PPPPeering Into the Generational Divide (Four Ps #240)
Reflection, Connection, Affection, Direction... and the Election.
I don’t know what the “dog days” of summer are, but apparently these are them.
Dogs are good. Summer is usually good. So why wouldn’t dog days of summer also be a good thing?
The answer: the Generational Divide that is pulling us apart.
Whereas the transitions and connections between societal generations has historically resulted in progress and development, the tides have turned.
For the first time in history, there are eight different generations co-habitating the planet.
The Builders (a.k.a “The Greatest Generation): Born <1946
Baby Boomers: Born 1946-1964
Generation X: Born 1965-1979
Generation Y: Born 1980-1994
Generation Z: Born 1995-2009
Generation Alpha: Born 2010-2023
Generation Beta: Born 2024+
We’re all living our lives differently, with different goals, expectations, tools, outputs, and realities. Instead of cooperating and collaborating, the generational divide is now overlaid on top of social, economic, and political segmentation to create horizintal and vertical slides.
Niche on niche on niche.
THE PERSONAL: Generation Why?
From celebrating another birthday and seeing my daughter off to sleepaway camp again, to catching up with many old friends and colleagues in Cannes, I've been taken aback by feelings of nostalgia over the past few weeks (which inspired a LinkedIn post about embracing YEStalgia here).
At any given moment, I might remember a funny story and break out in spontaneous laughter or be overcome with tears at the slightest reminder of the fleeting, precious nature of time.
Even reading Darren Herman's most recent (and always great) "Operating Partner" newsletter at 5 a.m. on my birthday morning last week brought out the tears. Writing about his first NBA Finals game, he said:
"Sports is fun - but what I remember most about sports is who I was with at each of these events. For tennis, it has been my father. For hockey & baseball, it’s been my closest friends from growing up. And for my first NBA Finals, it’s my son, David. For me, sports memories are always some of the best memories."
I've written about my bond with my daughter as a result of coaching her flag football team. While I've never had the opportunity to coach my son, it hit me that this may never happen.
And I'm okay with that. We have other bonds formed over shared passions.
Jake turned 13 last week, his birthday coming the day before mine. As part of the celebration, I took him and several friends to another (resurgent!) New York Mets game. Mets games have been our shared experience for the past 13 years. It has become one of the constant traditions, having attended at least 50 games together ever since he could walk.
Yet this time, he probably spent more time on his phone than watching the game. I couldn’t get him to look up from his phone for more than a few seconds.
Kids.
Generational divides and differences are not new. The newer gaps are unique and different in their own ways, but shared experiences have always been what bind us.
What makes this so personally unique is that I can personally relate to sentiments felt by, or opinions held by, 5 of the 8 aforementioned generations. It ALL resonates.
While I'm sitting here reading anything I can on inflation (finally subsiding), the Consumer Price Index, and anything titled "Ways to Make Your Money Work Harder For You," younger Americans are set to indulge in a "summer of fun," no matter the financial costs.
A new study found that younger generations are looking to have a fun summer regardless of their financial stability, with 38% of Gen Z and 39% of millennials reporting that summer travel is their priority, regardless of their financial situation. Many young consumers — 27% of Gen Z and 28% of millennials — say they’re willing to take on debt to maximize their fun.
This is also the same generation that is redefining NYC rental culture, somehow only paying $1,600 on average a month for a single bedroom, plus amenities like “state-of-the-art kitchens and fitness centers,” “vibrant rooftop scenes,” and “monthly networking events and parties.” Sounds exactly like the failed WeLive concept, but given that the average rent for a one-bedroom in New York City is $3,795 per month — and that Gen Z is desperate for IRL connection — it’s honestly not a bad deal.
Maybe we can learn something from this generation after all?
THE PRACTICAL: You Down with OTT? Yeah, you know CTV.
Without naming names, a conversation I overheard at a dinner in Cannes a few weeks ago has stuck with me to the point that I'm now writing about it two weeks later—long after everyone else's "Cannes takeaway" guilt-inspired think pieces have dried up.
Granted, this is a second-hand telling, but according to a loud stranger at a table next to mine at L'Éponyme, the CMO of the largest advertiser in the world admitted on a panel that he wasn’t clear on the difference between OTT and CTV.
While this is partially embarrassing given the fact that these two groundbreaking video technologies have been around for a decade, this particular CMO is probably in his mid-60’s. Yet unlike others in similar roles a generation behind him, there's something to be said about admitting vulnerability and asking for help.
But let’s help him out. These two three-letter acronyms are right up there with RMN (retail media network) as the marketing world's latest buzzwords, often thrown around like confetti at a parade.
OTT (Over-The-Top) refers to streaming content directly over the internet, bypassing traditional cable, and making us question why we ever tolerated those clunky cable boxes. Watch Paramount Plus on your phone? That's OTT.
CTV (Connected TV) is any TV set connected to the internet, transforming our idiot boxes into smart devices with apps. I have a Roku TV and watch YouTube on it.
For marketers, OTT is your playground for targeting viewers ditching cable, while CTV offers a big screen for your big ideas. It's like the difference between ordering delivery (OTT) and dining in (CTV)—both get you fed, but the experience is vastly different.
Notably, CTV ad revenue keeps increasing. Yet just because one ad channel is growing doesn’t mean the entire market is growing, right? In this case, it may appear that advertisers are mostly “relocating” their budget to CTV. Classic zero-sum game. So where's the money coming from?
CTV is stealing budget from linear TV, which is a natural progression. Makes sense. But CTV is also taking a slice from other non-video digital and traditional ads.
Additionally, 1/3 of marketers are taking money out of their social media ads pool and other types of digital ads.
Or maybe it's not a zero-sum game for everyone. A similar number say the increase in CTV ads is due to overall ad budget expansion—meaning there are advertisers who got a better budget for testing.
So what to do? Well, that aforementioned CMO should be testing everywhere. They can afford it.
However, emerging or mid-tier brands might be more inclined to test a highly-targetable channel that might become a staple in the digital ad industry—the RMN + Community Media Network approach.
THE PROFESSIONAL: Blurring Lines, Building Bridges Between Teams
For anyone who's worked for startups or emerging companies before, stop me if you've heard this one before... but "marketing and sales need to be better aligned."
I've spent much of my career now in the mirky miasma of early-stage B2B2C startup soup, where the traditional boundaries between marketing and sales often blur. Marketing and sales, once distinct entities, now intertwine in a complex dance of customer acquisition and retention.
As a growth leader in this space, I've witnessed firsthand the challenges—and immense potential—of this convergence. While established B2B companies might have clear-cut divisions, our reality is far more fluid.
This fluidity isn't a weakness; it's our edge. But to harness it effectively, we need to rethink alignment. So why is this generational? Over the past decade, sales and marketing have become increasingly conflated, especially with Gen Y and Gen Z-led companies.
This fusion presents unique challenges—and opportunities.
Given that most early startups fail, this is one of those underrated factors that truly matters:
Aligned teams drive revenue growth.
Enhanced customer experiences become the reality upon which scale is possible
Operational efficiency and quality of communication must be in place as a foundation.
While I'm not an expert, and may never be, I do have lots of Gen X experience to share about how to make it work in your startup:
Foster Collaboration • Create a shared purpose • Develop a flexible Service Level Agreement (SLA) • Schedule regular check-ins to stay on track
Understand Your Audience • Map both customer and employee journeys • Develop detailed buyer and workforce personas • Tailor your approach to resonate with both
Streamline with Tech • Define lead qualification criteria together • Implement integrated CRM and marketing automation • Track shared KPIs for continuous improvement
Craft a Consistent Story • Align messaging across all touchpoints • Collaborate on content creation • Leverage insights from both teams
Embrace Flexibility • Encourage role fluidity • Cross-train team members • Celebrate wins collectively
In a B2B2C startup, your team members often wear multiple hats. Embrace this agility—it's your superpower.
Remember, alignment isn't about erasing differences. It's about leveraging diverse strengths towards a common goal: delighting your customers and driving growth.
What's your experience with marketing and sales alignment in the startup world?
THE PODCAST: Saatchi's Jason Schragger
Leading into the annual Cannes Lions creative festival, just I (Valerie was sick😞) sat down with Jason Schragger, the Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles / Dallas to talk about the upcoming Olympics, their work with Toyota, and the state of creative.
Yes, the Cannes Lions’ 70th annual International Festival of Creativity was already two weeks ago and yet the recaps and reminders in my LinkedIn feed are still present. But so little of that content has been dedicated to the creative winners.
To fix that, here are the winners across advertising and marketing. Watch all the winning spots here.
THE POLITICAL: The First "Once in a Generation" Election Since... 2020
If you watched the first presidential debate last week, it was a pretty disastrous week for President Joe Biden's re-election bid. Biden gave one of the worst performances I've ever seen, and many are questioning his age, his health, and his competence.
The good news: most people didn't watch the debate, and Trump's performance was even worse.
I wrote several weeks ago that I thought Biden should have dropped out, and while the window to do is all but closed, democracy hangs in the balance.
The millions of emails and text messages I'm getting from the Democratic party each day probably aren't helping.
And while suburban women and southern black voters played a major role in the last election, I'm watching to see just how involved Gen Z is in this election. And I'm not alone.
NPR interviewed a dozen young people at the “People’s Convention,” run by Turning Point USA, one of the largest national organizations focused on engaging students on conservative issues, who attended the event in support of Trump — and “to party, young conservative style.”
Hollywood creatives from SNL and Parks and Recreation have been meeting monthly for at least half a year to pitch ideas to Won’t PAC Down, a new super PAC that’s raising more than $20 million in hopes of improving President Joe Biden’s relationship with young voters. The first ads, written for and by millennials and Gen Z, will debut on social media this month.
The false narratives are problematic, especially around government censorship on social media.
In last week's Supreme Court ruling on Murthy v. Missouri, the majority found that those suing the government failed to provide any evidence that the US government coerced social media companies to censor certain speech.
Despite media reports misrepresenting the decision as allowing government censorship, the ruling clarified that any coercive government actions violating the First Amendment still remain illegal. Yet misinterpretations by various media outlets have fueled a false narrative, further complicating public understanding of the ruling.
TikTok is also not helping, spreading false narratives on a number of topics. the fact that only Trump can save the TikTok ban is not lost on younger voters.
Last week, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, called for official warning labels to be put on social media apps signaling the negative effects on mental health, much like the warning labels on tobacco & alcohol.
Here’s what it could look like.
The PPPParting Thought
Speaking of GenZ, despite feeling deeply pessimistic about the world and economy around them, the majority of Gen Zers — defined here as those aged 12-27 — still “hope and expect” to own a home. But these dreams have to wait... just like you will have to wait another two weeks for the next Four Ps.
Until then...
