There’s a divide in how different generations use and value media subscriptions that aren’t discussed often enough. The divide is not just about what different generations consume—but how, why, and how long they stick around. Streaming, news, gaming, and even creator content… the ways people engage with subscriptions tell us a lot about their habits, preferences, and expectations. The insight matters—whether you’re in media, retail, or any business leaning into recurring revenue.

How should subscription-based brands respond to differences in how different generations engage with subscriptions? The short answer lies in designing offers, experiences and systems that reflect generational behaviour. It’s not just about tailoring marketing messages but includes product infrastructure, pricing tiers, and retention strategy.

This is the second part of my series on generational subscriptions. In Part 1 of this look into generational divides, I explored how different generations engage with subscriptions—what they subscribe to, their spending habits, loyalty levels, the UX, etc. Read Part 1 here.

Litmus is a proud industry leader, trusted by 700,000 marketing professionals including 80% of the Fortune 100. In order to help email marketers better understand the marketing landscape, we surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers about their email preferences and summarized some of the key findings below.

Email quantity

67% of consumers say they receive too many daily emails.

81% of Baby Boomers say they receive too many emails.

Reaching your diverse constituents with the right message takes more than one great idea. Everyone is unique, and the more you know about who you are reaching, the better you can tailor your message to fit their tastes, needs, and preferences. For higher-ed marketers who often communicate with a wide range of individuals – such as students, parents, faculty, alumni, donors and more – understanding these differences can help in creating audience segments and custom messages that will be more relevant and more effective.

We’ve all seen it: marketing articles, research reports and social media posts that try to capture generations as if they were a single, predictable group. But in reality, these generational labels often oversimplify and stereotype, missing the complex mix of influences that shape people’s behaviors, values and choices. Here’s why it’s time to move beyond labels and how to adopt a more nuanced approach to understanding today’s diverse market.

Our fourth-annual original research report highlights the consumer attitudes and behavioral trends that ecommerce businesses should anticipate in 2024 and beyond. While experts warned of reduced consumer spending in 2023, ecommerce sales increased. Throughout the year, consumers spent nearly four times more online than they did in stores, and businesses can expect that to continue.

At the same time, retailers must be aware that they are now marketing and selling to multiple generations with a wide range of preferences and expectations relating to customer experience, payment options, fraud tolerance — or lack thereof — and security.

People are all different, which funny enough is one of the things we all have in common. We all come from different homes, different backgrounds, and different experiences. All these circumstances make us unique, so it only makes sense that we each respond differently to the world around us. A clear and interesting example of this is with promotions and discounts in retail. Naturally, some deals resonate more with certain demographics than others, and understanding this may be key to your own promotions strategy.

Over the past decade, advertisers have adapted to the boom of technology and the introduction of various new marketing channels and tactics. From a marketer’s perspective, effectively communicating with shoppers has never been more challenging, given that each generation’s buying habits vary significantly.

We surveyed consumers of all ages to find out which marketing tactics and channels resonate with each generation to help you streamline your advertising efforts and tailor your strategy to your target audience.