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If any of this surprises you.....

Culled from a report by Jupiter Research, Internet Retailer reports Baby Boomers spend more online than other age groups:

37% of online baby boomers who bought products or services on the web said they spent more than $250 in the prior three months. That compares with 32% of online users in all age groups, Jupiter said. 76% of baby boomers have made online purchases of products or services.

Imagine if a company decided to truly target Baby Boomers, if their site was truly boomer-friendly, if Baby Boomer creatives actually designed the site, wrote the copy... imagine how this product or service would break away from the pack...

Boomers TV

This post is about advertising Baby Boomers, not advertising to Baby Boomers...

And I don't know anything about the project, but it's certainly worth a few clicks:

Boomers: Redefining Life After 50, a 13-part series of half-hour magazine style programs that examines the issues, challenges and opportunities facing Boomers as they contemplate their 50’s, 60’s and beyond. Hosted by Mark & Nancy Mills.

At The What's Next? Boomer Business Summit this year, Nancy and Mark interviewed and recorded my colleague Brent Green. Have a listen.

Mark and Nancy are hoping to sell the series to Public Television. Program funding is provided by Fidelity Investments and Del Webb Corp., a division of Pulte Homes, Inc.

Keep an eye out for it in January, 2006.

Vega aims for mid-age cherry pickers

What do I know about Australian Baby Boomers? Nothing. There are experts in the field, however.

Because I know nothing, this article from the Sidney Morning Herald fascinated me (you may have to log in). Especially after such recent shortsightedness in the Big Apple and elsewhere.

Cherry-picking from the article:

DMG Radio has confirmed widely held expectations that its new Vega FM stations in Sydney and Melbourne will target about 3 million metropolitan baby boomers who are cherry picking their mix of news, current affairs, talkback and music from a variety of radio stations.

Vega settled on its music strategy less than three weeks ago after eight months research but is saying little about its programming until Monday when the station starts broadcasting at 11am. "It will be a play list beyond the dimensions that have been contemplated before," Mr. Thompson said. "It's going to be different and much larger."

Media buyers and advertisers reacted positively, saying the station would gain immediate advertising support.

Here's more about it from another Australian news source.

This business model/program strategy should be vetted by the powers-that-be here in the U.S.

Jean-Paul Tréguer Gets International Ink

Good to see my friend Jean-Paul Tréguer recently profiled by Mary Blume in the International Herald Tribune.

I reviewed his book many moons ago (the first review this side of the pond), and we met and chatted two or three times at The What's Next? Boomers Business Conference in 2004. His was one of the best presentations.

A quote from the article:

"The problem is that ad agencies in general are obsessed by their creative image. Their campaigns are to promote the agency, to make it famous, to win a gold lion at the Cannes advertising festival. We take another direction, which is what the consumers of that generation like to see. They are not looking for a creative image about funerals or humor about incontinence pads. What they are looking for is solutions."

Visit Jean-Paul's Senioragency.

Booked on The Advertising Show

Looks like I'll be the August 7th guest on The Advertising Show, sponsored by Ad Age.

This is a fun, spunky, highly informative two hours of live radio, hosted by ad vets Ray Schilens and Brad Forsythe.

And they're Baby Boomers — so we should have a grand time. I'm very much looking forward to it, keen on finding out what their takes are on advertising to boomers. (Not long ago they began riffing on it, but had to get back to that week's guest.)

Visit the web site. There are dozens of archived shows featuring impressive advertising, marketing, and media pros.

However, I don't think they archive every show - so I'm going to have to do something between now and then to be important enough for archiving. Maybe if I rob a bank, assassinate someone, 'out' a CIA agent, or (this would be my best shot) break up a celebrity marriage, I'll be deemed worthy.