Customer Reviews

Boomer Consumer: Ten New Rules for Marketing to America’s Largest, Wealthiest and Most Influential Group

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With respect to an aging, wealthy and influential generation, the concept of "marketing to Boomers" took off about 2003 with a colossal, "So what?" This was generally how the business world first embraced the marketing idea.

"Why market to a generational niche?" "What's new about Boomers as consumers?" (Translation: We've been marketing to them for decades ... yawn.) "Isn't it time those aging hippies get out of the marketing spotlight and saunter into their marmalade sunset?"

Many executives didn't see the point in understanding unprecedented demographic and economic destiny. They were too busy cranking out marketing campaigns to target adults 18 to 34. They were also about to miss the most significant development in market segmentation in about a decade.

After a gazillion media articles on the topic, what seems obvious today was not clear four years ago -- to most.

Two men who did get it -- and subsequently formed The Boomer Project -- were John Martin and Matt Thornhill. A bit hopeful in their ambitions at first, they nevertheless began collecting data and formulating insights about the possibilities for aging Boomers as an unrivaled market force in the coming years.

These pioneers also continued educating themselves about the newest thinking in areas such as anthropology, neuropsychology and sociology. They tapped into breakthrough insights of respected thinkers such as David Wolfe, Laura Carstensen, Ph.D. and Gene Cohen, M.D.

The result of their original research and multidisciplinary synthesis of outstanding authors and academicians is a book called "Boomer Consumer." It is simply a concise, clear, and coherent compendium of on-target information and insights about a rapidly growing field of inquiry and practice.

If you're interested in jumping on this bandwagon, then you need to add this book to your reading list. Matt and John are two Pied Pipers worth following.

Matt Thornhill has been sending out red alerts to corporate marketers for several years now. His message: You are failing to target 78 million consumers who have plenty of money and are willing to spend a lot of it! (Billions? Trillions?) Today, thanks to Matt and his colleagues like marketing gurus Brent Green and Marti Barletta, some companies are beginning to figure out how to talk to, sell to and profit from serving the Boomers.

Matt and his business partner John Martin have written a very convincing book. If ad execs can read this book and still not revamp their campaigns to target Baby Boomers, they are more stuck in their 18-49 year old "desirable demographic" thinking that I would have thought possible!

When the Boomers TV team went to ad agencies in 2005 looking for sponsors to underwrite our 13 part television series Boomers! Redefining Life After Fifty, we were almost always sent into a conference room to talk to creatives and account execs who were in their 20's. They really couldn't relate to a show for a "demo" older than 35! Today, some agencies and the media in general are beginning to change, thanks to Boomers with power and name recognition who are talking about being over 50 as OK, even cool. The influence of people like Katie Couric and Dave Letterman are noted by Matt and John in their book.

Boomer Consumer is an interesting read, even if you don't have a lot of toothpaste or cars or trips to sell. The authors' psycho-social approach and their reminders that there are many kinds of Boomers with many different goals, dreams and lifestyles are valuable. But their conclusion that almost all Boomers will be looking for ways to stay vital in five key areas of life also rings true. They predict Boomers will seek financial vitality, physical vitality, mental vitality, social vitality, and spiritual vitality for at least another 40 years.

The authors also provide a reality check for those who think all of us are getting ready to retire next year...the median age of Boomers is just 51. And the halfway point of Boomers reaching age 65 won't be here until 2022. So Boomers are still young enough to have to keep earning money and to spend it, often on brands that we didn't grow up loyal to because they just weren't around in the 50's, 60's or 70's. (Boomers, show us your iPods!)

The insights about marketing to Boomers will keep you focused and keep you from making some expensive assumptions. Plus, if you are a Boomer yourself you'll find it funny and interesting.

These gentleman are THE Baby Boomer marketing research experts.

But I knew that already, what with following The Boomer Project for the last three years, and subscribing to their newsletter.

Research. Well, being one of those snotty creative types who, as a rule, metaphorically throws research in the trash, I always seem to glean great stuff from The Boomer Project and their insights. The reason is because (and this sounds like a back-handed compliment, but it isn't) The Boomer Project is a down-to-earth, fairly small outfit - not a bloated, impersonal multinational. I rarely trust survey results with simpleminded black and white questions given to tens of thousands of people. The companies that do those merely crank-out, crunch, and collate - while Matt and John spend time listening to the people who will be involved in their surveys before they even fashion the questions. You'll know what I mean when you read the book.

I am a Gen X (hate the label) advertising and marketing professional who found this book very enlightening and just as enjoyable. It's a thoughtful, thorough and engaging presentation of facts and insights about "that group" which has held the attention of marketing/advertising America for multiple decades.

If you are not a Boomer, you will most certainly learn something and will probably find yourself thinking, "Oh, so THAT explains it...!" If you are a Boomer, I bet you'll find that these guys really get it.

After reading this book, you'll be satisfied that you took a meaningful first step and got ahead of the curve in understanding how to market to this group for many years to come.

Looking for insights into the buying souls of the Greater Generation? Short and concise but comprehensive, the authors Thornhill & Martin explain the importance of loosing common marketing misconceptions of Boomer's. Yes, the book is backed by research and analysis but should not be confused with a road map to a complete understanding of Boomer's hearts and minds. The book is filled with examples of real companies, mostly established Fortune 500, that have succeeded or failed in marketing to aged consumers. Basically, "Boomer Consumer" is a great starting point for those wishing to design products, services, and marketing strategy for almost 80 million folks with trillions of buying power.

great book focusing on an opportunity that everyone underestimates . Also contains great practical solutions

As a boomer myself and a potential marketer I found this book to be on target, logical, and useful. I now find myself analyzing ads and realizing why I am drawn to some and turned off by others. I also like the concept of targeting boomers based on life style and life stage. As the authors note, most of us don't see ourselves as old - or even as getting old - and we are as different as we are alike. The book has given me a lot of insight into "my generation" that will help my marketing efforts.

I really liked this book. It had the right balance between the theoretical stuff and its application in the real world. Straight talking marketing advice from a couple of guys who have obviously done it themselves.

Boomer Consumer has moved from my pile of books in `must get around to reading' category to the day-to-day working section of my library.

"The Boomer Consumer" is the perfect guide for addressing the issues of boomers in the marketplace. I have written a book, "The Prodigy Within," that is subtitled "for latebloomers and other seekers"The Prodigy Within: The Quest to Discover Your Life's Purpose and have only recently begun to market it. From the beginning I always believed that my primary clientele was the baby boomers, being one myself, but had no idea how to market a book. After reading "The Boomer Consumer" I had such a fantastic overview of how to approach my perspective readers, that putting together a marketing plan was relatively easy. The book is concise, well organized, thoroughly researched and I must say, for a marketing book, it was a pleasure to read.