• by Josh Lane , Op-Ed Contributor, April 4, 2025

Gen X is often forgotten when considering luxury consumers. However, over the next 10 years, this generation will continue to be at its peak earning power and will be the first generation to benefit from the Great Wealth Transfer. 

In the U.S. and the U.K. alone, there are more than 20 million affluent Gen X consumers, controlling more than 30% of the total wealth, with an additional $19 trillion expected to be inherited by this group over the next decade.

However, even with the purchasing power and influence the generation has now, and will have for years to come, it is frequently neglected by brands.

That lack of prioritization by marketers has a cost -- not just in terms of market share, but in understanding how to reach this powerful segment.

Marketers should not ignore Millennials or Gen Zers, but rather place more importance on -- and make a larger commitment to -- Gen X.

It is well known that an affluent consumer's preferences for experiences or goods -- whether it is craftsmanship or scarcity that is appealing -- are driven by status-seeking motives and group assimilation.

While discussions around those points are informative and provide a small measure of value, each discussion, or even all of them as a collective, is not distinct enough for marketers to effectively understand a particular generation of affluent consumers. 

Luxury brand leaders need to understand the unique characteristics of this cohort to effectively engage and earn greater market share. 

From Sacrifice to Success 

Often considered the greatest entrepreneurial generation in history, Gen X has created their own wealth. More than 80% of Gen X millionaires are self-made. Even though the cohort will inherit trillions over the next decade, their confidence and adaptability in pursuit of success is a defining characteristic in how they view the world, and their place in it. 

However, financial accomplishments are not what solely defines this generation. It is the sacrifices they made in pursuit of trying to be perfect parents and building successful professional lives and businesses amid a world that has accelerated in an unprecedented way.  

The profound impact of growing up in the analog world but becoming adults in a digital world is often overlooked.

No other age group has had to bridge such divergent ways of life in achieving success and personal fulfillment.  As a result, this generation became independent, confident, loyal, and even skeptical.

This cohort feels the responsibility to give on both micro and macro societal levels, from caring for aging parents to raising the next generation and help to heal the fissures that divide a divided global community. 

The challenges and required adaptations have been ever-constant and those who have reached a level of wealth and financial prosperity feel a sense of accomplishment, visceral contentment, and quiet pride in their achievements.

Appreciation Over Personalization 

In exchange for their loyalty to luxury brands, Gen Xers expect craftsmanship, meaning, and quality and a demonstrated appreciation.

They want and expect to feel valued as individuals, not just as consumers, and will align with brands that connect with their core values.

Many marketers and agencies mistakenly believe that broad personalization strategies convey respect. However, a personalization strategy that is methodically planned, scripted, and scheduled lacks authenticity. 

This cohort understands the difference and expects an interaction that is unique to them.

For this generation, thoughtfulness is what feels personal. It is the key to delivering what well-to-do consumers truly desire: appreciation.

Moments that Matter 

Traditional integrated marketing remains an important component of a comprehensive plan for luxury brands.  Creating moments that matter as a fundamental element of such a campaign is critical to the strategy.

These experiences can empower an affluent Gen X consumer to have a transformative connection. Maggie Harrison, the owner and winemaker of the acclaimed vineyard Antica Terra, has mastered the art of the moment. Antica Terra is nearly impossible to acquire for both sommeliers at three-star Michelin restaurants and passionate individual wine connoisseurs.

To develop authentic connections, she pens a personal letter annually to her community, some of whom spend years on the waiting list to get an allocation.

While her wine is rare, she is not leveraging scarcity to create demand. Instead, in the correspondence with customers and prospective customers, she shares what is unique about the wines and that particular harvest.

By sharing these stories, Maggie inspires trust with her audience, including those who have never met her.  For Antica Terra, there is a new closeness between the brand, the wines, and their clients.

Another example is the iconic British shoe brand Crockett & Jones. The company has never strayed from its roots as arguably the most authentic handmade British shoe manufacturer, even with competition from upstarts and fast fashion brands. It stands as a guardian of culture, refinement, and hospitality.

Beyond the personal relationships it invests in, the brand focuses on iconic content that is meaningful to Gen X.  Part of its growth strategy is to celebrate monumental cultural touchstones that have meaning, such as Crockett & Jones celebrating the 60th anniversary of the James Bond movie GOLDFINGER.

These moments show that the brand is not focused on the fleeting highlights of modern culture, but instead are looking to celebrate long-lasting milestones that Gen X identifies with and appreciates.

Antica Terra and Crockett & Jones are two very different approaches. But both are the same in their belief in the power of appreciation that is so meaningful to the Gen X affluent consumer.