Connecting with Gen X-ers

03/17/2008

Acknowledging the good that you already have in life is the foundation for all abundance.
Eckhart Tollle

Our newest CEU kit, Marketing Child Care Services, contains the Exchange article, "Do They See What I See? Marketing to a New Generation of Child Care Buyers" by marketing guru Julie Wassom. In this article she describes characteristics of Gen X-ers:

"Those Americans between 23 and 38 years old fall into the generational group coined Generation X by author Douglas Copeland. There are some 44 million X-ers who now make up about one-third of the labor force. Because so many more parents of young children fall into this age group versus the Boomers, Gen X-ers are now your primary target audience of prospects for enrollment.

"Markers that link and distinguish this generation include their exposure to Watergate, recession and layoffs, and double digit interest and inflation. Many watched on television as the Challenger exploded, the Exxon Valdez oil spill spread across ocean waters killing innocent wildlife, and reports confirmed the fall of the Berlin Wall. In addition to television, this group grew up using computers and pagers for communication...

"Because most X-ers grew up with uncertainty, they tend to be less trusting of what they hear in an enrollment interview. They are resourceful and well educated, so they will do more comparative investigating. A Boomer may look at your ad and say, 'The children in this ad look happy, the environment looks colorful, the ad offers a special, and I think I will give them a call.' An X-er looking at the same ad might say, 'Are those children really enrolled in that center or are they models? They probably touched up these photos to make the colors pop out, and the special looks inviting but I think I’ll check several centers’ web sites before deciding which ones we should visit.' Because X-ers will tend to plan and save until they can buy the best quality they can afford, they take the time to investigate, compare, and discuss their findings with others."

Two New Sets of Articles to Read for Credit

Exchange has just added two new Kits of articles to its program for receiving Continuing Education Units for reading Exchange articles. Use these kits to fine tune your management and planning skills and get CEUs to meet licensing requirements for ongoing training. The two new kits are:

• Trends in Early Childhood Education
• Marketing Child Care Services

Nike teacher opportunities!
Nike's Child Development Programs is holding a virtual career event on March 20th. To learn more and register to attend the event go to www.nikevirtualevent.com

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.