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In today’s ever-evolving marketing landscape, one of the biggest challenges brands face is juggling different marketing strategies for multiple generations.
While more brands are appealing to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, others still have a core audience of older consumers to cater to.
Teton Ridge chief executive officer (CEO), Deirdre Lester, and Gamefam’s chief business officer (CBO), Ricardo Briceno, came together at ADWEEK’s Brandweek conference in Phoenix, Ariz. to discuss how generational differences define brand strategies.
Both execs work with brands to cultivate events and experiences for a wide range of audiences. Teton Ridge is a Western-lifestyle sports, media, and entertainment company that has partnered with Wrangler and Fox, while Gamefam is a metaverse developer that has used Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft to develop video games and content for brands.
Sponsored by Teton Ridge, the execs shared their insights in a session titled “Profiling the Generational Dynamics of the 2025 Consumer.”
Taking risks
Lester believes that brands that lack the knowledge of its intended audience, like what they love and care about, is one factor that leads to being “unsafe.”
“Your brand is not safe if you’re playing it safe,” said Lester. “If you want to reach that next generation and not be relegated into not being relevant, then you have to take risks. There’s a profile of risk. High risk, high reward, just like a financial portfolio.”
While the exec was referring to the creative experimentation type of risk-taking, the advertising industry has also been grappling with brand safety since the disbanding of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) in August. GARM provided guidelines on low to high-risk media placements for advertisers.
Tapping into the creator economy can also facilitate risk-taking as “creators will take your brand and will make something of it,” Briceno said. He added that brands should figure out how they can harness communities through tailored messaging.