The Newest No News News

I’m one of the few bloggers to take pride in bringing you no news news.  I’ve been offering my readers no news news for years.

The Newest No News News:

NBC Universal says older consumers are a big deal 
By Jon Lafayette 11/2/2010
Like most other television networks, NBC Universal aims for younger viewers because advertisers and media buyers pay for viewers in the 18 to 49 and 25 to 54 demographic group. But Alan Wurtzel, president of NBCU Research, says marketers and buyers may be laboring under misconceptions about older consumers.

Sounds vaguely familiar.  A post from 2005:

Where's the TV for us?
Brad Adgate of Horizon Media and Alan Wurtzel, president of research for NBC Universal, do a good job exposing the silliness of television advertisers (and advertising agencies) targeting only the 19-49 demographic …

That was five years ago.  Now they talk about alpha-boomers or leading-edge boomers:

That group of 55 to 64 year olds are the fastest growing segment of the population and are quickly aging out of the tradition 25-54 demo, making them invisible to ad buyers. Wurtzel says these days, Alpha Boomers are very active consumers who have a lot of buying power, respond to advertising, are tech savvy as younger consumers.

Hmmm. Tech savvy.  That sounds vaguely familiar.  From a post in 2005:

My Favorite Cyber-Myth
How I snicker and roll my eyes whenever I read about Baby Boomers fumbling around on computers, scratching their heads, totally flummoxed. Sure, there is a percentage of any age group that's technologically challenged - but Boomers as a whole have embraced the internet and aren't afraid to plunge into the ether brain first.

Pull quote on the cover of Advertising to Baby Boomers ©2005:

“It will be the Baby Boomers who will be the first to pick and choose, to ignore or be seduced by leading-edge technology marketing. There’s a simple reason for this. We have the money to buy this stuff. Experts say we’ll continue to have the money for at least the next twenty years. Write us off at your own peril.

Culled from Advertising to Baby Boomers (Page 161):

I can’t list all the posts (you don’t want me to, trust me) that talk about tech-savvy Baby Boomers.  Just one more:

Snake Oil In Cyberspace
A recent report from Forrester Research indicates that while it might be tempting to categorize all aging Americans as techno-dinosaurs and Luddites …

Back to the B&C piece & Baby Boomers & Television:

These Alpha Boomers are "an important media and marketing target we can't afford to ignore," Wurtzel said …

Sounds Vaguely Familiar Redux:

Boomers: The Overlooked Media Sweet Spot

Forgotten Consumers

Study: TV's youth obsession backfiring

The steady glow of the Boom tube

Television programmers take note of the Silver Tsunami

Calcified Advertising Agencies

The Media & Baby Boomers: Joined At The Hip

Bookmark my blog for the latest No News News.

2010 Election Eve: PunditWire.com

I’m sick of the political ads this year, disgusted with the individuals, organizations, and agencies that produced them.  Good riddance.

I voted (by mail), and hope that there will be a big turnout – but if 2012 vomits up anything like what we’ve been doused with this year, maybe some secret organization should fund a national ‘stay home and don’t vote’ campaign.  If nobody voted because the ad campaigns were pathetic and offensive– that might be a good thing.  (Yes, I’m being a bit tongue-in-cheek … maybe.)

I’m told that government loves to waste money.  You could make a case in some instances.  However, I don’t have to be told that business hates to waste money (unless they can write it off). Imagine if there were no ROI for political spots. Goodbye, mindless and negative ads. 

The history of political campaign advertising isn’t a pretty one – but that doesn’t mean it has to stay that way.  Everybody seems to ‘want change’ – so let’s change. One way might be to hire more professional speechwriters, and less low-level copywriters.  Some speechwriters are smarmy – but as a rule speechwriters know how to sculpt messages that truly reflect the policies and beliefs of candidates, can clearly explain the intent of  ballot propositions/initiatives. 

There will always be attack ads, but let them be on the fringes (and by fringe groups). 

There’s a new website populated by speechwriters: PunditWire.com.  The contributors are all over the place politically – but not ethically.  A civilized center keeps bombast and negativity in check.

However … don’t think these folks simply play patty-cakes.  Spirited discussions ricochet every which way on every page.  You won’t be bored – or outraged.

Political advertising could learn some lessons from Pundit Wire. 

Nissan Leaf & Baby Boomers (Part II)

The first post about the Nissan Leaf discussed the web site.  I neglected to mention the miniscule, mealy fonts and poor choices for color palette and contrasts. Read this.

Here’s a nifty computer fly-though I think is on the Leaf site (although please don’t ask me to find it again – instead, I’ll just toss it up from YouTube):

Fly-Through

What I like: The dashboard appears to be large and readable. 

Some past posts about marketing/advertising automobiles to Boomers:

Car Spots Driving in the Wrong Direction (2006)

Coming Boom in Boomer-Friendly Transport (2008)
My point three years ago was that Baby Boomers were buying up those mid-priced boxy cars (even though they were being marketed to college kids and twenty-somethings) because they were easy to get in and out of, easy to see out of, and some had large dashboards that were easy to read. So why not build cars with these and more features for older drivers? And market them as such?

Who’s gonna buy this car? (2009)

What Next From The Crystal Ball of Common Sense? (2009)

If you’re offering a car to the 50+ demo, physical comfort and ease of use had better be front and center in all marketing material. 

Somewhere tucked away in the Leaf web site (don’t make me look for it – that’ll take hours):

• 6-way manual adjustable driver’s seat
• 4-way manual adjustable front-passenger’s seat

Great. But let’s see it somewhere where we can see it. 

And how about a video showing how easy it is getting in and out of the car, the large windshield, big mirrors, etc.

This worries me – from a piece on the Forbes website:

… The much-desired feeling of automotive superiority will have to come from the zero-emission badge, not a horsepower rating or superior creature comforts.

Not surprisingly, an independent source has made the best video about the Nissan Leaf:

A review by CNet’s Brian Cooley

This one’s just as good:

Brian Cooley & Nissan Leaf

My point: A couple of video reviews and a trip to Wikipedia offer more information and ‘reason why’ then the Nissan Leaf’s flashy, convoluted official web site.

Not good.

Nissan Leaf Eyes Baby Boomers (Part I)

From International Business Times:

Nissan's new green car Leaf eyes baby boomers
By Anil Das
The Nissan Leaf … is a 5-door hatchback electric car made in United States.

The difficulty and complexity of marketing this product is obvious to all.  The story evolving will probably be a book someday (whether EVs are a success or a failure). 

I’ll highlight only a few avenues Nissan has chosen – ones that directly relate to advertising/marketing and Baby Boomers.

A few pretty good spots so far.  One touchy-feely with a cute ending:

Polar Bear

And one that does an impressive job explaining what it’s all about in about 30 seconds:

The New Way

If they’re really targeting Baby Boomers, and/or using forty-five as a median value for an age-neutral campaign – there’s a problem.  The Nissan Leaf website is a mess.

The landing page is OK – but once you disappear into the hierarchy (if that’s what it is) you’re dumped into a mushy maze, blinded by blinking, frenetic orbs aping some sort of cloud computer-ish org chart. I’m not sure what it is.

Certainly, this site won’t play well on this field.  That’s too bad, because (for the umpteenth time):

The Most Effective Marketing/Advertising Model For Reaching Baby Boomers: What is now called traditional advertising pushing you to an age-friendly, informative product/services web site.

There are a few other issues.  I’ll save them for a post later in the week.

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Update Oct 27:  Nissan Leaf & Baby Boomers (Part II)

Vibrant Nation: What Boomer Women 50+ Know, Think, Do & Buy

Colleague and friend Carol Orsborn has a new book, co-written by Stephen Reily:

Vibrant Nation: What Boomer Women 50+ Know, Think, Do & Buy
Baby Boomer Women represent the healthiest, wealthiest, best-educated generation of women in history, yet their real strengths and interests are often ignored in the marketplace. Now, a groundbreaking new book studies the behavior, wants, needs and buying habits of women 50+.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC a few months ago.  Lots of fun – like being in a roomful of intelligent, fascinating women.  (What guy wouldn’t want that?)

But you also want it if you’re in the Marketing/Advertising/PR biz.  Let’s call it required research.

The inside cover blurbs (my take is nestled in there somewhere):

“Let’s look ahead ten or twenty years: The top marketing executives at the top companies and organizations are going to be the ones who figured out how to effectively connect with the hearts, minds, and wallets of Boomer women 50+. Here’s the guidebook. Vibrant Nation combines powerful insights with practical advice anyone can use to increase success with this dynamic and critically important audience. Buy it, read it, and keep it handy. It’s the key to your future success.”
Matt Thornhill, author of The Boomer Consumer, and Founder of The Boomer Project

“Vibrant Nation is a great read—very informative, very sassy, straightforward, doesn’t miss a beat, perfect for all women, particularly those 50+! I loved it!”
Amy Ferris, author of Marrying George Clooney: Confessions from a Midlife Crisis

“Finally, someone understands that we’re not seniors or Boomers or older women, but a vibrant nation of individuals passionately doing, laughing, and loving. We’re influencers, consumers, and lifelong learners who feel strongly, live boldly, and love being in the company of other fabulous women.”
Kathy Kinney and Cindy Ratzlaff, authors of Queen of Your Own Life: The Grown-Up Woman’s Guide to Claiming Happiness and Getting the Life You Deserve

“Carol Orsborn, Ph.D., and Stephen Reily have written an inspired and lucid manifesto for marketing success with one of the most powerful consumer groups today: women who are ‘post minivan and pre-retirement.’ The authors deftly dispatch lingering myths and build a case that this engaged consumer is in fact ‘the Excalibur of demographics, tantalizing with the promises of untold riches and power.’ But they go beyond mere myth busting. The authors provide creative and original marketing frameworks and insights with which leading-edge marketers can build powerful branding and advertising campaigns.”
Brent Green, author of Generation Reinvention: How Boomers Today Are Changing Business, Marketing, Aging and the Future, and President, Brent Green & Associates, Inc.

“A crucial research book for marketing thinkers and doers, not data gatherers. Fueled by the voices of Vibrant Women over 50, Carol Orsborn and Stephen Reily assess and showcase a demographic often marginalized by mainstream advertising and marketing. If you want to know what is really on the minds of Baby Boomer women, don’t ask them — just let them talk. That’s what VibrantNation.com and this book let them do.”
Chuck Nyren, author of Advertising to Baby Boomers

“If you want to sell to Boomer women, you have to know who these women truly are today. They do. Stephen Reily and Carol Orsborn get this better than anybody and supply innovative and profitable strategies for taking your brand to the next level with Boomers.”
Leah Komaiko, author of Am I Old Yet? A True Story of Timeless Friendship, and Creative Strategist, LeahKomaiko.com

“Women aged 50-70 are the real ‘prime time.’ They spend more than younger consumers and are eager to embrace new experiences and brands. They also are natural community-builders, and Vibrant Nation presents insights from one strong community these women have built together. This practical and inspiring guide is a must read for marketers who hope to connect with this Vibrant Woman's heart, mind, and pocketbook.”
Marti Barletta, author of Marketing to Women and PrimeTime Women

The Press Release.