One of our interns was commissioned internally to design an advertisement for one of our services for young students. After conducting interviews with a sample of students who might be interested in this service, the intern produced a nice ad with an eye-catching graphic and one-line copy, followed by a link to a website as a call to the action. We then asked him why details about product features, functionality and benefits were missing from this advertisement. We later understood the minimalist marketing approach of Generation Z. The intern was born between 1997-2009.

Today, there is a generational shift in many organizations. We can see it in our neighborhoods and our families. We all face the challenge of interacting with five different generations: Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964), Gen X (Born 1965-1980), Gen Y (Born 1981-1996), Gen Z (Born between 1997-2009) and Generation Alpha (Born between 2010-2025).

However, in sub-Saharan Africa in general and in Cameroon in particular, baby boomers hold the leadership and governance. On the other hand, generation X is the most disappointed, following the political fracture experienced by Cameroon in 1982. Generation Y is the most important on the labor market (job seekers for the vast majority ), while Gen Z is the newest entrant. These generations have different levels of mastery of technology. Looking at the market through the generational lens will help companies understand how best to execute their deployment strategy.

Each generation is shaped by a different socio-cultural environment and life experience. Take, for example, Generation X. Having been educated by parents who experienced the wars of independence, they were culturally influenced by the two political regimes that Cameroon experienced. As a result, they place more importance on the peace-work balance than other generations and are seen as more independent and resilient. As adults, they discovered the world without the Internet and with the Internet, which allowed them to adapt well to traditional and digital workplaces.

Each generation also has different preferences and attitudes toward products and services, which should prompt companies to respond with a different offering, customer experience, and even business model. Millennials, for example, prioritize feedback over experience. They prefer to listen to someone they trust, having experienced before doing the experiment themselves. This Generation has been influenced by those who have known two political regimes, and each time they were asked not to believe what is said. Business models have also shifted from direct selling to selling through intermediaries. Generation Y prefers to have feedback from someone they trust.

Even if they understood the distinct needs of different generations, most companies would not be well positioned to serve them all. Businesses in Cameroon are often stuck with a rigid portfolio of products and services that does not allow for customization for each generation. It forces companies to serve only two or three generations at a time. Companies are also struggling to adapt to the shortened product life cycle posed by the ever-changing needs and desires of younger generations. Many companies in all industries (Food, Beverage, Consumer Packaged Goods, and Fashion) are feeling the pressure to quickly develop new products and make profits in a narrow window. Targeting also creates a dilemma since the greatest value is always created when brands serve baby boomers and Gen Xers, with their powerful resources and strong willingness to pay. But most brand equity is created when brands are endorsed by Generations Y and Z, with their cool factor and digital savvy. Most importantly, Generations Y and Z are beginning to influence their baby boomer and Gen X parents in many buying decisions. Companies need to balance two goals: maximize value creation for the present and start positioning brands for the future.

Baby boomers: Power and power at the end of their reign

Baby boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. The term baby boom refers to the high birth rate in the United States and many other parts of the world after the end of World War II. With the post-war security and economy, many couples decided to have children, who became the primary target market for traders at the time.

In Cameroon in particular, the first baby boomers, who were teenagers in the 1960s, were brought up in a relatively modest family of farmers. However, their adolescence was spent navigating through the socio-political tensions of national independence. Having financially limited parents, they lived independently (Supported by scholarships) and worked more to go further in studies (scholarships depended on it). Cameroon’s independence of 1960 was the precursor to Generation X, with whom baby boomers share many similar characteristics. Due to its small size and the small number of educated people, baby boomers have become one of the main political and economic forces. Still occupying leadership positions in companies, baby boomers are often criticized by the younger generation for their reluctance to embrace new technologies and break conventional business wisdom.

Generation X: the forgotten children

Gen X is the demographic of people born between 1965 and 1980. Overshadowed and sandwiched by the power of baby boomers and the popularity of millennials, Gen Xers have fallen into oblivion among marketers and is therefore nicknamed “the forgotten middle child”.

In Cameroon in particular the generation X cohort experienced the turbulent 1970s and the uncertain 1980s during their childhood and adolescence and entered the labor market in a bad economic situation. They fit well with the concept of “friends and family”. Growing up in a time of political upheaval, Gen Xers spent less time with family and interacted more with friends. As a cohort of middle children, Gen Xers have seen major shifts in consumer technology, which has prompted them to be highly adaptable. In their youth, Generation X grew up following audio via radios. As adults, they experimented with music videos (clipbox) on television.

Although overlooked by most marketers, Gen X has become one of the most influential generations in the workforce today. With an average work experience of 20 years and a strong work ethic, Gen Xers have held most of the leadership positions in business. Finding it harder to climb the corporate ladder with baby boomers extending their retirement, many Gen Xers left their employers in their 40s, started their own businesses, and became successful entrepreneurs.

Generation Y: Millennials

Generation Y, that is, people born between 1981 and 1996, has been the most talked about cohort in recent decades. Coming of age in the new millennium, they are widely known as Millennials. Born during another baby boom era, most millennials are children of baby boomers. In general, they are more educated and culturally diverse than previous generations.

They are also the first generation strongly associated with the use of social media. Unlike Gen X, who first used the internet in the workplace for professional reasons, Millennials discovered the internet at a much younger age. So, in the beginning, millennials embraced social media and other internet-related technologies for personal gain.

In Cameroon in particular, they have witnessed the rise and fall of DVD rentals and the shift to video streaming. More importantly, their entry into the workforce has been marked by the growth of the Internet, making them early adopters of connectivity. On social networks, they are very open when they express themselves. Having never really known war, they are not afraid of anything. They feel the need to obtain validation and approval from their peers. As a result, they are heavily influenced by what their peers say and buy. They trust their peers more than established brands. Millennials do a lot of research and shopping online, mostly on their cell phones. They do not focus on accumulating wealth and assets but on collecting life stories.

Due to their higher education, diversity, and exposure to unlimited content, millennials are more open-minded and idealistic. Millennials question everything, making them prone to conflict in the workplace with older generations who expect them to uphold the norm.

Generation Z: the first digital natives

Companies wanting it or not, today are turning their attention to Generation Z: The offspring of Generation X. Generation Z is a cohort of people born between 1997 and 2009. Born when the internet was becoming mainstream, they are considered the very first digital natives. Having no experience of life without the Internet, they see digital technologies as an indispensable part of everyday life. They always connect to the Internet through their smartphones. They consume content continuously on multiple screens, even when they are in social situations. As a result, they see almost no boundaries between the online and offline worlds.

Empowered by social media, Gen Z records their daily lives on social media in the form of photos and videos. But unlike Millennials, who are idealistic, Gen Z is pragmatic. Unlike millennials, who like to post more polished, filtered images of themselves for personal branding, millennials prefer to depict authentic, candid versions of themselves.

Since the willingness to share personal information is relatively higher in Gen Z than in older generations, they want brands to be able to deliver personalized content, offers, and customer experiences. Failure to meet this expectation results in low brand loyalty. Companies that target Gen Z have to deal with this shortened product lifecycle, because they embraced the internet from an early age.

Generation Alpha: Children of Generation Y

Generation Alpha consists of those born between 2010 and 2025, making them the very first children of the 21st century. Coined by Mark McCrindle , the first name in the Greek alphabet signifies a whole new generation that will be shaped by technological convergence. Not only are they digital natives, but they are also heavily influenced by the digital behaviors of their parents (Gen Y) and older siblings (Gen Z). Appropriately, the launch of the first iPad – the device that most children are attached to – marked the emergence of this generation in 2010. Generation Alpha characters are very much shaped and influenced by the parenting style of their parents. of Millennials. As a result, Generation Alpha is not only well-educated and tech-savvy, but also inclusive and social. Raised by Millennials and influenced by Gen Z, Gen Alpha have been actively consuming content on mobile devices since childhood. Having relatively longer screen time than previous generations, Generation Alpha watches online videos and plays mobile games on a daily basis. Some have their own YouTube channels and Instagram accounts created and managed by their parents.

Generation Alpha is more open to branded content, such as toy review channels on YouTube. Their style of learning is more hands-on and experiential. They are very comfortable playing with tech toys, smart devices, and wearables. They see technology not only as an integral part of their lives, but also as an extension of themselves. Generation Alpha will continue to grow by embracing and using human-like technologies such as artificial intelligence, voice control, and robots. Today, the Alpha generation does not yet have purchasing power, but they already have a strong influence on the spending of others.