How do you tailor your research strategies to address generational differences in consumer behavior?

Segment the audience into generational groups (e.g., Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers) by demographics and psychographics. Design tailored surveys and conduct separate focus groups to explore unique preferences and decision-making drivers. Use social listening for real-time insights on how each generation interacts with brands. Analyze digital data to track trends in online behavior. Observe consumer habits firsthand to uncover shopping preferences and brand loyalty differences. Blend qualitative and quantitative methods, stay current with tech and media shifts, and validate findings for robust insights. This approach ensures targeted marketing and product strategies.

Mirroring is a common sales tactic, but it also works well in focus group moderation. People naturally prefer speaking with and open up to others with whom they have things in common. So if understanding the differences across consumers of different generations is an important factor of your research, try using moderators that are the same generation as the respondents. Keep the groups separated by age - don't use mixed groups if you're looking for transparency on age-related topics. The energy of a focus group can dramatically impact the quality of the insights. Small adjustments like these go a long way in helping consumers be more at ease and honest in focus groups. This leads to better outcomes and more authentic insights.

A range of approaches to uncover attitudes/behaviours as listed are great. However, a key aspect to consider here is the sampling and recruitment. The different generational labels enable a shortcut to understanding a broader group. I first referenced them in research I was conducting 20+ years ago however I no longer do along with many other established researchers. Its important to recognise these groups are not homogenous and therefore another consideration to factor into when understanding generational differences is recruitment and sampling based on attitudes/values. Research recruitment (particularly in qualitative research) has developed much more this last decade and recognises that we need to go beyond just the demographics.