Generation X Purchase Influencers [CHART]

Chart: Generation X Purchase Influencers

TV ads edge recommendations from friends and family as the top influencer of purchases for Gen Xers (born 1965-1981), according to MarketingCharts’ US Purchase Influencers Report 2018. In so doing, Gen Xers display more similarities with Boomers than with Millennials, who are more swayed by recommendations, per the report.

Overall, roughly 1 in 4 Gen Xers (24%) surveyed said that TV ads had influenced them to purchase a product or service within the prior 6 months, just ahead of the 22% who said that word-of-mouth had influenced a purchase.

TV ads’ purchase influence is likely a result of TV’s status as a top media activity and key advertising vehicle for this cohort. Watching TV emerged as the leading media activity for Gen Xers, with 8 in 10 doing so on a weekly basis. By comparison, only two-thirds of Millennials watch TV on a weekly basis.

Moreover, fully 61% of Gen Xers reported being exposed to multiple ads on TV daily, versus fewer than half (48%) of Millennials. Beyond TV, social media (41%) and the radio (40%) emerged as channels where many Gen Xers are frequently exposed to ads. Read the rest at Marketing Charts.