The ‘baby boomer’ generation have grown up with a variety of pre-internet and post-internet marketing and advertising, have adopted social mobility technology, and benefited from good employment pensions. While many of them have disposable income they but don’t fit a stereotype. Even without disposable income they are just as much in the market for a variety of products to make their lives more comfortable just like other adult age groups. Yet many businesses fail to market to this age group as they want to try to hook customers who are young and will be brand loyal for life and they believe older individuals are likely to switch brands or reassign brand loyalty (Elsinger, 2007). This attitude wrongly assumes that advertising is not effective for older segments of the population despite the fact that baby boomers are a diverse group of consumers. Even those businesses that do market to this generation tend to lump them into one group and market in accordance with the cliché that they are focused exclusively on retirement communities, short term investment products and travel. Given that baby boomers represent over 25 percent of the U.S. population and close to half of the population of Great Britain businesses that ignore them or doesn’t take advantage of the wide range of products they are looking for, are missing out on a huge marketing opportunity (Van Bavel, & Reher, 2013).
People reaching retirement age are engaging in all types of adventurous activities that would have seemed unusual in the past. Older people are often very active. The frequently want to explore locally and while traveling, continue to learn new things, perhaps start new businesses, support start-ups or new organizations. Although they may not actually do all the things they think about, they typically want to know the possibility is there – maybe that there is a gym and a sauna at a hotel they may choose to stay at, a resort has several fun and lively places nearby which are open late at night or a local business is providing seminars on continuing education topics. Marketing to these types of opportunities will increase the likelihood of drawing all adult age groups including baby boomers seeking activities which continue to help them grow (Naidoo, Ramseook-Munhurrun, Seebaluck, & Janvier, 2015).
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Dogs and cats aren’t just pets to baby boomer they are members of the family. Baby boomer pets eat, sleep and watch TV with their people, get dressed up and even have their own friends and their own doctors. Pet related products could be a huge marketing target. One way baby boomers let others know they’re not old is by dressing in fitness gear even when not engaged in fitness activities. Fitness clothing and accessories that are comfortable to wear anywhere, come in a number of styles, and are fashionable and trendy would likely be something boomers would want (Ward, 2015). Baby boomers seek to share their experiences with others.
Businesses that produce products related to documenting memories, such as camera and video suppliers, producers of software for editing, suppliers of mobile technology that comes with aps that would allow them to document experiences while on the go, multimedia presentation, software and equipment, scrapbooking supply stores and even those providing services such as ghost writing and memoirists could benefit greatly from marketing to boomers (Parment, 2013). Baby boomers also want the best of the best but typically don’t indulge in luxuries conspicuously or publicly. Businesses that offer interior decoration, high end renovations for bathrooms, walk in closets, decks etc., home massage services, and wine and dinner party consultants could increase their bottom line by marketing to boomers.
