Historical nostalgia, personal nostalgia, and the kidult : comparing older and younger consumers

Nostalgia, a longing for the past, has been used successfully by marketers via nostalgia marketing or retro-marketing, including retro-branding, of goods and/or services. The nostalgia market has stereotypically been of interest to older consumers so it is surprising that a significant number of Generation Y (Millennials) and Generation Z consumers have taken an interest in nostalgia and retro brands. Moreover, an emerging market segment dominated by younger consumers is "kidults," younger adults who prefer media or items from their childhood which helps them escape to a simpler, earlier time in their lives. These trends have impacted the two levels of nostalgia: historical and personal. This study attempted to empirically determine if younger consumers are engaged in nostalgia to a greater degree than older consumers. Scale items for historical nostalgia, personal nostalgia, and kidult scales were developed. A hard copy questionnaire was distributed among older and younger consumers. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data. The study provided evidence that the stereotypical, traditional assumption that older consumers are more nostalgic does not necessarily apply in today's marketplace.Theoretical and practical implications for marketers are offered based on the results.