You've heard of them - even if you haven't heard them called Generation Einsteiners yet. According to Conny Dorrestijn, Co-Founder of CrossFinance, this generation (most of them just entering high school) is the first since World War II to experience real crisis. This idea may be debated by many who see this generation as the most spoiled and pampered to date,  but Dorrestijn says that during their formative years, these children have already lived through two recessions and a terrorist strike on the US that has reshaped how they view safety and the world. How can marketers who are Baby Boomers, Gen X and Yers reach this upcoming generation of decision makers?

During her presentation at the BAI Retail Delivery conference, Dorrestijn gave bankers and financial services executives a few facts about what makes each of these generations tick:

• Baby Boomers were born between 1945 and 1965. Their management style is hierarchy dependent, paternalistic, command and control.
• Gen Xs were born 1965 to  1980 and worked hard to establish diversified environments and equal opportunities for all. They are masters at mixing generations and experience levels.
• Gen Y's focus shifted to employee networking and leveraging the organization and management. They were born between 1980 and 1995. They want a balance between work and home life.
• Generation Einstein, the Gen Zs were born after 1995. These are the children of 9/11, the financial crisis, free debt and now home loss, downsizing and high unemployment. They've moved from a time of plenty to a time of worry. They don't understand litter and take 'green' for granted.

According to Dorrestijn, marketing to this generation of consumers will be a challenge if marketers aren't aware of the dynamics that drive purchasing decisions. For one thing, she says that these kids have been an empowered generation whose authority is rarely challenged. They will be demanding consumers. "The world is their oyster," says Dorrestijn.

What can you do?

Dorrestijn's research revealed some distinct characteristics of Generation Einstein: They believe in a lifestyle not materialism, so your company has to differientiate itself in a connectable way. This generation feels that it is more about how you live, not what you have. They trust strangers, so they'd rather look in the cloud for an answer than read it in a newspaper.

Here are seven practical things she offered for reaching this new market:

1. Use social segmentation rather than the traditional database segmentation. These smaller campaigns will allow more flexibility and can be changed more quickly.
2. Start to live in the heart and pocket of the customer.
3. Be honest about what the customer needs. Build loyalty through indirect rewards.
4. This is a generation of dialogue. If you ask for their opinion - whether it is face-to-face or via social media - show that you respect their opinion.
5. Promise less, but deliver more.
6. Use less product branding and more corporate branding.
7. Encourage sharing, talking and connecting.

According to research Dorrestijn’s firm conducted, when a bank opens the doors on January 1 of each year, “80 percent of the money is already in the till.” Banks aren’t entrepreneurs, and their challenges are different from the retail industry. She says they hardly every change the way that they operate. “This is also why they rarely get the results that they are looking for. There’s no time like the present to change that practice,” says Dorrestijn.

“Don’t worry,” she says. “Change is fun.”