown that it requires less effort cognitively to process in turn
making it more memorable. Less effort is something that Generation Z
appreciates as they favor speed, and convenience.
Personally, I still engage with traditional tv. I enjoy following tv series
weekly as they come out as opposed to binging whole series on streaming
services. I also enjoy ads from time to time, but I have to admit I typically
gravitate towards liking ads that have an element of humor to them. For
whatever reason, I tend to connect more and engage with the product simply
because it may have made me laugh. There is one ad in particular that I enjoy
because it makes me laugh each time I see it. It is a Heineken commercial that
has run for several years now around Christmas time and brings together one
of my favorite holidays with the unmistakable laugh of Benicio Del Toro. If
you want to take a look, included a link below.
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/wMDa/heineken-traditions-featuring-benicio-del-
toro
Top Ideas
Consumer Research
• Conduct surveys and polls to existing subscriber list. Local direct mail
can also drive response from those not on the list (Utilize promotions to
increase responses).
SEO Initiative
• Develop social media account that connects with customer base.
Account utilizes humor to make a connection with patrons and
increases traffic to website and trending capabilities to increase reach.
Works Cited
• iSpot.tv. (n.d.). Heineken TV Spot, 'Traditions' Featuring Benicio del
Toro. https://www.ispot.tv/ad/wMDa/heineken-traditions-featuring-
benicio-del-toro
• Dooley, R. (2015). Paper Beats Digital In Many Ways, According To
Neuroscience. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2015/09/16/paper-vs-
digital/?sh=59f8182033c3
• Kowalewicz, R. (2021). Three Tips For Marketing To Generation X.
Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/05/12/three-
tips-for-marketing-to-generation-x/?sh=6a9b552c7cf9
• Weldon, G., Holmes, L. (2017). How The TV And Movies Are Using
Gen X Nostalgia. NPR.
https://www.npr.org/2017/12/15/571199862/how-the-tv-and-movies-
are-using-gen-x-nostalgia
• Dong, H. (2019). Do Millennials Still Buy Print? SinaLite.
https://sinalite.com/printersuccess/do-millennials-still-buy-print/
• Moore, F. (2016). Growing up together, TV and baby boomers were a
perfect fit. TheSeattleTimes.
https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/growing-up-together-tv-
and-baby-boomers-were-a-perfect-fit/
• Quigley, M. (2016). Tune In to Millennials' TV Viewing Habits. AARP.
https://www.aarp.org/home-family/friends-family/info-
2016/millennials-tv-viewing-habits.html
