Pre-Halloween survey results from the National Marketing Institute gave credit where credit was due, saying that our baby boomer demographic isn’t only redefining aging, but revolutionizing it. It also distinguishes between “healthy aging” and “anti-aging”: The latter reminds me of buying a miracle in a bottle.
About our demographic, “survey said”: “Providing them with the tools to keep every aspect of their life healthy as they age is a major opportunity for all industries catering to this influential generation.” We’ve heard that here before, from boomer marketing experts Brent Green and Matt Thornhill.
All about us
My observations on survey points are…
- Boomers are not a homogenous group: Segmentation highlights targeted opportunities. One size does not fit all. Notable differences exist between the decades in terms of preferences: what we eat and drink, how we spend our leisure time, and where we travel.
- Top key healthy aging drivers relate to finances: to live on, for retirement, for health care expenses. We’ve talked here previously about our penchant “to live a long, healthy life” and how some naysayers think that’s delusional. Truth: We know that health care will consume our attention and our finances as we age.
- Boomers are information-seekers and prefer to find out about products/services via self-discovery. Boomers are not asleep at the wheel, no way. It’s fine for someone else to tell us about a product, but we’ll decide to buy and try, thanks.
- Boomers show higher concern than younger generations surrounding political and world issues. I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t intimately “aware” of political and world issues until I became a boomer. I was too consumed with everything else. Now, I’m worried.
- Boomers want to remain relevant and defy “getting old.” This relates to # 2 above. Marketers have christened us “relevant.” We can wish, but we can’t stop getting old: Hence, the convenient term, “healthy aging.”
- Top drivers of a healthy lifestyle are centered around weight loss, disease prevention and appearance. This point could apply to any age group.
- Boomers are optimistic and feel their financial situation will get better in the future, and health care advances will extend their life and prevent disease, which may lead to their “live now, pay later attitude.” Not so fast here…The dire economy has put fear in our hearts, and I don’t think we’re certain the near future will be better. Some of us live a curtailed lifestyle we hadn’t planned on.
- Boomers show strong brand loyalty to products and services they use. True: If we like it, we stay with it. But we’re still open to trying new things.
- About a third are early adopters, indicating they are the first to try new products and services. Are you surprised we’re first to the party?
- They prefer advertisements that capture the flavor of their generation and understand their uniqueness. Yes. Brent Green told us that’s a characteristic of generational marketing.
- A large majority prefer to purchase from socially and environmentally responsible companies. As we’ve aged, we’ve started to pay attention to the planet and those around us. Sometimes, it just takes longer to become aware and to care.
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(Photo courtesy: © Jimmy Lopes | Dreamstime.com)