It’s not about being hip. But it is about being cool.

Perhaps, I’m splitting hairs. Perhaps I’m not cool enough to know the difference between hip and cool. Perhaps such words aren’t even compliments nowadays. I don’t know. What I do know is that today’s parents aren’t yesterday’s parents.

Oh, yes, they bare and raise children, care for their children’s physical and emotional needs, and do their darnedest to provide for their children an environment which will support their growth and development. In that regard, nothing is different.

What is really different is that if your market today includes parents, don’t look backward on how companies marketed to parents for your clues. Don’t assume you know this new breed of parents. See, the predominant parents today are people in the GenX generation (born 1961-1981) and each generation brings its own world views to its place in the saeculum.  For now, and for another dozen years or so, the cultural definition of parenting will come predominantly from the GenX value system.

One of the best examples of who this new generation of parents is can found is this exquisitely GenX-focused marketing campaign by Toyota. It’s called the Toyota Sienna Swagger Wagon. This particular video is 2:36 minutes long and worth every second of attention to understand the core personality trait of today’s GenX parents in America. Whether you’re a business owner, a marketing and communications professional, a municipal government employee, a faith leader or a community advocate, if your market includes parents, you’ll do well to open your mind and adjust your thinking about current and emerging parental values.

See, Boomer (born 1943-1960) core values toward child-raising were much about having “special” children (the Millennials, born 1982 – 2002ish). The generation of Boomer parents put children in the center of their lives and circled around them to serve them (regardless of the impact on their personal lives). GenXer parents are much more oriented toward making sure children are safe and given what they need and then having a life where children are integral and integrated, but not to the diminishment of their own lives.

I think this Toyota Sienna commercial — nay, extensive YouTube and marketing campaign — demonstrates this new style of parenting remarkably well. Then again, I am an early-wave GenXer myself and coming up on my 47th birthday; while I’m may not be hip, I sure do understand being cool.

Toyota Sienna's Swagger Wagon

This entry was posted on Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at 8:00 am and is filed under Generational Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.


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