Dr. Sabrina Segal

“Old Consumers don’t stop buying. They just leap from one demographic to the next.”

Take for instance the advent of thongs. Conceptually, the string underwear didn’t seem as comfy as a pair of cotton briefs at first, but as they were gradually accepted by the mainstream, they crossed the generational divide and are now embraced by even the most devout cotton panty and Fruit of the Loom enthusiasts. Some won’t wear anything else – others wear both – and formerly promiscuous lingerie is now just everyday underwear.

Change in underwear tastes don’t happen overnight. They happen gradually and for a reason.

Marketers cluster demographics by age: the 18 to 34 group and the 35 to 55 group, for example. Remember when you were 18? Did you have much in common with someone ten or fifteen years older than you?

Going from age 34 to age 35 at face value doesn’t seem very culturally significant, but for marketers, it means an entirely new target.

What a difference a year makes – or even a day for that matter.

As the demographer’s crow flies, any man, just prior to his 35th birthday, may be grouped with 79 percent of his soft-core porn peers and then suddenly “BAM!” he turns 35 and is now targeted by erectile dysfunction “little blue pill” pushers.

Marketing holds tried and true to the rule that everyone within a particular age group shares similar preferences.

“Since I turned 35, my behavior has metamorphosed, and against all expectations, I am proving the parsimonious validity of demographic segmentation. Suddenly, it's the hotel beds – not the bars – which influence my decision-making. Happy hours have lost their appeal. I now favor one good glass of wine over 12 pints of unimpressive ale.”

Are you too old for your boxers? How often do your tastes change?

Photo Credit: Dr. Sabrina Segal