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Baby Boomer Marketing/Advertising
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Chuck Nyren
That‘s what I‘ve been doing for the last six years.
Baby Boomers Burst Online
"Now we can all iChat together and see each other wherever we are …
Later, I'll show you all how to set it up."
Stuck in their ways. Refuse to try new things, change brands. Why target
them???
The findings:
I guess I've just hung out with too many friends who've always had altruistic
goals, altruistic lives, and didn't pile up the dough: teachers, social workers,
government employees, artists. The 'me generation' tag I always thought was
lots of B.S.
If you are interested in finding a more meaningful vocation, check out Civic
Ventures.
All this, of course, has and will have an extreme impact on advertising and
marketing to Baby Boomers. David Wolfe, Brent Green and others
(including Yours Truly) talk about this in our books, blogs, and when we do
business consulting. We all have different takes on how to advertise and
market to Baby Boomers, but there is a common through-line: Baby
Boomers are not a bunch of age-deluded, self-obsessed hedonists.
Digital Agencies Hunt for Video Talent
"The challenge with finding the right people is on a conceptual level," Troy
Young, VP of interactive strategy at Omnicom's Organic, told ClickZ News.
"This is really hard stuff, creating content that people want to share. The
goal is to find storytellers that understand the medium."
Hmmm. I wonder if digital media agencies should take a look at the two
chapters in my book that The Advertising Educational Foundation has on
their web site.
And according to Carol Goar of The Toronto Star, Baby Boomers north of
here are just as self-obsessed and money-grubbing:
American Public Media's Marketplace has a feature worth listening to. How
interesting that the last line is one of the
major themes of my book. Good to hear that
other folks are on the same wavelength.
This time it's a professor of
television/advertising at Syracuse
University.
Brent calls it the 'cliff notes' version of his book. I think it's more like a
script for one of those minute-long versions of famous plays. The characters
and dialogue go whizzing by, it's frenetic and fun, but...
Absorb it, get your bearings - then tackle the unexpurgated folio. You'll be
thoroughly engrossed and enlightened. (And if you have a consumer product
or service, you might even learn how to make a lot more money.)
Boomer Century
It's a funny game, advertising. Few want to get serious about targeting those
with the money - the older age brackets - which gives the network with the
young guns a handy position.
But it will change when the advertising herd does start a meaningful
migration to older folks.
They used to follow our leads in marketing, ape our advertising. Now, we'd
be in better shape economically if we started following and aping them.
"The graying of America is at the root of the problem for the $1 billion-plus
mass-market hair-coloring business. The category has cooled from double-
digit growth the past two decades to more than 4% declines the past two
years..."
… Diana Lewis Jewell is the author of Going Gray, Looking Great! The
Modern Woman's Guide to Unfading Glory (Fireside, 2004) and a former
marketing director of Vogue.
In her book she cites a poll commissioned by the AARP that shows 53
percent of boomer women and 6 percent of men in that age group color their
hair.
Also check out the adjunct article with quotes from a bunch of old, creaky,
silver-haired geezers.
Answer: Thirty-nine.
The ads/campaigns that David Ogilvy is most famous for were created when
he was in his forties and fifties. Advertising agencies today don't like to hear
this.
Nice as it would be to believe that older women in high places (and a few
enlightened men) are at last recognizing the allure of the post-Edenic Eve,
that is, a woman with experience who knows what she wants and how to get
it, some hard economics may also be wooing the cosmetic and fashion
industries away from their long love affair with youth.
"We want to make her look her best today. That's different from turning
back the clock."
On second thought - this report, though not the most arousing piece of
reportage, probably should be rammed down the throats of every advertising
agency power-that-be. Of course, only clients can do that.
And I wonder when they will. Clients had better wise up fast and demand
intelligent creative when targeting Baby Boomers.
Mirroring a chapter in my book about vacations and travel, add this trend:
Another déjà vu …
Aside from the obvious reasons (anybody wanna buy a CDO?), 2009 has
been a strange year so far.
For me, the strangest episodes are happening while reading news articles
about Baby Boomers and realizing that I‘ve read them all before – usually in
my book.
I‘ve been doing a lot of consulting for magazines/magazine web sites lately.
When I present at a public or private conference and the attendees are
involved in print, included is a large chunk about positioning magazines for
Baby Boomers. And I‘m informally asked about this subject on a regular
basis. Here‘s a quick version of what I say:
Take a look at this classic commercial from the early 1980s ...
That was before desktop computers, cell phones, IM, BlackBerrys,
Facebook, Twitter, etc. If done today the spot might still be funny and
persuasive, but would reflect a different ethos - because for many of us life
is like that. I know a big chunk of mine is. (We have a
new, cute term for it: multitasking.)
My Favorite Cyber-Myth
Madison Avenue doesn't think that anybody over forty-five can even turn on
a computer. And when some youngster flips it on for them, all they probably
do is stare at the virtual desktop until they nod off.
Love At Any Age
It's a bit off-topic. Let's call it a 'focus group' - that way I can get away with
including it:
Click to watch.
Of course it's more complicated than that. But not that much more
complicated.
Gomery says the boomers will continue to drive the media into the
next two decades. As the largest demographic group, he says, "there is
no historical model for the impact a group of people like the boomers
(from 1946 to 64) have had and will have though 2020 or so."
Zoomers
I have no idea what I say in this article—but whatever it is, no doubt it's very
profound and important:
Don't forget them! Zwischen Kids und Senioren gibt es
noch eine Zielgruppe:
And as with Oprah - anytime I can help boost the careers of stragglers and
wannabes like Susan and Julianne (and Paul) by simply having their names
associated with mine - it's fine with me. I'm the beneficent type.
Cookie-Cutter Cavalcades
Sounds a bit like my book, first published in early 2005 (now in an updated
paperback). An excerpt:
Discovering What Matters
I read iBrain a few weeks ago, and it keeps roiling and bubbling in my
noggin, like a good brain book should.
Today's young people in their teens and twenties, who have been
dubbed Digital Natives, have never known a world without
computers, twenty-four-hour TV news, Internet, and cell phones—
with their video, music, cameras, and text messaging. Many of these
Natives rarely enter a library, let alone look something up in a
traditional encyclopedia; they use Google, Yahoo, and other online
search engines. The neural networks in the brains of these Digital
Natives differ dramatically from those of Digital Immigrants:
people—including all baby boomers—who came to the digital-
computer age as adults but whose basic brain wiring was laid down
during a time when direct social interaction was the norm. The extent
of their early technological communication and entertainment
involved the radio, telephone, and TV.
How does this affect advertising creative? More fuel for the idea of a diverse
workforce. Younger folks ingest and digest the world differently than older
folks. So you‘d better have the right guts around to trust. If you don‘t
believe me, believe Rance Crain.
Model Boomers
… 52-year-old Jerry Hall is the new face of Chanel; 59-year-old
Twiggy is the model for Marks & Spencer; Helena Christensen,
in her late 40s, is modeling underwear for Agent Provocateur.
The list goes on and on …
Then I decide to do something smart. I go to the AARP site and there‘s the
interview, ready for ethereal snatching.
The Stats:
In a Nielsen survey … people of all ages said they
spent vastly more time watching television than they
did using the Internet … In a Multichannel News
article, Starz Entertainment executive director of marketing, sales and
corporate research Neil Massey said, ―There is no evidence that
people are abandoning television for other platforms.‖ He continued
to note that ―the universe of people who watch no television but watch
long-form video online is about 1%.‖
I talk about this in my presentations and consulting. The web is a boon for
most traditional media, not competition. With Baby Boomers, advertising
should push them to web sites:
My Barbie!
Even though Barbie was born grown up, it was her fiftieth birthday on
March 9, 2009:
Barbie Turns 50
Edited By Anna Vander Broek and Michael Noer
Back in the dark ages of the WWW, before there were blogs, before there
were social networking sites – I blogged on a social networking site and
wrote about Baby Boomers. Here‘s a link to my January 1998 ‗post‘
celebrating Barbie‘s fortieth birthday:
My Barbie!
It was (and still is) a phenomenon rivaling the one
surrounding the Beatles: A doll not to be fed, cuddled or
nurtured -- but a fantasy representation of you in the
future!
Gaping Void. Very funny, outrageous blog. But not for the faint-hearted.
No News News
Imagine if a company decided to truly target Baby Boomers, if their site was
truly boomer-friendly, if Baby Boomer creatives actually designed the site,
wrote the copy... imagine how this product or service would break away
from the pack...
Old news for a lot of us - but I'm glad the Big Boys are catching on.
Yes and no. If you do want to 'tug on the heartstrings' you'd better have
people creating the campaigns who know which ones to tug at.
In today's wacky world of branding it's almost better to focus more on the
product, the facts. Boomers have been pitched to their whole lives. They can
see a shill coming a mile away. This has less to do with being a Baby
Boomer and more to do with being older and wiser to the ways of Madison
Avenue. Make sure they don't have to dig through too much vapid, brand-
driven, emotionally ingratiating silliness to find out exactly what a product
or service is.
Here's the perfect primer for the Baby Boomer housing market:
an article by Harold Bubil of the Sarasota Herald Tribune about
The International Builders Show in Orlando:
NBC4.com has a revealing piece about what Baby Boomers plan on doing
with the rest of their lives:
"Our studies show that one in four boomers indicated that they want
to do something completely different," she (Emily Allen, AARP) said.
"We're certainly seeing trends, particularly as we begin to look at
different industries. We are seeing people are taking a look at kind of
nontraditional industries, such as the transportation industry, changing
from the corporate world in to a nonprofit world, going from
corporate world in to education."
Another survey reveals Baby Boomers are planning to live, not retire:
"Money is not the sole motivating factor behind Baby Boomers working into
retirement. They instead see work as a way to stay challenged and mentally
active and sustain a link to the community they have been a part of for most
of their lives…"
Leading the way are Boomer women - this according to recent research by
AARP:
Many of those interviewed for this study say growing older is not only better
than expected, but can be a positive time of life with new rewards. They
report being happier now, experiencing freedom to be themselves, pursue
dreams and do things they have always wanted to do.
I'm getting tired just reading about all this stuff. So media and advertisers,
please go away. Don't bother me. Time for my warm milk and nap.
Bill and I chatted for thirty minutes or so. And he talked to a bunch of others
— all with insightful comments:
Boomers in Candyland
"In England, they've done a lot of studies about 'wrap rage,' and it
goes much deeper than not being able to open a bottle of medicine, for
instance. It's anything, any consumer goods packaging that people
have trouble opening, and as Baby Boomers are starting to age, they
are very sensitive to this," says Chuck Nyren, who just happens to be
another Baby Boomer and also creative strategist and consultant, as
well as author of "Advertising to Baby Boomers." According to him,
"bad packaging can make Baby Boomers feel incompetent; as
marketers, you don't want to remind this group of people that they
don't have the physical skills they had when they were younger."
Of course, the above has nothing to do with me. I can rip open any dumb,
stupid candy wrapper with my bare hands ... as long as one of my bare hands
is holding a pair of pliers.
"During the last few years the industry has been under
tremendous pressure to reflect a more diverse workforce, and
although not substantial enough, some inroads have been
made into the issue of racial mix …"
And if you think diversity is a problem only in places like South Africa, read
this piece by Dianne Cardwell and Stuart Elliott of the New York Times:
I'm someone who isn't particularly anal about defining the term Baby
Boomers. The above doesn't quite work for me, but what I do like about it is
this: the report recognizes that culturally (and it's an unwieldy, diverse
culture) the term Baby Boomers includes people born before 1946.
The "baby boom" actually began in 1943 when birth rates began to rise,
dipping slightly in 1944 and 1945. I like to include people born a few years
before that when I talk about Baby Boomers. And if you press me, I'll admit
that the "baby boom generation" ended in 1957 - and people born between
1958 and 1964 are another generation.
In other words, I believe people born in the years 1939-1957 have more in
common than people born in the years 1946-1964.
As you can imagine, I've 'seen'em all' when it comes to presenters and
pundits specializing in age-related issues. Dr. Coughlin's presentation was
nothing I'd ever heard or seen before. Mind-boggling technological advances
are already here or down the road apiece. Every company focusing on the
50+ market should grab him for a private consultation, every Baby Boomer
marketing conference should book him.
The day was productive and fun. The three 'experts' were Dr. Coughlin, John
Page from Yankelovich, and you-know-who. The numbers-cruncher wore a
very conservative, gray suit, the academic a dark pinstripe and loud bow tie,
and the ad guy a mock turtleneck and over-the-top orangey sport coat.
I'm back from a grueling but productive and fun road trip.
I brought in my pal John Migliaccio - and Steve, John, and Yours Truly
huddled alongside a hectic aisle, chatting about the advertising and
marketing back then. And the TV shows. And the toys. My diarrhea of the
mouth included bloviations on Howdy Doody, Wyatt Earp, Mr. Potato Head,
our disposable childhoods, and who knows what else — and who knows
what'll be left in and what'll be left on the virtual cutting-room floor.
They have no use for nostalgia, yet they relate wonderfully to the
icons of their past. Marketers say, for example, that Aleve hit a home
run when it showed Leonard Nimoy, Mr. Spock of Star Trek, having
trouble making the "Live Long and Prosper" sign with arthritic hands.
Why? "It wasn't a trip down nostalgia lane," Mr. (Matt) Thornhill
said. "It was using a boomer icon talking about a present and future
problem."
Mr. Bauder does an excellent job of reporting all sides of the issue. (It's not
surprising, because I read him regularly and he always does top-notch
reporting by highlighting various viewpoints.) However, for me there's not
much new here. That's because I'm knee-deep in this mess. What is said can
be found in my book, this blog, and other books and blogs about
advertising/media and Baby Boomers.
If you're new to all this, the article will be illuminating. And there are fresh
numbers to crunch:
Advertisers will pay a premium for young viewers: $335 for every
thousand people in the 18-to-24 age range that a network delivers, for
example. Viewers aged 55-to-64 are worth only $119 for every
thousand, according to Nielsen Media Research.
What I do find fascinating has less to do with the article and more to do with
its syndication. When a news outlet picks up an AP story it can change the
headline, the lede, and has the right to edit the piece for space consideration.
Most editors simply leave it alone - but often they feel as if they have to
justify their existence - and play around with the headlines.
In the spirit of fun and games with the news, I've come up with a few of my
own reasonable, moderate, neutral headlines for Mr. Bauder's article:
I hope you can take a peek at this New York Times piece by
Claudia Dreifus. It's an interview with Dr. Robert N. Butler of
The International Longevity Center. Dr. Butler is quite the
mythbuster, the troublemaker:
"I think they're (Baby Boomers) in for a hell of time, because society
is not prepared for them. And I don‘t think they‘re a bit prepared for
old age. They are often fat, unhealthy, and they haven‘t been saving
money — though a small percentage of them will receive
inheritances."
Many marketers and advertisers are ignoring the largest and potentially the
most productive consumer group in the U.S. - Baby Boomers (40-59 year-
olds) - The 82 million Baby Boomers currently make up 39% of the
population … it's clear that Baby Boomers are just as likely as Millennials
and Gen Xers to purchase and use many advanced technologies … Baby
Boomers are more likely than others groups to be absorbed in different
forms of media and can be reached through a variety of advertising efforts.
Psychological Neoteny
Sounds like what everybody says about Baby Boomers, doesn't it? How
immature we all are. We never grew up. This may or may not be true - but if
true, it's obviously for good reasons.
Which reminds me of the big catch phrase of the year: 50 is the new 30,
and/or 60 is the new 40, or some rubbish like that. Again, I talk about this at
length in my book (before the phrase became popular), saying something
along these lines: Baby Boomers do not think they are still in their twenties
or thirties. They are redefining the ages they are.
And I'm not happy that someone put it better than I did (or at least more
memorably and succinctly) — No, 60 isn't the new 40:
"Researchers always asked 'When will the boomers become old and
start acting like their parents'" said Sarah Zapolski, of the Knowledge
Management research division at AARP. "But we were asking the
wrong question. In many ways, boomers are behaving the way they've
always behaved: They've always been less conservative about
shopping and entertainment and fashion."
But it was the lede that really hit home:
It's something Linda Ellerbee can feel, like a cold breeze on the
back of her neck, every time she meets with somebody from
Madison Avenue.
No kidding. Wait until you start preaching to Madison Avenue about this
stuff. It's less like a cold breeze and more like being dumped headfirst into a
cryogenic freezer...
The first one is about Baby Boomers fashioning their own neighborhood
communities:
UD is coming. It's just too early for most Baby Boomers to consider it.
However, many are missing the boat now if they happen to be designing
their forever dream house. Without some serious nods to universal design, in
ten years they might find themselves living in their forever nightmare house.
Wesley Hein at LifeTwo.com has a good piece about universal design and
aging in place:
In the post war years, the big market was in small affordable homes
that could be bought on a GI bill and were suitable for raising a
family. Sixty years later, the children of those GI's are looking ahead a
few decades and don't want to be moved into a retirement community.
And he points you to a good piece by June Fletcher of the Wall Street
Journal:
Traditionally, the market for these products has been the elderly and
handicapped, but builders and manufacturers see a bigger prize:
middle-aged homeowners who don't need them yet. The
beleaguered housing industry is hoping it can attract these buyers
with more stylish, less institutional fare such as "smart" kitchen
faucets and dishwashers …
Like the typical Baby Boomer, I‘ll probably wait until I slip in
the bathtub and crack my dumb noggin before I get the hint to do
some retrofitting.
What's more, trend watchers are predicting this relaxed attitude among
boomers is infecting younger generations … This new common sense
revolution is extolling the aging process as a good thing, wrinkles and
all.
Good to know that most Boomers would rather spend their time and money
so they can feel, look, and be healthy - instead of self-consciously walking
around like pod people wrapped in cellophane.
Let's just say that if I mentioned the campaigns he worked on in the 1970s
and 1980s, you'd be very impressed:
Chuck,
I know you are onto something regarding the Baby Boomer business
… I wonder if there is a way for existing ad agencies to embrace this
potential …There are a lot of other boomers who a) see age
discrimination and/or b) wonder why the largest advertisers or
agencies are not "getting it" ...
Hi Chuck.
I'll try to keep this as short as possible ... Like you, I'm a
copywriter/creative director/baby boomer.
And what about all those big agencies telling their clients that they are
prepared to target the 50+ demographic? Should the advertisers believe
them? And if they do - should the agencies, when creating campaigns, trust
their guts?
Being a lightning rod for all things Boomer and Advertising, I'm forever
amazed at the backwardness of the advertising industry.
What fresh insight. Here's the pull-quote on the cover of the first edition of
my book:
Even my friend Matt, quoted in the USA Today piece, must be getting tired
of saying:
Me vs. We
What happened is that there were so many of us in the 1970s when the
term ‗me generation‘ was coined that it ended up being the zeitgeist of
the industrialized world. This image followed us. As we hit our late
thirties, forties, fifties, and now some of us banging into our sixties,
we were too busy to bother about this silly ‗branding‘ of ourselves.
Today, Baby Boomers are two or three times removed from being a
―me‖ generation. What constitutes self-actualization when you are
twenty-five is different than when you are fifty-five. In your twenties
a person thinks they are the picture. As you get older, you see yourself
more and more as a picture that is part of a bigger picture.
Talk to some folks in their twenties, thirties. They are now in that
‗me‘ stage. It‘s healthy, smart for them to be so. I was just like them
thirty years ago, get a big bang out of them, admire their boundless
creativity, energy – and self-obsession. These ‗me generation‘
twentysomethings today will become a ‗we generation‘ in thirty years.
(page 171, Advertising to Baby Boomers)
(c) 2004, 2007 by Paramount Market Publishing
I could go deep into all sorts of profound stuff, like Shakespeare's The Seven
Ages of Man and Maslow's Hierarchy, but that would take scores of screen
scrolls. So let‘s make just two more scrolls ...
The New York Times weighed in on the subject. Sounds like my book:
… Oh, that‘s right. Baby Boomers aren‘t ‗mature.‘ We think we‘re still
youngsters.
And the New York Times is weighing in. When we think we're losing it,
we're actually gaining it:
"...Older adults, because they‘ve retained all this extra data, they‘re
now suddenly the better problem solvers. They can transfer the
information they‘ve soaked up from one situation to another."
Hmmm. I keep hearing that 50 is the new 30. Now I‘ll be hearing that 50 is
the new 70.
A Deep, Download-Worthy Report on Global Branding
This report shows you that with few exceptions it‘s hard work – requiring
research, advertising, marketing, PR. All the grubby stuff. For example,
McDonald‘s has slowly and meticulously branded their restaurants.
Different marketing/advertising techniques are used in different parts of the
world. While every so often, as if by magic, a brand appears – as in the case
of Google, of Starbucks. The real story is that they had unique products –
and these two brands built themselves with very little input from branding
‗experts‘. Down the line they refined and molded their brands using
standard branding techniques.
'Elderbloggers' Shy Away From Money Talk
Ronni Bennett was certainly the 'go-to' person for this article. She's the
expert on all things elderblogger:
I talked about this, had a slightly different take on it, in 2006 at the NAHB
Building for Boomers 50+ Housing Symposium - and wrote an article about
it around the same time:
Selling Universal Design to Baby Boomers
ERGONOMICS. That‘s not such a
negative word to Baby Boomers.
We‘ve been the fodder for the
ergonomic revolution. We almost feel as if we invented it. The
concept resonates.
Inter-ActiveAge
Read about ActiveAge - and it's connection to the work and philosophy of
Dr. Joseph Coughlin.
While much of the content is password protected, click around the site.
There are a dozen or so PDFs available to the public.
Answers on Aging
Generation BUY
You probably should skim a recent Viacom press release. There's not much
new – but what made me chuckle was that they admit that there's not much
new. Nothing like a press release about nothing new:
It's all tied to a survey commissioned by TV Land. They learned that there's
nothing new. So, I guess that's new.
Mostly it's stuff I've been saying for years (as have others). I did choke over
their slicing and dicing of Boomer cohorts:
I guess it's like the old saying, "If you don't have anything
new to say, say it over and over again."
And with only an hour and a half to goof off we only saw about one-quarter
of the exhibits, maybe. The four of us were racing around. That‘s how big
it was. Nobody could see it all in one day.
For example, there must‘ve been fifteen bicycle exhibitors with at least one
hundred bikes to check out - and room to ride them in a demo area. Next, I
climbed in and out of about twenty motor-homes – but never made it to the
automobiles or motorcycles. No time.
I never even entered four of the six halls. One I just glanced in. It looked
something like this:
Almost every exhibit was over the top, a show in itself. Click here to watch
a Windows Media Video that gives you a good idea of the quality and
variety of offerings.
What‘s really amazing about this event is the return rate for exhibitors: 85%.
They make money, they know it‘s a great investment, great promotion. They
know it's a great market segment.
Forgotten Consumers
Now the piece has gone wide in many of the McClatchy Newspapers,
including The Monterey County Herald, The Olympian (Washington), and
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
There are almost 100 million consumers in the United States who are
age 50-plus. They control more than $8 trillion in assets, more than 70
percent of the disposable dollars in the United States. Yet they barely
get passing notice from American advertisers.
Home Appliances & Boomers
Thanks, Richard!
And I‘ve tossed up a bunch of posts over the years on this subject:
Along with ‗green‘ – the auto industry had better retool with an eye
on the 50+ market.
TOPICS COVERED
The status of UK 50 plus marketing |
The Australian perspective | Advertising and
Marketing to baby boomers in the USA |
Marketing and advertising to the older consumer in the Netherlands
Watch the first 6 minutes of Dick Stroud‘s presentation.
Why couldn’t it have been…?
But why aren‘t these spots sending you to the web site? There are dozens of
previous posts that talk about this. Here‘s just one:
I guess what upsets me about this campaign is not the campaign itself. I like
it. I see people around my age – they‘re entertaining, loose, funny. I‘m
wondering what the payoff will be. What a letdown.
A very good piece by Mary Motzko – and not necessarily because I‘m
quoted. Yours Truly is in heady company:
Or you can hear me scream it over The Who and Led Zeppelin.
Editor‘s Sidebar
Dedicated to clarity, one sentence at a time
Perhaps it‘s irrational, but I am tired of people telling me to attain a
state of consciousness the means to which only they can provide.
Boomer Authority
A Question and Answer Resource for the Baby Boomer
Generation - Gain access to a community of professionals and
organizations for free timely advice!
When you get there scroll a bit and click the thumbnails for downloads:
Evergreen Resources
More News Stories:
Baby Boomers Make Largest Positive Impact on Business for U.S. Paint
Contractors
Older Web Users: Online Content, Ads Aimed at Young
TV Will Continue To Dwarf Other Media
Web-Savvy Baby Boomers, Seniors Plumb More Regions of the Brain
During Internet Searches
What Boomers really want in housing
Books:
77 Truths About Marketing to the 50+ Consumer, Kurt Medina and John
Migliaccio
His book is filled with examples and suggestions for industries such as
housing, pharmaceuticals, automotive, travel, and financial planning, all
industries that try to attract customers from the baby boom generation. In
this updated and revised edition, Nyren continues his crusade to get ad
agencies to recognize the importance of using baby boomers to create
advertising targeted to baby boomers. He notes that since his first book came
out in 2005, baby boomers have begun to receive much more press, but
advertisers continue to overlook them as an important and influential market.
Filled with timely examples of both press and advertising campaigns, the
book also explores resources. A new interview with a British firm that is
leading the way in advertising and using direct mail with baby boomers is
included.
(Email) "I just started reading your book 'Advertising to Baby Boomers'
yesterday and I think it's fantastic - one of the few written about this subject
that tells it how it is in plain language. It's going to be obligatory reading for
the staff in the agency ..... I'd also like to quote from your book at a
forthcoming conference I'm speaking at in Sydney Australia next month..." -
Kevin Lavery, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Millennium Direct
Marketing Sherpa
Baby boomers make up 25% of the US population, hold 70% of US assets
and spend $2 trillion annually. It's time we discovered opportunities for
infomercials, Internet ads and branding catered to the young-at-heart.
'Advertising to Baby Boomers' uses straightforward, jargon-free language to
guide advertisers, business owners and agencies on how to craft campaigns
successfully.
Nyren employs wit, helpful asides and experts' citations to refute stereotypes
that damage campaigns. He reinstates respect for the demographic that's
often insulted by well-intentioned- but-flawed advertising. Some of his
suggestions include abstaining from poking fun of boomers' age (i.e.,
targeting them for cliché products). He also advises showing facts instead of
using elaborate illustrations to explain why boomers need something.
A strong advocate for making sure you nail the product story first and
foremost is Chuck Nyren, whose book Advertising to Baby Boomers is a
must-read.
John Migliaccio, Maturity Mark Services - now Director of Research,
MetLife Mature Market Institute:
I could give the briefest review I've ever done for any book, appropriately
enough by paraphrasing an iconic advertising slogan of years ago: Just buy
it. Think of it as a personal treat for your brain - something like a Good
Humor ice cream, or a Haagen Daz, or a good long jog if you're more health
conscious...whatever it is that gets your endorphins singing. I haven't marked
up a book so much since cramming the night before that last big college
final exam.
I found a lot to like in the book. It‘s not a rant, more like a casual
conversation over cocktails and bar munchies. There are lots of little asides,
and the conversational tone is there throughout, albeit more strongly in the
first and third section. Nyren also scatters tidbits of wisdom from some of
advertising's greatest practitioners, which reflect the legitimacy of what he's
saying.
"The second section (of the book) addresses the process of finding the best
marketing or advertising agency. It identifies the myths that traditional ad
agencies hold regarding Boomers and advises business owners who want to
sell to this group to walk away from agencies that think this way."
"The third and last section offers resources, a case study, and final thoughts.
He sharpens some of his earlier points and cautions readers that some of the
recent buzzwords in advertising, such as branding, are not all that they are
cracked up to be." - Dr. Joyce M. Wolburg, Marquette University
More Reviews
Book Blurbs
Straight talk from someone who knows how to do it right, for the right
price. - Laurel Kennedy, President, Age Lessons
For years businesses have been told that Boomers would represent terrific
opportunities as they aged. As Chuck Nyren points out, that strategic advice
was then discouraged by advertising and media types who lived in the world
of the precious 18-49 demo. Finally, the opportunities are being recognized.
Businesses are rapidly developing products and services targeted to
Boomers. Nyren gives sound advice on how to communicate with this
powerful consumer segment. - John McMennamin, McMennamin
Consulting
Chuck Nyren's wit and charm only partially disguise the razor sharp teeth
that he flashes at an industry in denial. - Marc Middleton, Founder and
President, The Growing Bolder Media Group
Nyren has earned the distinction as the go-to guy for the inside dope on what
Boomers want and how advertisers can effectively target this dynamic,
powerful, and flush market. - Marty Davis, Former MSNBC News Anchor
and Washington Correspondent for "Hour Magazine"
Baby Boomers have money and they spend it! But before you target them,
read Chuck Nyren's insightful, entertaining and refreshingly candid book.
You'll avoid common mistakes and find the keys to motivating savvy
boomers. - Todd Harff, President & CEO, Creating Results
Chuck Nyren is one the best writers on 50+ advertising and marketing -
anywhere. He doesn't hide behind jargon, he shoots from the hip and tells it
how it really is. - Martin Smith, Group Managing Director, Millennium UK
Being a true 60s teenager, Chuck at first rebelled against advertising. He has
been in and out of the industry for thirty-five years. Like most lives, his has
been filled with ups and downs, successes and failures, clarities and
ambiguities. Now he has reformed, seen the light, and returned to the fold.
Copywriting, creative strategy, consulting, and penning popular, worldwide
syndicated columns about advertising to Baby Boomers is his calling.
Chuck has been a consultant for advertising and marketing agencies and
companies with products for the 40+ Market, including Mary Furlong &
Associates, AARP, NAHB, Harris Interactive, AstraZeneca, Bayard Presse
(France), Roularta Media Group (Belgium), PLUS Magazine (The
Netherlands), The Seattle Direct Marketing Association, WPP's
Commonhealth, and Omnicom Group. He is a member/consultant
(Advertising to the 40+ Market) with The Faith Popcorn BrainReserve
TalentBank, and is on the Advisory Board of GRAND Magazine.
Mr. Nyren has been a featured speaker and consultant at private and public
international business conferences and seminars in the United States,
Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, and France.
Through the years he has written copy and/or has been a creative strategist
for Microsoft, Mackie Designs and various international professional audio
manufacturers, many small Seattle-based ad agencies and companies, and
numerous television and radio stations from coast to coast. Chuck has won
three International Competition Cindy Awards (Cinema in Industry), two
Gold and one Silver.
He has been interviewed by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times,
The Dallas Morning News, The Kansas City Star, The Hartford Courant,
The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, BusinessWeek,
CBS MarketWatch, The Irish Times, Tiempos Del Mundo, CNBC, WNYC-
FM (NPR), KIRO-AM (Seattle), WBIX (Boston), Advertising Age's The
Advertising Show, Selling to Seniors, Counselor and Advantages magazines
(The Advertising Specialty Institute), U.S. News & World Report, The
Franchise Times, Confectioner Magazine, Street & Smith's Sports Business
Journal, and many other newspapers, magazines and radio programs
worldwide. Chuck is a talking head on an episode of The History
Channel/AARP 2006-2007 television series "Our Generation."
Mr. Nyren's fiction has been published in various literary journals, short
story anthologies, and ezines including Grandfathers are Gold (Simon &
Schuster), SpinDrifter, GRAND Magazine, The Satire Quarterly, The Hot
Flash Cafe, Eclectica - and on coffee cans in Portland, Oregon. His one-act
plays are staged nationwide a half-dozen or so times a year.