Eons is live.
Although I've blogged about it numerous times, I'm not obsessed with the place. I've never talked to them, although my stats tell me that over the last few months a slew of deep hits to this blog have come from a 'Navy shipyard' in Boston. It took me awhile to figure it out…
It's just that Eons is the first commercial site for Baby Boomers with lots of VC backing (the figure thrown around is 10 mil) - and all of us involved with marketing, advertising, and any type of content targeting this demographic are watching it very carefully. Other sites for Boomers are in the works, so Eon's success or failure will have an effect on more than a handful of current projects.
Eons is getting tons of press, and some blog activity. Many of the articles are making fun of the obit email alerts, with headlines like "You've Got Death" and "Social Deathworking."
What do I think of the place? Let's start with my prediction a few weeks ago: Eons will be a happy-time AARP. I wasn't too far off (minus the death alerts). However, in an earlier post I said this: Jeff Taylor is an interesting, nutty, very bright fellow. Little did I know when I wrote that, that it would also describe the web site. Even better than "a happy-time AARP."
Eons is OK. I'm not put off by it (a good sign). The 'mind games' are fun. My sodden noggin could use more exercise. And I took advantage of the Longevity Calculator. According to this curious mix of medical research, common sense, and voodoo, I'll be twitching and drooling until I'm 84. (Oh, well. I always knew I'd die young.)
However, I'm not convinced that Baby Boomers are looking to network unless there is a specific reason, a real benefit (don't ask me what those reasons or benefits might be - that's a big chunk of how I make my living as a consultant, creative director, and copywriter). I do find most of the content on Eons rather bland. Some content is fine in bland form (medical advice, etc.). But with 10 million bucks I bet they could dig up more creative, lively (even famous) Baby Boomer writers, journalists, and artists to spice it up a bit.
That's what most educated people over fifty are looking for - exciting content, real story-telling (including video).
I also predicted that "Eons has lots of potential." It's still early. We're all hoping that the site is successful. Because if it is, more sites for Baby Boomers will follow.
I agree with your impression of the site: bland. I also agree with your solution: bring in some great, big 42- to 60-year-old boomers with name recognition and brainy stuff to say. Also, they need to lose all that stock photography. A real turn-off.
ReplyDeleteHow right you are.
ReplyDeleteA few days ago I wrote a piece for an ad agency newsletter -- Millennium Group in England. Here's an excerpt:
...At first it was refreshing to see folks over forty-five portrayed in ads and on the web – but now almost every 50+ site is centered around generic photos of smiling, vapid, mindless people in their fifties and sixties, usually in sweat suits, always prancing around beaches, if not staring lovingly at one another then in groups, arms draped and tucked every which way like groping octopi...
Thanks for your comment, Rhea.