Anyone who has seen Al Gore’s film, “An Inconvenient Truth,” likely can’t help but be a little convinced that global warming is indeed a real phenomenon (whatever your politics may be). Sunday night’s “60 Minutes” underscored this idea by showcasing a less than happy footed penguin population in Antarctica that had dropped by 60 percent. And if you don’t believe the hype, consider that during a mid-Atlantic winter, 70 degree temps tricked sweet natured trees into full bloom, while this weekend, one forecaster predicted snow.
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So what on earth (pardon the pun) does this have to do with marketing to the baby boomers? Plenty. Boomer expert and author of Marketing to Leading-Edge Baby Boomers, Brent Green, tells us why “eco-friendly” products are key in capturing boomer dollars. While there are a handful of reasons, one seminal event left a lasting impression on the minds of many teenaged boomers. It was called the Love Canal, an unfinished canal near Niagara Falls that was turned into a chemical waste dump by less than scrupulous corporations, resulting in birth defects and cancers, among other horrors. Wildly publicized, it fueled many boomers with new found intensity for managing mother earth.
While some Gen X marketers may roll their eyes when they hear childhood echoes from the “recycle or die” go-go 90s, don’t dismiss the boomers’ sincere concern for the planet. If you’re going to effectively sell boomers a car, make it a hybrid. If you’re offering industrial cleaning products, make them biodegradable. Tout any eco-friendly partnerships your company has engaged in. Starbucks is a great example of a company gone green, boasting waste reduction through reusable tableware and Ethos water. In selling to this cohort, do whatever it takes to get inspired…watch Gore’s film, take a walk outdoors, water a Chia Pet. For boomers, environmentally friendly products are far from passé. And once again, we younger marketers can take a lesson.
Amanda Sobanet
Comments (1)
Love Canal is seared into my brain. I
know lots of people my age (48) who are
concerned about being green.
Posted by Rhea | April 4, 2007 9:45 AM
Posted on April 4, 2007 09:45