Today, I found out that I have been operating under a false assumption and that I’m a member of Generation Y, not X.

I was dismayed.   I’m already tuned out to most pop culture.  Idol what?  Miley who?  After conducting further research, however, I learned that I am deeply absorbed in the culture of Generation Y.  According to Wikipedia, people my age have acquired a demand for “instant gratification” thanks to “email, texting, and IM,” as well as “social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.”  Sounds like me, I thought.  I felt much better.

It raises an important question, though.  How is the notion of “branding” perceived by each generation?  Does it mean something different to Generation Y, X and Baby Boomers?  The lines can certainly be blurred.  When presented with the subject of what I do, for example, my 65-year-old father asked if Corey McPherson Nash brands horses and cattle, while my 62-year-old mother promptly corrected him and named several companies that recently underwent re-branding.  Therein was the clincher:  It’s not that Dad is out of touch with reality.  He just doesn’t care.

Those are the two broad, key audiences.  There’s Mom, the hip, discerning consumer who recognizes (and is quick to critique) brands, visits websites, reads blogs and can easily access information about your company.  Then, there’s Dad, the consumer who could probably use your service but, since it blends in like a pair of camouflage trousers, is blithely unaware of it.  How do we get Mom to choose your product, and how do we get Dad to find it?

There is no unanimous vote, of course, as to what the most brilliant methodology is.   I could share stories of correctly identifying and communicating with our clients’ target audiences, but you already know we can do that.  After all, that’s why you’re here.  Rather, my compadres and I would love to hear tales from others who have shared in the struggle of reaching out to different audiences or, heck, even had success doing it.  And if anyone can come up with a brand that leaves Mom speechless … well, we might just have to give you a medal.