Can the 40 plus market be the pot of gold after the 20 and 30s rainbow?
Full disclosure: 2010 brings loads of celebrations for me: 25th wedding anniversary, 20th year as a home-based entrepreneur, our oldest son’s high school graduation [where this image was taken] and three children who turn 21, 18 and 16 – wow! life is good. Hey – companies – if you’re looking for a fabulous Boomer spokesperson, here I am.
In April 2009, I wrote about Boomers and social media stats. Because the post attracts a good bit of traffic every month, this tells me that there’s lots of interest out in Boomers and social media marketing.
As a Boomer, I know how much our generation spends. And, I know how much our purchasing decisions are influenced by not just our media habits, but also by others in our household.
[Hey, Old Spice Guy, who do you think is buying Fiji, Matterhorn and Denali? Moms with teenage boys who want them to work out like a gym rat, but smell like they don’t sweat. Thanks for making if fun -seriously – to buy products that make my young men smell like awesome guys.]
Over 78 million people fall into the Boomer category born between 1946 and 1964.
If you’re looking for a reason to looking into this group, check this out. Nielsen recently released a report calledWhy Marketers Can’t Afford to Ignore Baby Boomers.
Mismatch: Boomer Buying Stats and Advertising Budgets
Boomers spend 38.5% of consumer product goods dollars BUT Less than 5% of ad dollars target adults 35-64
Most marketers target 18-39 year olds AND the influential and affluent 40+ market is largely ignored
Nielsen Marketing Facts about Boomers
* Dominate 1,023 out of 1,083 consumer packaged goods categories
* Watch the most video: 9:34 hours per day – really?
* Comprise 1/3 of all TV viewers, online users, social media users and Twitter users
* Time shift TV more than 18-24s (2:32 vs. 1:32)
* Are significantly more likely to own a DVD player
* More likely to have broadband Internet access at home
Top 10 Websites for 18-34 and Baby Boomers
Google, Yahoo, Bing, Facebook, YouTube, Microsoft, AOL, and Wikipedia all made both lists. Ask and Amazon rounded out the Baby Boomers list while Fox Interactive Media and Apple were on the 18-34 list. Hat tip to #commentz, produced by Sarah Evans, for the link to the Nielsen post.
Where do Boomers fit into your business?
English
21 thoughts on “Baby Boomers Boast Big Social Media Market Potential”
Barbara, Congratulations on all those marvelous milestones! You are a certified, official Boomer without question. The facts you quote surprise me somewhat. I figured the ad spend directed to Boomers was just shifting to other products and services, most notably medical/pharmaceutical. Do you think the younger audience influences what we Boomers want to buy? If so, there may be method in the advertising madness of under targeting Boomers.
.-= Brad Shorr´s last blog ..Get Ready to Fail SEO- Scene 2 =-.
Barbara, Congratulations on all those marvelous milestones! You are a certified, official Boomer without question. The facts you quote surprise me somewhat. I figured the ad spend directed to Boomers was just shifting to other products and services, most notably medical/pharmaceutical. Do you think the younger audience influences what we Boomers want to buy? If so, there may be method in the advertising madness of under targeting Boomers.
.-= Brad Shorr´s last blog ..Get Ready to Fail SEO- Scene 2 =-.
Well that is great for you. Congratulations. I have been a home based business mother for just about 6 years now. You would really make a great spokesperson for the boomer market. Good luck to more years success!
.-= eBay Powerseller Tips´s last blog ..How to Start a Profitable ebay Business ebay ebook Make Money updated Sun Jul 25 2010 6-36 am CDT =-.
Well that is great for you. Congratulations. I have been a home based business mother for just about 6 years now. You would really make a great spokesperson for the boomer market. Good luck to more years success!
.-= eBay Powerseller Tips´s last blog ..How to Start a Profitable ebay Business ebay ebook Make Money updated Sun Jul 25 2010 6-36 am CDT =-.
Oh no I forgot I’m a Boomer. However, I’m loving my more mature status. I think Brad made an interesting comment when he posed the question “Do you think the younger audience influences what we Boomers want to buy?” I think they do. I had the same cell phone for about 5 years until my 20 year old daughter made a big deal about my not having internet access to check email or the ability to take a photo. I also remember being perfectly content with my desktop computer until my 26 year old daughter told me that she couldn’t believe I don’t own a laptop and gave me hers. Now I’m looking to upgrade my cell phone and I can’t imagine not having the ability to use my laptop while sitting outside in the garden.
.-= Shirley Kelly´s last blog ..Fall Wedding Theme =-.
Oh no I forgot I’m a Boomer. However, I’m loving my more mature status. I think Brad made an interesting comment when he posed the question “Do you think the younger audience influences what we Boomers want to buy?” I think they do. I had the same cell phone for about 5 years until my 20 year old daughter made a big deal about my not having internet access to check email or the ability to take a photo. I also remember being perfectly content with my desktop computer until my 26 year old daughter told me that she couldn’t believe I don’t own a laptop and gave me hers. Now I’m looking to upgrade my cell phone and I can’t imagine not having the ability to use my laptop while sitting outside in the garden.
.-= Shirley Kelly´s last blog ..Fall Wedding Theme =-.
@Brad Shorr – as with most studies, the more footnotes on the facts, the easier it is to interpret them. As far as differences with audiences, I do think demographics, psychographics and even type of contact factor into buying decisions. With teens in the house, I can say from personal experience that they know what they like. I do feel that Boomers, in general, are passed over for younger consumers. But, if we’re all searching for the fountain of youth, is that such a bad thing?
@Brad Shorr – as with most studies, the more footnotes on the facts, the easier it is to interpret them. As far as differences with audiences, I do think demographics, psychographics and even type of contact factor into buying decisions. With teens in the house, I can say from personal experience that they know what they like. I do feel that Boomers, in general, are passed over for younger consumers. But, if we’re all searching for the fountain of youth, is that such a bad thing?
@eBay Powerseller Tips thanks and best wishes for continued success to you, too. How do you think advertisers and sellers reach out to boomers on ebay?
@eBay Powerseller Tips thanks and best wishes for continued success to you, too. How do you think advertisers and sellers reach out to boomers on ebay?
@eBay Powerseller Tips thanks and best wishes for continued success to you, too. How do you think advertisers and sellers reach out to boomers on ebay?
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