A Baby Boomer Model & Actor

(email)

Chuck,

My friend Dotsie Bregel, Founder of The National Association of Baby Boomer Women, emailed me your Advertising to Baby Boomers URL.

I, too, have a great interest in the Baby Boomer world. I am a Baby Boomer model & actor. In 2005, I began my 'new career' after coming to grips with an empty nest! Ha! How do I say....'Life' intervened with marriage, my graduating college, my dietetics career, raising 2 sons, and following my husband's career which included living in Russia 3 years. So I brushed up my resume, my headshot, began acting classes and discovered ... I was in demand.

In 2006 I posed for MORE magazine - a product ad which was published in two issues. I just wrapped a featured character in a film in Austin, TX. I now reside in Nashville and look forward working here.

So happy to know WE are being promoted!!! Thank you for all your work and support.

Connie Maynord
cbmaynord (at) hotmail (dot) com

Television programmers take note of the Silver Tsunami

Mark Dawidziak of The Plain Dealer put together a trenchant piece recently:

Television programmers take note of the 'Silver Tsunami' as viewers age
America's over-50 population has more than tripled since 1945, jumping from 30 million to 94 million. And here is what's grabbing some marketers' attention: according to AARP, they spend $17 trillion (that's trillion) annually ... "The irony is that the networks are chasing an audience that is abandoning television," Donnellan said. "Younger people are on line. Americans 50-plus watch 30 to 40 percent more television than Americans under 50. They tend to be not only wealthier, but better educated. They're hungry for quality programming." ...

Not much of this is particularly eye-opening info for the handful of marketing/advertising/media folks who focus on this issue - but it's always good to see the subject vetted in the mainstream press.

I've been talking about it for years - in my book, this blog, my articles on the web, in trade mags. And in all those interviews (search the left column here and click a few links under IN THE MEDIA).

A few blog posts over the years:

The steady glow of the Boom tube

Study: TV's youth obsession backfiring

CNBC, Hampton, Jerry and Me

The Search For Mr. Adequate

Mr. Dawidziak's piece also touches on the real issue - and hints at a solution:

While advertising strategies for 50-plus viewers would be challenging, they'd also be economically rewarding ... "There's this huge bucket of money out there called over-50," Schofield said. "But we're not peer-driven and we're hard to track as a demographic because we're not homogeneous. Our diversity is really confusing the advertisers and marketers. But we have the money and we're willing to spend it."

Only the basis of my book, this blog, and everything else I'm always prattling on about. If I pointed you to every post in this blog that touches on these subjects I'd link to almost all 350+ of them.

But as I've said numerous times - if you don't believe me, believe Rance Crain:

Calcified Advertising Agencies

Rance Crain Makes Perfect Sense Yet Again

Another good piece in Variety:

TV viewers' average age hits 50
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER
The broadcast networks have grown older than ever -- if they were a person, they wouldn't even be a part of TV's target demo anymore.

Demand for older models grows

Monica Corcoran's piece on The L.A. Times web site is worth the clicks:

Demand for older models grows
The trend is driven by the $2-trillion spending power of baby boomers -- born between 1946 and 1964 -- who make up 26% of the population. After all, what middle-aged woman wants to buy moisturizer from a model who's too young to order a martini?

While More and Oprah mag ads have used older models for years, the layouts often replaced young models with mature ones - with no real understanding of the target market. That's beginning to change:

"The aspiration in these ads has shifted to having a full, rich life. Open up any Vogue and you'll see models over 35," says John Caplan, president of Ford Models. "In the Rolex ad, you have Carmen Dell'Orefice, and she's in her 70s."

Of course, it's only my dedication to and professional interest in advertising to baby boomers that has me panting, champing at the bit, awaiting this:

In September, J.Crew will introduce an online section within its Web catalog that features 58-year-old Los Angeles model Pia Gronning ... The sundresses will be the same, but the styling will be more age-appropriate and sophisticated.

If I were advising a client about how to position their fashion lines to target/include Baby Boomers, I'd certainly introduce them to Marks & Spencer's campaign in the U.K. An age-neutral approach might work (but not always). Rarely do I see anything like this on our side of the pond:

'Elderbloggers' Shy Away From Money Talk

Here's a revealing piece in U.S. News and World Report by Candice Novak:

'Elderbloggers' Shy Away From Money Talk

A Weber Shandwick study found that "despite their extensive dialogue on other topics, [baby] boomers follow a 'code of silence' when it comes to financial services." Only 5 percent of those surveyed had made a recommendation in the past year about financial services.

Ronni Bennett was certainly the 'go-to' person for this article.  She's the expert on all things elderblogger:

Bennett knows there's a need for more money talk among her peers ... When it comes to finances, she says, "We're going to go to our grave not being as open and loose as the younger generation."

My quote in the article refers to the sleaziness of Word-of-Mouth Marketing - and some of the silly financial planning ad campaigns and websites:

My Blog Was WOMMed!

ING's "Your Number"

Dennis Hopper for Ameriprise

June: Unused Ether

Some of these leftovers are tastier than the main dishes served this month:

Social Nets Ad Forecast Cut Back; Blame Economy Or Hype - Forbes.com

Plastic warriors of childhood lure nostalgic boomers

Some Thoughts About 50+ Marketing by Dick Stroud

65. And still going.

Older Web Users: Online Content, Ads Aimed at Young

Survey shows boomers want to give back

For a Good Retirement, Find Work. Good Luck.

TV Will Continue To Dwarf Other Media

The Real Men and Women of Madison Avenue and their Impact on American Culture

Angela's Take On The Real Ad Men and Women Exhibit

From Growing Bolder:

Previous Unused Ether