How to market to a new demographic segment: twixters.

• Position: Marketing News - Ages 21 to 29

Marketers have identified a new and distinct demographic and psychographic group that financial service companies should be aware of. This group is known as "twixters." According to a recent cover story in Time magazine, twixters are an emerging market of young consumers between the ages of 21 and 29 who continue to live with their parents; have fairly good jobs and income; and who are not making any moves to get married, establish families or take on other adult responsibilities that the previous generation did almost automatically.

Here are some things that banks should consider when attempting to market to twixters, as reported by Clark Crowdus, a principal with High-Definition Consulting Group, a marketing and business consultancy located in San Francisco.

Trust in institutions: If you are a financial services brand, you may want to emphasize transactional and service capabilities to twixters--as opposed to branding concepts of financial strength, trust, stability and the like.

Living at home: This means twixters are not likely to be burdened with the "overhead" of life that people who have moved away from home have. With the basic necessities of life covered and with more disposable income, a greater share of income can be channeled into purchases that fall into the bailiwick of credit and debit cards. Adding utility to these payment cards will spur loyalty. And, if you're a lender, there are cosigners with hefty assets living under the same roof as well: boomer parents.

Studying longer: Twenty-three percent of twixters surveyed by Time magazine said they were 24 years or older when they finished their education. Many routinely take six years to complete an undergraduate education. That could drive a sustained emphasis on university venue marketing across products--led, of course, by student lending.

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