What Boomers Want

Laxatives. Depends. Lubricants. Viagra. Osteoporosis medicines. Walk-in bathtubs.

Every time I open my email….that’s what I see.

Advertisers have figured out how to bypass my spam box and so every day I am reminded that I’m getting older (as if I needed reminding). Just once I wish I would be surprised with ads for skinny jeans, expensive cars or sexy perfume. But noooooo….because I’m over 50 I couldn’t possibly be interested in those things. Says who?

There is nothing wrong with any of the products that continuously inundate my email and many folks do need them, but there is something wrong when those are the main products marketed to boomers.  Boomers Why Advertisers Should Sit Up and Take Notice

Boomers are the single largest consumer group in America but according to a survey done by Neilson and Boomagers (full report here) advertisers spend less than 5 percent of their budgets on boomers. That’s just crazy! Don’t they realize there are 76 million of us? If advertisers aren’t convinced by our sheer numbers then they need to check this out.

1. We account for an estimated half of total U.S. consumer spending. 78 million Americans who were 50 or older as of 2001 controlled 67% of the country’s wealth, or $28 trillion (U.S. Census and Federal Reserve)

2. We have a longer life expectancy and lower savings rates than previous seniors, and we are projected to spend an additional $50 billion over the next decade.

3. Rather than passing on our wealth to future generations (sorry kids), we are expected to splurge mostly on ourselves.

Advertisers and Marketing Experts Are Missing Out I read an article where a man who is a gerontologist and author said that he ask Fortune 500 CEOs what they were going to do about the boomer market, and most they mentioned assisted-living, devices for dementia or grab bars for showers. Come on…seriously? He went on to say that there is a myth that older consumers buy the same brands they have always bought. This strange logic has long prevailed in the advertising world. Companies and advertisers believe that if they capture the younger consumer they will have them for life. That just doesn’t fly when it comes to boomers. If it were true I would still have a Farah Fawcett hair cut, be wearing bell-bottom jeans and driving a Thunderbird! Thunderbird

Boomers are like every other generation, changing and evolving. They want to remain current and are open to new interests and products and some companies have noticed.

Amazon created a website called 50+  and while I think it’s great that they noticed us, they didn’t do a very good job of making me want to shop there.  Why? Because they refer to us as Seniors. Being a high school senior is cool. Being called a Senior by society isn’t. They might as well have called it the Elderly Page. Amazon has some great categories to shop from on their 50+ site but unfortunately they failed to impress me with those either.  Right below the Vitamins and Health category was one for Incontinence. Thanks, Amazon, for reminding me to take my vitamins before I buy my diapers.

Despite the vast evidence in studies and surveys most  brands and advertisers  simply haven’t figured out how powerful boomers are and they don’t know how to advertise to us without offending us. Because of this outdated logic and their failure to reach out to us and ask us what we want, they are missing a huge opportunity. boomer Yo, I’ll tell you what we want. What we really, really want….

Boomers want to be heard and understood.  We want to work with brands. We want to know about fun products, new technology and great places to eat, travel and shop but we want to hear about them from other boomers, preferably cool, hip boomers who aren’t falling and can’t get up. And if they are wearing Depends or using Viagra they don’t feel the need to tell us about it.

But most of all…. We want to be respected and valued. And when it comes to the blogging world, we want the same doors opened for us that have been opened to the Mommy Bloggers. Boomers have more purchasing power, more time and more resources than any other generation. Stop ignoring us. We are 76 million strong. Let’s talk. Like the song says, “Call me, maybe?” telephone ringing twn

Related posts:

  1. Age Discrimination and Retirement Problems for Boomers
  2. Are You Buying American Made Gifts This Christmas?
  3. For Shame, For Shame, For Shame!
  4. Thinking about retirement? Dream on!

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24 Comments

  2. Brands are incredible. I have applied for opportunities and the age requirement is less than 40. Less than 40? I will be 40 in six months and out of blogging jobs. Sheesh.

    The 50 and older is a unique market and it’s time for advertisers to sit up and take notice. Yes, there are people with medical problems, but aren’t there people with medical problems of all ages? there are 30 year old’s drugged up…seriously.

  3. Excellent post! You made me smile and clench my fist at those clueless advertisers who truly are missing a tremendous opportunity to reach us Boomers.

  4. Hi Amy, Thanks for commenting and again, I am so sorry about your loss. Will be thinking of you on Mother’s Day this year. Blessings to you, Teresa

  5. Hi Kathy, thanks so much for commenting. I so appreciate it. Hopping over to your blog now!

  6. Thank you for commenting, Deb! It’s a blessing to get to know you through Linkedin and Twitter!

  7. Excellent post and love your sense of humor!! Continued blessings!!! Deb

  8. Hi Teresa! You are so right that we are being ignored as women AND as baby boomers. While I haven’t begun to monetize my site just yet, a big reason is as you say, there aren’t many sponsors for us. And yet we do much of the money and resources to spend. I hope some of those sponsors and advertisers read this post and change things. Thanks for speaking out. ~Kathy

  9. Hi Teresa, This is very right on! I think a lot of us boomers are healthier than ever. I just called to schedule a physical and found out that it has been almost four years since I scheduled one. LOL. I’m never sick and am on 0 prescriptions and I am 60 years old! Oh, and I love being a Nana too – to 12! Blessings, Amy

  10. You are so right, you shouldn’t have to be younger than 49 to write about food products! Thanks so much for commenting! Help me get the word out! Teresa

  12. It was a real eye-opener when I went to apply for a sponsored post opportunity and there as an age requirement. I don’t get why I needed to be younger than 49 to write about a food product.

  13. Teresa, this is great. Yep, and they know what shows we watch on television and target those with First Alert products, read “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” Hey, I have an iPhone, I’ll text for help :-). I’ll share this. Thanks!

  15. Thank you, Nancy. I really appreciate you stopping by and your comment. Take care and keep in touch!

  18. Man, can I relate to this post! Thanks for bringing all of this together in one great post. I’m hoping that brands take note and adopt a better approach with boomers (especially WOMEN baby boomers) and stop treating us like clones of our parents. We are NOT our parents generation and we will forge our own paths as we age. Awesome post!

  19. Thanks, Adrian. I’m more vocal now, too! I hope you will share this and help get the word out! Teresa

  20. That hits the nail right on the head. One of the fun things about being a blogger is being able to do product reviews – however, I’ve noticed a recent trend in age banding on the sign-up requirements for most of these opportunites. Most of them are either 21 to 40 or 35 to 50 so I am out of luck either way. I didn’t stop using products and telling my friends about them when I turned 50! If anything, I probably am more vocal now about what I like and don’t like. All they’re doing is alienating a whole class of people and shutting themselves out of a lucrative market. Even if it is for baby bottles and strollers, we have grandkids to think about. Dorks! #ThrowbackThursdaylinkup

  23. This is good. Personally, I have to take my viagra, then wake up my wife. Then talk her into it and after that I can take off my diaper and go to town. hahaha

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