Virginie P. Khare

How can companies bridge generational gaps, especially in cases where product customization is not possible? Viagra is a great example of how Pfizer modified its promotion strategies to target different generational groups. When Pfizer first came out with the drug in the late 1990s, its primary target market (males 50 and above) were mostly from the mature market. Since then, however, Pfizer has had to redirect its communications towards the baby boomer generation, a group of consumers who, unlike their elders, have been found to be more self-centered, individualistic, economically optimistic, skeptical, suspicious of authority, and focused on the present. This was accomplished mostly through superior targeted strategies in advertising, sponsorships, and public relations. Essential to these strategies were also their choice of the right spokespeople to appeal to the desired generations. This case reviews Viagra's communication strategies from its initial release under the endorsement of Bob Dole, to today's sponsorships of NASCAR and the MLB. Advertising themes and styles are also compared and their appeal to such different generational groups.