Different generations want to communicate with businesses and brands ahead of Black Friday. However, creating an appropriate omnichannel strategy to communicate with them can be challenging. Get it wrong and brands may lose sales or even loyal customers, says an expert.

 

New research from global communication platform Infobip highlights how different generations want to communicate with businesses and brands ahead of Black Friday. 

 

When at least 86% of all generations expect targeted and relevant communications, according to Infobip’s research, retailers need a personalized approach for each generation of shoppers.

 

Black Friday is the start of the Christmas shopping season. Millions of consumers search for deals online, providing retailers with a growing opportunity to increase sales and strengthen brand presence. Even a 5% increase in customer retention can boost profits by more than 25%, according to management consultancy Bain & Company.

 

However, creating an appropriate omnichannel strategy to communicate with consumers across four generations can be challenging. Get it wrong and brands may lose sales or even loyal customers. 

 

Infobip’s Generational Messaging Trends Report reveals the communication preferences of each generation:

*Baby boomers: They are less accepting of repetitive content where, 40% want more varied communications versus 8% of Gen Z, but favour chat apps more than Gen X (68% compared to 57%) 

*Generation X: Around 73% of Gen X prefer to receive product and service updates compared with just 55% of Gen Z

*Millennials: Younger generations are more open to new communication channels, where 60% of millennials are happy to make purchases through chatbots

*Generation Z: Nearly 83% expect a brand to understand them as individuals, and 65% want a two-way dialogue with the brands they buy from.

 

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said that the only constant in the world is change. As time moves on, new generations are born and make their impact on society by introducing new trends and bringing a fresh attitude to everything from fashion and music to ethics, and of course communication.

 

Probably the most recognizable generation, Millennials have at times been stereotyped for being entitled and unreliable but have no doubt been confident in challenging the status quo. With the eldest cohort of Millennials now 42 years old, some are leading their countries – Sanna Marin of Finland and Gabriel Boric of Chile were both elected in their 30s, and millennials like Mark Zuckerberg are leading global corporations and shaping the way we communicate.

 

These days younger generations may have more opportunities to achieve success, but they also have to deal with challenges that their parents didn’t.

 

For example, according to recent research young adults today have 86% less purchasing power today compared to Baby Boomers when they were in their 20s. Millennials are paying 100% more on average for their homes vs. Baby Boomer home prices from the 1970s. 

 

These financial pressures have had an impact on the way young people live, socialize, and shop and are just one of the many factors that have led to a divergence between the generations that brands need to be aware of when developing their communication strategies.

 

Against a backdrop of a rapid evolution in communication driven by generative AI we conducted a detailed survey of people of all age groups and from multiple countries to discover their views and preferences when it comes to the way that businesses communicate with them, said Ivan Ostojić, Chief Business Officer at Infobip.

 

"Our research shows that most shoppers, no matter their age, want brands to engage with them like with a friend through conversational channels and say it will increase their loyalty," stated Ostojić.

 

"However, brands must get customer communications right to enhance loyalty and grow sales. That’s why Infobip has analyzed what each generation prefers and published a new report and a playbook to help retailers and ecommerce firms make the most of the shopping season," he added.-TradeArabia News Service