Baby Boomers are the generation of those born after World War II until the mid-1960s. The designation comes from the expression “baby boom”, which represents the explosion in the birth rate in the United States in the postwar period. .
Baby boomers in Latin America lived through the military dictatorship and the promises of the economic miracle grew with job opportunities linked to stability within large industries. In a period of financial optimism and social ascension. They underwent political changes and serious economic crises that reinforced, at maturity, the conservative state of their investments and their behavior in general.
As they reach old age, baby boomers form a group of powerful consumers with high purchasing power and demanding consumer habits.
In the job market, baby boomers are loyal to companies, with careers of 20 or 30 years in the same company. They have reached managerial positions where they now need to manage generational conflicts with Generations X and Y, who have different perspectives on life and career.
Characteristics of baby boomers
The socioeconomic context of baby boomers was one of optimism and prosperity, with relative economic stability in developed countries. Due to good financial opportunities and the possibility of establishing and maintaining a prosperous career, this generation has more optimistic characteristics regarding consumption.
Baby boomers seek job stability and are loyal partners for companies. Little information for innovation. They often have a personality addicted to the job , they value time dedicated experience and estimate the state, positions and hierarchies.
This generation established a lifestyle that continues today, related to marriage, buying a house, car, and finding free time. Status quo that has been replaced by other consumption habits, interpersonal relationships and even the very notion of leisure as understood by generation Y.
The main technological influence of baby boomers was television, which changed the way the world accesses information, influenced sociability and consumption and entertainment habits. At the forefront of this generation were rock influences and a rebellious attitude, such as the movie Juventude Transviada (1955) starring one of the generation’s icons, actor James Dean.
Consumer characteristics of baby boomers
The baby boom generation tends to be more conservative in consumer habits. They are not easily convinced by the opinion of others, relying more on previous experiences to determine the purchase.
They value quality over quantity and do not defend a particular brand, although they end up opting for the more traditional ones due to their previous experiences.
A baby boom is more likely to acquire a product from an already established brand and with a certain state in its midst, since it has had some experience with this consumer good before.
New brands have a hard time gaining room among members of this generation, and are usually introduced to them by members of other generations who are more expert in innovation.
Baby Boomers and Generation X
The generation after Baby Boomers is called Generation X, from those born in the mid-1960s to the early 1980s. They are the children of baby boomers, who accompanied the frustrations of their parents by dedicating a life to a life project that is not always good. successful. More skeptical and apathetic about political and social changes.
It has a greater propensity for novelties, interacting more with digital technologies. In the workplace, Generation X is less loyal to organizations and more focused on their own careers, moving from one company to another.
Baby Boomers and Generation Y
Generation Y is also called millennials, as they are the first to reach adulthood after the turn of the millennium.
They seek to be more committed to the community, optimistic about the future and with a greater social and environmental awareness. Prone to volunteer and act for a cause relevant to their values.
More informal than Generation X and baby boomers, they are hectic and living in an information spiral that makes them increasingly impatient and immediate. Much of this is caused by the information society and the increasing use of technology and the Internet. It is the generation always connected.
In the labor market, they may face authority problems because they do not respect the hierarchy in the same way as previous generations and believe in more informal relationships.
Baby Boomers and Generation Z
Generation Z is made up of digital natives, born in the late 1990s, already in a society focused on information technology. They understand issues such as privacy, temporality, collectivity and virtuality differently from previous generations.
Devices are extensions of being and there is no difference between online and offline life. Members of Generation Z are grandchildren of baby boomers. The expected generational shocks are related to innovation, more natural for this group. Generation Z is starting on the job market and is immediate and demanding, but also proactive and enterprising.