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Gen Xers, born between 1965 and 1980, have just about reached their prime spending years. Many have careers, homes and families now, Forbes reported, and slowly but surely the group is beginning to use more technology in their everyday lives. While they do use the internet and social media, they’re not quite as reliant on it as younger generations—and it should not be the only place brands work to connect with Gen X consumers. Forbes noted that TikTok isn’t necessarily the main market for Gen Xers—instead, many spend time on YouTube and Facebook, connecting with friends and family on those platforms instead.





This also makes traditional advertising important for Gen X. Rebecca Kowalewicz writes for Forbes, “Gen X is sandwiched between Baby Boomers (a traditionally, well, traditional generation) and Millennials (a more tech-savvy generation)… This creates an exciting opportunity for omnichannel marketing. It provides marketers the convenience of a full-fledged campaign that can start anywhere from a Facebook ad to a billboard on a popular highway and end with sales on an e-commerce website or with foot traffic in a store.”

Influencer marketing agency The Shelf noted this too: “Cross-channel living is a way of life for Generation Xers. They will research the best product and price online to find what they want before heading into the store. Although they communicate much of the day through social media, they acknowledge that some things are better expressed with an old-fashioned handwritten letter.”

Generation X is also a brand-loyal group, writes The Shelf. They join rewards programs frequently, and are “the most likely to say they would pay more for a product from a brand they trust whether it was endorsed by an influencer or not.” Familiarity and quality are of the utmost importance to Generation X, which might make it harder for newer, fresher brands to break into their circle.

In a similar vein, Generation X seems to be the generation most concerned by the current economic climate. While younger generations are focusing their energy on the environment and social problems, Gen X has an eye on the markets.

This might be because Generation X are often the head of multi-generational homes, as The Shelf reports: “Gen Xers are extremely family oriented. This is evident in the fact that they’re more likely than any other generation to head a multi-generational household. 28 percent of Gen Xers are currently doing so… They’re also more likely to be providing financial support to extended family members.”

This translates to major purchasing power, but also some anxiety. New York Life’s recent Wealth Watch survey found “66 percent of American adults reported feeling confident in their ability to reach their financial goals, and 1-in-3 feel hopeful about their finances going into 2023. This optimism dissipates quickly for Gen X, however.”

The survey found that Gen X showed the highest levels of anxiety and lowest levels of hope in comparison to other generations. About 68 percent “are most concerned about inflation impacting their finances in 2023,” and “thinking about their finances in 2023 specifically, 39 percent of Gen Xers felt stressed, 37 percent felt anxious, and 30 percent felt hopeful. Only 8 percent felt excited and 7 percent felt empowered.” In general, Gen Xers seem more worried about debt, inflation and financial goals than other generations.

For Generation X, it seems that brand loyalty, smart spending and caring for others are vital pillars—and understanding and appealing to those important categories can help brands make important connections with this powerful generation.