Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Report: Senior housing declines
Associated Press
June 1, 2009

Overview: “Home construction for Americans 55 and older is expected to drop by nearly half in 2009 compared with the previous year, a sign that the market for home building geared to senior citizens is contracting despite the wave of baby boomers approaching retirement.”
http://tinyurl.com/m3qq9m

A boom in 'encore careers'
Irene Sege
Boston Globe
June 1, 2009

Overview: “Three-quarters of boomers surveyed by Merrill Lynch plan to continue working, typically to "retire" at 64 and start a second career, often one that not only pays the bills but also gives back. The buzzword now is "encore careers," and a number of vehicles are emerging to help boomers and their elders make the transition to second careers in nonprofit organizations or public service.”
http://tinyurl.com/nulq7y

After crash, has twilight come to the Sun Belt?
Todd Lewan
Associated Press
May 31, 2009

Overview: “In this way, for a generation or more, the Sun Belt thrived like no other region in America — a growth so steady it felt as though the boom would never end. But now it has, replaced by a bust that has left some swaths of the region suffering as severely as anywhere in the current recession.”
http://tinyurl.com/lpcay7

Funeral industry gears up for boomers’ final economic impact
Celia Lamb
Sacramento Business Journal
May 29, 2009

Overview: “As the baby boom gets a little closer to the end of the generation, the funeral services industry is shifting to cheaper and more personalized services.”
http://tinyurl.com/maj6b8

Cashing in on aging boomers
Kelly Johnson
Sacramento Business Journal
May 29, 2009

Overview: “The consumer products and services industry can’t stop thinking about the mature market, especially since a baby boomer turns 50 every 8½ seconds. At 78 million people, boomers represent one-third of all adults in the United States.”
http://tinyurl.com/mwtvyp

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

They love being grandparents, but call them something else
Linda Matchan
Boston Globe
June 2, 2009

Overview: “As the youth-obsessed baby boomers advance, albeit reluctantly, into the next phase of their lives, they are embracing grandparenthood with the same gusto they have expressed for everything else … But grandparenting comes with a catch: It means you are getting old - or at least older. And that's not sitting well.”
http://tinyurl.com/kshog3

Online, ‘a Reason to Keep on Going’
Stephanie Clifford
New York Times
June 1, 2009

Overview: “Among older people who went online last year, the number visiting social networks grew almost twice as fast as the overall rate of Internet use among that group, according to the media measurement company comScore.”
http://tinyurl.com/lyv9c2

Connecting With Boomers On The Move
Tom Derzypolski
Engage Boomers Web log (MediaPost)
June 1, 2009

Overview: “Catering to the needs of high-end motorcoach owners throughout the United States, RV resorts have been popping up from Key West to Seattle. Despite the decline in traditional real estate markets, the past three years have shown explosive growth in this niche. … All face the same challenge: How to develop, launch and sustain a brand with such a nomadic [baby boomer] target audience?”
http://tinyurl.com/nwc2cr

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Baby Boomers Key To Economic Recovery
The Gourmet Retailer
June 2, 2009

Overview: “Why should your sales strategy consider boomers in a big way? As a statistical demographic, they control more than half of the discretionary spending; they hold more than 70 percent of the country's wealth; and a behavioral trend indicates that they are still spending that money, even during the recession, reports Sales & Marketing Management.”
http://tinyurl.com/olnzh5

Houston Robertson advocates aging as renaissance
Ted Fuller
The Examiner
June 2, 2009

Overview: “The baby boomers’ encore careers will become vital … An elder culture will replace the youth culture most marketing people target today.”
http://tinyurl.com/po726c

15 Social Media Maxims for Marketers
Erik Qualman
Search Engine Watch
June 1, 2009

Overview: “Social media's growth is now being aided by the Baby Boomer generation. The fastest growing segment on Facebook is composed of females age 55 to 65 as they try to better connect with their kids and grandchildren. Heck, even the Pope has joined Facebook, launching a social media connection site.”
http://tinyurl.com/pkmhl3

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Dick's Sporting Goods plans to play it safe, expand at slow pace
Kim Leonard
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
June 4, 2009

Overview: “Going forward, Dick's [Sporting Goods] prospects depend not only on an economic recovery, but how aging baby boomers will use their leisure time — and whether they'll buy expensive equipment such as treadmills, kayaks or golf clubs, or cheaper items such as walking shoes.”
http://tinyurl.com/r3phoc

Are you on Facebook? Do you Tweet?
WMBF-TV.com (NBC)
June 3, 2009

Overview: “Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter aren't just a fad, they're here to stay. Internet savvy business owners are taking advantage of those networks and using them to bring in clients.”
http://tinyurl.com/qyx683

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Look Out Grandma and Grandpa, Pebbles and Napa Are Coming
Lindsey Chapman
Finding Dulcinea
June 5, 2009

Overview: “Baby boomers are growing into grandparenthood, but don’t try to saddle them with names like “grandma” and “grandpa.” This group is different than grandparents past, The Boston Globe writes, enjoying their grandchildren’s video games, finding music they like and taking trips with the youngsters. Many are relishing their roles, but the one thing they don’t want to be considered is old.”
http://tinyurl.com/oc3ctc

What Boomers need to know about tattoos
Patt Johnson
Des Moines Register
June 5, 2009

Overview: “With the stigma of tattoos diminishing, more baby boomers are heading to tattoo salons to add colorful designs to their bodies.”
http://tinyurl.com/qay94a

Special feature: Leisure time is active time for today's boomer
Michele Lerner
Washington Times
June 5, 2009

Overview: “Active-adult communities, restricted to households with residents age 55 and older, are typically different from traditional retirement communities. Now that the baby-boomer generation believes "50 is the new 40," residents of active-adult communities often work part time or full time.”
http://tinyurl.com/poxv75

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Opportunities abound in serving aging boomers
Steve Hendershot
Crain’s Chicago Business Journal
June 8, 2009

Overview: “Baby boomers have been waiting their whole lives for the chance to retire and show everybody the right way to grow old: on their terms. With the oldest boomers now in their 60s, they're not about to let a recession get in the way.”
http://tinyurl.com/ktzybd

New Subway-Sponsored 'Fit to Boom' Targets Older Demo
Mike Shields
Media Week
June 7, 2009

Overview: “MSN and sister news site MSNBC.com have joined forces to launch Fit to Boom, an original series that features a group of baby boomers who have recently embarked on major, health-driven life changes.”
http://tinyurl.com/m5llg7

Marketplace: Reversing boomers' misfortune
Julia Anderson
The Columbian
June 6, 2009

Overview: “Gary Brooks and Allyn Hughes use before and after photos of the eruption of Mount St. Helens to illustrate the massive meltdown of retirement savings of baby boomers — the 75 million Americans born in the years following World War II who now must adjust to the new economy.”
http://tinyurl.com/m57oke

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

In the Long Run, Boomers May Discover That Racewalking Is the Way to Go
Lenny Bernstein
Washington Post
June 9, 2009

Overview: Racewalking may be next big thing for baby boomers looking for lower impact physical activities to stay in shape.
http://tinyurl.com/nueyq4

Millennials teach baby boomers
Marissa Sherer
WREX-TV.com (NBC)
June 9, 2009

Overview: A new organization called Chromelight II helps get baby boomers acquainted with social media sites in order to network with other people.
http://tinyurl.com/m949z4

Women: Well-Connected And Wired
Stephen Riley
Engage Boomers
June 8, 2009

Overview: “Among the fastest-growing demographics on Facebook are women age 55-plus! The growth of Boomer women on social networking sites is confirmed by a white paper released by VibrantNation.com, based on a survey of 1,000 well-educated Boomer women with household incomes above $75,000.”
http://tinyurl.com/n3tyax

Builders urged to pay attention to what Boomers want
Cecilia Chan
The Arizona Republic
June 6, 2009

Overview: Developers of retirement communities will need to adapt to the changing lifestyles of Baby boomers to continue to attract them in the future.
http://tinyurl.com/m3or9d

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Ready for digital TV? Baby Boomers are
Paul Briand
Examnier.com
June 9, 2009

Overviews: Baby Boomers are more prepared for Friday’s nationwide conversion to all digital television than other population segments.
http://tinyurl.com/mhg8pa

Change afoot among the TV set
Paul Bond
The Hollywood Reporter
June 9, 2009

Overview: Recent data reveals baby boomer business professionals spend more downtime surfing the Internet than watching television.
http://tinyurl.com/nq5lj4

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Boomers to This Year’s Grads: We are Really, Really Sorry
Douglass Belkin
Wall Street Journal
June 10, 2009

Overview: Baby boomers took podiums at college graduations nationwide— all with the same apologetic message to those graduating during these difficult economic times.
http://tinyurl.com/lzvpap

Baby Boomers: It's All Your Fault
Barrett Sheridan
Newsweek
June 9, 2009

Overview: Due to their excessive splurging and borrowing during the late 90s and 2000s, fingers are pointed toward boomers as purveyors of the current economical slump.
http://tinyurl.com/lzmglw

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Is it necessary for baby boomers to apologize to younger generations for their excesses?
Rita R. Robison
Seattle Post Intelligencer Reader Blogs
June 12, 2009

Overview: “While things are tough in the economy and boomers share the blame, other generations also have enjoyed the high life. Many Gen X and Yers were raised in boom times and love cars, electronic gadgets, games, and other toys.”
http://tinyurl.com/ne9r27

Forecaster: Baby Boomers won't give economy a boost
Venuri Siriwardane
New Jersey Business News
June 11, 2009

Overview: Experts predict aging boomers will continue spending less. Without strong consumer spending to support the economy, no amount of government stimulus will prevent an inevitable long, dark recession ahead.
http://tinyurl.com/l7lsto

Actresses add facetime with ads
Anna Stewart
Variety
June 11, 2009

Overview: Baby boomers are receptive to ads featuring actresses “aging with them.”
http://tinyurl.com/l5scks

Employed see tough times, too
Dennis Cauchon
USA Today
June 10, 2009

Overview: “Unemployment rates for workers 45 and older have soared to their highest level since at least 1948, when the government started tracking it.”
http://tinyurl.com/kk2bef

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Angry Old Men
Gregory Rodriguez
Los Angeles Times
June 15, 2009

Overview: “In the last two weeks, we've witnessed an 88-year-old white supremacist allegedly kill a security guard at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and a 51-year-old religious zealot allegedly assassinate a doctor who performed abortions in Wichita, Kan. Have we entered the era of the angry old -- or at least middle-aged -- man?”
http://tinyurl.com/nap5jx

The audacity of baby boomers
Beth Miller
The News Journal
June 14, 2009

Overview: “Whether they work for pay because they have to or work for free because they choose to, many don't want to just sit around and see what happens.”
http://tinyurl.com/mfzt8m

Black or gray: A Baby Boomer's choice
Paul Briand
The Examiner
June 13, 2009

Overview: The black vs. gray exchange is symptomatic of the cultural tug-of-war between how society views Baby Boomers and how they see themselves. Baby Boomers are trying to redefine aging by defying it.
http://tinyurl.com/mx2xga\

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Study Identifies Aging Hispanic Workers as “Invisible Boomers”
Eduardo A. de Oliveira
New Media America
June 16, 2009

Overview: At age 50, says the AARP report, Hispanics can expect to live three years longer than non-Hispanic white men and women, five or six years longer than non-Hispanic African Americans.
http://tinyurl.com/nq5y9z

Yoga grows in popularity among Baby Boomers
Paul Briand
The Examiner
June 16, 2009

Overview: Many Baby Boomers are practicing yoga as a way to better physical health, while still holding on to the tranquility.
http://tinyurl.com/mbvt3z

The Same But Not Alike
Matt Thornhill
Engage Boomers Blog
June 15, 2009

Overview: Marketers across all industries are looking for a shorthand method of understanding today's Boomer Consumer. All Boomers are different, but share a set of similar core traits, formed when they came of age back in the late 1950s, '60s and early '70s.
http://tinyurl.com/lrcs3n

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Cultures Clash in Tehran
Richard Bulliet
The New York Times
June 17, 2009

Overview: “In Iran, the time gap between the Greatest Generation and the Baby Boomers is 10 years, as opposed to 20 in the United States. The election of President Ahmadinejad, a veteran of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, confirmed the rise to power of the Greatest Generation and set the stage for today’s clash with the youth counterculture.”
http://tinyurl.com/mwbdxs

For Boomers, recession is redefining retirement
Christine Dugas
USA Today
June 17, 2009

Overview: The 77 million Americans in the Baby Boom generation face an economic storm: The Wall Street meltdown trampled their retirement nest eggs more than any other group.
http://tinyurl.com/lsnd9c

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

A difficult drive in a suit designed to mimic effects of aging
Vivian Nereim
The Boston Globe
June 18, 2009

Overview: “According to a survey conducted by Liberty Mutual, while 58 percent of baby boomers think their parents would be uncomfortable talking about changing their driving habits, 92 percent of seniors said their children had a right to raise the issue.”
http://tinyurl.com/lemlhb

For some Boomers no such thing as empty nest
Paul Briand
The Examiner
June 18, 2009

Overview: “Almost half of Baby Boomer women who participated in a survey said they are helping their adult children more than they expected ... with day-to-day living expenses because of the economy, even dipping into their retirement savings to lend a hand.”
http://tinyurl.com/ne9cwg

A to Z of Generation Y
Alison Maitland
Financial Times
June 17, 2009

Overview: Generation Y and Baby Boomers have a lot in common, according to recent studies.
http://tinyurl.com/kpvakw

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

A difficult drive in a suit designed to mimic effects of aging
Vivian Nereim
The Boston Globe
June 18, 2009

Overview: “According to a survey conducted by Liberty Mutual, while 58 percent of baby boomers think their parents would be uncomfortable talking about changing their driving habits, 92 percent of seniors said their children had a right to raise the issue.”
http://tinyurl.com/lemlhb

For some Boomers no such thing as empty nest
Paul Briand
The Examiner
June 18, 2009

Overview: “Almost half of Baby Boomer women who participated in a survey said they are helping their adult children more than they expected ... with day-to-day living expenses because of the economy, even dipping into their retirement savings to lend a hand.”
http://tinyurl.com/ne9cwg

A to Z of Generation Y
Alison Maitland
Financial Times
June 17, 2009

Overview: Generation Y and Baby Boomers have a lot in common, according to recent studies.
http://tinyurl.com/kpvakw

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Boomers flocking to Facebook
Larry Muhammad
The Courier-Journal
June 19, 2009

Overview: “Hitwise, Comscore, the Pew Internet and American Life Project and other Internet tracking services say baby boomers are deluging Facebook with memberships and becoming one of its fastest-growing contingents.”
http://tinyurl.com/nvt5vj

This Boomer Isn't Going to Apologize
Stephen Moore
The Wall Street Journal
June 19, 2009

Overview: “How bad can the legacy of the baby boomers really be? Boomers are the generation that birthed Microsoft, Intel, Apple, Google, ATMs and Gatorade. Boomers defeated the evils of communism and delivered the world from the brink of global thermonuclear war.”
http://tinyurl.com/ne45gc

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Echo boomers a lifeline for embattled U.S. housing
Lynn Adler
Reuters
June 22, 2009

Overview: “The children of baby boomers will eventually resuscitate the pummeled U.S. housing market, Harvard University said on Monday, but in the meantime, limits on income and credit are sustaining the three-year bust.”
http://tinyurl.com/n6k28v

Baby Boomers are today's entrepreneurs
Paul Briand
The Examiner
June 22, 2009

Overview: Baby boomers have the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity, according to a recent study by the Kauffman Foundation.
http://tinyurl.com/m73vz9

Are Baby Boomers "Soft" Parents?
Diane Amento Owens
Seattle Post Intelligencer
June 19, 2009

Overview: Where parents draw the line may be explained by generational factors.
http://tinyurl.com/n2cw4h

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Boomer couples aren't talking about retirement
Paul Briand
The Examiner
June 23, 2009

Overview: Fidelity Investments conducted research with just over 500 married couples, comprising Baby Boomers and older pre-retirees concerning retirement decisions and planning.
http://tinyurl.com/ktjtpx

GM hopes new Buick LaCrosse will lure young buyers
Tom Kirshner
Associated Press
June 23, 2009

Overview: “GM has a difficult task ahead of it to convince baby boomers that Buick is worthy of consideration because many have left the brand already for foreign competitors.”
http://tinyurl.com/llfmbx

Maybe Peter Pan Should Move To Madison Avenue
Brent Bouchez
Engage Boomers Web log
June 22, 2009

Overview: “Boomers have become smart, savvy, worldly, respected and ready for the next chapter of their lives. And they want to be marketed to in a way that understands and respects not who they were, but who they are.”
http://tinyurl.com/n96t8f

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

When Granny Is the Nanny: Child-Rearing Disputes With Grandparents
Sue Shellenberger
Wall Street Journal Blog
June 24, 2009

Overview: “Prevailing child-rearing beliefs have changed so drastically in recent decades that tradition-minded World War II-era grandparents, hovering baby boomers and family-focused Generation X-ers often clash.”
http://tinyurl.com/lm2u6l

World's 65 and older population to triple by 2050
Hope Yen
Associated Press
June 24, 2009

Overview: “The world's 65-and-older population will triple by mid-century to 1 in 6 people, leaving the U.S. and other nations struggling to support the elderly.”
http://tinyurl.com/nk48uh

Boomers Delay Retirement As Savings Dwindle
Jillian Mincer
The Wall Street Journal
June 23, 2009

Overview: “A report released in June by consulting firm Watson Wyatt found that 34% of workers have increased their planned retirement age in the last 12 months. Three-quarters of employees aged 50 to 64 cited the decline in value of their 401(k) plans as the most common reason for the delay. More than 60% cited the high cost of health care.”
http://tinyurl.com/m5eqt6

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Boomer professionals: More online, less TV
Paul Briand
The Examiner
June 25, 2009

Overview: “The results of a new report point to a powerful shift occurring among Boomers away from traditional TV towards new types of online services and entertainment.”
http://tinyurl.com/lulnv8

Limiting Age-Bias Suits
Kristen B. Frasch
Human Resource Executive Online
June 25, 2009

Overview: Will the Supreme Court’s decision requiring a much more restrictive burden of proof from the plaintiff, or employee in age-bias suits curtail the expected uptick in age-discrimination lawsuits many legal experts expect to be filed in the near future due to baby boomers continuing to work?
http://tinyurl.com/kruhpf

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Baby Boomers Lose Two Icons on One Sad Day
Tamar Adams
The Huffington Post
June 26, 2005

Overview: Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett helped define a generation of Baby Boomers who were too young to claim Elvis and too old to boast about Jennifer Aniston.
http://tinyurl.com/okfsd2

Boredom, Not Rigor, Dampens Volunteers' Spirits
Rick Wartzman
Business Week
June 26, 2005

Overview: “The nation's 77 million Baby Boomers are also getting into the act, as more and more folks in their 40s, 50s, and 60s look to take up a so-called encore career that's centered on volunteering and public service.”
http://tinyurl.com/mzx4y9

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Mamas, Don't Let Your Ads Grow Up To Be Camels
Todd Harff
Media Post Blog
June 29, 2009

Overview: When advertising to Boomers, survey results reveal single images are more effective than collage style layouts. Simplicity is key.
http://tinyurl.com/l6r5de

Few see themselves as “old,”no matter what their age
Sharon Jayson
USA Today
June 29, 2009

Overview: “No matter what their chronological age, most people say that they aren't yet "old" — and that they feel younger than their birthday count, according to a new nationally representative survey of almost 3,000 adults by the Pew Research Center.”
http://tinyurl.com/mbcm9a

Maybe Peter Pan Should Move To Madison Avenue
Brent Bouchez
Media Post Blogs
June 22, 2009

Overview: “The average 55 year old might want the body of a 30 year old, s/he doesn't want the brain of a 30 year old. Boomers have become smart, savvy, worldly, respected and ready for the next chapter of their lives and they want to be marketed to in a way that understands and respects not who they were, but who they are.”
http://tinyurl.com/n96t8f