Fleishman-Hillard is the first global PR firm to offer a U.S.-based practice group that is exclusively dedicated to helping companies build powerful relationships with the men and women of the baby boomer generation.
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Carol Orsborn, guest blogger and co-founder of FH Boom, is pleased to share with you an excerpt from: BOOM: Marketing to the Ultimate Power Consumer—the Baby Boomer Woman (Amacom Books, Fall of 2006, by Mary Brown and Carol Orsborn, Ph.D).
Read it here.
FH Boom℠ offers trainings and keynotes in various topics. All topics can be presented as keynotes, half to full-day trainings and/or multi-day retreats, and customized to your organization’s particular purposes.
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Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Put away the elastic waists, Mom, and get Boomer chic
Rod Stafford Hagwood
South Florida Sun Sentinel
October 25, 2006
Overview: Hagwood writes about the "tired" dress style of baby boomers and the need to change their style. He featured Sherrie Mathieson, author of Forever Cool, a style guide for boomers.
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
It’s a cold, cruel world for the digitally challenged
Paul Ruiterman
Whistler Question
October 26, 2006
Overview: Ruiterman writes about the number of technologies that have come and gone during the boomer generation with products like the portable cassette players, CD's, DVD's, cell phones, and most importantly the Internet.
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Largest-Ever Study of Baby Boomers and Mature Consumers Finds 60 Percent Plan to Live in Current Home During the Next Five Years
PR Newswire Release
October 27, 2006
Overview: PR Newswire announced a study conducted by Focalyst reporting that baby boomers want to continue living in their current homes and remodel.
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Baby Boomers: and the illusion of perpetual youth
Michael Bywater
New Statesman
October 30, 2006
Overview: This article focuses on baby boomers and their desire not to grow old so that they could make a difference in the world that influences their perceptions of big business, government, social issues and life in general. This desire to "stay young" influences today's lifestyle to the point that the line between being authentic and inauthentic is blurred.
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
The steady glow of the Boom tube
Eric Deggans
St. Petersburg Times
October 31, 2006
Overview: Advertising and marketing companies are spending more time focusing on younger generations, while ignoring the biggest spending age group: baby boomers. With statistical support from Age Wave Research and industry experts, Deggeans reports on the appeal for marketing to boomers.
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/31/Seniority/The_steady_glow_of_th.shtml
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Lincoln CEO says baby boomers remain big focus of sales
Lavonne Kuykendall
MarketWatch
Nov 1, 2006
Overview: Due to boomers outliving their parents, companies such as Lincoln Financial are capable of a large sale increase by targeting boomers.
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Retiring baby boomers not all 'Great Gatsbys'
Piero Rivolta says if developers focus on $2 million-plus condos, "people will go elsewhere."
Stephen Frater
Herald Tribune
November 3, 2006
Overview: Stephen Frater suggests that not all condo developers believe boomers will be spending big on housing and how this may impact the Florida housing developers and market.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061103/BUSINESS/611030566
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Smooth sailing for markets until 2010, then ... 'look out'
The author of "The Great Boom Ahead" sees stocks soaring until the influx of retiring baby boomers starts to take a toll.
Neal St. Anthony
Star Tribune
November 03, 2006
Overview: This article concentrates on the projected decline of the stock market when boomers eventually retire. In addition, Anthony reports on the decline in real estate prices and whether or not that decline is here to stay.
http://www.startribune.com/1069/story/787330.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Chadwick Martin Bailey Releases Baby Boomer Research
Business Wire
November 7, 2006
Overview: According to survey results from Chadwick Martin Bailey and Arnold Worldwide, the boomer generation should be divided into five subgroups for strategic marketing: "Status Seekers, Traditionalists, Blue Collar Skeptics, Activists and Achievers."
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
The forgotten middle-aged male
Dale McFeatters
Scripps News
November 08, 2006
Overview: McFeatters shares his point of view about the article written by Suzanne Vranica on November 5, 2006 edition of the Wall Street Journal. He notes that while boomers have money to spend, male baby boomers are holding on to their money.
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Editorial: A grumpy old man describes a life In the boom times
Neil Mitchell
Herald Sun
November 9, 2006
Overview: Mitchell shares his belief that boomers have "spent their first half of their adult lives dedicated to excess, independence, freedom and loud music," and have spent the second half of their lives setting rules that everybody else should follow.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20725320-5000117,00.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Boomers: A great focus for your business
Rhonda Abrahms
USA Today
November 10, 2006
Overview: Abrahams reports that companies should target boomers as both consumers and employees. When targeting boomers as consumers, Abrahams shares the latest spending trends that include: “healthcare, travel, appearance, second homes, their own businesses, retirement communities, assisted living facilities and nursing homes.” And when targeting boomers as employees, Abrahams reports that boomers are knowledgeable and have a great deal of experience to contribute to companies. Additionally, Abrahams gives specific tips for marketing to boomers as consumers or employees such as "Target Boomers in your help-wanted ads. Indicate that you value workers of all ages. Be open to older applicants.”
http://www.usatoday.com/money/small business/columnist/abrams/2006-11-10-boomers_x.htm
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
TV Land Aims to Tap Into the George Foreman in Everyone
Elizabeth Jensen
New York Times
November 13, 2006
Overview: TV Land will market to boomers with programming that is centered on “having second careers and changing lifestyles” like their new pilot “Family Foreman” staring the retired boxer and grill creator, George Foreman.
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
A CONVERSATION WITH -- Robert N. Butler
Focusing on the Issue of Aging, and Growing Into the Job
Claudia Dreifus
The New York Times
November 14, 2006
Overview: Dr. Butler, the founder of the Department of Geriatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and leader of the International Longevity Center, believes that “we need to be thinking differently about aging." Additionally, he shares his view on boomers and states that “boomers could become a strong public group by virtue of their size. They have political experience and they may use it to create change."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/14/science/14conv.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Cable Network Adds Original Programming to Cater to Me Generation
Andrew Hampp
Advertising Age
November 15, 2006
Overview: Hampp reports on TV Land’s new lineup designed specifically for boomers. TV Land is calling the boomer generation the “Me Generation” and will even feature a show with George Foreman, “the boomer icon."
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Baby boomers have mixed feelings on postwar Japan
The Daily Yomiuri
November 16, 2006
Overview: A Yomiuri Shimbun survey found that while Japanese boomers supported postwar Japan, they miss the social interactions between family, friends and communities.
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Retirement? What retirement? Baby boomers are leaving the corporate world behind and jumping into business for themselves
Christian L. Wright
The Globe and Mail
November 17, 2006 (Originally published in the New York Times on November 14)
Overview: This reporter writes about the growing popularity for baby boomers to start their own businesses instead of retiring. She focuses on Kathy Charlton as an example of someone who left a corporate job to start her own company.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/15/business/smallbusiness/15second.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Boomer Greed
Arnold Ahlert
New York Post
November 18, 2006
Overview: Ahlert states his opinion that one of the reasons why the American society is hurting is due to "boomer greed."
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Don't Box Boomers In
Baby Boomers have a strong online customer presence, but companies must pay attention to factors aside from age to get the full picture of this cohort.
Jessica Sebor
CRM Magazine
November 20, 2006
Overview: Sebor reports on study results from Jupiter Research. The report “Demographic Profile: Baby Boomers Online” suggests that boomers are using the internet just as often as non-boomers and for the same things (product purchasing, research, etc.). Factors such as income level and health status, have a large impact on online activities amongst baby boomers. Additionally, Sebor urges companies to pay particular attention to these specific factors when targeting their customers.
http://www.destinationcrm.com/articles/default.asp?ArticleID=6510
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Eight words never to say to a baby boomer
Susan Felt
The Arizona Republic
November 21, 2006
Overview: Felt reports on the presentation from Chuck Underwood (owner of Generation Imperative) during a national meeting of public transportation managers. Underwood suggests that boomers are a generation viewing themselves as forever young and terms that may suggest otherwise should be avoided. He uses AARP as an example of an organization that has adjusted both their marketing strategy and name to fit the boomers’ perception of their generation.
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Boomers Set to Shake-Up Housing Market, Again
Cheryl Corley
NPR: Weekend Edition – Sunday
November, 26 2006
Overview: Cheryl Corley reports on how boomers will change the housing market and includes interviews with Frank Anton (CEO of Hanley Wood, LLC) and Timothy McCarthy (Managing Director of Traditions of America).
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6539948
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
YouTube makes the move on TV's "old rich people"
Jeremy Reimer
Arstechnica.com
November 27, 2006
Overview: Reimer reports that YouTube is a popular place for boomers and suggests that this trend impacts how marketers and advertisers target this significant age group. Specifically, Reimers shares, “Nielsen/Netratings found that 55 percent of YouTube users were between the ages of 35 to 64.” And when looking at YouTube’s visitors, “38.4 percent of visitors' income bracket at below $60,000, with 61.6 percent earning above that figure.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Single boomers seek love on their terms
Megan Finnerty
The Arizona Republic
November 29, 2006
Overview: According to Finnerty, “Of the nearly 82 million baby boomers in America, a third are single.” But being single is no longer deemed as a weakness to boomers as they redefine what it means to be happy. With money and health on their side, boomers understand that companionship and enjoyment can take a myriad of forms other than marriage.
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Golden Gadgets
Douglas Waller
Time
December 4, 2006
Overview: Waller reports on the upcoming innovative health care related products designed for the aging population. Waller writes “Consider this: in the next 10 to 20 years, 78 million baby boomers in the U.S. will reach ages when health care is a worry. That sizable number--and the billions of dollars it represents in potential sales--has sent companies scrambling for technology to help seniors cope with the infirmities that come with aging while maintaining their autonomy.”
http://www.time.com/time/generations/article/0,9171,1562948,00.html
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.”
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.
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.
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
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.”
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.”
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
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/
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.”
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=
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
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
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.”
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.
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Among Your Qualifications, an M.B.A. at Household U.
Kelley Holland
The New York Times
December 31, 2006
Overview: Holland reports on what stay-at-home parents can offer employers and how raising children provides parents with management skills ideal for those looking to get back into the work force. Holland writes, “In a survey published in 2002 of 61 women with diverse responsibilities, the women cited improved interpersonal and leadership skills, increased comfort with taking risks and a greater ability to multitask, among other skills."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/31/business/yourmoney/31mgmt.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
It's a woman's world
Mindie Paget
Journal-World
January 2, 2007
Overview: Paget announces the start up of Boomergirl.com, created by Cathy Hamilton of The World Company, a Web site designed for baby boomer women. “Hamilton and her team of online developers from The World Company took a sophisticated approach, using an earthy color palette, simple navigation and images of real boomer-aged women.”
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/jan/02/its_womans_world/
Developers catering to Boomers seeking housing with modern amenities
Andy Reid and Robin Benedick
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
January 2, 2007
Overview: Reid and Benedick report on the latest trends in boomer retirement housing and write “Despite the overall cooling of the real estate market, the demand from retiring boomers should mean construction will continue for homes intended for the 55-plus crowd, said Jack McCabe, a Deerfield Beach real estate analyst.”
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-pretiredjan02,0,2857579.story
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Baby Boomers Uniquely Positioned to Embrace Emerging Entertainment New Media, TV Land's Joy of Tech Study Finds
PRNewswire
January 2, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing research findings from TV Land's Joy of Tech Study, which found that “TV entertainment is the key driver for Boomers adopting new media technologies.” Moreover, “TV Land's Joy of Tech study revealed that when looking to new entertainment technologies, Boomers consider the "4 C's" or four key factors: control, choice, clarity and community.”
http://sev.prnewswire.com/entertainment/20070102/NYTU10602012007-1.html
Coming of age - with a vengeance
Western Daily Press
January 2, 2007
Overview: Article focuses on the baby boomer generation including trends and future predictions for the generation as a whole. The article also shares personal reflections such as, “we're at least getting out to eat, going for walks and weekends away and taking a more active part in shaping our lifestyles than our predecessors.”
Baby Boomers Count Down to Retirement
U.S. Treasury's Go Direct Campaign Launches Pledge Drive to Spur Direct Deposit for Social Security Benefit Payments
PRNewswire
January 3, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing the U.S. Treasury’s Go Direct Campaign to “encourage baby boomers preparing to head into retirement to choose direct deposit once they start collecting Social Security benefits.” The release also shares survey results from the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve Banks including, “one in four boomers still gets paid with old-fashioned paper checks, a trend that's particularly entrenched with those closest to retirement age (51-60 years old).”
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-03-2007/0004498712&EDATE=
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
A Nintendo for Grandma
Leron Kornreich
Time
January 3, 2007
Overview: Kornreich reports on how video game companies are targeting baby boomers and, specifically, the game “Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day”. Kornreich writes, “The over-50 set is a largely untapped and potentially lucrative market, and toy and gaming companies are starting to court the boomer generation with products claiming to help sharpen memory and cognitive ability.”
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1573749,00.html
Retirees facing marriage dilemma
Daily Yomiuri
January 4, 2007
Overview: Experts suggest that married baby boomers are having trouble agreeing on retirement decisions, and predict they with struggle with other long-term marriage challenges.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070104TDY02009.htm
*Articles Worth Noting
Aging Boomers likely to change housing market
Bob Tedeschi
San Francisco Chronicle
December 31, 2006
Overview: This New York Times article focuses on how boomers will impact the housing market. Tedeschi reports, “Late last month, the Mortgage Bankers Association in Washington released a report conducted with the Brookings Institution showing that aging Baby Boomers, generally defined as those born in 1946 through 1964, will probably cause stagnation in many housing markets, particularly in the suburbs.”
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/31/REGIPN9G4C1.DTL
Boomers affect gardening market
Rebecca Finneran
The Grand Rapids Press
December 31, 2006
Overview: Finneran reports on gardening trends and writes, “Baby boomers are the largest segment of people affecting the climate of the market. Vuyst says a recent study shows for this group of people to maintain their current lifestyle, they will delay retirement, affecting the garden market for years to come.”
http://www.mlive.com/homeimprovement/stories/index.ssf?/base/features-0/1167550224139010.xml&coll=6
Unconventional Wisdom | Baby boomers still kidding themselves
Alfred Lubrano
Philadelphia Inquirer
December 30, 2006
Overview: Lubrano shares his opinion on the boomer generation as a whole and believes that “denial is the baby-boomer legacy.”
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/magazine/daily/16348497.htm
Baby Boomers Will Drive Real Estate Growth
Real Estate Advisor
December, 2006
Overview: This article concentrates on the impact boomers will have on the real estate industry and the latest trends in terms of boomers and retirement preferences. Additionally, the article includes study findings from the National Association of Realtors that show “when baby boomers were asked about what features are most important to them, 38% wanted a lower cost of living, 38% wanted to be near family, 38% wanted easy access to quality health care, 37% wanted a better climate, and 36% wanted to be near a body of water.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Boomer-gals thumb their noses at aging
Susan Felt
Gannett News Service (Palitem.com)
January 5, 2007
Overview: Female boomers are coming together and forming their own societies such as the “Blue Thong Society” and “Red Hat Society.” These groups “provide women with social support and a sense of community. They also directly challenge cultural stereotypes about how middle-age and older women look, act and feel.”
http://www.palitem.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070105/NEWS16/70103019/1005
A year when age wasn't a liability
Johanna Schneller
The Globe and Mail
January 5, 2007
Overview: Schneller focuses on baby boomers in the film industry and states, “Baby boomers haven't given up blue jeans, black stilettos or Red Bull, and they've demonstrated they don't want to give up movies. But they turn out in numbers only for films that celebrate them -- their power and knowledge, their vitality and sexuality. They want to keep being the star, the hero, the centre of attention. So what if their knees crack when they stand up?”
Fall down, go boomer; Staying active is great, but many people over 40 need to adjust -- and quit hurting themselves
Cynthia Hubert
Sacramento Bee
January 5, 2007
Overview: Hubert suggests that active boomers who are working to stay healthier and live longer may be overdoing it and can lead to injuries. Hubert gives boomers tips on how to safely exercise writes, “What's a boomer to do? Keep moving but do it carefully”.
http://www.sacbee.com/107/story/102562.html
Baby Boomers Want Shoes That Are Sexy And Comfortable
Linda Young
All Headline News
January 4, 2007
Overview: Young reports that shoe retailers and manufactures are aiming to appeal to the baby boomer women. Young writes, “As Baby Boomers turn 60 some women are still willing to hand over $100 for a sexy shoe, but they want comfort along with style now. No orthopedic shoes, such as their grandmothers, wore for Boomers who still value style.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Aging is being redefined
Jeannie Kever
Houston Chronicle
January 8, 2007
Overview: Baby boomers are redefining aging. Kever reports, “Aging isn't what it used to be, what with healthy diets, yoga, fancy face creams and the purchasing power of baby boomers.”
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/living/health/16384724.htm
Keeping them on the payroll; Faced with the impending retirement of the baby boomers, employers are taking steps to keep older employees happy and working for as long as possible
David P. Willis
Asbury Park Press
January 8, 2007
Overview: As baby boomers begin to retire, employers are worried that it could be difficult to replace them. As a result, employers are trying to improve productivity and morale and offer additional benefits in order to keep their employees working longer.
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070108/BUSINESS/701080303/1003/NEWS01
Boomers and Online Dating
John Agno
Coachingtip.blogs.com
January 7, 2007
Overview: Blogger John Agno discusses boomers and online dating. He writes, “The Internet has special appeal for Baby Boomers, an impatient lot used to getting their way. According to Jupiter Research, 15 percent of Internet users between the ages of 45 and 54 browsed dating sites last year—almost as much as the average online user.”
http://coachingtip.blogs.com/so_baby_boomer/
It's baby boomers who are real drag; U.S. is getting wrong picture of who abusers are in our drug crisis
Mike Males
Houston Chronicle
January 6, 2007
Overview: Males reports on the varying demographics contributing to drug abuse. Specifically he reports, “graying baby boomers have become America's fastest-growing crime scourge.”
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/4451026.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Behind the times
Emily Reed
Missourian News
January 9, 2007
Overview: Watch companies like Timex plan to begin targeting baby boomers, who are continuing to buy watches even though consumers in other age brackets no longer have an interest in wearing such a device. Reed writes, “For baby boomers, it’s usually a combination of style and function that prompts purchase. Steven Walker, 32, predicts they will be around for a while.”
http://columbiamissourian.com/news/story.php?ID=23667
Naomi Judd: Don't dread growing older; In her new book for fellow baby boomers, the country singer debunks some common myths about aging. Read an excerpt
MSNBC.com
January 8, 2007
Overview: MSNBC.com posts an excerpt from Naomi Judd’s new book entitled Naomi's Guide to Aging Gratefully: Facts, Myths, and Good News for Boomers. In her new book, Judd shares her views on getting older and argues against the stereotypes associated with aging.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16525237/
Detroit Auto Show: Rediscovering the baby boomer driver; Chrysler, Nissan among those targeting the over 50 crowd
Bush Bernard
The Tennessean
January 8, 2007
Overview: Bernard reports on what automakers, like Chrysler and Nissan, are doing to market to boomers and writes, “Yesterday Nissan brought out its Bevel utility vehicle concept and today, Chrysler brought out its Nassau four-door luxury sports coupe concept car. Both are targeting baby boomers, but in different ways.”
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070108/NEWS03/70108038
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
CNN.com Launches Life After Work
Mike Shields
MediaWeek
January 8, 2007
Overview: Paula Zahn’s segment, “Life After Work,” will now be showcased on CNN.com. Sponsored by Ameriprise, the online features will include “video clips from the show, expanded coverage of the subjects profiled, photo galleries and various interactive elements. The site will also house several tools, such as a financial-planning calculator as well as an outlet for user-generated video content, which CNN has the option to use on the air. Clips from the show will also be available via CNN’s video-on-demand platforms on various cable providers.”
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/interactive/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003528489
Baby boomers are big business for advisers
Samantha Downes
CityWire.co.uk
January 10, 2007
Overview: Downes compares baby boomers from the UK, US and Japan and reports that “baby boomers are a big business that is set to grow.”
http://www.citywire.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?VersionID=88001&MenuKey=News.Home
Japan's Baby Boomers Retire; What To Do With The Free Time?
Lucy Craft
CBSNews.com
January 10, 2007
Overview: Japanese baby boomers are wondering what to do with all the free time associated with retirement. Moreover, Craft reports “the baby boomers were the generation that helped transform Japan from an impoverished and spiritually rudderless backwater, into a rich, manufacturing powerhouse, home of the super-fast Bullet Train.”
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/10/asia_letter/main2344521.shtml
Baby Boomer Buzz: You Can Profit While Helping
Mpherson
Associatedcontent.com
January 10, 2006
Overview: This blog focuses on the various industries that baby boomers will greatly impact including technology, fashion, religion, real estate, medical, financial and the work place. Mpherson suggests that, “overall, providing specialized services and advice to aging Baby Boomers is going to be a growth industry.”
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/99539/baby_boomer_buzz_you_can_profit_while.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Entitled Selfishness; The baby-boomer generation is in a state of denial about the true cost of their retirement benefits. Why their blindness on the issue could put the country's future at risk.
Robert J. Samuelson
MSNBC.com via Newsweek
January 10, 2007
Overview: Samuelson writes, “On one of the great issues of our time, the social and economic costs of our retirement, we have adopted a policy of selfish silence.” Samuelson goes on to discuss the need for fiscal planning and responsibility to deal with the growing number of 65-and-older population, that is expected to double in size by 2030.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16562633/site/newsweek/
The Digital Generation Gap: How Brands Can Capitalize on the Growing Senior Online Set
Misha Cornes
Adotas.com
January 10, 2007
Overview: The article discusses that seniors are the fastest-growing segment of the population using the internet. According to Cornes, Seniors “lag in a number of basic e-commerce indicators, including online researching, purchasing online, and in the average amount of each online transaction. But this will change as more and more Seniors come online, and smart marketers can’t afford to ignore this market any longer.”
Cars for America’s Aging Baby Boomers
Easier Motoring
January 11, 2007
Overview: The piece features the newest concept cars on the market: those cars catered to boomers.
http://www.easier.com/view/News/Motoring/article-92662.html
Boomers start to downsize; Some baby boomers are pulling up stakes in their 50s, while they are still working, and moving into smaller quarters
Marilyn Gardner
The Christian Science Monitor
January 11, 2007
Overview: Gardner writes, “Unlike many in their parents' generation, who often waited until their later years to move to smaller quarters, some baby boomers are pulling up stakes in their 50s, while they are still working. They are moving to condos, ‘active adult’ communities, or city apartments.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Vacation.com predicts baby boomer travel boom
Internet Travel News
January 12, 2007
Overview: This article shares predictions for how baby boomers will impact the travel industry. The article suggests, “With more free time on their hands and the desire to participate in such activities that may have been previously unattainable, the travel industry will see a remarkable growth in the leisure segment over the next 18 years as more and more Boomers have the freedom and time to spend money more freely.”
http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/article/2007011118115382
Blame Congress & baby boomers for ballooning US retirement spending
Robert J. Samuelson
Economic Times
January 12, 2007
Overview: Samuelson believes that baby boomers are partially to blame for US retirement spending and writes, “baby boomers seem eager to ‘reinvent retirement’ in all ways except those that might threaten their pocketbooks.”
No denying reality; time will force big changes on baby-boomer lifestyle
Emmet Pierce
Bend Weekly News
January 12, 2007
Overview: Pierce concludes that baby boomers are not prepared for where they will live beyond middle age. "They don't have any money. They have an average of $40,000 in a 401(k), if they have one at all. The boomers are not prepared for old age and society is not well prepared for the boomers.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Rethinking retirement: More Boomers choosing to work
Taylor Gandossy
CNN.com
January 15, 2007
Overview: Baby boomers are delaying retirement and continuing their careers. “Nearly six in 10 baby boomers who intend to work after retirement say they want a job that gives them a greater sense of purpose, according to a 2005 MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures New Face of Work Survey.”
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/09/law.overview/
Wanted: Baby boomers
M.Z. Hemingway
Federal Times
January 15, 2007
Overview: Hemingway reports, “Administration officials and public service advocacy groups say the solution to hundreds of thousands of baby boomers retiring from the federal government in coming years is more baby boomers — hiring people such as Vande Vanter who have the skills, energy and desire for rewarding second careers.”
http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=2483622
Homes with gardens grow on Boomers
Eve Samples
Palm Beach Post
January 15, 2007
Overview: This article focuses on gardening, retirement and lifestyle trends among baby boomers and how developers should use these trends to market to boomers.
Boomers trace their own pattern; Spending, career paths and retirement outlook can take some surprising turns
Deborah Alexander
Democrat and Chronicle
January 14, 2007
Overview: Alexander reports boomer retirement and spending trends and writes, “baby boomers are living cyclical lives. They also graduated from college. Or took a few years off from school. They might marry and divorce several times, start several families, switch careers and return to school.”
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070114/BUSINESS/701140344/1001
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Lure of Entrepreneurship Beckons Boomers; Instead of retiring, boomers are starting second-act businesses; some are motivated by an independent lifestyle, others by economic necessity
Jeffrey Gangemi
BusinessWeek Online
January 17, 2007
Overview: Gangemi reports, “Baby boomers are looking at starting real businesses --looking for another 10- to 12- to 15-year career.” The rise in boomer entrepreneurship can be contributed to boomers’ need for financial stability, their strong business experiences and background, existing household wealth, pension cuts and more.
Web Search Engine Bucks Status Quo By Seeking Results for Baby Boomers
Kevin J. Delaney
The Wall Street Journal
January 17, 2007
Overview: Internet services are continuing to target baby boomers with sites like
Cranky.com. Moreover, Parenting Magazine founder Robin Wolaner, is teaming up with a former executive from Time. Inc. and CNET Networks Inc. to launch a new service for boomers sometime this year. Additionally, Delany reports that in “some cases, such services are finding that boomers would just as soon use general-purpose Internet tools.”
*Note: This article requires subscription to access
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116900324193978494.html?mod=technology_featured_stories_hs
Businesses address generation gap; That’s “Mr.” To You: From Boomers to Millennials, generation gaps can lead to confusion in offices
Andra Coberly
Fort Collins Weekly
January 17, 2007
Overview: Coberly discusses the differences between generations and the conflicts that may arise in the workplace as a result. “Baby Boomers are very loyal to their company, but Gen-Xers often like to be more like free agents and leave if something better comes along.”
http://www.fortcollinsweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=440&Itemid=35
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Net radio station targets baby boomers
The Age
January 18, 2007
Overview: Radioboomer.com.au, a new baby-boomer oriented online radio station, is set to launch on Friday and will “offer shows on wealth creation, retirement planning and new enterprise for mature age businesses.”
Danger zone: Aging Baby Boomers are discovering the benefits of senior-proofing. It's tough getting old, Gale Beeby discovers.
Gale Beeby
The Star
January 18, 2007
Overview: Beeby reports that baby boomers are starting to “senior proof” their homes. “It's a trend many retailers have taken notice of and are now offering gadgets and gizmos that help make homes safer and easier to navigate on arthritic knees and other aging ailments.”
http://www.thestar.com/Athome/article/171672
Thanks for my vacation future; Let them own it, I can rent it while we rent
Ian Karleff
Financial Post
January 13, 2007
Overview: According to Karleff, “Baby Boomers are building their retirement paradises on every available stretch of waterfront, and at the moment, with all the dust and debris, paradise looks pretty ugly.” Karleff goes on to write, “As hard as I try to find fault in this Boomer building frenzy, I find myself loving what this massive group is constructing: my vacation future.”
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/archives/story.html?id=149005fa-7ca4-4aa4-8dc2-ada0c6c94588
*Special to the Digest
Reframing and Signaling: Communicating Tough Choices to Aging Parents
David Solie
Gbod.org
Overview: Solie writes about communicating touch choices to aging parents and presents three communication strategies to help ensure survival of those touch choices. Solie suggests that the children of aging parents should, “use their developmental agenda to reframe their choices, reinforce the reframing with stories and look for "legacy moments" amid the upheaval.”
http://www.gbod.org/coa/articles.asp?act=reader&item_id=19198
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Haliburton Resort Seizes New Market by Catering to Baby Boomers Vacation Preferences
Emediawire
January 19, 2007
Overview: This article focuses upon Canadian resort owners’ desire to capture the baby boomer market by creating customized vacation packages for them, which enable them to take part in a variety of exciting activities.
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/1/emw498171.htm
Bernanke: Baby boomers threaten economy
Reuters
CNN Money
January 18, 2007
Overview: This piece discusses Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s recent warnings to the U.S. Congress that failure to act soon to deal with the budgetary strains posed by an aging U.S. population could lead to serious economic harm. "We are experiencing what seems likely to be the calm before the storm," Bernanke told the Senate Budget Committee.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/18/news/economy/bernanke.reut/?postversion=2007011815
Boomers' Biggest Health Mistakes
Allison Van Dusen
Forbes
January 19, 2007
Overview: Van Dusen discusses the fact that some baby boomers are not taking the right steps to lead healthy lives, noting that even when boomers' behavior and choices lead to “serious problems,” their health may still not come first. Many boomers tend to be “overly optimistic about everything from finances to their health,” says Carol Orsborn, co-author of Boom: Marketing to the Ultimate Power Consumer-the Baby-Boomer Woman.
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Boomers' Biggest Health Mistakes
Allison Van Dusen
Forbes.com
January 19, 2007
Overview: This article focuses on common mistakes that baby boomers are making concerning their health care. Van Dusen reports, “When it comes to making decisions about their health, boomers sometimes think that if they delay doing something, a better solution might come along. At the other end of the spectrum, there are those who hop on the Internet to learn everything about their symptoms and possible treatments, thinking they can out-research their doctors or find the latest alternative cure. Either way they end up putting off taking action.”
Shushing the Baby Boomers
John Broder
The New York Times
January 21, 1007
Overview: Broder reports that Senator Barack Obama believes baby boomers need to get over themselves. Broder shares, “Mr. Obama calculates that Americans of all ages are sick of the feuding boomers and ready to turn to the generation that came of age after Vietnam, after the campus culture wars between freaks and straights, and after young people had given up on what überboomer Hillary Rodham Clinton (who made her own announcement on the Web yesterday) called in a 1969 commencement address a search for a more immediate, ecstatic and penetrating mode of living.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/weekinreview/21broder.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
Goldman Sachs and Nicholas Financial: Benefiting from Aging Baby Boomers
Erik Dellith
Seeking Alpha.com
January 22, 2007
Overview: Dellith discusses that financial companies,including Goldman Sachs Inc. and Nicolas Financial Inc. are benefiting from aging baby boomers. Dellith explains, “There is also increased demand for financial services and products so that people can save more. This brings to mind questions about how members of this group will spend their leisure time and where they will live.”
http://financial.seekingalpha.com/article/24748
Marketers Miss Big Target When Aiming Too Young; Print, TV Ads Reaching Aging Baby Boomers with Disposable Wealth
Jessica Long
San Diego Business Journal
January 22, 2007
Overview: Long writes about the importance of targeting the baby boomer market. “Coming of Age Inc., an Illinois-based marketing firm that specializes in the baby boomer market, reports that only 25 percent of total marketing dollars are spent on boomers, who control about 75 percent to 80 percent of the spending on goods and services in this country. That’s 25 percent of total U.S. advertising and marketing spending that will amount to about $153.7 billion this year, according to New York-based research firm TNS Media Intelligence.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Getting better all the time
Thomas Goldsmith
The News & Observer
January 23, 2007
Overview: Goldsmith reports that aging can be separated into three divisions. Baby boomers fall into the “robust and rowdy” category. Goldsmith includes quotes from Victor Marshall, director of the Institute on Aging at UNC-Chapel Hill who states, “Boomers should expect to be robust and have a lot of physical energy and active interest in life. It's great for industry. They are going to want to travel if they can afford it. They are going to want to be physically active."
http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/535175.html
RetirementJobs.com Launches Assault on Age Bias
Business Wire
January 23, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing, “RetirementJobs.com, the Web's leading career destination for people aged 50+, today declared an ‘Assault on Age Bias’, a national call-to-action for employers, government, and the public to unite to reduce age bias and discrimination in the American workplace. Moreover, CEO of RetirementJobs.com states, “By uniting against age bias and encouraging employers to proactively retain and hire 50+ workers, we'll strengthen the economy.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Getting better all the time
Thomas Goldsmith
The News & Observer
January 23, 2007
Overview: Goldsmith reports that aging can be separated into three divisions. Baby boomers fall into the “robust and rowdy” category. Goldsmith includes quotes from Victor Marshall, director of the Institute on Aging at UNC-Chapel Hill who states, “Boomers should expect to be robust and have a lot of physical energy and active interest in life. It's great for industry. They are going to want to travel if they can afford it. They are going to want to be physically active."
http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/535175.html
RetirementJobs.com Launches Assault on Age Bias
Business Wire
January 23, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing, “RetirementJobs.com, the Web's leading career destination for people aged 50+, today declared an ‘Assault on Age Bias’, a national call-to-action for employers, government, and the public to unite to reduce age bias and discrimination in the American workplace. Moreover, CEO of RetirementJobs.com states, “By uniting against age bias and encouraging employers to proactively retain and hire 50+ workers, we'll strengthen the economy.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Sujen Bhashkar (Director of Marketing): "Boomer Radio was launched as a means of providing Boomers with radio programs targeting listeners from the Boomer age group"
Thematuremarket.com
January 24, 2007
Overview: This article features an interview with Sujen Bhashkar, director of marketing for Boomer Radio. Bhashkar shares, “Radio Boomer was launched to fill a void in the mainstream mass media, where Boomer News and Information does not receive the coverage that it rightfully deserves. Baby Boomers represent 29% of the total Australian population, so the Radio Boomer Website targets a massive potential audience.”
http://www.thematuremarket.com/SeniorStrategic/boomer-radio-8264-5.html
How to Overcome Generational Differences Challenging Today's Realtors
RISMEDIA
January 24, 2007
Overview: This piece provides real estate professionals with advice on targeting different generations. “Large portions of the Traditionalist and Baby Boomer Generations show definite preferences for utilizing traditional media and resources for consumer actions. Generation X and Y than 40 demonstrate higher percentages of Internet use and tend to gravitate online for consumer actions.”
. . . Or should you be retiring at all? Labour shortage spurs Ottawa to ask boomers to work past 65
Richard Brennan
Toronto Star
January 24, 2007
Overview: Brennan reports, “The federal government is pleading with aging baby boomers to work past retirement to offset a serious labour shortage in Canada."
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Generation V: new generation thrives on vitality
Thematuremarket.com
January 25, 2007
Overview: Boomers who posses a desire to maintain vitality are now considered “Generation V.” Dr. Hal E. Quinley from The Segmentation Company, a division of Yankelovich Inc. states, "There is a distinct segment of the Boomer population that I would classify as 'Generation V' because they not only rank physical and mental vitality above wealth, professional achievement and social status -- values generally associated with Boomers -- they also take active measures to ensure their vitality for years to come. Generation V is a significant and meaningful component of a very influential demographic that's at the vanguard of a new approach to personal health," he said.
Boomers have an age bias
Ellen Goodman
Cincinnati Enquirer
January 25, 2007
Overview: Goodman reflects, “The baby-boomer generation that is forever setting the agenda has begun turning 60.” Moreover, she writes, “One of the charms of the boomers, the watermelon in the demographic python, is how they are managing to age without getting old.”
http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070125/EDIT/701250313/1003
Boomers dropping the ball
J.D. Mullane
Phillyburbs.com
January 25, 2007
Overview: Mullane writes, “Unless they act, the baby boomer generation has a rendezvous with ignominy. Two reasons: the bungled prosecution of the present war, and the coming collapse of Medicare and Social Security. If the boomers — who pretty much run everything now — don’t act, these stunning twin failures will come to define the generation in American history.”
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/219-01252007-1167742.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
TV Watch: Reality Check for a Generation That Knows Best
Alessandra Stanley
The New York Times
January 26, 2007
Overview: This New York Times piece compares current TV trends with baby boomers and discuses how boomers play a key role in those current trends. Stanley reports, “They may not be the greatest generation, but baby boomers are the bossiest and most imposing, and they have a way of muscling their way past young upstarts and innovators.” She ends this article by suggesting, “Baby boomers don’t eat their young; they just keep them hooked on their leftovers.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/26/arts/television/26real.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Baby Boomers in the Classroom
Ysolt Usigan
Jobs.aol.com
January 24, 2007
Overview: Usigan reports, “While some are remaining true to form and retiring, more and more baby boomers approaching retirement age are deviating. Instead of leaving the workplace to lounge around or travel, they are making like 18-year-olds and going back to college.” Additionally, Usigan shares personal experiences from boomers who have continued their education to pursue their career dreams including FH Boom co-chair Dr. Carol Orsborn, who also provides expert commentary on the phenomenon.
http://jobs.aol.com/article/onlinecampus/_a/baby-boomers-in-the-classroom/20070118170309990002
Baby boomers to retire 'wealthiest'
Press Association via Guardian Unlimited
January 26, 2007
Overview: “A survey by Halifax Financial Services found that people currently in their late 50s and early 60s have more investments, disposable income and higher pension wealth than any other generation has had at retirement age.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6372087,00.html
Baby Boomer Demo Becoming Top Priority
Glenn Haussman
Hotelinteractive.com
January 26, 2007
Overview: This article concentrates on the hotel industry and strategies in marketing to the baby boomer demographic. “Yes, baby boomers have money, but they are also part of one of the hardest working generations and believe they are entitled to a unique experience in their hotel. I love to listen and eavesdrop at hotels and I find that women are speaking up. They don’t want just some experience. City-by-city, if they stay at a particular brand, women want a specific kind of experience,” states Clay Dickinson, VP of global travel and hospitality for EDS.
http://www.hotelinteractive.com/hi_index.asp?page_id=5000&article_id=6972
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
It's about time we appreciated older women
Anita Creamer
The Sacramento Bee
January 28, 2007
Overview: Creamer discusses the Academy Award nominees for best actress and how they encourage baby boomer women. She writes, “What this means, of course, isn't simply that the world at large has finally discovered that women past 40 still exist. More than that, the world's also figured out that we have money to spend. Lots and lots of money. Which we're more than happy to shell out for spackle, shellac and other cosmetic products that can help us hang on to our looks a little longer. We'd like to look as young as we feel.”
http://www.sacbee.com/107/story/113583.html
Internet Romance: How Match.com Found Love Among Boomers --- Dating Site Prospers Targeting Older Singles; The Body Art Question
Sara Silver
The Wall Street Journal
January 27, 2007
Overview: Silver reports on the popularity of online dating. “Match's success in targeting older daters, as well as other overlooked markets such as divorcees and suburbanites, also reflects a maturing Web industry that is expanding beyond its fixation on the very young and tapping other demographics, including the wealthy market of boomers. That's an especially promising strategy for a Web site that depends on fees, not the youth-obsessed ad industry.”
*Please note: this article requires subscription to access.
Travel is more than a beach for growing number of boomers: Exotic adventure trips immerse travelers in other cultures
Lisa Kadane
Edmonton Journal
January 27, 2007
Overview: This piece focuses on baby boomers’ travel trends. Kadane shares, “A recent Leger Marketing online survey found 77 per cent of Canadian baby boomers say they're more adventurous in their travel choices than their parents. Almost half (44 percent) say they're traveling to more exotic destinations than they were a decade ago. And when they arrive, 52 per cent say they're more likely to engage in activities from scuba diving to zip-lining, instead of lying on a beach.”
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/travel/story.html?id=b35d3093-bd51-4203-9a09-e6997c704361
A generation faces its mortality
Sue Vorenberg
Albuquerque Journal
January 27, 2007
Overview: Vorenberg suggests that baby boomers are trying to avoid facing mortality. Moreover, “An analysis by Scripps Howard News Service found boomers are dying from accidents, drug abuse and suicide at higher rates than the generations that came before them.”
http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/jan/27/generation-faces-its-mortality/
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
HowToRentVacationHomes.com Gives Baby Boomers Five Reasons to Buy Vacation Property
PR Web
January 30, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing, “Baby Boomers all over the world are looking for ways to supplement their income during their retirement years. Buying vacation property is one option that should be considered.” Moreover, Howtorentvacationhomes.com contributes value, income, equity, pleasure and age to reasons why boomers should think about buying vacation property.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/1/prweb500720.htm
Good Question: Will Baby Boomers Bankrupt Us?
Ben Tracy
WCCO-TV via WCCO.com
January 30, 2007
Overview: Tracy’s segment focuses on how baby boomer retirement will affect benefits and programs like Social Security and Medicare. Tracy reports, “However, the news is not all bad. Many economists say the boomer retirement will create a shortage of skilled workers. This could push up wages and put more power in the hands of employees.”
http://wcco.com/seenon/local_story_029234640.html
Forget Retirement: Boomers Prefer To Follow Their Dreams
Susan Felt
The Arizona Republic
January 29, 2007
Overview: Boomers continue to forgo retirement and look for their dream jobs. Felt writes, “Besides wanting something interesting and challenging, they also want flexibility.”
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/0129transition0129.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
America's Baby Boomers Predict The Indianapolis Colts To Win Super Bowl XLI!
PR Newswire
January 31, 2007
Overview: This press release announces poll results from an online study conducted by OTX on behalf of TV Land, a division of Viacom Inc.'s MTV Networks (VIAB) that indicates baby boomers are “planning to watch the game at home with friends and/or family, and one-third of those homes will be equipped with HDTV as Boomers over index the total population on subscribing to HDTV service from a cable/satellite company. This reinforces TV Land's earlier research that Boomers are embracing and purchasing today's emerging entertainment offerings.” Moreover, the study finds that baby boomers predict that the Indianapolis Colts will win this year’s Super Bowl.
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-31-2007/0004516859&EDATE=
60 is the new sexy; Silver foxes Helen Mirren and Diane Keaton prove you can still be fabulous way beyond 50
Jane Ridley
New York Daily News
January 30, 2007
Overview: Ridley reports on boomer women icons, like Helen Mirren and Diane Keaton, and how they impact the beauty and fashion industries. She writes, “Companies such as MAC, which features Catherine Deneuve and Diana Ross in its ads, and CoverGirl, which brought '70s model Christie Brinkley out of retirement. The fashion industry is falling over itself to dress glamorous baby boomers like Cybill Shepherd, 56, and Sharon Stone, 48. Carolina Herrera was thrilled when Streep wore one of her creations to the Golden Globes.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/493259p-415309c.html
I worry about these baby boomers
Laurnie Capronie
Ledger Independent
January 31, 2007
Overview: In this opinion column, Capronie shares her “good news” and “bad news” about boomers. Specifically, Capronie writes, “Boomers, super-heated-consumers, have for many years fueled a spending spree which has helped drive the U.S. economy. They have dragged the rest of us with them, especially savers and small investors. They have our eternal gratitude.” She continues, “The bad news. Admiration and respect aside, here comes the worry. Baby Boomers, apparently by a landslide majority, don’t have nearly enough money to retire.”
http://www.maysville-online.com/articles/2007/01/30/opinion/local_columns/009laurnie.txt
Keep On Keeping On
Margarett Dickson
Up & Coming Magazine via Zwire.com
January 31, 2007
Overview: Dickson reflects, “The sheer size of the Baby Boomer generation - the largest in American history, has given us clout at every stage, from requiring new school facilities first grade through college, generating social change for better or for worse, and inventing casual Fridays. We also seem to be reinventing old age by largely refusing to acknowledge it, even though the vanguard of our generation began turning 60 last year.”
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1147&dept_id=483434&newsid=17785631&PAG=461&rfi=9
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Aged to perfection; Sensuous sleepwear is more than a luxury for the boomer woman who brings energy to all aspects of her life, including the bedroom, writes Judy Gerstel
Judy Gerstel
Toronto Star
February 1, 2007
Overview: Gerstel writes, “The baby boomer woman is nobody's baby now. She's all grown-up, no longer young but not yet (and maybe never, in her view) old. She's melting away decades with the same energy, grace and determination she brings to her work, her family, her yoga and exercise classes, and to everything important in her life – including, it must be said, to bed.” Additionally, she references BOOM: Marketing to the Ultimate Power Consumer-The Baby Boomer Woman, by Mary Brown and Carol Orsborn, Ph.D., and shares “…because women in their late 40s to 60s are the greatest marketing opportunity today, they're gaining respect and attention from more and more designers and manufacturers of intimate apparel.”
http://www.thestar.com/columnists/article/176854
Markets Focus: Boomer Women; Marketing to the maturing woman's heart, mind, and spirit
Susan Kuchinskas
OMMA Magazine via Publications.mediapost.com
January 2007 Issue
Overview: This article focuses on the importance of marketing to women, particularly online marketing, and discusses both older and younger boomers. Kuchinskas suggests, “While older boomers were extremely indulgent, their younger cohorts want the good life, but they need to be convinced of the value of what they buy.”
http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=53188
Divorce Effecting Baby Boomers Into Retirement
Sally Grover
All Headline News
January 31, 2007
Overview: Grover reports, “A new study has shown that baby boomers who stay married are financially better off in their later years. Moreover, “Research by the Australian Institute of Family Studies has revealed that people who divorced after 1975 have a harder time owning their own home by retirement, if they never married again.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Drugstore chains closing in on aging baby boomers; increased prescription sales contribute to building boom among national chains
Michelle Kearns
Buffalo News
February 5, 2007
Overview: Due to the increase in prescription drugs, baby boomers are contributing to the growth of drug store chains across the country.
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20070205/1054393.asp
Built to suit boomer living; Communities geared to adults get a makeover
Jim Wasserman
The Sacramento Bee
February 4, 2007
Overview: Wasserman’s article focuses on boomers and retirement communities. He writes, “Boomers want more than trails, outdoor life and trips to wine country. They also want their adult communities to offer college classes, learning experiences and chances for civic engagement in the larger communities beyond their neighborhood.”
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/118318.html
Could the Market Fall Down and Go Boom?
Martha M. Hamilton
The Washington Post
February 4, 2007
Overview: Hamilton reports on the future of the market as boomers begin to retire. Specifically she writes, “The GAO also notes that the boomers will retire, not all at once, but over a 19-year span, which could soften the impact of any selling they might do and that many may work well beyond the traditional retirement age, continuing to accumulate assets. The GAO also suggests that many affluent boomers will want to leave something to little Madison or Jacob, so they won't be selling. Or they may want to hang on to stocks as a hedge against inflation. Of course, a falling market might undermine both of those motives.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/03/AR2007020300120.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Billboards and baby boomers
Ronny Linder-Ganz
Ha'aretz
February 2, 2007
Overview: While marketers and advertisers around the world, especially in the U.S., are targeting the 50+ market, Israeli marketers and advertisers have yet to catch on. Linder-Ganz writes, “Even though the world still belongs to the young in Israel, there are some harbingers of change - companies that are beginning to understand the business potential inherent in this generation.” This article also shares what is important to the boomer generation as a whole including health, fitness and appearance.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/821057.html
'Don't Retire: Rewire!"
Gloria Hayes Kremer
Princeton Packet
February 2, 2007
Overview: Kremer writes about successful boomers that will soon retire and the opportunities to have a satisfying retirement. She shares ideas from the book “Don't Retire, Rewire! Five Steps to Fulfilling Work That Fuels Your Passion, Suits Your Personality or Fills Your Pocket" (Alpha Books) written by Jeri Sedlar and Rick Miners and discusses the T.V. lecture-and-discussion series, “Boomervision!” which includes a panel discussion of high-profile boomers who are in the process of planning their retirement. Additionally, Kremer reports, “Studies show that boomers tend to be more optimistic and ambitious and thoughtful about the future than the older generation. They are more racially and ethnically diverse than older generations.”
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17798158&BRD=1091&PAG=461&dept_id=425695&rfi=6
Boomers and Seniors Connect with Technology
Daisy Whitney
KVOA News
February 2, 2007
Overview: Whitney reports, “Recent studies by the Pew Internet and American Life Project show that Americans age 65 and older are one of the fastest growing demographic groups using the Internet. That growth comes in part from how well the Internet allows boomers and seniors to follow their interests and improve the quality of their lives.” Moreover, the article concludes, “Despite the growth in senior-centric sites, boomers aren't glomming onto the newest wave of phones, PDAs and mp3 players like younger generations.”
http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?s=6023868
People spending it all, and then some; Savings rate lowest since Depression
Associated Press via Chicago Tribune
February 2, 2007
Overview: This article focuses on consumer spending and reasons why the savings rate for 2006 was negative 1 percent. Associated Press reports, “Whatever the reason for the low savings, economists warn that the phenomenon exists at a particularly bad time, with 78 million Baby Boomers approaching retirement age. Instead of building up savings to use during retirement, Baby Boomers are continuing to spend all their earnings.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0702020110feb02,0,5707064.story?coll=chi-business-hed
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Hefty cost no object for good night's sleep: Aching baby boomers pay thousands for top-quality coil or foam mattresses
Allison Connolly
Baltimore Sun
February 6, 2007
Overview: Connolly discusses how much consumers are spending on high-end bedding and writes, “David Perry, executive editor and mattress writer for the Greensboro, N.C.-based trade magazine Furniture Today, said the category is the fastest-growing in the industry, mostly because baby boomers are looking for a panacea for their growing aches and pains, and they have disposable income to spend. Retailers like Dormia are happy to oblige, he said.”
United Kingdom; Global Warming: baby boomers blamed
Seniorscopie.com
February 2, 2007
Overview: “The Baby Boomer generation is being blamed for increasing climate change as the advent of middle age provides more disposable income to pursue a jet-set lifestyle. The over-50s have been identified as one of the worst age groups for contributing to carbon emissions‚ many showing a worrying lack of understanding over the critical state of the global environment.”
http://www.seniorscopie.com/actu/article.asp?id=070206232353&rub=swi
*Worth Noting
Too young to retire...but (apparently) too old to be hired. Older workers who have been forced to take buyouts are facing difficulty finding new full-time jobs, creating a marginalized underclass of citizens.
Sheryl McCarthy
USAToday.com
January 31, 2007
Overview: This article focuses on older workers and the job force. Specifically, McCarthy reports, “Though the news is full of stories about baby boomers who reject the notion of total retirement and who in their 50s and later are pursuing second and third careers, the reality is that being 50 or older and looking for work is tough.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
*Worth Noting
Senior Netizens
Daniel Kadlec
Time
February 2, 2007
Overview: Kadlec reports, “Folks in or near retirement are getting wired as never before--and not just to e-mail the grandkids and view photos of their far-flung family members. They're going online to bank, invest, search for alternative medicines, find volunteer opportunities, network with interest groups, blog, become politically active and, like Hazel Poole, start up something new--for fun or profit.” Moreover, “The oldest baby boomers, now turning 61 and just a year from being eligible for early Social Security benefits, want to stay active and engaged in something meaningful until late in life, surveys have shown. That often means some kind of job or volunteer work. Being comfortable with the Internet is practically a prerequisite.”
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1584802,00.html
The Medspa Movement is Making Headway, Solana Medspas CEO Delivers State of the Industry Report
PR Web
February 7, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing, “According to the International Medical Spa Association (IMSA), the Medspa movement has been closely linked to the growing baby boomer generation in the United States.” Additionally, “The technology and delivery mechanisms of the medspa as retail medicine are still years ahead of the baby boomer boom, which will be an expanding market over the next 20 years.”
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/2/prweb502720.htm
Business: Don't toss out our boomers without picking their brains
Becky Bosshart
Nevada Appeal
February 7, 2007
Overview: This piece gives advice to employers who will need to fill job slots once boomers begin to retire and shares that “Baby boomer employees are a gold mine. Don't let them walk out without picking their brains.” She also points out that many boomers plan to continue working. “They have the energy to work eight to 10 years past the typical retirement age.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Boomer Market Leaders Gathering in Chicago
PR Web
February 8, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing the “What’s Next Boomer Business Summit” that will take place on March 5-6 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. FH Boom co-chair, Carol Orsborn Ph.D., will be speaking as part of the “Boomer Lifestyles” panel.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/2/prweb503299.htm
Does beauty have an age limit?
Today Show
February 8, 2007
Overview: This segment focuses on Dove’s beauty and aging campaign that targets baby boomer women.
http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=5ad241cc-c961-40bb-8b5a-85e795cb30fe&f=05&fg=copy
Boomers value luxuries in post-retirement plans
Gary Dymski
Newsday
February 8, 2007
Overview: This article focuses on the housing trends boomers are looking for in their retirement years. Specifically, “baby boomers are looking for new digs, and they have distinctive tastes, like formal dining rooms, large garages and space for entertaining.” Moreover, “The idea of scaling down, finding a place with smaller maintenance demands and taking life a little slower initially appeals to boomer buyers, said Karen, owner of Symphony Development Group in Owings Mills, Md. But when they actually start looking, they remain fixed on the space and features they've always seemed to enjoy.”
http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzhome085084730feb08,0,2191265.column
Publishing experiencing a boom about boomers
Carol Memmott
USA Today
February 7, 2007
Overview: Memmott reports on the latest books focused on boomers. She writes, “Baby boomers are the first to admit they have been obsessed with themselves at every stage of their lives. Which may be why publishers increasingly are dropping the "B" word into book titles.”
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2007-02-07-baby-boomer-books_x.htm
Baby boomers set to fuel outbound tourism in Japan
Satish Gupta
Travelvideo.tv
February 7, 2007
Overview: Japanese baby boomers will have a great impact on outbound tourism. Gupta reports, “When it comes to baby-boomers, the demand is expected for journeys to express gratitude for a lifetime’s work or to mark retirement. While baby boom retirees will not all start traveling in 2007, it is expected to mark a watershed in what will become a major future trend.”
http://travelvideo.tv/news/more.php?id=10693_0_1_0_M
Back to the nest; The trend of kids moving back in with their parents is bad for America and will damage the family unit, right? Not quite.
Sharon Graham Niederhaus and John L. Graham
Blogs.USAToday.com
February 6, 2007
Overview: Niderhaus and Graham discuss multigenerational living and that more adults between the ages of 20 and 34 are moving back in with their parents. They report that “many psychologists have noted that baby-boomer parents enjoy closer relationships with their fewer children that allow extended cohabitation. A recent survey conducted for Del Webb (a division of Pulte Homes Inc.) reports that only about one-quarter of baby boomers are happier once the kids move out.
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Managing Across the Generation Gap; Future entrepreneurs are more likely to work with people of all ages. An author on this topic discusses how they can do so successfully
Karen E. Klein
BusinessWeek.com
February 12, 2006
Overview: This piece features a Q&A with Bridging the Generation Gap authors Robin Throckmorton, owner of Strategic Human Resources and Linda Gravett, a national speaker and human resources consultant. Throckmorton and Gravett give advice on how the different generations can work together successfully. Moreover, they share that boomers “want respect for their experience and expertise, and even if some no longer want career advancement, they want challenging assignments, lateral moves, and respect for the dues they have paid. They tend to understand technology and use it comfortably.”
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/feb2007/sb20070212_399060.htm
The spoils of love; at the American Baby Faire in Fort Lauderdale, Grandparents Will Get Special Treatment
Monica Hatcher
Miami Herald
February 10, 2007
Overview: Hatcher reports on grand boomers and writes, “Healthier, wealthier and spending more money on teddy bears and teething rings than any generation before, baby boomers are going gaga for their grandkids -- to the tune of an estimated $50 billion a year.” Furthermore, “retailers are fast discovering that nothing tugs at boomer heart -- and purse -- strings like the toothless smile of a grandbaby. Let the drooling begin.”
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/16667228.htm
More boomers up for adventure vacations
Lisa Kadane
Vancouver Sun
February 10, 2007
Overview: Kadane’s article focuses on the latest traveling trends among baby boomers. Specifically, “a recent Leger Marketing online survey found 77 percent of Canadian baby boomers say they're more adventurous in their travel choices than their parents were. Almost half (44 percent) say they're traveling to more exotic destinations than they were a decade ago. And when they arrive, 52 percent say they're more likely to engage in activities from scuba diving to zip-lining, instead of just lying on a beach.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Boomer bulge brings rich but untilled field
Gregg Kilday
Reuters via Washingtonpost.com
February 13, 2007
Overview: Kilday writes about boomer representation in Hollywood films. He writes, “For as the boomers' numbers grow as a percentage of the overall population, their share of the market should be growing as well -- if only Hollywood weren't spending most of its time chasing after teens.” Moreover, “With their child-rearing years behind them, the boomers now have the time and, in many cases, the disposable income to return to the multiplex.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/13/AR2007021300123.html
Work/Home Balance? It's Called Life; As we struggle to achieve parity between the job and personal time, we must understand that there are no cookie-cutter solutions
Kurt Ronn
BusinessWeek.com
February 13, 2007
Overview: This piece focuses on the struggle to balance work and life. Specifically, Ronn discusses the different views on work/life balance between the different generations. “The mature worker (age 55-plus) wants to continue to contribute; this group often possesses the most knowledge about the organization and has the greatest amount of experience. At this point, they are most likely either career-focused and working on projects, or enjoying their ability to give back to the community during brief sabbaticals from the workplace. Complete retirement, as their parents might have considered, is usually not an option, because longer life spans are leading to second and even third careers with the aim of finding new challenges and maintaining a certain standard of living.”
Aging population reshapes housing market; Retired baby boomers will spur demand for smaller residences
Ko Kyoung-tae
The Korea Herald
February 13, 2007
Overview: Kyoun-tae reports that “in recent years, baby boomers have led the shift in Korea's housing market as they favor large houses.” Analysts, however, predict that “the fast-ageing population may reverse the direction of the property market in the coming years.”
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/02/13/200702130025.asp
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Spend; Crash Course Boomers+Tech; Time for an Upgrade, Dad
Rothman, Wilson
Money
March 1, 2007
Overview: Wilson writes, “Alas, even for a generation that fomented cultural revolution, keeping up with the latest gadgetry (and the Jones Juniors) can be a little overwhelming. Some 40% of baby boomers think of themselves as "tech shy," according to a recent study by Experian Simmons market research. Maybe you're one of them, or maybe you're eager for new gear but are just looking for the right advice or opportunity to buy in.” Wilson also shares the latest technology trends and offers a “cool-boomer solution” to each trend.
Please note: This article has not yet been posted on CNN.com. Will include the link as soon as it becomes available.
The Boomer Files: The Way We Laughed; The generation that grew up with Mad magazine and the Vietnam War created its own brand of irreverent comedy.
David Noonan
Newsweek
February19, 2007
Overview: Noonan reflects on how boomer humor has evolved and cites many examples to support his ideas. More specifically, Noonan writes, “boomer humor may owe its greatest debt to Mad magazine.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17083395/site/newsweek/?from=rss
The 'generation gap'? It's today's workplace
Jim Lindgren
Indianapolis Star
February 14, 2007
Overview: This piece focuses on the generational gap in the workplace. Lindgren reports, “Gen Xers and Gen Yers often think boomers and radio babies are too old to learn anything new, can't handle technology and are stuck in their ways. The older generations think Xers and Yers have no work ethic, are crybabies, want immediate gratification and don't want to work hard.”
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070214/BUSINESS/702140403/1003
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
You're Older? So Sell Your Wisdom; Ageism is real, but you can beat it by emphasizing your skills and building relationships
BusinessWeek
February 16, 2007
Overview: The article explains that although age discrimination is against the law, boomers with high qualifications are frequently passed over for jobs they might have landed easily if they were 20 years younger. Jeanette Woodward, author of Finding A Job After 50, provides several strategies to get interviewers to look past one’s age and understand that the maturity and experience of boomers make them the perfect candidate for hire.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_08/b4022096.htm
Baby Boomer Woman Overcome Barriers
WISC-TV
February 16, 2007
Overview: This segment focuses on baby boomer women and the many barriers they have had to overcome. Additionally, the segment introduces Donna Sollenberger, who began her career as a grocery store clerk, but is now president and CEO of University of Wisconsin-Madison Hospitals and Clinics. Sollenberger addresses the ongoing struggle of women in the corporate world. "A lot of women my age, we're paving a way, striking a work/life balance, trying to figure out how to make it all work." The segment concludes with the recognition of famous boomer women including Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Condoleezza Rice and Katie Couric.
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Old? Sez you: Baby boomers refuse to go away quietly
Lauren Beckham Falcone
Boston Herald
February 19, 2007
Overview: Falcone reports, “baby boomers - the generation that helped create youth culture 50 years ago - aren’t ready to give up the stage.” She also gives several examples of popular culture icons and the latest TV shows to support her argument.
http://theedge.bostonherald.com/lifeNews/view.bg?articleid=183680&format=&page=2
MTV to Boomers: Bye for Now!
Marianne Paskowski
TVweek.com
February 19, 2007
Overview: Paskowski writes about the MTV Network executives that were recently fired but will more than likely come back as independent contractors, a growing trend among corporations. She reports, “It's about the bulk of the population, the baby boomers who fill high-ticket jobs. It's hard to find people to fill Internet positions. The younger people have 20 percent of the skill set of the boomers, but the boomers are being ushered to the door, or leaping for it, she said. And no surprise here, some of them get fired only to get rehired as independent contractors to do a specific project, minus the health benefits, which are a huge cost to corporations.”
http://www.tvweek.com/article.cms?articleId=31539
Driving dreams; as baby boomer men pursue classic cars of their youth, automakers are redesigning vehicles with 60-year-olds in mind
Linell Smith
Baltimore Sun
February 18, 2007
Overview: Smith reports on how automakers are targeting the baby boomer man. He reports, “Nissan hopes to attract that latter market with the Bevel. One of the first cars openly targeting the Baby Boomer male, it's a futuristic-looking vehicle, created for the 45- to 60-year-old handyman/hobbyist and his dog.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/custom/modernlife/bal-ml.boomer18feb18,0,6207871.story?page=1&track=mostemailedlink&coll=bal-business-storyutil
Boomer Music Had Big Impact on American Culture
WISC-TV
February 17, 2007
Overview: This segment focuses on the influence of baby boomer music. “You can't scan through the radio dial without hearing the music of a generation. Thirty years after the songs hit the airwaves, baby boomer music is still as popular as ever. Boomers continue to dominate popular culture, movies and television, and to a lesser extent, pop music. And as long as that's the case, the music will live on.”
http://www.channel3000.com/news/11043547/detail.html
Boomers will soon see benefits of immigrants
Daniel Weintraub
Sacramento Bee
February 18, 2007
Overview: Weintraub reports, “As baby boomers age and become more dependent on government to tend to their needs, economic growth to preserve their investments and buyers to snap up their suburban empty nests, they are likely to turn to a source few are contemplating today: immigrants.” Moreover, “those same immigrants, who are now struggling to learn English, go to college and find employment, need an assist from some people who have the means to give it: boomers.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Different styles, same job
Annette Clifford
The Daily Press
February 20, 2007
Overview: Clifford shares her view on parenting and the baby boomer demographic. Specifically she writes, “Is it a turf war over parenting chops? In this corner, you've got the baby boomers - that big, fat post-World War II lump of a generation working itself through the python's neck of American demographics. Too slowly working its way through for those in the other corner - the Gen X, Y and Z kids born after 1966 who are sick and tired of hearing about boomers and their enormous impact on everything.”
Baby Boomers Create Age Discrimination Challenges for Employers
PR Newswire
February 20, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing, “While the Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects workers aged 40 and over from being discriminated against on the basis of age, "subtle" age discrimination is becoming a problem for employers according to two noted employment lawyers at Epstein Becker Green Wickliff & Hall, P.C.” Moreover, age may be considered a real bias. “A younger worker is over forty percent more likely to be called for an interview than a worker 50 or older, according to a 2005 study conducted by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, which sent out about 4,000 resumes to firms in Boston and St. Petersburg, Fla. and evaluated response rates from employers.”
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-20-2007/0004530376&EDATE=
More families building, adapting in-law suites
Nzong Xiong
Belleville News Democrat
February 20, 2007
Overview: Xiong reports on the in-law suite trend and writes, “As more early baby boomers begin to reach retirement age, many of their adult children are searching for ways to help them maintain their independence but also keep them close by. Late baby boomers also are looking for options for their parents. Some have turned to in-law suites, either adding them onto existing homes or building them detached from the main houses, and making these secondary dwellings popular again.”
http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/living/16739509.htm
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Understanding Female Boomers Drive Sales
Leslie Hart
Kitchen and Bath Design News
February 21, 2007
Overview: Hart addresses the importance of marketing to the most dominant consumer - the baby boomer woman - while focusing on the kitchen and bath industry. Additionally, Hart features a number of quotes from BOOM: Marketing to the Ultimate Power Consumer—the Baby-Boomer Woman, by Mary Brown and Carol Orsborn, Ph.D. She writes, “Overall, Brown and Orsborn emphasize that when communicating to Boomer women, …marketing and creative directors need to be well versed in the art and science of interpreting, translating and delivering information.”
http://www.kitchenbathdesign.com/publication/article.jsp?pubId=2&id=3588
Kitchen Probes Wide Range of “Boomer” Housing
Kitchen and Bath Design News
February 21, 2007
Overview: This piece concentrates on the housing market and ways in which the boomer generation will impact the industry. The article shares, “Baby Boomers will exhibit a diverse range of housing needs in the future, depending on their retirement time lines, and their preferences are certain to result in far different housing requirements and significant shifts from living patterns established by earlier generations.” The article also provides home improvement statistics and trends for people ages 50 or older, taken from a study conducted by Home Depot.
http://www.kitchenbathdesign.com/publication/article.jsp?pubId=2&id=3616
Baby boomers will change attitudes about aging…
Maturemarket.com
February 21, 2007
Overview: “With the first of the baby boomers turning 61, attitudes about aging are likely to change, said Deb Sellers, Kansas State University Research and Extension specialist on adult development and aging.” Moreover, “such a large group will have the power to set new standards - or expectations - for aging, and drive the development of new products and services for their age group.”
http://www.thematuremarket.com/SeniorStrategic/baby-boomers-attitudes-about-aging-8360-5.html
Baby boomers provide care for aging parents in record numbers
Maturemarket.com
February 21, 2007
Overview: This article discusses study results from ElderCarelink concerning boomers caring for their aging parents and shares, “Baby boomers provide care for aging parents in record numbers, and many are overwhelmed by the physical and emotional demands.”
http://www.thematuremarket.com/SeniorStrategic/baby-boomers-aging-parents-8361-5.html
"Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Chicago Conference Highlights Boomer Business Opportunities
PR Web
February 22, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing “the What's Next Boomer Business Summit is coming to Chicago in two weeks. The annual conference brings together blue-chip speakers, sponsors and business leaders from around the country who are interested in the next moves baby boomers will make in their careers and personal lives.” The release also highlights activities from this year’s summit. FH Boom co-chair, Carol Orsborn Ph.D., will be speaking as part of the “Boomer Lifestyles” panel.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/2/prweb506493.htm
National Association of Baby Boomer Women Reveals Top Ten List
PR.com
February 22, 2007
Overview: The National Association of Baby Boomer Women releases the Top Ten Things Boomer Women Want in 2007 contest results and reveals the “high priority issues concerning 38 million of the healthiest, wealthiest, and best educated generation of women to hit midlife.”
http://www.pr.com/press-release/30716
Japan Baby Boomers Aid Leisure Stocks, Merrill Says
Patrick Rial
Bloomberg.com
February 22, 2007
Overview: Rial’s article focuses on Japanese baby boomers and areas that will be affected by their retirement and spending, including the stock market, golf, travel and gardening industries.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=auyJeeFOODQ0&refer=japan
Boomers feel lure of leisure
Jonathan Chevreau
Financial Post via Canada.com
February 22, 2007
Overview: Chevreau reports that Canadian baby boomers may not continue in the workforce after all. He writes, “a report released yesterday by Statistics Canada seems to suggest that once Boomers get a taste of fulltime leisure they may not be so keen to return to the corporate grind.”
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/columnists/story.html?id=4f06b3da-8852-40a7-af65-bf7f581f60b9&p=1
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Today's baby boomers want lock and leave
Deborah Moore
Albany Times Union via Wilmingtonstar.com
February 23, 2007
Overview: This piece concentrates on housing trends and the notion that boomers want to “lock and leave,” wanting less responsibility for taking care of their house. “Boomers want to spend time in leisure activities, volunteering, socializing or even taking on second careers - just not worrying about the house.”
http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070223/NEWS/702230378/1051
Mama bird's getting ready to downsize
Marcianne Waters
The Philadelphia Daily News
February 23, 2007
Overview: Waters shares her thoughts about downsizing her lifestyle once her children leave the nest. “The times they are a-changin'. Time to move, time to grow, time to find a new identity. I'd love to say that I'm taking up skydiving or writing a novel with my new-found freedom, just like all those baby boomers in the ads I'm bombarded with. I'd love to say that I feel a great sense of exhilaration as I shed a skin. I'd love to say there's a happy ending. But there's not. There's just muddling through. For now.”
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/opinion/16764631.htm
Getting late for boomers
Cathy Myers
Times Daily
February 22, 2007
Overview: Myers reflects on being referred to as a “late boomer.” She writes, “Those of us born in 1957 are a generation in search of a name. And, although we are aging at what seems to be a rapid pace, we can't pin down exactly how old we are, either.” Moreover, “But some people divide those 76 million Boomers into subgroups, which means that we 1957ers are part of the Late Boomers. Other generations get cool names like Gen X and Gen Y and even The Greatest Generation. We get Late Boomers. What kind of a name is that? We should all get together -- in someplace warm and tropical, for instance -- and vote on a new one.”
http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070223/NEWS/702230304/-1/COMMUNITIES03
Women, Retailers and Fashion: Yes, Size Does Matter
Sarah Mahoney
Mediapost.com
February 23, 2007
Overview: Mahoney reports that women in general, feel discouraged when shopping for clothes that flatter them. "Perceptions of positive changes in fit, as well as style, quality and value, are lower today than in prior years, says Kelly Tackett, a senior consultant with Retail Forward. The change is most pronounced among women 35-plus. Boomer women are just not getting their needs met at retail, she says. Retailers just need to listen to women."
http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?
fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=55985
Retiring boomers putting pressure on tight labour market: report
Eric Beauchesne
Canada.com
February 22, 2007
Overview: This article focuses on how Canadian boomers will impact the labor market. Specifically, “The looming retirement of boomers, the oldest of whom turned 60 last year, has been a focus of concern for years, with warnings of labour shortages, especially skilled labour.”
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=b5df62a9-c2b0-4879-bc8f-81a5d19505b5&k=84005
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
More marketers target boomers' eyes, wallets; Messages focus on aspirations, not aging
Laura Petrecca
USA Today
February 26, 2007
Overview: Petrecca reports on marketing and advertising to boomers and gives examples of current marketing strategies including targeting “boomers with non-traditional services” and “using iconic, nostalgic personalities.” Petrecca writes, “Companies looking for a share of their spending include those that traditionally target an older demographic -- such as financial services firms and makers of age-fighting cosmetics -- but the advertising has a bit more edge than before.”
http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/adtrack/2007-02-25-ameriprise_x.htm
The Last Laugh
Leslie P. Norton
Barron's
February 26, 2007
*Please Note: This article requires a subscription to access
Overview: Norton’s article focuses on marketing to boomers, what companies are currently doing to target them and gives predictions for future trends. She writes, “many of them will not be acting their age, at least by the standards of a generation ago. It's something the advertising and marketing industries will have to come to grips with, something they're not too enthusiastic about.” Moreover, the article says, “the reality is that consumers aged 50-plus already spend more than $1.7 trillion on goods and services each year, including heavy outlays at restaurants, for gourmet cooking and for travel.”
Boomers can shred, too
The Associated Press via The Lawrence Journal-World
February 26, 2007
Overview: This piece concentrates on the snowboarding trend and its increase in popularity among baby boomers. This article also touches upon marketing to boomers and shares, “Though small in numbers, baby boomers are big on influence. They represent an estimated $2.3 trillion in disposable income with the potential to drive businesses interested in their dollars.”
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/feb/26/boomers_can_shred_too/?sports
Oh, baby! Lenders see big bucks in boomers
Emmet Pierce
San Diego Union Tribune
February 25, 2007
Overview: Pierce reports, “The aging of America's baby boom generation was on the minds of lenders who took part in the Mortgage Bankers Association's recent convention here on commercial real estate and multifamily housing.” Moreover, “As they have grown older, the 78 million boomers have left their mark on society, Scott said. They have changed the way we work... They have changed the way we look at life in general.”
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070225-9999-1h25mba.html
Baby boom division won't go forth; Parent company Gap will close the chain and instead focus on sales at its better-known stores
Leslie Earnest
Los Angeles Times
February 27, 2007
Overview: Earnest reports, “Beleaguered Gap Inc. is riveting its attention on its largest chains as it prepares to shutter its Forth & Towne stores, a division launched just 18 months ago to attract baby boomers.” The article shares thoughts from a local resident, Jennifer Geller, who states, "If you're older, you want something cute, you don't want something matronly. But it's hard to find stores now."
http://www.latimes.com/services/site/premium/access-registered.intercept (*free subscription required)
Baby Boomer Segmentation: Kids/No Kids
Retailwire.com
February 27, 2007
Overview: Retailwire posts ACNielsen's Consumer Insight article, “Baby Boomer Segmentation: Eight is Enough” by Doug Anderson and Laurel Kennedy. Anderson and Kennedy discuss three different household segments of boomers: boomers with children, boomers without children, and graying boomers and the consumer trends in each group. Specifically they suggest, “By looking closely at household composition, marketers can gain a more comprehensive understanding of these distinct Boomer consumer segments and win them over with highly targeted campaigns. They can also better measure the changes in purchasing behavior as Boomers age to better prepare themselves for the transformation of the American consumer.”
http://www.retailwire.com/Objects/Object.cfm/614 (*free subscription required)
Boomers going green
Sholnn Freeman
Washington Post via AZcentral.com
February 26, 2007
Overview: This piece discusses automotive buying trends among boomers. In particular, “they are starting to change their buying habits in response to global warming. And automakers are rolling out a growing list of vehicles to take advantage of the changing attitudes.”
http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/0226greencar26-ON.html
*Worth Noting
Extreme makeover; Forget retirement, Baby Boom women dive into new lives, careers
Cary Aspinwall
Tulsa World
February 18, 2007
Overview: Aspinwall writes about baby boomer women who are switching careers, starting their own businesses and giving back to the community. She shares, “another trend among Boomer women -- using their success and knowledge to give back. A 2005 survey by Princeton Survey Research found large percentages of Boomers are planning on new careers later in life focusing on helping the poor and elderly, or working in health care or education.”
http://www.tulsaworld.com/NewsStory.asp?ID=070218_Fa_d1_extreme
Baby boom division won't go forth; Parent company Gap will close the chain and instead focus on sales at its better-known stores
Leslie Earnest
Los Angeles Times
February 27, 2007
Overview: Earnest reports, “Beleaguered Gap Inc. is riveting its attention on its largest chains as it prepares to shutter its Forth & Towne stores, a division launched just 18 months ago to attract baby boomers.” The article shares thoughts from a local resident, Jennifer Geller, who states, "If you're older, you want something cute, you don't want something matronly. But it's hard to find stores now."
http://www.latimes.com/services/site/premium/access-registered.intercept (*free subscription required)
Baby Boomer Segmentation: Kids/No Kids
Retailwire.com
February 27, 2007
Overview: Retailwire posts ACNielsen's Consumer Insight article, “Baby Boomer Segmentation: Eight is Enough” by Doug Anderson and Laurel Kennedy. Anderson and Kennedy discuss three different household segments of boomers: boomers with children, boomers without children, and graying boomers and the consumer trends in each group. Specifically they suggest, “By looking closely at household composition, marketers can gain a more comprehensive understanding of these distinct Boomer consumer segments and win them over with highly targeted campaigns. They can also better measure the changes in purchasing behavior as Boomers age to better prepare themselves for the transformation of the American consumer.”
http://www.retailwire.com/Objects/Object.cfm/614 (*free subscription required)
Boomers going green
Sholnn Freeman
Washington Post via AZcentral.com
February 26, 2007
Overview: This piece discusses automotive buying trends among boomers. In particular, “they are starting to change their buying habits in response to global warming. And automakers are rolling out a growing list of vehicles to take advantage of the changing attitudes.”
http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/0226greencar26-ON.html
*Worth Noting
Extreme makeover; Forget retirement, Baby Boom women dive into new lives, careers
Cary Aspinwall
Tulsa World
February 18, 2007
Overview: Aspinwall writes about baby boomer women who are switching careers, starting their own businesses and giving back to the community. She shares, “another trend among Boomer women -- using their success and knowledge to give back. A 2005 survey by Princeton Survey Research found large percentages of Boomers are planning on new careers later in life focusing on helping the poor and elderly, or working in health care or education.”
http://www.tulsaworld.com/NewsStory.asp?ID=070218_Fa_d1_extreme
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
United States; 86% of female boomers are proud to tell their real age
Seniorscopie.com
February 28, 2007
Overview: This piece discusses an article than ran in the Edmonton Journal about a new global survey of 1,450 women aged 50 to 64, The survey found “60% of women, aged 50 to 64, said they weren't worried about getting old and 40% prefer sex at 50 than sex at 20. According to three-quarters of the respondents sexual activity is what separates them from their mother's life at the same age. Women want to fight against the discrimination on women over 50 in the medias, as in the latest Dove advertisement.”
http://www.seniorscopie.com/actu/article.asp?id=070228111456&rub=swi
Rocking the (fashion) world
Patricia McFall
Whittier Daily News
February 28, 2007
Overview: McFall discusses the significant impact boomers have made on the fashion industry including futuristic and hippie fashions.
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/entertainment/ci_5319317
Baby boomers put pensions above family and personal health
Tony Bonsignore
Citywire
February 28, 2007
Overview: A research study conducted by Hartford Group results that financial security and pensions are a top priority for baby boomers in the UK. Family, personal health and the environment are their other top concerns.
http://www.citywire.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?VersionID=89540&MenuKey=News.Home
Senior demographic faces fundamental change as baby boomers come knocking
Sheryl Ubelacker
608News.com
February 27, 2007
Overview: Ubelacker reports on ways in which Canadian boomers will change the traditional notions of today’s seniors. She writes, “the characteristics and experiences of seniors will become even more varied as the baby boom generation starts joining their ranks in 2011.” Additionally, she shares feedback from the CEO of the International Council on Aging, who says that “many of today's seniors tend to be conservative with money and won't spend it on what they see as frivolous items. But that attitude will likely change as the baby boomers cross into their senior years.”
http://www.680news.com/news/national/article.jsp?content=n022780A
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Writing Her Own Sequel
Joyce Wadler
The New York Times
March 1, 2007
Overview: Wadler writes about Sarah Davidson, age 65, who was forced out of her job at age 50, struggled to find a new job and decided to move away in search of a meaningful life. She reports, “Davidson, who made her name with the 1977 novel Loose Change, about three women of the '60s coming of age, has now written Leap! What Will We Do With the Rest of Our Lives? It focuses on a time in life that Ms. Davidson has christened the Narrows, when the old professional and personal identities have been stripped away and one is left in the dark. Ms. Davidson, a former writer and producer of ''Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,'' chronicles not only her own struggles, but also those of other successful boomers who have found themselves sidelined.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/01/garden/01davidson.html?_r=1&ref=garden&oref=slogin
Senators search for ways to keep boomers on the job; Flexible schedules and other changes may be needed to head off a national labor shortage
Jonathan Peterson
Los Angeles Times
March 1, 2007
Overview: In this article, Peterson explains how many employers are adopting work programs that cater to older employees. Working later in life is extremely important right now, due to the impact boomers will have on the nation's economy once they begin to retire. "A wave of retiring workers will weigh down economic growth in the coming years unless Americans save more and employers take steps to hang on to more of their older employees, experts said.”
Women's changing image
Jenice Armstrong
The Philadelphia Daily News
March 1, 2007
Overview: Armstrong reflects on advertising and marketing campaigns as well as Americans’ attitudes on aging and beauty. Specifically she writes, “As baby boomers are maturing, America also is coming to grips with the notion of mature beauty. Age aside, British actress Helen Mirren was one of the most applauded women to make her way across the red carpet on Sunday night. I'll bet that you know plenty of examples of other women over the age of 40 who haven't turned in their sexy cards.” The article goes on to say, “on one hand, America is broadening its definitions of female attractiveness as it allows its favorite on-air personalities - Katie Couric and Diane Sawyer among others, yet at other times when confronted with modern-day images of what, say, 50 looks like - they're taken aback.”
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/living/16807439.htm
Calling it quits: women act early but men take ages
Bernard Salt
The Australian
March 1, 2007
Overview: This piece concentrates on Australian baby boomers and their marriage trends, while comparing them to the previous generation. Salt writes, “the depression generation was prepared to slog it out in marriage until parted by death, the boomer generation is more likely to go solo into old age than to suffer the pain of an unhappy relationship.”
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21303399-25658,00.html
Poll: Boomers rate for fun, music
Thomas Hargrove and Guido H. Stempel III
Knoxville News Sentinel
February 27, 2007
Overview: This article shares key findings from a national survey of 1,008 adults conducted by Scripps Howard News service and Ohio University that “Americans agree that the baby boom - the folks who flamboyantly celebrated sex, drugs and rock-n-roll - is the nation's fun generation… But baby boomers are credited for enjoying life and for producing the best music of any recent generation.” Additionally the survey results show that “Baby boomers, more than other generations, are most likely to say old age doesn't begin until 70 or even 80. Three-quarters of boomers say old age happens sometime after age 69.”
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/national/article/0,1406,KNS_350_5384358,00.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Is Looking Your Age Now Taboo?
Natasha Singer
The New York Times
March 1, 2007
Overview: Singer questions, “Are wrinkles to become a thing of the past for the self-selected few, like crooked teeth after the advent of modern orthodontics?” She suggests, “At the very least, wrinkles are being repositioned as the new gray hair — another means to judge attractiveness, romantic viability, professional competitiveness and social status.” Moreover, “As Americans live longer, middle age has shifted to 60 from 40, with 40 recast as a youthful stage. That leaves some women grappling with the idea of what 60 looks like.
For Some Aging Actors, Self-Mockery Sells
Nina M. Lentini
The New York Times
March 1, 2007
Overview: Lentini reports on the growing trend of “hiring venerable actors, once known for serious straight roles, to display cleverly self-mocking sides of their personalities in campaigns aimed at younger as well as older consumers.” She suggests that “For advertisers, the older actors can be reassuring — they are unlikely to fall out of favor by behaving badly. This article also shares examples of current campaigns that accentuate this trend.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/01/business/media/01adco.html?em&ex=1172984400&en=4fb44e760266738c&ei=5087%0A
Born to be ‘Wild Hogs’; All-star cast identifies with boomers’ buried values
Susan King
Los Angeles Times via Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
March 2, 2007
Overview: This article discusses the new comedy film, “Wild Hogs,” staring Tim Allen, John Travolta, William Macy and Martin Lawrence as it relates to baby boomers. King suggest, “Although filled with slapstick and more than a few off-color jokes, the movie’s underlying theme is how many baby boomers feel that they have compromised their values while losing the idealism of their youth.”
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/living/16818640.htm
HeartMath Introduces Two Products to Revitalize a Baby Boomer’s Body, Mind, and Spirit: emWave Personal Stress Reliever® and emWave® PC Stress Relief System
Emediawire.com
March 2, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing, “Baby boomers are recognized for taking a proactive approach to the health of their mind, body, and spirit. According to a 2006 study from the Natural Marketing Institute, 4 out of 5 boomers feel that relieving their stress would increase their quality of life. New stress-reduction technology products from HeartMath® LLC are designed to do just that. Created by boomers for boomers, the handheld emWave Personal Stress Reliever® and the emWave® PC Stress Relief System are breakthroughs in personal stress reduction technology. Both products will be introduced and demonstrated at the 2007 What’s Next Boomer Business Summit on March 5th and 6th at the Hyatt Regency Chicago (www.boomersummit.com).”
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/3/emw508810.htm
55-Alive! Announces 55-AliveChat!(TM) for the Baby Boomer and 50+ Online Community, and the Launch of 55-Alive! Ask the Expert
PRNewswire
March 2, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing the roll out of 55-AliveChat! Ask the Expert designed to “cover areas such as grandparenting, relationships, dating, career advice, and pets.” Moreover, members can create blogs and profiles, form groups, view current news, sports, health and entertainment videos, search the 55-Alive! library of movie reviews, search RV (recreational vehicle) listings, bed & breakfast listings, and, through the 55-Alive! Career Center, conduct a job search.”
http://sev.prnewswire.com/computer-electronics/20070301/AQTH02401032007-1.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Could Baby Boomers Be Approaching Retirement In Worse Shape Than Their Predecessors?
National Institutes of Health
March 5, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing, “Americans in their early to mid-50s today report poorer health, more pain and more trouble doing everyday physical tasks than their older peers reported at the same age in years past, a recent analysis has shown.”
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/mar2007/nia-05.htm
Gadgets for graying set; Baby boomers demand - and get - big-button TV remotes, no-frills cell phones and computers that start with a touch
Clint Swett
Sacramento Bee
March 5, 2007
Overview: Sweet reports, “technology companies are gearing up new products or adapting existing ones to capture a potentially huge and profitable demographic -- baby boomers. The gadgets include oversize TV remote controls, simplified cellular phones and computers that ask for a thumbprint instead of a password.”
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/132668.html
Dating boom is not just for the under-40 set
Laura Berman
The Chicago Sun-Times
March 5, 2007
Overview: Berman’s article focuses on boomers and dating. Specifically she writes, “Today, boomers in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond are finding themselves newly single -- either due to outliving their partner or to divorce. And being out on the dating scene again can be daunting. Many of this generation never so much as said the word condom or had much experience dating.”
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/berman/282861,CST-FTR-berman05.article
Baby Boomers Get All the Answers and Live It Up at the Boomers Show in Las Vegas
PRNewswire
March 5, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing an event designed strictly for baby boomers that will be held in Las Vegas this fall. The Boomers Show(TM) -- How to be Healthier, Wealthier, Wiser ...and Live it Up! is expected to attract thousands of Boomers from around the country. The purpose of the event is to give “boomers the opportunity to get questions answered, to connect with businesses, and to proceed into the future, to feel in control of their lives.”
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-05-2007/0004539019&EDATE=
TV Land elects Clinton for baby boomer pep talk
Paul J. Gough
Reuters
March 2, 2007
Overview: Gough reports on TV Land’s next move in targeting baby boomers through a speech by President Clinton during the network’s advertising presentation on March 23 at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. He shares, “TV Land and other similar networks like Ion Media Network and Hallmark Channel argue that even though they're leaving the holy grail of Madison Avenue in droves by virtue of aging, baby boomers are still a viable and advertiser-friendly demographic.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSN0238906520070302
Beauty for the Baby Boomers
Jeannette Park
Fashion Wire Daily
March 2, 2007
Overview: Park concentrates on the latest baby boomer beauty trends and writes, “Today's television watchers see an increase in products aimed at the women-over-40 demographic over the past few years. Dove has notably featured older and curvier women in their TV and print ads, highlighting their take on "real" women. Revlon has eschewed conventions of using young models, and has instead signed on Julianne Moore, 46, Diane Keaton, 61, and Susan Sarandon, 60, to hawk its anti-aging products.” Park also discusses the latest book by Bobbi Brown, Living Beauty, that is focused on beauty tips for baby boomer women.
http://www.fashionwiredaily.com/first_word/beauty/article.weml?id=1020
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
"What's Next Boomer Business Summit" Speakers Share 2007 Predictions with Fleishman-Hillard's FH Boom
Emediawire.com
March 6, 2007
Overview: During yesterday’s “Fourth Annual What’s Next Boomer Business Summit,” FH Boom polled some of the conference’s top speakers on their predictions for the top trends in boomer business for 2007. Their answers provide unique insights into how companies and organizations can tap into this 78 million strong powerhouse generation. Read today’s blog for the top trends in boomer business for 2007.
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/3/emw509544.htm
New Life-Planning Web Site Helps Boomers Redefine Retirement
PRNewsire.com
March 6, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing the launch of whatsnextinyourlife.com, created by Life Options Institute and developed by baby boomers, to “help individuals 50 or older have an emotionally and intellectually fulfilling next phase of their life -- leading up and through retirement. The process does not involve financial planning, rather the aspect of lifestyle, next career, wellness and leisure activities.”
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-06-2007/0004540324&EDATE=
Baby Boomers Relocate to Kick-Start Their Lives; From Beach Houses to Mountain Towns, Americans Find New Beginning
ABCnews.com
March 5, 2007
Overview: This “Good Morning America” segment focuses on a new trend for baby boomers: relocating or moving into co-housing developments. “As American baby boomers grow older, many are considering moves and asking themselves where they should go. The answer? Anywhere.”
http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2923901&page=1
A Maturing Home Market; Luxuries Luring 55-And-Over Buyers to New Communities
Paul Owers
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
March 5, 2007
Overview: Owers reports on baby boomer housing trends. Specifically he writes, “Baby Boomers? They're much pickier. Armed with unprecedented wealth, Boomers demand 10-foot ceilings, high-end appliances, a clubhouse concierge and live theater performances from Joan Rivers. Companies that know how to deliver that lifestyle are enjoying brisk sales, even as the housing downturn lingers.” Moreover, “55-and-older buyers, many of whom made plenty of money after selling their first or second homes, are keeping the market for senior housing vibrant.”
Baby Boomers Retire to New Role in the Work Force; Employers Tap into Their Wealth of Knowledge and Experience
BusinessWire
March 5, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing, “It seems that many baby boomers are taking retirement only to return to work in the role of consultants, mentors and part-time employees.” Additionally, “for the baby boomers, conditions have to be right to induce them to continue working after they take retirement. I retired early because I want the freedom to do some of the things I put off during my career,” said Harry Huhndorff, a former design engineer with Eveready Battery in Cleveland. No one was more surprised than I to discover I could actually earn serious money working as an independent design consultant for companies right in my area. I can take on as many projects as I like, turn down the ones that are not interesting or challenging, and work primarily from home – or wherever I happen to be.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Boomer power holds sway at state, national levels
Lisa Hoffman and Sarah McBroom
Scripps News
March 6, 2007
Overview: This article focuses on the political power of baby boomers and includes thoughts from FH Boom co-chair, Carol Orsborn Ph.D., sharing, "It's uncharted territory, said Carol Orsborn(cq). We don't know yet what this generation will do.” Moreover, “Orsborn, the author of 15 books on the boomers, sees other commonalities that could also impact governance. Boomers of all stripes prize self reliance, individuality, can-do optimism, tolerance, and a combination of skepticism toward government with a desire for civic engagement. Whether all these proclivities - plus the generation's ‘we want it now’ bent and its well-honed sense of entitlement - translate into a definable boomer approach to politics and government will surface over time, said Orsborn, herself a boomer.”
http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/19876
ATLAST Magazine Building Bridges for Beautiful Baby Boomers
EMediawire
March 7, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing the debut of ATLAST magazine, a “brand new hairstyle magazine depicting members of the age-less generation wearing sexy, trendy hairstyles and makeup. The magazine features skin care tips, fashion advice, fitness routines and more, helping boomers establish a head to toe personal image. ATLAST is dedicated to the idea that people need to get real concerning beauty and aging.”
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/3/emw507858.htm
Marketers Need New Strategy To Reach Boomer Wallets, Experts Say
Amy Hoak
MarketWatch
March 6, 2007
Overview: Hoak reports on marketing to boomers and highlights some of the current trends in marketing to this powerful demographic. She writes, “this demographic feels it's being snubbed by advertisers, even though boomers also outspend other generations by about 2 to 1 across all product categories.”
Addressing Boomers' Greatest Concerns About Aging
PR Newswire
March 6, 2007
Overview: This press release announces, “The greatest concern of Baby Boomers about aging is staying mentally sharp, according to experts gathered in Chicago for the Boomer Summit, a part of this week's annual meeting of the American Society on Aging.”
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-06-2007/0004541033&EDATE=
Aging boomers drive costs; Study projects health care expenditures
Christopher Snowbeck
Pioneer Press
March 6, 2007
Overview: Snowbeck reports that according to a study from HealthPartners, “baby boomers will contribute to an 18 percent increase in health care costs due to demographic changes by 2050.” Moreover, “The costs would be in addition to likely increases in spending from new technologies as well as growing appetites for health care services.”
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/business/16840612.htm
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Baby Boomers Demanding Higher-Level Volunteer Work
Kristen Gerencher
MarketWatch
March 8, 2007
Overview: Gerencher reports on baby boomers’ volunteer work, while sharing key findings from a recent report by the Corporation for National & Community Service. Specifically, she discusses how baby boomers desire more challenging volunteer activities. She writes, “The report's findings may help nonprofits focus their programs to keep volunteer work challenging and rewarding to boomers so they will be generous with both their talents and their wealth.”
Baby boomers turn to Internet for cash
Jennifer Hill
UK Reuters
March 8, 2007
Overview: Hill reports, “Birmingham Midshires found that the baby boom generation is turning to the Web to make ends meet. Moreover, “An estimated one million baby boomers are struggling to find work because of their age, and one in 10 over-45s is now self-employed and relying on the Internet to grow their businesses.”
http://uk.reuters.com/article/personalFinanceNews/idUKNOA82663120070308
Realizing the potential of an aging society
Daisaku Ikeda
Japan Times
March 8, 2007
Overview: Ikeda reflects on the aging society and the importance of “recognizing and treasuring the contributions of older people”, which the reporter says “is essential to the long-term flourishing of any society.”
Top News from Today's Boomiverse
Baby Boomers Will Spur 18% Rise in Health Care Costs by 2050, Study Says
Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies
March 9, 2007
Overview: Baby boomers will contribute to an 18% increase in health care costs by 2050, according to a study conducted by Minnesota-based insurer HealthPartners, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=43386
Baby Boomers Seeking a Different Retirement Lifestyle—At Home
Nanette Overly
Senior Journal.com
March 9, 2007
Overview: Overly reports that the largest and most influential population, the Baby Boomer Generation, is once again exerting its gravitational pull on the American socio-cultural landscape. Now in a state of housing flux, “the 400-pound gorilla of a demographic” has its sights set on the housing market, redefining the expectations and priorities of mature homebuyers, and changing the face of residential development.
http://www.seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Boomers/2007/7-03-08-BabyBoomersSeeking.htm
Good Night’s Rest Costs Baby Boomers a Bundle
Ashley Heher
Associated Press
March 9, 2007
Overview: Heher discusses how mattress companies are fluffing up their selections of ultra-luxe beds that retail for more than the cost of cars, college tuition and parcels of land, all in order to capture the affluent baby boomer who wants a good night’s sleep.
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/national/article/0,1406,KNS_350_5404559,00.html
Boomers Show Advertisers Life After 50
Kristina Knight
BizReport
March 9, 2007
Overview: Knight reflects upon the fact that just seven months after launching their portal catering to the tastes of the Baby-Boomer generation, Eons.com has proven itself as a viable online platform.
http://www.bizreport.com/2007/03/boomers_show_advertisers_life_after_50.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Healthy aging: Baby boomers grow into new eating habits
Mia Stainsby
Canada.com
March 12, 2007
Overview: This article addresses the many health concerns that aging boomers face. One of the key factors of healthy aging is food. Stainsby explains, “For general preventive health, the best fighters against disease and premature aging are antioxidants found in vegetables and fruits.”
Baby boomers are tough customers
Lisa Shidler
Investment News
March 12, 2007
Overview: Shidler explains that at last week’s “What’s Next Boomer Business Summit” in Chicago, it was concluded that that the financial services industry has a difficult time developing marketing schemes to baby boomers because they are not loyal to financial institutions. “Many boomers have lost loyalty due to recent mergers in the financial industry,” said speaker Vicki Thomas, president of Thomas & Partners Co. Inc. in Weston, Conn.
http://www.investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070312/FREE/70308028/1002
What will happen to all that Japanese boomers' cash?
Roger Pulvers
The Japan Times
March 11, 2007
Overview: Pulvers discusses the several options that Japanese boomers have with their finances. Many will simply save in a bank account, while others will buy real estate. Pulvers also draws some similarities between American baby boomers and the Japanese dankai no sedai (baby boomers), including attire, musical preferences, and parental upbringing.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/rss/fl20070311rp.html
Our Books, Ourselves; Baby boomers and their books—it's a love story where nobody ever said he was sorry. Except, perhaps, for 'Love Story' itself.
Malcolm Jones
Newsweek
March 9, 2007
Overview: Jones writes about reading and literature trends among the boomer generation. He writes, “Boomer readers just kept reading, and they aren't just reading the same old stuff—does anyone read Brautigan or Heinlein anymore? We go to readings and join book clubs and, most important, we do everything we can to make sure our children read. And we're still proselytizing!”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17534882/site/newsweek/
Fastest-Growing Jobs
Hannah Clark
Forbes
March 9, 2007
Overview: In this article, Clark credits the abundance of the U.S.’s fastest-growing jobs to aging boomers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Between 2004 and 2014, seven of the 10 fastest-growing jobs in the U.S. will be in health care,” and “of the top 30 fastest-growing jobs, 17 are health care-related.” Additionally, he suggests that most baby boomers are doing well financially and able to afford a fair amount of health care.
http://www.forbes.com/leadership/2007/03/09/jobs-boomers-labor-lead-careers_cx_hc_0309jobs.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Industries set sights on baby boomers
George Chamberlin
San Diego Source
March 9, 2007
Overview: Chamberlin’s piece focuses on businesses that are marketing products to baby boomers. She shares insight from FH Boom co-chair Eileen Marcus who states, “Because of its sheer size and $2.1 trillion in spending power, more and more companies are waking up to this generation and adapting their business with an eye toward the boomer demographic.”
*Please note: this article may require a subscription to access
http://www.sddt.com/news/article.cfm?SourceCode=20070309tbc
After 50, time to rediscover who you set out to be
Jane Glenn Haas
Orange County Register via Fortwayne.com
March 13, 2007
Overview: Haas discusses life after 50 for boomer women and shares thoughts from FH Boom co-chair, Carol Orsborn P.h.D. Haas writes, “In truth, there are the ‘core’ or status quo Boomers who stay entrenched in their designated programs, says Carol Orsborn… This group, she says, responds to the message of authority.” Moreover, “In addition to the ‘core,’ there's the majority, the group who moved away from home and into a more reactive transition mode. And the ‘actualized boomer,’ her definition of the person who has made peace with the best of all life stages.”
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/living/16893540.htm
Boomers richer than ever
George Megalogenis
The Australian
March 13, 2007
Overview: Megalogenis reports that Australian baby boomers are “even richer than previously thought, with new figures showing one in four Australians approaching retirement age hold an average of more than $1 million in assets.”
http://www.news.com.au/comments/0,23600,21372160-462,00.html
This dating service is for boomers only; Woman develops Web site to bring singles of a certain age together
Valerie Zehl
Press & Sun Bulletin
March 13, 2007
Overview: Susan DiCola launches BoomerAgeClub.com, a Web site described as “a way for unattached, like-minded boomers to find each other.” This article also shares, “The Internet's not lacking for sites catering to or giving information about this biggest-ever age-based demographic group. A Google search yields 1.87 million hits for ‘baby boomer.’”
http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070313/COLUMNISTS01/703130319/1006/
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Baby boomers like to spend, retail thrives
Seniorscopie.com
March 14, 2007
Overview: This article focuses on boomer spending in Finland that shares, “Baby-boomers are different consumers than previous grey generations. They are willing to invest in high-end products in all walks of life. The trend is well visible in food retail. Ageing will also influence the demand for small corner shops in the future.”
http://www.seniorscopie.com/actu/article.asp?id=070314104551&rub=swi
It's Baby Boomers, Not Senior Citizens, Gobbling Down Alternative Medicines; Boomers 'questioned authority - and medicine is a form of authority'
Katherine Kahn
Seniorjournal.com
March 13, 2007
Overview: Kahn reports on the use of alternative medicines and reveals survey results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kahn shares thoughts from Andrew London, Ph.D. who states, “The results that show middle-aged adults as most likely to use complementary and alternative medicine could in part be a reflection of baby boomers’ approach to health.” Moreover, “The baby boomer generation was countercultural. They questioned authority — and medicine is a form of authority.”
http://www.seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Nutrition-Vitamins/2007/7-03-13-ItsBabyBoomers.htm
Cruise Ship Report for March 2007 -- News for Cruisers; Small Luxury Cruise Ship Companies Prepare for 'Baby Boomer' Boom
Cruise-ship-report.com
March 14, 2007
Overview: This piece discusses the latest trends from the Searade convention, a annual cruise ship industry expo. Cruise ship companies believe baby boomers will spend more money on luxury cruise lines. The article goes on to say that a brand new, even more luxurious cruise ship is being built just for baby boomers.
http://www.cruise-ship-report.com/News/031307.htm
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
The 'Gray Divorce;’ the numbers of longtime couples walking away from their marriages is on the rise
Michelle Mullins
Daily Southtown
March 14, 2007
Overview: Mullins reports on the notion of “Gray Divorce.” Specifically she writes, “A national AARP study found that the divorce rate among people ages 40 to 79 years old is on the rise, with more women seeking the break in higher numbers than men.”
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/lifestyles/294837,141LIF1.article
RFROC ANSWERS ‘When Will the Baby Boomers Really Retire?’
Business Wire
March 14, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing the Retirement Financial Readiness Opinion Council's (RFROC) latest study, “When Will the Baby Boomers Really Retire?” Bruce Hurwitz, the RFROC president states, Boomers “are about to shift and begin taking distributions to live their retirement dreams… It is critically important for financial services companies to understand the coming retirement account outflow phenomenon, and to develop plans for attracting new sources of investment assets.”
Tech Made Simple: Gadgets for Baby Boomers; From Big Remotes to Fingerprint Locks, Companies Design Products for Aging Americans
ABCNews.com
March 14, 2007
Overview: This article focuses on the latest gadgets for baby boomers including large-button remotes, Nintendo Wii, and laptops with fingerprint logon. These latest technologies are designed to make life easier on the baby boomer generation.
http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2950008
Boomers say no to retirement, yes to starting over; More people changing gears after 50
Kathryn Fiegen
Iowa City Press-Citizen
March 15, 2007
Overview: Fiegen discusses the trend of boomers delaying retirement, switching careers or starting their own business. She writes, “They want more flexibility, they want to pursue a longtime passion or they want to pass on a business to their children.” Moreover, many baby boomers are registering in university courses to continue their education.
http://www.hawkcentral.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070315/NEWS01/703150322/1079/HAWKS
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Boomers get wake-up call at aging summit; Health care system deemed not ready to meet demands
Michael Vitez
The Philadelphia Inquirer via Bradenton Herald
March 15, 2007
Overview: Vitez reports on family caregiving and writes, “At a major national meeting on aging last week, one message to boomers was this: Get ready. You're going to do much of the family caregiving yourself - caring for your parents, helping navigate them through a sea of doctors, often doing it long distance.” He also shares predictions in technologies and shares, “Culture-changing technology is just a few years away - doctors, nurses and boomers will be a touch screen from frail elders, thanks to new interactive computers, monitors, cameras and sensors.”
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/nation/16904292.htm
Opinion: Caring for boomers requires increasing number of home care nurses
Val J. Halamandaris
Detroit News
March 16, 2007
Overview: Halamandaris shares thoughts on boomer retirement and how they will impact caregiving. Specifically Halamandaris writes, “This generation will not go silently into the good night. They will not meekly submit to retirement, but bend and shape the concept to suit their needs.” Moreover, “While they will be far healthier and live longer than their parents, Boomers -- the richest generation in history -- will have the resources to structure the support programs needed to deal with disabilities and remain independent in their own homes.”
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070316/OPINION01/703160304/1008
Robert Half International and RetirementJobs.com Announce Partnership: Collaboration Provides Experienced Workers With Access to Top Jobs, Employers
PR Newswire
March 15, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing, “Robert Half International (RHI) and RetirementJobs.com today announced a strategic partnership in which RHI will provide job listings and career management content on RetirementJobs.com, the Web's leading career destination for people aged 50+...RetirementJobs.com provides opportunity, inspiration, community and counsel to people over 50 seeking work to match their lifestyle.”
http://sev.prnewswire.com/workforce-management/20070315/SFTH05115032007-1.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Boomers bust at 65?
Erica Thompson
The Courier-Mail
March 19, 2007
Overview: Thompson reports on Australian baby boomers (ages 45-64) and their financial status. She writes, “While they put twice as much into their super each week as those aged under 45, this is still less than one-third of the amount they spend on entertainment and recreation.” Additionally, “as they `sea-change' and `tree-change', the boomers are spending more on recreation than either younger or older households…”
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21402558-5003417,00.html
Baby Boomers Heat Up Suburban Housing Market Choosing 55+ Community at Red Mill Village
Thematuremarket.com
March 18, 2007
Overview: This article focuses on the popularity of the Red Mill Village in Norton, Massachusetts, and relates the community to the rising trend of “aging in place.” “While Florida, Arizona and other Sunbelt states continue to attract the 55+ crowd, a growing trend of "aging in place" or staying close to home in familiar locales is emerging for many Boomers considering their next housing move.” Moreover, “according to a recent study by the Mortgage Bankers Association, aging in place is one of the most significant factors impacting housing over the coming years, dramatically shaping the makeup of our neighborhoods and communities. Suburban areas are expected to gray faster with Massachusetts standing out as a state that will have a lower rate of overall population growth but will gray quickly through aging in place.”
http://www.thematuremarket.com/SeniorStrategic/Red_Mill_Village-8442-5.html
Stylin' as a baby boomer: Here's how; Neither too frumpy nor too provocative is the right way to go
Mary Giunca
Richmond Times Dispatch
March 17, 2007
Overview: This piece discusses the book Forever Cool, written by Sherrie Mathieson, featuring “more than 200 pages of before and after shots of men and women in their 50s and older who are not models. The book shows styles for work, casual times, dressing up and sports.” Guinca writes, “Women older than 50 tend to gravitate to one of two extremes,” Mathieson said. “They either chase youth in the form of short skirts and plunging necklines, or they default to a dowdy style that includes matronly suits, shapeless pants and tops and orthopedic-looking shoes.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Report: More than 5 million living with Alzheimer's
Associated Press via CNN.com
March 20, 2007
Overview: Associated Press reports, “More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, a 10 percent increase since the last Alzheimer's Association estimate five years ago -- and a count that supports the long-forecast dementia epidemic as the population grays.” Moreover, “age is the biggest risk factor, and the report to be released Tuesday shows the nation is on track for skyrocketing Alzheimer's once the baby boomers start turning 65 in 2011. Already, one in eight people 65 and older have the mind-destroying illness, and nearly one in two people over 85.”
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditions/03/19/alzheimers.ap/index.html
Introducing Boomer-Living.com: A Revolutionary Internet Resource for Active Baby Boomers
PR Newswire
March 20, 2007
Overview: The National Center for Baby Boomers, Inc. has launched an interactive Web-based resource created to meet the needs and reflect the interests of the active, creative lifestyles boomers have embraced… Boomer-Living.com encompasses culinary arts, financial planning, career management, fitness, health care, home decorating, relationships, total wellness, and travel.”
http://www.sys-con.com/read/350706.htm
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Baby boomers face 'hidden epidemic'
David Wylie
Daily Courier
March 21, 2007
Overview: Wylie reports on the growing concern of an increase in suicide as Canadian boomers retire. He reports, “Suicide among the elderly could soon become an epidemic if people don’t start talking about it, says a speaker coming to Vernon next week.”
http://www.dailycourier.ca/article_1051.php
Baby boomers ready for the stump / Post-WWII generation eschewing postretirement comfort for public office
Daily Yomiuri
March 21, 2007
Overview: This article shares, “An increasing number of baby boomers have decided to run for office during the upcoming nationwide local elections, due to their wish to be useful in society and make things better for future generations.” Moreover, “Baby boomers have been criticized for promoting the bubble economy, leaving the younger generation with enormous debt, and receiving pensions that impose an unfair burden on younger generations.” The Dankao Sedai o Chiho Gikai ni Okuru Network, an organization based in Tokyo, responded to such criticism by calling “for boomers to contribute their sweat and wisdom to society”
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070321TDY03004.htm
Overprotective boomer parents invade their children's job interviews
Seniorscopie.com
March 21, 2007
Overview: This piece is focused on the Australian Financial Review article, "Taking control to new heights," originally published on March 13, 2007. The article discusses the trend of Australian boomers acting as “helicopter parents.” Specifically, “Helicopter parents are overprotective baby boomers (aged 43 to 61) and older generation Xs (29 to 42), who may make a searing call to a university lecturer when an assignment gets less than the desired mark. They may also make the first approach to prospective employers and take an active role in salary negotiations for their adult offspring. There have also been isolated cases of recruits bringing their parents to their job interviews.”
http://www.seniorscopie.com/actu/article.asp?id=070321171710&rub=swi
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Who Are Today's Boomer Consumers?
Lewis Green
Marketing Profs Daily Fix
March 22, 2007
Overview: Green reflects on advertising to the boomer consumer. He writes, “This ain't my parents' generation, baby. And we aren't in that 18 - 35 group either. But we have money to spend and the energy to spend it freely. However, advertisers don't seem to know we exist. And if they do, their messages and visuals generally miss the mark.” Green goes on to say, “We believe in fun, friends, parties, poetry, books, music and dance. We love NASCAR, baseball, basketball and football and don't know soccer from rugby. We are good ol' boys and girls and feminists and red necks and jean-clad professionals, conservatives and liberals who vote and who are sometimes too PC. We are the 400-pound gorilla in America's living room, wanting to live on, not retire. According to Eileen Marcus, Fleishman-Hillard Senior Partner, we have $2.1 trillion in spending power.”
http://www.mpdailyfix.com/2007/03/we_aint_ready_for_the_rockin_c.html
High Gas Prices Not Slowing RV Industry
Elliott Minor
Associated Press
March 22, 2007
Overview: Although gas prices are high, RV sales have yet to slow down. Minor reports, “The recreational vehicle industry has been reporting record sales for the past five years, despite rising costs at the pump. Insiders credit a growing number of baby boomers who want the gas-guzzling vehicles for retirement and younger families opting for vacations closer to home for offsetting any potential losses because of soaring fuel costs.”
Baby Boomer Obesity Takes Its Toll on the Health Care Economy
Insurance News Net
March 21, 2007
Overview: In this article, the effects of the obesity epidemic are discussed. According to the article, “now there is clearly a marked increase in obesity affecting the baby boomer generation which could take its toll on our economy.” Additionally, “a study by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) revealed more boomers are suffering from obesity than the previous (“silent”) generation. BIDMC also observed that the condition developed at a younger age among boomers than in the silent generation…Ironically, while boomers have access to better nutrition and information about exercise than the previous generation a forthcoming study to be published by National Bureau of Economic Research found that boomers report experiencing more pain, drinking and psychiatric problems. Boomers also complained of difficulty in carrying out everyday tasks such as climbing stairs, carrying more than 10 pounds as well as kneeling or crouching.”
Cosmetic Plastic Surgery for Baby Boomers Shifts to Lifts
ASPS Reports Significant Increases in Skin Removal and Lift Procedures
PRNewswire
March 22, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing, “While cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures continue to see an increase among all age groups, baby boomers are adding skin and body lift procedures in increasing numbers, according to statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).”
http://sev.prnewswire.com/health-care-hospitals/20070322/DCTH04722032007-1.html
Many baby boomers are buying luxury homes outright
Mark Reynolds
UK Express
March 23, 2007
Overview: Reynolds discusses housing market trends in the UK. Specifically, he shares, “The baby boomer generation is fuelling the house market explosion, with many thousands downsizing and buying new homes outright with ready cash.” Moreover, “Baby boomers also find that selling off their valuable homes and downsizing helps to fund their retirement, or at least makes up any shortfall from a company pension.”
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/2597
The Baby Boomers' Struggle with Growing Old
Michael Seabaugh
Santa Barbara Independent
March 22, 2007
Overview: Seabaugh reflects on growing older. He writes, “Most of us would never cop to calling themselves a ‘senior.’ Many are a bit embarrassed by the Baby Boomer moniker, perhaps because it has been so overused and stripped of any pride. Some of us even look around for the ghost of our father whenever anyone addresses us as ‘Sir.’” Additionally Seabaugh shares, “I am certain of one thing about my gender and my generation: We do not feel our fate is sealed, our story is written, or our race has been handicapped.”
http://www.independent.com/living/2007/03/the_baby_boomers_struggle_with.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
The path to your authentic self is not an easy one to walk
Jane Glenn Haas
Orange County Register
March 25, 2007
Overview: Haas reports on women's life transitions and personal freedom. She shares thoughts from the book, The Silver Pearl: Our Generation's Journey to Wisdom written by Jimmy Laura Smull and FH Boom Co-Chair Carol Orsborn. Haas writes, “In their book, Smull and Orsborn say women usually experience a life-changing transition before moving from what they call Stage One to the authentic Stage Two. Those transitions include moving to a new city, divorce, career or job change, death of a family member, even happy occasions such as the marriage of a child. Old concepts pass away; new beliefs and new behaviors form. Beyond Stage Two, there is the state of active rebellion, Smull says. Rebellion takes real guts.”
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/life/columns/article_1631161.php
TV Land Has Boomers in Its Sights
Anthony Crupi
MediaWeek
March 26, 2007
Overview: Crupi reports on TV Land’s latest efforts in the development of programming for the boomer generation. He writes, “With approximately 78.2 million Baby Boomers in its sights, TV Land on Friday told its advertising partners that it aims to be the one network that ‘understands and appreciates the entertainment and pro-social needs’ of what it calls the TV Generation.”
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003562256
Inland baby boomers among those redefining retirement, observers say
Lou Hirsh
The Press-Enterprise
March 24, 2007
Overview: Hirsh focuses on the trend of baby boomers redefining retirement. Specifically, he writes, “Boomers in particular are changing jobs more frequently, starting their own businesses and moving into arrangements like part-time consulting for corporations.” Hirsh goes onto say “Investment firm Merrill Lynch found in 2005 that boomers on average expect to ‘retire’ at around age 64, then launch a new job or career. Asked about their ideal work arrangement, 42 percent opted to ‘cycle’ between periods of work and leisure; 16 percent planned to work part time; 13 percent intended to start their own business; and 6 percent planned to work full time.”
http://www.pe.com/business/local/stories/PE_Biz_D_boomers25.19b143a.html
Brave old world - how the elderly are seizing America
Paul Harris
Guardian Unlimited
March 25, 2007
Overview: Harris reflects on the American baby boomer demographic in areas of retirement, entertainment, real estate, politics, healthcare and more. He shares, “The country is undergoing a demographic revolution as it ages and braces itself for the retirement of the postwar baby-boomer generation. It is a shift that will change the way America works and lives. The United States is about to become a society that increasingly exists not for the benefit of the young, but for the benefit of the old. “
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2042197,00.html
Report: Retiring Baby Boomers Expected to Hurt U.S. Companies
Tamara Schweitzer
Inc.com
March 23, 2007
Overview: This piece concentrates on the effect retiring baby boomers will have on companies. According to the article, “‘Most older workers who say that they want to extend the number of years they remain in the labor force also say that the typical 8-hour day/5-day week doesn't work for them,’ said Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, co-director of the Center on Aging and Work. ‘Employers who fail to consider flexible work options may be missing important opportunities to enhance both their business performance and their employees' engagement.’”
http://www.inc.com/criticalnews/articles/200703/boomers.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Boomers: Whimpers or Bangs?
Felicia R. Lee
New York Times
March 27, 2007
Overview: Lee reports on the PBS documentary “The Boomer Century: 1946-2046,” scheduled to air tomorrow night. The documentary “explores how life after 60 might look to the generation known for challenging authority and redefining everything from race relations to marriage.” Lee reports that the documentary will answer questions such as, “Will the boomers quietly — and uncharacteristically — get off the stage and leave the messy questions about the environment and the social safety network to the youngsters? Or as science extends life, will they lead the charge in reshaping notions of age in the 21st century?”
Chris Buckley lowers the boom; Writer unleashes killer satire on his generation
Deirdre Donahue
USA Today
March 26, 2007
Overview: Donahue reviews Chris Buckley’s new book Boomsday. She reports, “Set in the nation's capital in the very near future, the novel imagines the coming fiscal Armageddon when 77 million baby boomers start wanting their Social Security checks instead of their MTV.”
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2007-03-25-buckley-boomsday_N.htm
Silver market is about to set the gold standard
Collette Douglas Home
The Herald
March 26, 2007
Overview: Home reflects on UK baby boomers and compares the demographic to American baby boomers. Specifically she writes, “Now I and my generation are on the brink of redefining growing old. The silver revolution is already under way in America, and when America sneezes, we get flu. It can't happen too soon.” Moreover, “What the statistics don't take into account is the revolution in attitude which the baby-boomers are about to demonstrate. If the newly-retired and soon-to-be-retired hold true to their history, the notion of old age is on the brink of reinvention. The baby-boomers have challenged orthodoxy at every stage in their lives. Do you think they'll stop in older age? I don't.”
http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/featuresopinon/display.var.1287083.0.0.php
Divorce fears for Japan baby boomers
Chris Hogg
BBC News, Tokyo
March 26, 2007
Overview: Hogg reports on divorce among Japanese baby boomers and writes, “Experts say the fact that millions of baby boomers are due to give up work this year, forcing husbands and wives to spend a lot more time together than they ever have before, is likely to put extra strain on marriage...”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Bill Clinton Calls Boomers to Action
Valerie Seckler
Women’s Wear Daily
March 28, 2007
Overview: Seckler reports, “Baby Boomers ought to reimagine how they spend their time, advised the country's first Boomer president, Bill Clinton, who, at age 60, is right on the generation's leading edge”. She also discusses targeting the baby boomer market and shares thoughts from Bill Strauss, a generation expert, who states, “Boomers are always looking for a symbol and gesture in all they do…When they do something, they're making a statement. It's a cultural declaration. So the more marketers can infuse late-life products with meaning, that's a positive thing."
http://www.wwd.com/financial/article/114346?page=1
Baby boomers create boomlet at health clubs around county
Katie Arcieri
Annapolis Capital
March 28, 2007
Overview: This article discusses the trend of baby boomers and health clubs. Arcieri reports, “…boomers are heading to health clubs at a rapid rate, and fitness centers are tweaking business plans to pull them in.” Additionally, “The boomer group is the fastest-growing demographic of health club members, said Rosemary Lavery, spokesman for the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association. National health club memberships among people 55 and older has jumped 16 percent, from 6.9 million in 2002 to 8 million in 2005, according to the association.”
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/03_27-12/BUS
Boomers want high-priced home appliances
SeniorScopie.com
March 28, 2007
Overview: This piece focuses on the article, “Tokyo Report: Expensive Home Appliances Selling Strongly,” by the Jiji Press English News Service on March 9, 2007. The article shares, “The ‘luxury home appliances’ market has been boosted for the last three years. Boomers are considered as ‘pros of home appliances’ and they know how to distinguish high-quality products. Rice cookers, air-conditioners, vacuum cleaners make the success of companies such as Mitsubishi Electric, Sharp or Matsushita Electric Industrial."
http://www.seniorscopie.com/actu/article.asp?id=070328131806&rub=swi
"Top News From Today's Boomiverse"
Warning to boomers: Difficult questions ahead; As second half of the boomer century looms, so do some costly problems
Marshall Loeb
MarketWatch
March 28, 2007
Overview: Loeb reports on baby boomers and their financial impact. He writes, “Because they are such a big and robust part of the American population -- 76 million of them were born between 1946 and 1964 -- the baby boomers have long set the agenda for the nation. What the boomers want, they usually get. They also give back a lot, too. The boomers pay 60% of all taxes in the U.S. and make the greatest amount of contributions to charities and volunteer services of any age group.” Additionally he shares information from the PBS program “The Boomer Century: 1946-2046,” that aired last night. He writes, “According to the PBS program, the two interlocking factors most strongly influencing the U.S. society and economy in the decades ahead will be the increase in longevity and the continuing rise in demand for health care.”
Tapping a generation; Nonprofits are seeking to keep baby boomer volunteers by using their professional skills
Allison Bruce
Ventura County Star
March 29, 2007
Overview: This piece focuses on how nonprofits can attract baby boomers to volunteer for their organization. Specifically Bruce suggests, “ This generation wants a challenge, preferably something that draws on the professional skills they have honed over many years, according to a report this month from the Corporation for National and Community Service.” Additionally, “Nonprofit organizations also are finding that many baby boomers are looking for short-term commitments that fit into their busy schedules.” Bruce also reports on the types of organizations baby boomers are interested in volunteering for including, “civic, political, business and international organizations to educational or youth service organizations.”
http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/business/article/0,1375,VCS_128_5449094,00.html
The How-To's of Capturing the Baby Boomer Market
Ana Yoerg
Blog.digitalaxel.com
March 28, 2007
Overview: This blogger shares her ideas on targeting the baby boomer market. Yoerg suggests recognizing their issues, interests and influences.
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Another World Conquered by Video Games: Retirees
Seth Schiesel
The New York Times
March 30, 2007
Overview: Schiesel reports on the growing trend of retirees spending time playing video games. He shares specific examples of retirees that contribute to the trend and writes, “…the women of St. Mary are actually part of a vast and growing community of video-game-playing baby boomers and their parents, especially women.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/30/arts/30seni.html?_r=1&ref=arts&oref=slogin
Samurai at Rest: Japan's workaholic baby boomers shift gears for retirement
AP
Mainichi Daily News
March 30, 2007
Overview: This article focuses on baby boomer retirement in Japan. Associated Press reports, “Planners expect over half the boomers to stay productive well past 60, and the government won't hazard a guess as to how many will retire this year, but Nippon Life Insurance Co. estimates some 1.12 million will leave the work force over the next three years. Although that's less than a quarter of the over-60 workers, Japan's boomer-retirement wave is coming much harder and faster than America's.” Moreover, “All sorts of new products and services await the flood of Japan's wealthiest-ever generation into the leisure, real estate and travel markets. Boomers hold an estimated 10 percent of total personal financial assets in Japan, according to a 2004 study by Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.”
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/features/news/20070330p2g00m0fe030000c.html
Baby Boomers Defy Traditional Retirement Through 'Re-careering,' Korn/Ferry Survey Finds
PRNewswire
March 29, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing, “Although the demand for talent continues to escalate as millions of Baby Boomers reach retirement age, a growing number of these professionals are ‘re-careering,’ or changing professions mid to late in their careers, according to more than 270 international recruiters who completed the 11th edition of the quarterly Executive Recruiter Index…”
http://sev.prnewswire.com/workforce-management/20070329/LATH00329032007-1.html
Is Generation X Ready to Take Over From Baby Boomers?
Ron DeYoung
American Chronicle
March 29, 2007
Overview: DeYoung reflects on the baby boomer generation and compares the generation to Generation X. He writes, “Mine was the generation of rebellion, experimentation and discovery. We protested policy, danced to rock and roll and became the desired target of advertisers because we had money and love to spend it.” Additionally he suggests, “Generation X is the first generation to be diagnosed with a disease that caused them to under perform or over act. They are promptly prescribed a pill that will supposedly treat their laziness, puberty, sloth, lack of interest and confusion. Today there are things called ADD, ADHD, OCD, BPD and a slew of different types of depression. Baby Boomers were just badly behaved, easily distracted, sad or moody. I wonder what we could have accomplished had we been diagnosed and properly medicated.”
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=23093
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Japan anxiously watches baby boomers' march into retirement
Emi Doi (McClatchy Newspapers)
Kansas City Star
March 31, 2007
Overview: Doi reports, “The first of Japan's postwar baby boomers have just begun to pack their briefcases and bags and walk out the office door into retirement. It has demographers and social scientists worried. The retirement wave coincides with a rise in average age and a looming drop in the size of Japan's labor force.”
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/world/17001992.htm
Book's 'modest proposal' asks baby boomers to die
Curt Schleier
The Grand Rapids Press
April 1, 2007
Overview: Schleier shares his thoughts about Christopher Buckley’s new novel, Boomsday. He writes, “In many ways, Buckley is our Swift. The thing I appreciated most about ‘Boomsday’ is how it left me thinking. Sure, it's funny to laugh about Washington deal making and greed, but in the end it's somewhere between sad and frightening.”
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grpress/index.ssf?/base/features-0/117540879560320.xml&coll=6
Boomers are beaming
Western Australia Post Newspapers
March 30, 2007
Overview: This article shares survey results from Australian Pensions Insurance Agency of 2500 people ages 50 to 75 that was part of a project looking “to understand the issues and concerns of people over 50 not working full-time.” Results suggest that “…the big issues were climate change, health, time spent with families and education” and “they had a strong interest in adult education and wanted to continue learning. They are confident about their ability to take on new courses, particularly in computing, languages and trades.”
http://www.postnewspapers.com.au/20070331/news/004.shtml
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Boomers ready to downsize; Home sales trends; Ageing population tapping into home equity
Rosemary Mccracken
National Post
April 3, 2007
Overview: McCracken reports housing industry trends among Canadian boomers. She writes, “The Boomers may be planning to tap their equity, perhaps moving to smaller homes, but the home financing industry is confident they will remain in the housing market and many will require home financing for years to come.”
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=d78068e1-2add-429f-9748-041a84806411
More people over 55 are working 9 to 5; A rising segment of the state's baby boomers can't afford to retire
Maria L. La Ganga
Los Angeles Times
April 3, 2007
Overview: Ganga discusses the growing number of Californians working later in life. According to The California Budget Project, “The proportion of women ages 55 to 69 who were working rose 9.2 percentage points between 1995 and 2006; for men, the increase was 10.6 percentage points. Experts in aging and the workplace called the change significant and said it has been fueled by a complex mix of social factors, good and bad. Longer lives and better health mean people are physically able to work longer. A diminished retirement system and a sharp rise in baby boomers who feel financially unprepared to swap briefcases for golf bags mean that many will be forced to work longer.”
Report: Baby Boomer execs are making late career switches
San Jose Business Journal
March 29, 2007
Overview: This article focuses on a study from Korn/Ferry International finding that out of 270 international recruiters, baby boomer executives are looking for a different profession later in their careers. The study found, “Leading reasons for executives to re-career, according to recruiters, are boredom with retirement (22 percent), a sense of productivity (21 percent) and intellectual challenge (20 percent). Other motivators include insufficient retirement savings (13 percent) and the need for personal interaction with others (13 percent).”
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2007/03/26/daily58.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
The Fast and the Furious Join the Country-Club Set
Thaddeus Herrick
The Wall Street Journal
April 3, 2007
Overview: Herrick writes about the specialized community trend. He reports, “Even as cities are luring people back to downtown neighborhoods with their melting-pot appeal, suburban and exurban ‘lifestyle communities’ are emerging with ever narrower niches. Their market: aging baby boomers who increasingly find themselves with the time and money to pursue a singular passion, such as cars, horses or aviation.”
*Note: This article requires a subscription to access
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117565210716959243.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace
Separate bedrooms for snoring boomer couples
Seniorscopie.com
April 4, 2007
Overview: This piece focuses on the article, “How do you SLEEP at night? If you've been married for awhile, chances are you sleep alone,” originally published in the Winnipeg Free Press on March 17, 2007, sharing, “Canadian builders and architects predicted that, in less than 10 years, more than 60 per cent of custom-built homes would have dual master bedrooms. Snoring is one of the main reasons of the new trend among boomers and seniors. 60% of Canadian adults snore and 50% of the British adults think it affects their sexual life.”
http://www.seniorscopie.com/actu/article.asp?id=070404145843&rub=swi
Fearless at Fifty: Jacqueline Wales Helps Baby Boomer Women Live the Life They Love
Jacqueline Wales
PRBuzz.com
April 3, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing, “Jacqueline Wales, founder of Fearless Fifties ™ (http://www.fearlessfifties.com) couldn’t agree with her more. Wales coaches women from around the world to empower them to live vibrant, energetic lives, by helping them to move beyond their comfort zone. What does it mean to be Fearless at Fifty? According to Wales, the answer is simple. It’s about facing your fears each and every day. Fear is what stops a woman from living a thriving, passionate, and joy-filled life which is hers to claim.”
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
What Do You Need for Aging Dogs? Depends
Jura Koncius
The Washington Post
April 5, 2007
Overview: Koncius reports on the trend of baby boomer spending on pets. “The generation that is redefining old age is making growing old easier for its pets. ‘Baby boomers are keeping their pets longer and are willing to do $5,000 surgeries on them,’ says Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040400658.html
Baby Boomers Lucky On Pension Saving
Finance Daily, UK
April 5, 2007
Overview: This article shares, “Two separate studies reveal that the UK’s older generation intend to carry on working as they get older, with most recognising that the ‘baby-boomers’ have been lucky when it comes to pensions saving.” The reports suggest that boomers “are only interested in doing the work they want to do and at their own pace. The report claims that baby boomers have high work expectations in retirement including: continuing to work but without the stress, becoming involved in charities, and exploring new professions.” Additionally, “…more than three-quarters (76%) of over-50s said that being old is more about how you feel than your actual age and nearly one in two (47%) thought retirement and old age were old-fashioned terms that did not accurately describe the last decades of life.”
http://www.financedaily.co.uk/showArticle.aspx?loadID=415
Boomers can't kick drug abuse habits
Lisa Hoffman
Detroit News
April 4, 2007
Overview: Hoffman discusses drug abuse among baby boomers and writes, “They are perhaps best known for their youthful indulgence in an exotic menu of illicit substances such as Acapulco Gold, windowpane acid, mescaline and Quaaludes. Now, experts warn, the 78 million-strong baby boomer generation is bringing its propensity to use pills and pot to its senior years. In what researchers call the tip of an ominous trend, boomers are responsible for a spike in drug and alcohol abuse that is expected to mushroom in coming years.”
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070405/LIFESTYLE03/704050308/1005/LIFESTYLE
Women back on top in L'Oreal annual report
Reuters News
April 4, 2007
Overview: This piece shares information from L’Oreal’s annual report. Specifically, “L'Oreal noted in 1996 the peak in consumption of beauty products for most people occurred between the ages of 40 and 60. By 2005, that had shifted to between 45 and 70. About 40 percent of 65-to-69 year olds said they used an anti-ageing cream in 2005, compared with just 20 percent in 1996.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/peopleNews/idUSL0454247220070405
Active Recreation Tops Lifestyle Desires for Over-55 Crowd and Baby Boomers; Adventure activities emerge as newest trend in active adult programming
PRNewswire
April 4, 2007
Overview: Press release announcing, “…a recent lifestyle interest survey conducted by Del Webb communities shows that active recreation, especially adventurous pursuits such as hiking and river rafting, is emerging as a top lifestyle interest by the over-age 55 and Baby Boomer crowds.” The press release also shares specific trends in the areas of adventure activities, top sports and health and fitness.
http://sev.prnewswire.com/construction-building/20070404/CLW03404042007-1.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
The Long and Winding Road; From their Beetles to their boxy SUVs, Americans who grew up in the '60s and '70s defined themselves by what they drove
Keith Naughton; With Joanna Broder, Joan Raymond, Hilary Shenfeld, Margaret Nelson Brinkhaus, Patrick Crowley and Tara Weingarten
Newsweek
April 9, 2007
Overview: This article discusses the evolution of the auto industry and how those cars have impacted and shaped the baby boomer generation. Specifically the article shares, “What a long, strange trip it's been for boomer drivers. The group that started out as hippies at the wheel of psychedelic VW Microbuses has taken many forks in the road--from muscle cars to minivans, Beetles to Beemers, Hondas to Hummers, pony cars to Priuses. The one constant in boomers' conflicted car culture: you are what you drive. On the road, the Me Generation became the Look at Me Generation.” Moreover, “To boomers, the wheels you choose are the ultimate expression of freedom and of self. After all, taking to the open road has been a lifelong love affair. Boomers were the first generation to grow up in the back seat, or, in some cases, the back window.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17888478/
Japan's baby boomers rank Hawai'i No. 2 destination
Honolulu Advertiser
April 5, 2007
Overview: According to a study conducted by the Japan Travel Bureau, Japanese baby boomers indicated that Hawaii is the number two destination for retirement travel. “The poll said only 22.4 percent stated that they did not, or do not plan to travel after retiring. An overwhelming majority — 93.8 percent — said they plan to travel with their spouse.”
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Apr/05/br/br8291754306.html
Baby Boomers - doing it for themselves
TheMatureMarket.com
April 6, 2007
Overview: This article focuses on Australian baby boomers and suggests, “History, some might say, has been kind to the baby boomers. They have enjoyed affordable housing, access to free education, often generous welfare benefits and frequently favourable employment markets.” Additionally the article shares, “But will history continue to favour the boomers? This edition of the AMP.NATSEM Income and Wealth Report takes stock of the baby boomers’ situation – their family structures, their work patterns, their wealth and their spending – to ask: how well placed are they financially to answer the challenges of their march to retirement?” To view the full report, click on the link provided in this article.
http://www.thematuremarket.com/SeniorStrategic/baby_boomers_doing_it_for_themselves-8506-5.html
Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"
Wrinkles in Living Color
Dody Tsiantar
Time
April 16, 2007
Overview: Dody writes about Dove’s ad campaign targeting baby boomers and suggests, “… it might not be that easy for Dove to overturn the mind-set against aging gracefully. Boomers mig