Does generativity work as a positioning strategy for the aging consumer

Although consumers under the age of fifty are more generative than those over fifty, this article shows that people over fifty are sensitive to generative advertisements. Based on an experiment involving two products (a polo shirt and a watch), this study demonstrates the relevance of a generative positioning strategy for products targeting aging customers. However, results differ depending on the product. In the case of the polo shirt, positioned as generative, the higher consumers’ communal and agentic generativity are, the more positive their attitude and their intention to purchase are toward the message and the product. In the case of the watch, also positioned as generative, the stronger the consumers’ communal generativity is, the more they show a positive attitude toward the message and the product. However, this does not influence their intention to buy. In the context of the watch market, the individual’s agentic generativity does not influence any variable. This article presents a socio-demographic portrait of older generative consumers as well as managerial strategies that aid generative product positioning.