Struggling with generational marketing?

Hey everyone, I'm a complete beginner trying to get a handle on generational marketing for our new SaaS. It seems absolutely crucial for tailoring our approach, but I'm honestly feeling a bit lost on how to do it effectively.

The core problem we're facing is trying to accurately tailor our messaging and even some minor feature tweaks for different age cohorts, specifically Gen Z and Millennials. My initial assumptions, mostly based on general articles and popular advice, are really not translating into the expected engagement. For instance, we ran a campaign targeting Gen Z with short-form video ads, thinking that would be a slam dunk, but it got a surprisingly low conversion rate. On the flip side, an email campaign for Millennials, which I honestly thought might be a bit 'old school' for them, performed much better than we anticipated.

It's almost like my segmentation logic is flawed, or the 'rules' I'm applying are incorrect. I'm trying to segment our users based on age, assuming certain behaviors, but the data looks completely jumbled to me. Here’s a simplified look at what I mean:

// My simplified (and likely incorrect) segmentation logic:
function getGenerationalPreference(userAge) {
  if (userAge >= 10 && userAge <= 26) { // Gen Z (approx)
    return "short_form_video_ads_preference";
  } else if (userAge >= 27 && userAge <= 42) { // Millennials (approx)
    return "email_marketing_preference";
  } else {
    return "other_preference"; // For Gen X, Boomers etc.
  }
}

// Console output from a recent campaign analysis:
// Expected for Gen Z: high engagement with video, low with email
// Actual for Gen Z: { video_engagement: 0.15, email_engagement: 0.08 } -- (Lower video, still low email)
// Expected for Millennials: moderate email, low video
// Actual for Millennials: { video_engagement: 0.05, email_engagement: 0.22 } -- (Higher email than expected, low video)

// This isn't matching up with what I've read about their typical digital habits.

I've definitely tried to educate myself. I've read a fair number of blog posts and watched some webinars focusing on Gen Z and Millennial consumer habits, their digital native status, and their supposed preferences for authenticity. But honestly, when it comes to practically applying that knowledge to our SaaS marketing, it feels like I'm missing something fundamental, or maybe just misinterpreting the nuances.

So, my main question for you all is: How do you practically apply generational psychology in SaaS marketing without falling into broad stereotypes? Are there better frameworks, resources, or common pitfalls that beginners like me often make when trying to segment and tailor content based on specific age cohorts? I'm really looking for actionable advice.

Has anyone here faced similar struggles when trying to understand and market to different generations? Any tips for a newbie navigating these sometimes confusing waters would be incredibly appreciated!