Go where the money is...

The Boomer segment is highly diverse. Its members define themselves by their interests, their causes and their careers. Boomers increasingly seek to make a difference—to ensure they leave a legacy to be proud of. As a result, certain somewhat selfish issues are important to them—including simplifying their lives, maximizing their wealth, enhancing their sense of well being, and rediscovering their youth. For the most part, Boomers tend to value youthfulness—as well as independence, freedom and self-expression.

However, as with every other segment of society, Boomers re not monolithic. Within the Boomer age cohort are many life-style sub-segments—each with their own emotional mind-set.

Take one sub-segment as an example of Boomer impact. A substantial number of Boomer women do not believe they will ever grow old—and they wholeheartedly believe they will always look as good as they used to look. Accordingly, an array of cosmetics helps to make Boomer women look and feel young. Vitamins and nutritional supplements promise some of these Boomer Women eternal youth.

From another aspect, Boomers have set the pace for American society. They are the first generation to produce financially independent women who earned their own living. As a result, of all women who bought new cars in the year 2001, 53 % were over age 40, as were 60% of women who used facial moisturizers, and 54% of the women who bought computers. Yet I challenge you to find Boomer women in any advertising messages for these products—whether on TV, or in most general magazines.

The communications opportunity here for marketers should be obvious!

However, despite having this information, advertisers and their agencies persist in ignoring consumers over age 40. In ad after ad, commercial after commercial, the odds are strong that you will see only young women selling everything from cars to software. Yes, the 18 to 34 female demographic is certainly a strong spender, but its buying power is insignificant in comparison to the buying power of women over 40.

Even when advertisers do include a Boomer or two in their advertising, research has shown that more than two-thirds of mature consumers strongly feel that the advertising did not present them accurately.

In the words of that immortal bank-robber Willie Sutton, it is time that marketers "go where the money is."

If marketers and their agencies pursued their understanding of Boomers with the same zeal they exhibit when pursuing information about younger markets, their "senior stereotypes" would change rapidly. More ads would address empty nesters, commercials would show older consumers matter-of-factly—and ads presenting Boomers as natural buyers and users of all product categories would increase geometrically.

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Comments

[Linda]

I've read some very interesting reasons for this mode of advertising. I have read that many boomers, particularaly women see them selves 3 to 5 years younger than their actual age. It could be in a very warped way that cosmetic companies are giving them what they want. There are lots of attractive older women out there doing TV spots but its rare to see them in cometics commericals. Many of the commercials they star in are PSA's.

But we have to remember that it isn't just commercials using younger stand ins for boomer women. It's the movies and television also. When was the last time you've seen a sexy female actress portraying a boomer who was actually a boomer. Also, the last great all women bonding show geared to the older sophisticated woman was Golden Girls, and we haven't had another geared towards boomer women in a long time.