Gen X has been overlooked for far too long, and CGK’s consumer research shows why that is a costly mistake for brands. CGK President Jason Dorsey was recently featured in The New York Times to bust the myths around Generation X, a generation he describes as more influential than many brands realize and sitting at a uniquely powerful point in today’s consumer landscape.
Why does Gen X matter so much to brands right now?
Because Gen X spends in three directions at once. Drawing on CGK’s Gen X research, Jason pointed to a few patterns that make this generation hard to ignore:
- Gen X is in a high-earning career phase
- Aging parents increasingly rely on Gen X for spending decisions
- Gen X influences and funds their children’s spending
- Connecting with Gen X tends to produce strong brand loyalty
That is why Jason calls Gen X “the glue in the consumer spectrum,” balancing responsibility across generations while supporting aging parents and adult children at the same time.
The disconnect brands keep missing
Here is the gap. Despite that buying power, Gen X consumers report feeling overlooked by brands, especially during the holidays. They spend intentionally and in a values-driven way, yet they watch marketing center on everyone else.
The original insight from CGK’s work is simple: Gen X isn’t a niche audience to reach after the “priority” generations. They fund and influence the spending of the generations on either side of them. Retail, financial services, healthcare and wellness, and hospitality all stand to gain by putting Gen X at the center rather than the margins.
Gen X is a major consumer force, deeply influential across generations, and they have been hiding in plain sight for far too long.
Q: Why do brands overlook Gen X consumers?
A: According to CGK President Jason Dorsey in The New York Times, Gen X sits in a high-earning career phase yet reports feeling overlooked by brands, especially during holidays, because marketing tends to center on other generations.
Q: Why is Gen X such an influential consumer group?
A: Gen X is in a high-earning phase, increasingly drives spending decisions for aging parents, and influences and funds their children’s spending, which makes them what Jason Dorsey calls “the glue in the consumer spectrum.”
Q: Which industries should prioritize Gen X?
A: CGK’s research points to retail, financial services, healthcare and wellness, and hospitality as the industries that stand to gain most from engaging Gen X consumers directly.
