Finding an emotional appeal to the next big buying generation

Now, the generation that brought us grunge rock, apathy, and teen angst is prepared to take over the reins of commerce.

The infamous Generation X, the first brood of the Boomers, is coming of age. And marketers are now seeking methods to create emotional appeal for the group.

Gen Xers are now in the 30-44 age bracket, which puts them in a prime car-buying demographic. Honda is on the front lines, trying to market the Accord (normally popular to 50-somethings) through a well-researched emotional connection.

What Honda has discovered is that Gen X buyers need greater emotional ties to products. They also want practical purchases that they don’t need to save up for. And finally, they are trying to signal others that they are successful. Honda thinks the Accord fits into these categories (Accord is affordable, reliable, and its appeal to the older generation signals it as a mark of success).

The key for Honda will be to create an Evangelist Effect®. The general idea is to create loyal brand enthusiasts out of marquee customers. What happens after that is that these customers become brand evangelists, spreading the word of the brand to others and bringing them into the fold.

The Evangelist Effect® results in:
• Increased credibility of messages because they are delivered by experts, friends, or news media
• Strong two-way connectivity as evangelists share information using new tools and technology
• Increased brand "market" and "emotional" share
Honda is targeting the right sources for its advertising to create this effect, such as select internet and television sites. They hope to create some non-product related features that will appeal to the loyalty factor. Then Honda can sit back and say “we made it simple” for Gen Xers, too.

Here's a new Accord ad to watch...