From Publishers Weekly
For those who want to know what the wired generations want to consume and experience, this book provides plenty of insights. CEO of marketing consultancy ReachWomen, Johnson clearly knows her topic, providing many examples of brands that have appealed to the desire for personalization, adventure, high concept design, loose family and social networks, spirituality and five other core "cravings" of 18- to 40-year-olds. Each chapter is also sprinkled with case studies to illustrate marketing success stories, ending in workbook sections with exercises that will help readers apply the advice in each chapter. In fact, readers would do well to read this book close to a computer or keep a pen at hand to jot down URLs. The volume of information is at once its strength and shortcoming: 10 chapters deliver on the subtitle's promise, but the information can be overwhelming. Fortunately, the author addresses that concern in the book's conclusion, where she outlines some ways to put new ideas to work within an organization.
(Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
As baby boomers move past their peak spending years and begin to move toward retirement, marketers are focusing their attention on a new generation of consumers. Generation X (1965-79) and Generation Y (1980-97) are technology-fluent individuals who have embraced cell phones, BlackBerries, e-mail, and text messaging, but they have also been so inundated with advertising that they are cynical and difficult to reach. Johnson, CEO and cofounder of the Reach Group, is an award-winning marketer and expert on Gen X & Y and female consumers. She notes that as Gen X & Y have come into dominance in the marketplace, immersed in highly networked, "always on" gadgets and technologies, they have emerged as the "Connected Generation." Johnson identifies 10 core "cravings" that drive these consumers to connect with and buy products, and she highlights the challenges in reaching this group with real-world success stories such as the Motorola Razr, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Target, and Red Bull Energy Drink. The result is effective as both a marketing workbook and a study of social trends.
David SiegfriedCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
