Generation O – With Money To Burn

By: Cynti Oshin

Director of Client Services & Business Development

As marketing consultants develop communications strategies for their clients, determining a pathway to reach the desired target or ‘generation’ is paved with considerable research. There is much to draw upon when targeting the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y or Millennials.

Oxygen Media has thrown a new term into the mix – and not surprisingly this is about women – in their 20’s. That would be the Generation O.

“Oxygen will begin presenting media agency executives the results of a comprehensive study on ‘women in transitionhood’ a classification that zeros in on women in their 20s who also happen to be in a sort of lifestyle limbo. Compared to earlier generations of women that knocked out the career-marriage-kids trifecta before they’d reached the quarter-century mark, today’s women are taking a much more drawn-out approach to adulthood, and in doing so, they’re blessed with a far greater amount of discretionary income.”

The Generation O can be defined as women in their 20’s who are on a different timetable and doing life on their own terms. They are highly social, independent, and adventurous – in short you want them.

“All of this adds up to a demographic that is in a constant dialog with its generational cohorts, a group with significant buying power that is also increasingly receptive to word-of-mouth brand endorsements.’ You want to be in a place where women are passing along their recommendations to their circle of friends,’ says Susan Malfa, svp, advertising sales, Bravo and Oxygen Media. ‘These are happy, influential consumers, and they have money. These are the women you want to reach as a marketer.’”

All of this made great sense to me, until I learned that the guilty pleasure of Generation O is The Bad Girls Club. Say it ain’t so, Lisa. Say it ain’t so Jessie.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/cable-tv/e3ie50154915b78f0ec4292d7833580661a