Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Stocks To Capture China’s Baby Boomers
Shaun Rein
Seeking Alpha
December 1, 2006

Overview: Rein reports on the similarities and differences between China’s “emerging baby boomers” and the “graying American Baby Boomers” while focusing on areas of health care, leisure activities and travel. Rein believes that “the similarities are much more striking than the differences, and a number of publicly-traded companies stand to benefit.”

http://china.seekingalpha.com/article/21537

Mingling with 900 something of the country’s top marketers attending American Marketing Association's MPlanet in Orlando, I’m having trouble shaking Ken Dychtwald’s compelling image of the baby boomers as a pig in a python. Boomer visionary Dychtwald was the first demographer in the country decades ago to popularize the concept that because of the size of the generation, boomers (the pig) would be moving through time (the python) making a huge impact as we go. (http://www.agewave.com/)

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Promoters reinvent attitudes on aging
Jennifer Harper
The Washington Times
December 2, 2006

Overview: Harper reports on how companies and organizations are recognizing the vast potential that exists within the boomer market. The article features Harvard University's School of Public Health, the Florida State Department of Elder Affairs, the National Council on Aging, the American Society on Aging and Fleishman-Hillard, as contributors to "a cultural movement billed as 'reinventing aging'" with strategic marketing plans. The article also shares Gallup's recent study findings on boomers and aging.

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20061201-115605-7248r.htm

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

A New Breed of Tech for the Aging
As the boomer generation moves toward retirement, companies are stepping up with innovative aids
Douglas MacMillan
BusinessWeek.com
December 5, 2006

Overview: With boomers on the edge of retirement and a life full of technology innovations, companies like AgeLab and Intel plan to take advantage of this lucrative market by introducing boomers to new automotive, health care and assistive technologies. Moreover, MacMillian reports that Intel is creating new assistive technologies that “will be cool and hip" and boomers can use without feeling old.

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2006/tc20061205_555322.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_technology

Readers of this blog may recall that as of Friday, I swore off the pig in a python as a metaphor for boomers, confronting for the first time the fact that the snake’s tail (and more chilling--the void beyond the snake) was in sight. (See "Tail Spotted")

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

55-Alive! Launched as Premier Interactive Online Magazine and Community for Active Adults, Baby Boomers, and the 50-plus Generation; Interactive Online Community Combines MySpace-type Member Profiles, Video Content, Member Stories and More Than Two Dozen Featured Columnists
PR Newswire
December, 6 2006

Overview: Press release announcing the new online magazine and community “55 Alive!” (http://www.55-Alive.com) designed for active adults, baby boomers and the 50+ generation.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-06-2006/0004486422&EDATE=

Baby boomers go bust in bedroom: Survey
JoAnne Miltenburg
Ottawa Sun
December 6, 2006

Overview: Miltenburg reports on the current sexual activity of baby boomers and writes “The generation that started the sexual revolution is now worried about performance in the bedroom.” The article features a survey from Ipsos-Reid that found “close to 40% of women and 60% of men aged 40 to 64 admit they worry about losing their ability to perform sexually as they age.”

http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/National/2006/12/06/2652725-sun.html

AARP ready to meet differing needs of Baby Boomers
Lewis W. Diuguid
Kansas City Star
December 6, 2006

Overview: Diuguid discusses what AARP is doing to change the stigma associated with aging and how the boomer population fits into these changes.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/opinion/16171817.htm

Baby boomers seen as source of global volunteers
Cheryl Wetzstein
The Washington Times
December 6, 2006

Overview: This article focuses on international volunteerism and the idea that aging and retired baby boomers are a great asset to volunteer programs around the world.

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20061205-105023-7537r.htm

Modern music and other personalized touches bring new life to funeral services
Marc Ramirez
Seattle Times
December 6, 2006

Overview: Baby boomers are moving away from traditional funeral services to more personalized memorials using upbeat music. Ramirez writes “Instead, these events feature pop or contemporary tunes that honor the deceased by stirring up memories or saying through lyrics what ordinary words can't.”

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2003463066_deathjam06.html

It was balmy in Orlando…all tropical and business casual at MPlanet last week—and not a single aloha shirt in sight.

Yet again, the universe has tilted on its axis, and we barely noticed.

I remember my husband, Dan’s, first aloha shirt. It was in the early 90’s and yes, predictably, it was in Hawaii. It had a green background and oversized fuchsia and yellow flowers. Having come up through the serious make-it-happen 80’s wearing regulation business greys, blacks and whites, Dan found this—the first of many aloha shirts—to be liberating. What wasn’t predictable back then was his daring, yay, virtually revolutionary integration of the aloha shirt into his wardrobe. That shirt went to dinner parties, business casual events, concerts and meetings. It was fresh, youthful: a statement that one had cast away convention and was now a force with which others must contend.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Christmas 2006: What do Baby Boomer Women Want Under the Tree this Year? "Time out for Introspection" is Top of the List This Year
PR Web
December 7, 2006

Overview: Press release announcing Midlife Adventure’s holiday gift trends and tips for baby boomer women. “After following their "fathers" into the workplace with the feminist movement, and conforming to a male work culture, women at midlife want to discover who they are under all the expectations and responsibilities they have taken on.”

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/12/prweb484876.htm#

Silver surfers get social.
Richard Waters
Financial Times
December 6, 2006

Overview: Waters reports that boomers are increasingly interacting online and discusses what Eons and other online giants are doing to provide social tools for boomers. Waters writes “According to comScore, 5m people over the age of 55 visit MySpace each month, representing 11 per cent of MySpace's total audience.”

https://registration.ft.com/registration/barrier?referer=http://search.ft.com/searchResults?queryText=Silver+surfers&javascriptEnabled=true&location=http%3A//www.ft.com/cms/s/d7a5c1de-84da-11db-87e0-0000779e2340.html

Is there any doubt that the baby boomer woman is, in fact, "the ultimate power consumer?" You are invited to be a guest—along with about 300 other top marketers and market researchers--at a webcast I'm leading on the subject of marketing to baby boomer women this Tuesday, December 12, 2006. Participants from around the globe are clients of MarketTools, one of the country's top market research firms, and host of the gala event. The one-hour webcast will be moderated by Pam Kramer, MarketTools' Chief Marketing Officer. Both FH Boom and MarketTools, through a Zoomerang Online Survey, have done fresh research related to this hot topic for this webcast, and you can enroll by following the link to the invitation below. But first, let me tell you how this invitation came to be—a story that says more about boomer women and their growing power than any of the statistics (however compelling they may be) we'll be sharing with you next week.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Live it up like royalty
Jessica Hurt
The Advertiser
December 8, 2006

Overview: The reporter focuses on boomers and their impact on the travel industry. Hurt suggests that the growing popularity of traveling amongst boomers can be contributed to their desire for a balanced life “between work, family and fun.”

U.S. baby boomers seen donating $100 bln this year
Svea Herbst-Bayliss
Reuters
December 7, 2006

Overview: Reuters reports on a recent survey from Fidelity Investments’ that projects boomers will donate $100 billion to charities this year. “While the survey did not say where Americans send their donations, they often help fund research into trying to cure deadly diseases and give to educational and social groups.”

http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=fundsNews2&storyID=2006-12-07T183031Z_01_N06455143_RTRIDST_0_FIDELITY-CHARITY.XML

Last night was the television premiere of the David Cronenberg film “A History of Violence.” There was mayhem, dark secrets exposed and plot twists galore, all penetratingly portrayed. But the image that I have been most unable to shake is this: Maria Bello, as a trailing-edge boomer mom of a taller-than-her teenaged son, donning her high school cheerleader’s outfit and making whoopee with hubby Viggo Mortensen—also a boomer—like rodeo champs.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Young at heart, Boomers put new face on 'old age'
Kathleen O’Brien
The Star-Ledger
December 10, 2006

Overview: Baby boomers are redefining old age and, as they see themselves as younger, there could be negative consequences associated with this new perspective. O’Brien questions marketing strategies and how it could influence boomers. For example, “If Boomers constantly see these flatteringly youthful depictions of their generation, can they be blamed for seeing themselves that way, too?”

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1165728976320830.xml&coll=1

Cosmetic surgery gets a lift from boomers; Some say they'd just die if they had to look old
Mary Brophy Marcus
USA Today
December 11, 2006

Overview: This USA Today article concentrates on the cosmetic surgery industry and how baby boomers are contributing to the increase in the number of procedures. Marcus reports, “Baby boomers are working longer, remarrying and trying to be healthier," says George Rudkin, chief of plastic surgery at West Los Angeles VA Hospital and associate clinical professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of California-Los Angeles. "They want their faces and bodies to reflect their inner feelings, not their chronological age."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-12-10-cosmetic-surgery-boomers_x.htm

Baby boomers to retire like teenagers with money
Stephen Lunn
The Australian
December 12, 2006

Overview: Lunn discusses the spending habits of Australian baby boomers and their plans to spend big on “gym memberships, personal trainers, golf club fees, gambling, live theatre and healthcare including cosmetic procedures.”

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20912094-5001942,00.html

A confluence of interesting and frankly out there observations lately from the mouths of bad ladies turned boomers … or maybe good ladies turned bad boomers. Thankfully it doesn’t really matter because nobody is judging us now.

First up was a colleague who asked if I noticed something new on her face … new makeup? Botox? Facelift? What? Much simpler and making a remarkable difference, she’s wearing new non prescription brown contact lenses so her eyes will look less faded, more brilliant. She needs to be marketing that idea to Lenscrafters.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Advertisers find the right pitch in boomer icons
Broad boomer market identifies with ‘individuality,’ advertisers say
Anne Thompson
NBC News (MSNBC.com)
December 11, 2006

Overview: Thompson’s report covers advertising to the boomer woman, specifically, how boomer women want to be marketed to and what icons companies are using, such as Diane Keaton.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16159017/

Gay retirement community is a first
Bob Moos
The Dallas Morning News
December 12, 2006

Overview: Moos reports that baby boomers are driving the expansion of gay and lesbian boomer retirement communities. Additionally, Moos writes “Gay men and lesbians are the newest niche in a booming retirement housing market that already includes developments catering to Asian-Americans, the deaf, golfing enthusiasts, military veterans and university alumni.”

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/121206dnbusGayRetirement.30cecc0.html

So, Boomers are Turning 60. What’s All the Hype?
Dotsie Bregel
Femlive.com
December 12, 2006

Overview: Bregel reflects on baby boomer women, their influences on society and their desire to continue to make a difference in this world. Bregel shares, “At midlife the 40s and 50s are no longer as old as we once thought. We are more educated, spiritual, wealthy, and healthier than any generation of women to precede us. We’ve changed society’s expectation and continue to redefine womanhood. We will be the biggest and richest market segment by the year 2010.”

http://www.femlive.com/2006/12/12/so-boomers-are-turning-60-what%E2%80%99s-all-the-hype/

Last week, we invited you to join 300 clients of MarketTools who had signed up to take a webinar on the subject of marketing to baby boomer women. Today, with not just one but two webinars on the topic under our belt, I am forced to make a retraction. It wasn’t 300 clients who signed up to hear me and MarketTools' CMO Pam Kramer address this subject matter. As we approached lift-off, the numbers had swelled to over 500. With interest flooding in from around the globe, we needed the two webinars to handle the multiplicity of time zones. We knew the topic was hot. But this is sizzling hot!

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Boomers Cite TV Ads as Number One Information Source ... Advertisers Missing The Boat
PRNewswire
December 13, 2006

Overview: Press release announcing study results indicating that baby boomers use television as their informational resource and are feeling ignored by television advertisers. “Although nearly three-fifths (58%) of America's 78 million Baby Boomers -- the first generation to grow up with television -- feel that TV is their primary source for information on products and services, almost half (45%) say they feel overlooked by marketers who advertise on TV. The study, conducted by GfK Brand & Communications, a division of GfK Custom Research North America, for the cable network TV Land also suggests that marketers looking to tap into Boomers' $2.3 trillion in annual household expenditures would be wise to communicate more directly with the 78 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964.”

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061213/nyw103.html?.v=79

Boomers fall into a TV generation gap
David Bauder
The Age
December 14, 2006

Overview: Bauder reflects on the American advertising market and, specifically, the Harris Interactive and TV Land study that found advertising primarily to the younger markets may be backfiring. Bauder also compares the study findings to the Australian market and reports on the similarities and differences.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/boomers-fall-into-a-tv-generation-gap/2006/12/13/1165685687146.html

1 in 4 Boomers to Delay Retirement
Eileen Alt Powell
Houston Chronicle (Associated Press)
December 13, 2006

Overview: Powell shares study results from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College suggesting that 1 in 4 US baby boomers are not financially ready for retirement and may need to work longer. Powell believes: “the issue is important because working longer is an important option for people who haven't saved enough to retire. It remains unclear, however, if employers are going to want to keep aging boomers on their payrolls or hire others.”

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4397312.html

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Will Boomers Shun Florida?
Rick Ackerman
Gold Seek
December 14, 2006

Overview: Ackerman suggests that boomers will not be looking to move to stereotypical retirement communities in Florida, but to cities like Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

http://news.goldseek.com/RickAckerman/1166112000.php

Boomers Answer Call to Service
Christine Vestal
Infozine.com
December 14, 2006

Overview: A growing number of American boomers are looking for meaningful second careers and particularly legislative positions.

http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/19601/

Forget Fruitcake - 'Gray Gamer' Study Shows Grandparents Prefer Tech Toys
PRNewswire
December 12, 2006

Overview: Press release announcing recent survey results from a Harris Interactive study, mandated by Nintendo of America, which found “68 percent of baby boomers who celebrate the holidays would be excited to receive a technology product as a gift this holiday season.”

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-12-2006/0004490129&EDATE=

On Friday, I blogged about the film “A History of Violence”, and how the boomer mom of two children still fits into her high school cheerleading uniform. Is this—and the attendant imagery of extraordinary boomers jumping from airplanes, looking younger than their daughters and so on –reflective of our generation’s true aspirations?

My colleague Dr. Jimmy Smull and I did a research study of 100 well-educated, high performing leading edge boomer women who are on the path to achieving what they defined as meaningful lives, regardless of the circumstances they were facing. Precious few still fit into their high school clothes—nor wanted to. They did have dreams, however. And yes, there were quite a few who wanted to do some form of adventure travel, who look great for their age and so on. But you want to know what the biggest dream was for many of them? To give up overachieving.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Report: Americans Media Use Rising
Stephen Ohlemacher
Associated Press
December 15, 2006

Overview: Ohlemacher reports on the amount of time Americans spend watching TV and use of other mediums like the internet, radio and daily newspapers. The amount of time Americans spend watching TV is far greater than other mediums and is expected to increase as boomers age.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MEDIA_USE?SITE=NCWIN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Baby Boomers: Are You Dreaming Of Running Your Own Small Business Website?Honor Hart
American Chronicle
December 14, 2006

Overview: Baby boomer entrepreneurs are starting their own online businesses to continue to bring in income for their later years. Hard reports “Many Baby Boomer entrepreneurs are very successful. This is largely because they have already been through the 'school of hard knocks' and have the patience and determination that younger generations lack.”

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=17744

As this evening is the first night of Hanukkah, it is appropriate to light a candle celebrating the possibility of miracles. In the Jewish tradition, the celebration commemorates the victory of the Maccabees and the stage center miracle that while the Maccabees had only had enough oil to burn for one day, the oil burned for eight. In remembrance, Jews light one candle a night for eight nights.

Hummm—something that was supposed to have burned out defied the expectations and kept on going and going and going times eight. Sounds like baby boomers to me. (Okay, it’s a stretch…forgive me…)

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

A baby-boom battle: Rocky fights Methuselah
Charles Gordon
The Ottawa Citizen
December 17, 2006

Overview: Gordon focuses on Sylvester Stallone’s latest Rocky film and relates the ideas of the film to real life boomers. He believes, “Although the film's publicity does not say so, it is clear why Rocky is doing thing this: Rocky is a baby boomer, and baby boomers never stop.”

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=3acf7dcb-30ca-45d2-962e-0d2666cde060

Boomers leap the 60 hurdle
Kim Painter
USAToday.com
December 17, 2006

Overview: Painter reports on the current and future health conditions of baby boomers. Painter writes, “Some research even suggests boomers might be reaching 60 in worse shape than their immediate elders.”

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/yourhealth/2006-12-17-boomers_x.htm

From The Boomer Blog Archives: Happy Holidays!

Three retirement fantasies amongst our circle of friends and family—and perhaps the three top explanations as to why the majority of boomers report that they expect, in the end, to settle somewhere within spitting distance of where they grew up and/or spent the greater part of their lives.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

SILVER SURFERS: Golden opportunities for brands
Fiona Hought
Brand Strategy
December 18, 2006

Overview: Hought reports on importance of online marketing to the over-50 population. “The over-50s look for sites that are easily navigable and maintain a friendly but respectful, non-pressured approach. The websites need to demonstrate recognition that they are important consumers with their own needs and aspirations. Mature customers also look for honesty and straightforward, useful information - not a sales spiel.”

*Note: this article requires a subscription to access.
http://www.brandstrategy.co.uk/

For $320, 0.5 Ounces Of Cocoon Extract To Rub on Your Face --- Aging Baby Boomers Open Pocketbooks for Beauty; Picking Arctic Cranberries
Rachel Dodes and Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan
The Wall Street Journal
December 19, 2006

Overview: Consumers, especially baby boomers, are spending big on cosmetics and anti-aging products. “The country's huge swath of baby boomers -- the 77 million Americans born from 1946 through 1964 -- are a sweet spot for the industry. Over the past three years, U.S. sales of antiaging products jumped 42% to reach almost $2 billion, according to NPD Group.”

*Note: this article requires a subscription to access.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116648899099853927-search.html?KEYWORDS=Rachel+Dodes+&COLLECTION=wsjie/6month

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

The Philadelphia Inquirer Gail Shister column: 'World News' takes lead among coveted viewer group
Gail Shister
The Philadelphia Inquirer
December 20, 2006

Overview: Shister reports on the viewership of ABC’s World News vs. NBC’s Nightly News and their demographic target debate. She writes, “Network-news analyst Andrew Tyndall attributes ABC's success in the 25-to-54 group more to Couric and Williams than to Gibson. Some of the younger viewers migrating to Couric's CBS Evening News are defections from Williams' NBC Nightly News, Tyndall says. As a countermeasure, NBC is doing more features aimed at baby boomers, he says.”

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/16278119.htm

World's Largest Baby Boomers Domain Portfolio Will Be Released to the Public in 2007; Over 300 Niche Targeted Domains to Be sold
PRNewswire
December 19, 2006

Overview: Press release announcing that “The Boomers & Seniors World Network is releasing its Domain Portfolio of Baby Boomers, Boomers, and Seniors Domain names in 2007. The value of these domains continue to grow as millions are spent on marketing to the 78 million Baby Boomers. Over 300 niche targeted domains will be available.”

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/12/prweb492623.htm

From The Boomer Blog Archives: Happy Holidays!

In a Newsday column today titled Pelosi’s Position is a Start, the writer makes great points about Nancy Pelosi’s coming to power as the first woman speaker of the house – as she says “two heartbeats away from the Presidency.” I agree with the writer that this wouldn’t be such a high point of conversation if women were already accepted as true equals … the exception should be the rule.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Baby boomers seek help for elder care
Geography, active lives spawn cottage caregiving industry
Dawn Fratangelo
NBC Nightly News
December 20, 2006

Overview: This NBC Nightly News segment focuses on the growing need for on-the-go baby boomers to find help in caring for their parents. Fratangelo reports that “Baby boomers are finding it takes a village to care for aging family members. A recent survey of women found more than half are concerned about the health of a parent. So a cottage industry is emerging to offer help.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16301736/

JAPAN: New Toyota targets ageing baby boomers
Just-auto.com
December 21, 2006

Overview: Toyota introduced their latest hatchback model targeting baby boomers with features like a keyless engine starter and parking assistant system.

http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=89983

From The Boomer Blog Archives: Happy Holidays!

Dr. Susan Love, who has written the Bible about breast cancer, makes an interesting point. She notes that to 'sex up' the news, most of the time a journalist does an article on breast cancer--be it a new breakthrough treatment, advice on getting a mammogram, etc.--they show a young woman, often in her 20's or 30's, who is in treatment. The fact that young women get breast cancer is tragic, and needs to be addressed. However, Dr. Love points out that the vast majority of breast cancer patients are over sixty years of age. Because of this discrepancy between the media perception and the reality, many young women are needlessly terrified of getting cancer at their age. This is an ironic turn of events, given that for once, it isn't the women 60 plus, themselves, who are paying the price of invisibility in the media. This time, our daughters are also suffering. And while we're at it, with so many survivors afoot, walking marathons, running governments, and so on, maybe those amongst us who are beyond are 20s and 30s should take the media reports determined to terrify us with a grain of salt, as well. As my spiritual upbringing has taught me, expect the best, trust yourself and life that you'll be able to handle whatever life sends your way.

Carol Orsborn

Happy Holidays from The Boomer Blog. See you back here January 1, 2007!

2006 was the year that the worlds of marketing and media woke up to the power and potential of the boomer consumer. Whereas a year ago, we were lucky to find a couple of articles a week showing up on our “GOOGLE” searches, now there are multiple offerings daily. They flood into us from virtually every industry and from around the world.

Given the volume of statistics and predictions about this powerhouse generation, who spend $2.1 trillion on consumer goods and services alone, selecting the top trends for ’07 is quite the challenge…one we’re gladly taking on. So without further ado, here’s our top trends about marketing to boomers for 2007.