Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y: Identifying generational differences in effects of personality traits in on-demand radio use

On-demand radio has radically changed the definition and essence of the radio landscape, providing consumers greater flexibility to manage their content consumption anytime and anywhere. Since on-demand radio is a relatively new way to consume radio, it is important to understand how different consumer groups adopt and use this innovation. The main purpose of the study was to evaluate differences between three generational cohorts: Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y in the effects of personality traits and digital skills on on-demand radio usage. The research was conducted by means of an internet survey among a representative sample of the Jewish population in Israel. Different patterns of effects of personality traits between generations were found. For Baby Boomers, a positive association between digital skills and the frequency of on-demand radio use was found. Among Generation X, hedonism and multitasking were positively correlated with on-demand radio use, while need for social approval was negatively correlated with the dependent variable. Among Generation Y, a positive correlation between need for social approval and frequency of on-demand radio use was found. Based on our findings, we propose a generational approach to marketing strategy for on-demand radio and suggest specific practical implications.