The digital creation space is constantly unquestionably changing due to social culture, current events, and trends. For many brands, the digital space is where they can creatively engage their audiences. This fast-paced nature can present itself as a challenge to those brands trying to stay relevant. Satisfying multigenerational audiences and creating stimulating campaigns are the key to successful marketing!

Dunkin - the known and loved American franchise - is a brand that has mastered the ability to evolve its digital creation appeal to multiple generations and stay relevant. Their classic donuts and timeless coffee recipe are the main ingredients that keep customers coming! It's affordability, reliability, and convenience has motivated many customers - older and younger - to continue visiting their local Dunkin's.

Generational Blends of Marketing

Here at Likey, we've previously explored the best way marketers can tackle multiple generations from Boomers to Zoomers. Because Dunkin has such a multigenerational audience, their marketing therefore must resonate with a number of different generational groups. Here are a few ways they successfully do so for each generation:

American Boomers

• Boomers are the generation that grew up alongside Dunkin. Founded in 1950, Dunkin became a New England landmark, providing a reliable spot for coffee and donuts. The taste of their coffee and donuts remain the same today remains identical to the Dunkin they remember growing up. The brand holds a significant place in the heart of boomers because Dunkin continues to market themselves as the reliable spot for coffee, classic donuts, and familiar store environment. This consistency and familiarity enables a sense of comfort for boomers that they can always fall back to.
• As other competitors - like Starbucks- brand themselves for having a more high quality coffee, Dunkin remains consistent in marketing coffee that is affordable, reliable, and just classic. For boomers, a traditional Dunkin black coffee sounds more appealing, less complex, and familiar!

The Digital Millennials

• Millennials share the same sentiment for Dunkin, as boomers passed the love down to their kids. As their audience expanded into the realm of tech-savvy and media reliant consumers, Dunkin evolved into the digital space with them. #AmericaRunsOnDunkin is a slogan adopted in 2006, which is right around the time millennials tapped into social media. This iconic slogan became a key identifier for Dunkin that even boomers identify with, as it reinforces the significance that Dunkin has on Americans.
• As we've previously said here at Likey, millennials are trendsetters and care about social consciousness - meaning brands must care for the same things. Dunkin acknowledges how the lifestyles of their customers change and have responded in expanding their menu items and developing faster ways to serve their customers!

Gen Z

• The Infamous Spider Campaign!
  • A social media campaign that captures the essence of Gen Z - this is Dunkin's fall 2024 spider campaign. This marketing campaign was utilized to launch Dunkin's Halloween and fall menu items in the most unhinged way possible. Dunkin featured posts on their Instagram taglining current trends inspired by Gen Z like "people be like: who's this diva." Creating content that directly integrates coined phrases by this generation has made Dunkin receive a lot of attention over the past few months.
• Dunkin Donuts to Dunkin
  • From going to Dunkin Donuts to Dunkin, the brand has acknowledged the increasing lack of attention span of this generation. Generations are happily coining this name, as it strengthens the sense of familiarity to the brand. Because of its well-established reputation, evidently the name change did not have much of an affect on older generations. It's like giving a nickname to an old friend that you've known all your life!

Here at Likey, we admire the successful work Dunkin has done in influencing their multigenerational audiences, as this is no easy task. Furthermore, given the brand's long standing presence, its ability to strategically use social media marketing in order to fulfill a need for multiple generations is outstanding. We look forward to see more from Dunkin!