Banking your sales goals on a single generation is less sustainable than outreach that resonates with multiple generations — as long as you strike the right balance, that is.
To achieve the perfect tone while continuing to segment by generation, you’ll need to develop multigenerational strategies.
Why you need a multigenerational strategy
Brands and retailers know they can’t be all things to all people, so generational segmentation has become a standard practice. However, consumer cohorts can be underestimated, and generational strategies can be misaligned with actual spending potential and consumer interest.
According to McKinsey, The Business of Fashion, and analysis from The Robin Report, silver generational cohorts are a blindspot for many fashion and beauty industry teams, and they hold revenue growth potential for savvy marketers to discover. Customers over the age of 59 represented 37% of U.S. apparel spending in 2023 (compared with Millennials’ 23% share).
While working overtime to win Gen Z, fashion shouldn’t neglect over-50 customers who increasingly form a bigger portion of the consumer population and are eager to spend on their favorite brands.
Reaching the Silver Generation and Gen Z at Once
Businesses that already hit the mark with specific generations can attract loyal customers from others, as shown by beauty brands’ growing appeal with Gen Z. Skincare is proof you can reach older and younger generations at the same time, sometimes with the same or similar product lines.
Legacy beauty brand Maybelline, typically targeting more mature generations through traditional marketing channels, is diving into metaverse and mobile gaming channels where skincare spending is skewing younger than in the past. L’Oréal is another brand succeeding with younger shoppers while designing products that are purpose-made for mature skin, such as the brand’s Age Perfect Rosy Tone Moisturizer. Clinique, a brand popular for anti-aging skincare, increasingly markets to Gen Z. Younger consumers are also interested in buying SPF sun protection products designed to safeguard youthful skin – no longer just an interest for their parents’ generation.
Bringing it all together
For Maybelline and Clinique, a wider audience is a smart bet. Gen Z’s spending power is expected to reach $12 trillion globally by 2030, according to data from Nielsen. As part of their multigenerational strategy, Clinique is also experimenting with channels and collections that take advantage of anti-aging products’ expanded appeal.
There’s a lesson here for other segments of fashion and beauty — growth doesn’t necessarily require an all-in bet on just one generation. If your business is already succeeding with specific cohorts, translating that allure to other generations may be your best next step.
