Anatomy of a Boomer: Part 2
PROPERLY SPEAK TO BOOMERS
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a six-part blog series, covering key items marketers need to know when targeting Baby Boomers (individuals 50 years and older).
MARKETING IMPLICATIONS
There are far too many consumers in this overall segment to ignore. Companies should look at their products and marketing methods and expand or adjust them to effectively serve this significant (and not fleeting) audience.
Segment the audience to more effectively connect with the various sub-groups within this large band of consumers. Do NOT talk to all Baby Boomers as if they were the same.
A leading-edge Boomer, who is 67 today, could have fought in the Vietnam War the very year that a trailing-edge Boomer was born. Think of how that fact alone gives them a significantly different experience of the world and impacts who they are today.
Those same leading-edge Boomers also are able to distinguish a genuine message. They were the 7-year-olds in 1953 who scarfed down microwavable meals, while witnessing the rise of television advertisements (thinkMad Men). At the same time, door-to-door salesmen became a regular occurrence, introducing sneaky tactics.
Segment beyond age and income — Dig into their significant differences in lifestyles, behaviors, motivations, obstacles, etc., in order to create messages that will connect to them and draw them to your product or brand.
Promoting a concert? Think about the impact The Beatles or Woodstock had on a teenager in the late 1960s.
Implementing new software? Median Boomers were the office newbies when IBM entered the workforce in 1980.
You probably know where these facts are headed. No matter what product or service you are selling to the 50+ demographic, these experienced folks will be able to smell your nonsense from a mile away. This leads to …
TARGET YOUR MESSAGES CAREFULLY
This large audience has expansive and varied media consumption habits; as the audience is segmented and messages are developed, it is critical that they be deployed with precision to increase effectiveness.
Newspapers may have lost $40 billion throughout the last decade, but do your customers still have ink on the fingers as they reach for their morning coffee? Or do you see an increase in older individuals shopping online?
THINK LIKE A VIMARCIAN
Take one of our recent Banner MediSun campaigns for example. The creative pieces below attempt to convey a more conversational tone instead of a buttoned-up corporate message. Healthcare requirements can be daunting. Making the process as comfortable as possible will make your product or service stand out (click on each image to enlarge).
On Deck — Shoulders: Grow Your Brand With Boomers
