University at Buffalo School of Management

designs to reflect that change," she says. "Our focus remains on helping employees feel confident and comfortable in what they wear — because when they feel their best, they perform at their best." To meet these changes in demand, Lazarus echoes the need to focus on where the generations consume their media and how to get their attention, and says influencer marketing is the No. 1 form of relatability for a younger generation. "Catalogs are a tried-and- true medium, and Lands' End is probably mostly known for its catalogs, but we have begun to question whether anyone is reading catalogs anymore," she says. "We've been doing a lot of research on this, and catalogs are a tactic we still use, but there is just so much media literacy in the younger generation that they're not as easily influenced by traditional marketing tactics." According to Michael Krupski, clinical assistant professor of strategy, the line between content and commerce has blurred. Influencer marketing now plays a major role in how brands reach consumers, with trust being transferred from the brand to a third-party content creator. And he says that while influencer marketing isn't new, today's tools make detailed targeting and two-way engage- ment possible at scale. "Through the evolution of technology, we've changed how we talk to consumers," says Krupski. "And companies don't just talk to consumers now. Now consumers can talk back, and that really has changed the landscape to make marketing much more of a conversation than just a company standing up and saying, 'Hey, here are my products. You should buy them, and here's why.'" Krupski cautions that while these new techniques provide powerful marketing opportunities, they also create potentially brand-damaging challenges as well — like when DiGiorno Pizza jumped on a trending Twitter hashtag, #WhyIStayed, without checking its context. The brand unknowingly tweeted "#WhyIStayed You had pizza." amid stories from domestic abuse survivors, Lazarus GENERATIONS, IN GENERAL How marketing has evolved to reach different cohorts of consumers DOMINANT MEDIA AND MINDSET WHEN THEY FIRST HIT THE MARKET Grew up with network TV, radio and print; shared "mass-culture" moments; value security and nostalgia. WHAT SMART BRANDS DID THEN Prime-time TV commercials with catchy jingles and feel-good family themes. WHAT THEY'RE DOING NOW Still watch a lot of TV, but now mix linear TV with streaming and Facebook. Nostalgic music, classic-TV references and "good-old-days" imagery grab attention. DOMINANT MEDIA AND MINDSET WHEN THEY FIRST HIT THE MARKET First "cable-TV kids," early internet adopters, famously skeptical of hype and hungry for value. WHAT SMART BRANDS DID THEN MTV commercials, magazine ads and early-web banners. Coupons, loyalty cards and "prove-the-value" messaging appealed to budget-minded skeptics. WHAT THEY'RE DOING NOW Email, text messaging and YouTube ads that show real customer reviews and transparent pricing. Light nostalgia from the '80s/'90s still works, but honesty is the key hook. Photo: Tom Wolf B A B Y B O O M E R S (1 9 4 6 -64 ) G EN X ( 1 9 6 5 -8 0 ) 12 Buffalo Business | AI AND BUSINESS ANALYTICS SOCIAL IMPACT OF MANAGEMENT BUSINESS OF CLIMATE CHANGE INNOVATION, ENTREPREURSHP AND LEADERSHIP

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