For years, it has been an accepted belief that as affluent adults approach and move through their 40s, they enter the prime years when the desire for conspicuous consumption alone, makes them most apt to invest in big ticket recreational pursuits like country club memberships, exotic vacations and season tickets, to name a few. But as noted in the recent GolfWeek article on the state of private clubs, where I was extensively quoted, the entrance of those Americans born from 1960-1970 into this lifestage, presents unprecedented challenges, and a “new normal” for marketers looking to capitalize on this age demographic.

No longer are decisions to indulge in these “rewards” as straightforward as they may have been to the group of boomers who preceded this “Sandwich generation”. I choose the term “Sandwich generation”, because those adults, born between 1960 and 1970 are truly caught between literal boomer and generation “X” definitions. Those “sandwichers aged 39-49, who are at the top of the affluence pyramid have likely reached a place in their careers, where one traditionally has put enough disposable income aside, and reached a moderate level of success that allows for serious consideration of many of these luxuries. But things are different for this group, now confronted with the most severe, and in some cases, the first, demonstrable white collar economic downturn in their adult lives. Factor these economic realities and perceptions with divergent values and one can begin to realize that the decision to indulge is often directly at odds with other beliefs. Here then, are some of the new value states that our research suggests will play heavily into the choices these sandwichers ultimately make.

Child Centricity: Today’s Sandwicher is likely the a parent of children approaching or in their teen years…and more of these children will be pushed to attend a four-year college than in any previous generation. This brings about unprecedented financial demands as the cost of higher education skyrockets at a higher clip than wealth accumulation and competition for admission is more hotly contested, particularly at the most elite institutions. Child centricity today also has manifested itself in more protective and focused parenting at an earlier age. Sandwichers who grew up sampling a variety of sports and extra-curricular activities, are now pressuring their children to “specialize” at an earlier age, in the hope of standing out to a discerning college admissions counselor. These factors can converge to force decisions between allocating disposable income towards piano lessons or a pitching coach versus the traditional club membership. This is accentuated for clubs that have not embraced family focused activities, critical to a generation that faces more acute time depravation than any previously in U.S. history. Child centricity also forces choices along the lines of whether one should buy season tickets, take an extended European vacation or instead throw “my obnoxious sweet 16 party” to assure that the children feel “special” in an age where participation trophies for all have deferred important life lessons about winning and losing gracefully. In a more stable economic environment, these decisions might not be mutually exclusive, nor would they seem as daunting.

Self Entitlement Reality Check: Boomers grew up with a “Me Generation” expectation that anything was possible. They rejected the values of many who preceded them, later defined “Yuppie” standards and spawned the go-go excesses of the past two decades that have now teetered past a point of equilibrium, leaving institutional wreckage in its wake. SLRG tracking research has shown that the emotional aftermath of the failure of many of these institutions has today’s sandwichers questioning whether their retirement will be as bountiful as that of their now aging parents (who they may have to care for as that generation lives longer). Couple this with the child centricity reality above, and it’s not difficult to imagine the inner conflict that now fights the urge to indulge.

Survivor’s Guilt and New Definitions of “Community”: Just as “pure boomers” chased idealistic optimism to reject the conformity that preceded them, the stereotypical definition of Generation X revolved around a slacker rejection of excessive consumption and latch key parenting. Sandwichers are caught between both realities. Much more cynical than those that preceded them, they are more likely, according to our research, to place less trust in corporations and traditional institutions, yet they also embrace a broader and more inclusive definition of community. This means that the “closed society” of the country club can run in opposition to the open world of social networks. More incessant 24/7 access to a global and borderless virtual society around them has also spawned more egalitarian rejection of private excess coupled with a desire for serving the public good. Finally, when one looks again to the more affluent of these sandwichers, one observes a certain sense of “survivor’s guilt” for those that remain successful amidst the recent gutting of corporate payrolls around them. Not only do these survivors have to manage greater workplace responsibility in leaner organizations, but the literal or virtual reminders of peers less fortunate (hammered home by the incessant and ubiquitous expanding forms of media) reinforces the tenuous nature of the hand that feeds them. This in turn may beget a “right sizing” of expectations.

Where does this leave the leisure market: The research driven observations above should not be misinterpreted as a pessimistic indictment of the luxury market. Rather, we choose to look at this simply as a call to marketers that new approaches and greater sensitivity to these cultural and perceptual shifts are the order of the day in crafting messages and positioning brands in ways that resonate with these value sets and added pressures. We previously defined an “A.D.D. Society” that in many instances perceives time poverty to be as serious a threat as economic poverty. So we might suggest that the best marketing propositions for luxury products today, assert that products and services meet demands for value, simplicity and efficiency. Combine that with the provision of a safe haven or cocoon for family and others within the target’s innermost circle and the offer becomes more compelling. Further still, if one can demonstrate a greater sensitivity and association to a greater and more benevolent good, marketers are likely to reach more sympathetic and responsive ears than the blatant “Keep up with the Jones’” enticements for unadulterated conspicuous consumption that pervaded the market place as recently as just a couple of years ago.