by Kas Kunz
We're unique right now in terms of technology and what's taken place over the course of 3 to 4 generations that was personally connected. My grandparents were born in the late 1800's at a time when a lot of the base knowledge for the technology we use today became understood and the springboard to new breakthroughs. Whole industries and marketing disciplines came into existence with these discoveries and evolved over these 3 to 4 generations.
I will never forget a conversation I had with my brother-in-law's grandmother. She talked 
about when she was 10 years old and remembering her family's move riding in a covered wagon. Here is an individual who went from transportation by covered wagon to seeing man land on the moon!
My grandmother homesteaded. We have family photos of my grandparent's teams of horses they used for farming. My mother, and her brothers and sisters have talked about what it was like to use horses to farm and the difference when they began using tractors.
My parents have shared stories about their families and relatives buying their first car. Don’t confuse that with families buying their first car today. The family’s first car they are referring to is post horse drawn transportation.
My mother is an avid radio listener, having grown up with radio as the “TV” of her 
generation. She remembers President Roosevelt’s fireside chat radio broadcasts. She has passed her love of radio onto her grandson. I’m fascinated by his reaction to her explaining what radio was like when she was growing up. Talk about watching a living history lesson!
I’ve experienced the arrival of TV the way we know it today. From fuzzy black and white to the first color television, which was really no more than a color glow, to the high definition version today showing everything in incredible detail as if you’re there.
I went from learning to type on a manual typewriter that is considered a museum piece today to being connected to the world through the Internet and the Web.
My niece talks about how many frames per second her sophisticated SLR digital camera can shoot still photos – compared to her grandfather telling of her Great Uncle’s camera. His was practically setting up a dark room just to take a single still photo... his displeasure of missing the shot! My niece has never experienced taking rolls of film to a store to get them developed.
My niece and nephew have never known a world without radio, television, computers or cell phones. They have grown up with the Internet.
What a trip! It hasn’t slowed down – it keeps building on new breakthroughs and changes on shorter and shorter cycles. Even with all of these monumental discoveries the human need to make a connection is still there. Each new available use of technology introduces a new learning curve on a personal and business level, requiring new marketing perceptions to be uncovered.
Where and how does the traditional offline marketing and new digital marketing mix? It depends on who you need to be talking with – I’ve learned not to assume anything.
What are your experiences with different generations in the use of technology and your thoughts on connecting with such a diverse group?
