Episode 293 - Jeff Fromm talks about generational mindsets, moments that matter and knowing your editorial authority

Jeff Fromm is a serial entrepreneur, distinguished author, Forbes contributor, and a consultant for LANE|TERRALEVER. Jeff focuses on the study of youth marketing and trends, helping companies adapt to the new generations becoming more prominent in the market. Through his writing and research, Jeff has taken a deep dive into the attractions industry, seeking to learn what matters most to today’s consumers and employees, who are gaining more and more traction of economic power. In this interview, Jeff shares his knowledge of generational mindsets, moments that matter, and knowing your editorial authority. 

Generational Mindsets

 

"You can be in your 50s and have a Gen Z mindset."

 

Simply put, generations are demographics. Oftentimes, we see splits in market interests and engagement between generations. Because of this, marketing needs to be applied in different ways to apply to different generations. Jeff knows that each generation has its own unique characteristics and preferences, which play a significant role in shaping their attitudes and behaviors towards various products and services. Understanding these differences is crucial for any business, including the attractions industry, to effectively market and reach their target audience.

 

However, generations are not limited to age ranges, despite the way that most people view them.  Generations should be viewed as mindsets that can transend age groups, debunking myths like everyone who is considered Gen Z due of their age is tech savvy, or that Baby Boomers don’t care about sustainability or social justice.  By focusing on generations as mindsets instead of birth year, you can better serve all of your stakeholders.

Moments That Matter

 

"The new frontier for competition is all about the customer experience."

 

Jeff knows that in today's world, it's important to engage diverse audiences in a way that goes beyond simply providing information or entertainment. While these factors are crucial, it's equally important to ensure that the content resonates with the audience. By adding elements of surprise and delight to the experience, the education can become more meaningful and memorable and contribute to a better guest experience.

 

Creating memorable experiences for guests involves carefully crafting the entire guest journey, from pre-visit to post-visit. It's not just about keeping guests entertained while they're on-site, but also about building excitement leading up to their visit and encouraging them to share their experience on social media afterwards. Experiences need to be tailored to each stage of the journey, whether it's through targeted advertising, personalized communications, or unique experiences.

 

Knowing Your Editorial Authority

 

"Profit is good, but if you only focus on profit you aren't serving all of your stakeholders."

 

Jeff emphasizes that brands need to know their editorial authority. Knowing your company's position on a subject and taking proper action is absolutely crucial to success in the long term. Great brands can do it wrong, and Jeff states that the best way to go about these situations is to listen to your consumers, employees, and be consistent with your message. 

 

Jeff shares that consumers will pay a small premium to companies whose values align with theirs. Staying true to your brand message can build an emotional connection with consumers and promote loyalty, making it easier to achieve your goals. By consistently upholding your company's values, you create a sense of trust with your audience and reinforce your brand identity, which can set you apart from competitors in the market. 

To connect with Jeff, you can find him on LinkedIn or visit his website here. 

This episode is kindly sponsored by Attractions.io, the guest experience platform behind Merlin Entertainments’, San Diego Zoo’s, and the Kennedy Space Center’s branded mobile apps.

 

Like us, the folks at Attractions.io are on a mission to elevate our experiences. Their latest launch adds in-app photos to the Attractions.io mobile app, giving guests more time to view, purchase and share their media with loved ones. 

 

Impressively, 88% of consumers say they trust content and recommendations from their friends and family over any other form of marketing – making user-generated content, like photo sharing, an essential strategy for your marketing team this season (according to Nielsen, in its global Trust in Advertising Study in 2021).

 

To learn more about Attractions.io and the new in-app photo feature, visit Attractions.io/photos.

This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team:

• Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas
• Summary by Mason Nichols
• Video editing by Abigail Giganan

 

To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com