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While it was Peter Townshend and The Who that recorded this infamous little ditty, it is actually The Rolling Stones that continue to be wildly successful amongst several distinct generations of fans since the band first formed in 1962 – over 44 years ago!

So, what’s their secret? How can the real estate industry be as successful marketing to each of the different generations that make up our current population of consumers?

This was by far the most interesting topic at the RIS Media Leadership conference we participated in last week in New York City.

John Ansbach from Recon Intelligence Services gave a riveting talk about the four generations of consumers in the market today, their core values and the key drivers that dictate how they spend their money. Whether you are marketing a home, a pair of jeans or a rock band, it’s important to have a message that caters to and resonates with all of them.

The four generations and their key values:

Civics: 55 to 58 million strong, Civics are consumers ages 61 and older. Their key values are dedication and sacrifice. The generation who lived through World War II and whose parents lived through the Great Depression, Civics are always saving for the next downturn. The goal is to help them feel ok spending their hard earned dollars.

Key Message — let them know “You have sacrificed long enough. You deserve to reward yourself.”

Boomers: 78 million strong, Boomers are ages 42 to 60 and have long been touted as the single largest generation in history. The key driver with Boomers is living life to its fullest. “Boomers are too cool to retire” says Ansbach. “You’re not selling them a home, but a home base or launch pad for vacations, adventure and new experiences.”

Key Message — your pitch should revolve around helping them transition into the next stage of their (very exciting) lives.

Generation X: 48 million strong, Gen X’ers are ages 30 to 41. Their key driver is fierce independence! As latchkey kids, Ansbach defines X’ers as “the group that believes that given enough coffee and access to Google they can learn to fly the space shuttle over a long weekend.” The worst thing an agent can say: “you need me.”

Key Message — tell them, “We know you could do this yourself given enough time, but we’re here to make your life easier.”

Generation Y: Ages 12 to 29, perhaps the most surprising revelation is that Gen Y’ers are 73 million strong! In addition to being the most tech savvy, their key driver is a need to feel special. As kids, their parents showered them with rewards for everything from loosing a tooth to winning a swim match. The Army actually changed their slogan for this generation from “be all you can be” to “be an Army of 1.”

Key Message — focus on how your product (or the home that you are selling) makes them feel unique, different and special.

Generation X and Y together represent 80% of all first time home buyers. So while we are spending all our time marketing to Boomers, their tech savvy children and grandchildren will increasingly have purchasing power to rival their elders.

Maybe the secret to The Stones success all these years is that they figured out how to rock each successive generation while The Who (who is great in its own right, but certainly not The Stones) was too busy talking to their own generation!

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