Mushy Brains

I’m still pondering the ponderable – and the imponderable.

Recently, for reasons I won’t divulge, I’ve been thinking about brains.  But so have a lot of Baby Boomers. Our brains are important to us.  I remember Woody Allen’s character in 1973’s Sleeper saying, “My Brain. It’s my second favorite organ.”  Thanks to the invention of Viagra this is still true.

The Big Issue: We are now worried about losing our second-favorite organs to fun afflictions like Alzheimer’s.  It’s why we buy brain games.  And watch nutty psychiatrists on PBS. 

I take a contrarian view.  I think we’re doing pretty well in the thinking department.  Our decision-making doesn’t seem to have been affected by the aging process.  And what many of us want to do with the rest of our lives sounds rather sane to me. 

Then again, all this could be because our brains are turning to mush. But maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe you get a different kind of brain, a more emotionally astute brain with mush.

Ecologies Of Risk

Around this time every year things slow down for me businesswise.  I’m guessing that’s true for a lot of people.

This gives me time not only to ponder the ponderables – but also the imponderables.  With the world the way it is nowadays it’s hard to tell them apart.  Forgive me for getting a bit deep here – but not much seems to be knowable. 

Over the last dozen or so years experts have predicted all sorts of futures for Baby Boomers.  With the economic collapse, apparently everything has changed.  At least that’s what I’ve been told. 

One thing has remained constant: You can still make money marketing to and even investing in Baby Boomer targeted products and services.

There’s a new report about the future of Baby Boomers by The Institute For The Future and The MetLife Mature Market Institute:

Risky times ahead
By Robert Powell
Baby boomers face three new risks in coming decades, but there are answers …

Richard Adler is one of the smartest people I know.  And just the other day I told my buddy John Migliaccio that he’s one of the smartest people I know (but I won’t reveal why I think he’s so smart – or why I told him). 

Download The Report: Ecologies of Risk (PDF)

My favorite quote from the report:

“Boomers believe that their single most important future asset is themselves.”

While this is nothing new, it sums up things pretty well:

“Boomers are rejecting the traditional narrative of retirement as a time of relaxation and winding down; they see coming decades as a time that offers expanded opportunities for self-investment and a chance to develop new capabilities.”

Ecologies of Risk is a worthy read, a must read if you are involved with marketing and advertising to Baby Boomers. The only section I’d take with a shaker of salt is the psychographics at the end (Boomer Action Types).  I’m not a big fan of psychographics.
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More from Brent Green.

Update 12/21/08: Dick Stroud’s take on it.

Baby Boomers: A Force to Reckon With

From ADWEEK:

Baby Boomers: A Force to Reckon With
Households with baby boomer members -- born between 1946 and 1964 -- account for nearly $230 billion in sales of consumer packaged-goods (CPG) products and represent 55 percent of total CPG sales, a new study by Nielsen and Hallmark Channel reports.

Not too many ad/marketing trade mags were paying much attention to Boomer buying power three or four years ago.  Now they are. 

However, ADWEEK did.  Something I’d forgotten all about: Over three years ago ADWEEK offered my book as a subscription renewal premium.

No News News

A few news stories popped up in my Google alerts:

Baby Boomers are Largest Group of U.S. Internet Users
eMarketer estimates that ‘baby boomers’ - people born between 1945 and 1965 - constitute the largest group of United States Internet users.

News???  Here’s an excerpt from my book, first published in early 2005 (the quote is about a commercial for a hotel reservations service):

 
While this study was done in Europe, it applies here:

Older people can be disenfranchised by celebrity-fronted ads
The research carried out by YouGov on behalf of Senioragency … discovered that 46% of older consumers are actively turned off by celebrities fronting ad campaigns while only 11% thought more positively.

I talk about this in an online PowerPoint.  And in my book:

   
I’m a big supporter of web-based news and information – but sometimes print is years ahead of anything you’ll find in the ether.  Here’s a catalog brimming with books about marketing - all with ahead-of-the-curve insights that you won’t find on the web:

Shake Rattle Showtime

I had a spirited chat the other day with Joanne Hewitt, Marketing Director for the MPG Radio Network.  They produce Shake Rattle Showtime, a syndicated oldies-based show hosted by Jim Parsons.

Joanne has the numbers to prove that Shake Rattle Showtime spikes ratings and is true appointment listening.

A popular segment of the show – and a smart move by MPG:

“Walking Along encourages listeners to get out and get moving. Health is an area of high interest for our audience, and we're responding to that. Walking Along is introduced by a "Walking Song Of The Week" ie. Walking Along - Diamonds, I'm Walkin' - Ricky Nelson, etc.  A sponsor message follows within the segment.”

Boomers/Health. Pulling in sponsors for Walking Along shouldn’t be too difficult.

In January Shake Rattle will be in over forty markets.  My guess is that by this time next year it’ll be in over one hundred.