Every few years a menagerie of marketing mavens, with no knowledge of history, have epiphanies:
“Hey, we should target Baby Boomers!”
All sorts of revelatory recommendations are bandied about. The problem: bad advice is often mixed with the parroting.
From a major media outlet:
This market is outpacing younger cohorts when it comes to adopting new technologies and online media, so don’t discount digital advertising, social media and mobile content.
The first part is true. I’ve been screaming about it for years. But that doesn’t mean the second part follows:
The Social Media - WOMM - Web Advertising Posts
02 May 2011
Click this ad. 0.051% do.- 06 March 2012
Digital Distractions- 12 March 2012
Digital Distractions II- 17 July 2012
Banner Ads = Happy Meal Toys…???
From a major business magazine (online article):
The marketing business is obsessed with youth, and figures the Baby Boomers (who do like to consider themselves still 25 years old) will respond, too.
Again, the first part is true. You can read the Intro and 1st chapter of my book ©2005/2007 for that info. But the second part…
Culled from the book:
Contrary to popular myth, Baby Boomers do not believe that they are still teenagers or young adults. (Some probably do, but they need therapy.) Boomers are slyly redefining what it means to be the ages they are. Included in this new definition are some youthful attitudes - but the real change is that instead of winding down, many are winding up. We're not 'looking forward to retirement,' we're looking forward to new lives, new challenges.
Posts from 2008:
Most Inane Commercial of The Year Award
Category: Targeting Baby Boomers
… I bet it'll also make a lot of people from other generations cringe. (Or thrilled that we're being portrayed as such nincompoops.)Me vs. We
Last week I read a piece of marketing advice: "Baby boomers have always been considered the 'me-generation,' and that doesn't change with age." It's this type of reckless gibberish that is useless to marketers, and ultimately harmful to their clients.
In this age of digital ephemera, where things zoom by, just as quickly zoom into oblivion, are forgotten, or even worse, never seen, when these same things zoom by again and again and again, they’re all, all of a sudden, brand new.
More:
21 November 2010
There’s a lot of bad advice out there.
Even a jaded, grizzled fellow like yours truly is often amazed at the poop on the web, along with what passes as cutting-edge thought.07 February 2012
There’s still a lot of bad advice out there.
Recently I’ve stumbled on more weird opinions and advice. I’ll share some, but no linking because I’m too nice a guy.
