Delving into Intergenerational Research of the 1980s to 2000s (Part 1)

In the current post-pandemic era, brands are facing the challenge of decreasing user growth and therefore experiencing an increased reliance on existing customers to drive sales. Therefore, brands need to shift their mindset and move away from using terms like "consumers" or "users."

The term "consumer" emphasizes a consumption relationship, and many brands' opinions on the lifetime value of a "user" merely focuses on increasing the repurchase rate. Therefore, brands should not hastily engage in private domain and user lifetime value (LTV) strategies, otherwise any efforts in these areas would be not tactical wins but strategic negligence.

Brands should reconsider how to view "consumers" as "brand citizens." Citizens are individuals with their own responsibilities and obligations, and as such, they can even contribute to the brand and should be rewarded accordingly.

Previously, brands were predominantly product-centric; a single product could sustain its presence in the market for decades. However, the lifecycle of products is constantly shrinking, and product categories can even wholly disappear. Therefore, future brands should not revolve around a specific product. Moreover, if consumers' perception of a brand is at the product level, then it is not truly a brand but merely a label distinguishing Product A from Product B.

Therefore, brands should now abandon the concept of "consumers" and focus on cultivating "brand citizens." Brands should encourage brand citizens to contribute to the brand’s growth and in return, receive rewards. A brand needs to represent a certain value, a particular lifestyle, or even a spiritual pursuit, so that people are willing to follow and engage with it.

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Researching people, especially young people, is crucial for brands.

As product lifecycles continue to shorten, how can brands set targets in terms of lifestyles, values, and even spiritual pursuits?

Li Yuhong, along with her new-generation brand strategy consulting firm Ylab, has conducted continuous intergenerational research for ten years. Through this research, she has discovered the underlying drivers behind the needs of each generation, providing a solid foundation for brands to communicate across generational gaps.

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Research Origin

The origin of the research can be traced back to 2012 when Hunan TV faced challenges while producing the show "Super Boy." After 10 years of development, the market strategies that were previously effective for targeting the post-80s generation started to lose its impact. Considering the factors of generational change, the production team approached the advertising company where Li Yuhong was working at the time. They hoped to understand the differences between the post-90s and post-80s generations by analyzing their perceptions of idols, music, and pop culture.?

The research findings revealed that the post-90s generation was distinctly different from the post-80s generation. The post-80s generation was the first generation of only children in China, and their sense of independence and self was newly awakened during their teenage years. They were rebellious, but at that time, there was very limited opportunity for self-expression. This aligned with the previous style of "self-expression" on "Super Boy."

However, with the development of technology and advancements in media, everyone in the post-90s generation had the opportunity to voice their thoughts and ideas. The challenge they faced, instead, was the issue of "overexpression," where individual voices were drowned out in the overwhelming noise.

Based on the research results, Li Yuhong's team suggested a shift in the format of the show, transitioning from the previous style of "self-expression" to a style focused on being "heard and respected." Whether it was during the audition stage or the main competition stage, every contestant, even if they appeared for only a few minutes, was encouraged to command respect from the judges and the audience, to have their gaze fixed upon them, and their words listened to.

As a result, in 2013, the theme of "Super Boy" was changed to "Listen to Me." The show went on to achieve great success that year, also marking the debut of Hua Chenyu (one of the most popular singers in China today).

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Changes across Generations

In 2016, Li Yuhong further deepened this research by incorporating sociological and psychological methods. In 2019, Li Yuhong founded the new-generation brand consulting firm, Ylab, to systematically undertake intergenerational research. Through ongoing intergenerational comparisons, Ylab revealed changes and differences across generations. With these studies, even when people from different generations reach the ages of 30, 35, and older, they are able to view the trajectory of their generational growth.

The research project continued from 2019 to 2022, spanning four years, witnessing the significant changes that occurred before and after the pandemic era on each generation. Additionally, the research expanded to include the study of the post-2000 generation.

Building a brand is about giving lifeless things a vibrant "personality." When a brand decides to become a future-oriented leader in certain categories, it is not enough to only focus on the surface-level needs of the target. It is also crucial to understand the underlying factors such as values, identity, and self-definition beyond the level of basic needs. Intergenerational research aims to uncover these hidden aspects that lie beneath the surface of the iceberg.

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The Methods of Intergenerational Research

In the early research stages, intergenerational spans were set at 10 years, considering the post-80s as one generation and the post-90s as another. Later, it transitioned to five-year spans, with the inclusion of the post-95s between the post-90s and the post-2000s. The duration of a generational span depends on the degree of societal changes over time.

In the past two to three decades, China has experienced dramatic transformations in its economy, society, and media landscape. The formation of each generation's values is profoundly influenced by macro, meso, and micro environments during their upbringing. This shapes their unique perspectives and values, leading to different aspirations, pursuits, anxieties, and concerns than other generations.

As future developments unfold, if there are no fundamental technological disruptions, social changes will gradually enter a stable state, and the environmental differences among generations will diminish. Consequently, the span of generational research can be appropriately extended.

The research incorporates three models. The first model draws upon the theory of Erik Erikson, a developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst, who proposed eight stages of psychosocial development. The period of time between 16 and 24 years old is a crucial time for personal "identity formation," and intergenerational research must begin from this stage.

The second model is the Eco-system Environment Model.

The third model is the "Onion Model," which helps grasp the "underlying drivers" behind needs.

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Intergenerational Differences among the Post-80s, Post-90s, Post-95s, and Post-2000s

Ylab's research demonstrates what causes such distinct perspectives and values among the post-80, post-90, and post-95 generations through three dimensions — childhood experiences, parental generations, and information reception.

The post-80s view life as a ladder, believing in the principle of hard work paying off. They strive to climb the ladder step by step, ultimately achieving upward mobility in terms of social status.

The post-90s generation is more balanced and peaceful. They also are hard workers, but they don't have the same intense desire for upward mobility as the post-80s. Instead, they focus on broadening their horizons horizontally. This reflects social progress, as the definition of success is no longer as singular. If we say the post-80s generation had a touch of idealism, the post-90s generation is more pragmatic.

The differences between the post-95s and the post-90s are substantial. The post-90s generation identifies with a "Buddhist" mindset, embodying a more laid-back and nonchalant attitude. On the other hand, the post-95s generation is characterized by a more "passionate" approach to life.

In the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, Ylab conducted quantitative research on the post-95s. The results showed that the majority of respondents had a similar outlook compared to 2019, with a generally optimistic sentiment prevailing. However, a shift in mindset occurred in 2021 when phrases like "lying flat" started to gain traction. There were expressions such as "either my heartbeat or TikTok can keep ticking” (employees of Tiktok’s parent company Bytedance work overtime almost every day so that there is a great chance of sudden death from work) as well as criticisms of the "996" work culture (work from 9am to 9pm for 6 days a week), and some popular companies that relied on venture capital eventually disappeared. During this time, the post-95s realized that it was easy to be manipulated by large corporations and that the success rate of start-ups was surprisingly low. They saw themselves as mere "leeks" (a metaphorical expression which represents the exploitation and oppression of the lower class by those in positions of power and privilege. It also illustrates the advantage gained by individuals in positions of superiority through informational disparities or informational asymmetry, as they exploit those in disadvantaged positions) and chose to "lie flat," adopting a more pessimistic attitude.

In response to these emotional changes, we observed that the post-95s underwent a shift in deep-seated values. This prompted us to initiate a larger-scale research project, reconnecting with the original participants and adding new ones.

The findings revealed that those who were previously involved in English debate competitions in Shanghai and were preparing to start an English debate training institution had returned to Chengdu to work as English teachers. Those who had planned to pursue a master's degree and had grand ambitions for the future now intended to pursue a Ph.D. and subsequently take government positions. There were individuals who, when unable to find good jobs in big cities, were preparing to return to their hometowns to inherit family businesses, which often amounted to nothing more than a small fruit shop.?

Some post-2000s describe their own generation as: "We are inward-focused seekers standing on a descending escalator, forced to go up while watching the aerial garden above."

Factors impacting the growth of the post-2000s generation can be categorized as implicit and explicit. Implicit factors include the global landscape and the country’s economic development. Among the explicit factors, the influence of social media is significant. The post-2000s generation is immersed in a noisy social media environment, spending an increasing amount of time in the virtual world. This is one of the most influential factors shaping their behavior. Some post-2005s even express a desire to quit social media, but they find it difficult as they have become addicted.

Then here comes the question: how brands can engage with Gen Z (post-95s to post-2000s) and cultivate brand citizens?

We will unveil the answers in Part 2. Stay tuned!