2009: The First Half+ (Online Presentation)

An overview. Length: 25 minutes.
Topics Covered
News Articles &
The Economy 
The Media
Boomer Women
Television Campaigns New Resources

Links to articles and sites profiled in the above presentation:
Boomers key to economic recovery

BusinessWeek
Get set for wave of Boomer startups
Businesses Fighting For Baby Boomer Dollars

Economy Faces Bigger Bust Without Boomers

Baby boomers adopting responsible consumerism
Recession Turns Boomers Into Perfect Catch For Advertisers
Ask an Expert: Boomers are a once in a lifetime opportunity
Older folks like Wii, PCs and cellphones, too
Grandparents get their widgets on
Latest IRI Baby Boomer Report Reveals $50 Billion Growth Opportunity for CPG Industry
Who’s gonna buy this car?
Coming Boom in Boomer-Friendly Transport
Tech Marketers' Next Opportunity: Boomers
Why Television Still Shines in a World of Screens
Marketing Vox
Harris Poll (PDF)
Boomers: The Overlooked Media Sweet Spot
Advertising to Baby Boomers (Book Review, PDF)
Harris Poll & Advertising & Social Networking
Chico's and Baby Boomer Women ... NOT
Amid Sales Slump, Chico's Taps New CEO
The Forgotten Market Online: Older Women
Depend.com
Adult underwear no longer being given the silent treatment
Crestor.com
Engage:Boomers
Aging In Place Technology Watch
Mark Miller/Huffington Post
www.evergreenam.com.au (Resources)
Baby Boomer Knowledge Center
MetLife Mature Market Institute
Henry Stewart Talks

Reg Starkey’s IMMN Webinar

IMMN is sponsoring a webinar on August 19th with iconoclast and creative problem-solver Reg Starkey:

Four out of five mature consumers claimed to have tuned out advertising. Why? 
Starkey has specialized in the mature markets for over 10 years. He is the author of Samples of One and a contributor to "The Definitive Guide to Mature Advertising and Marketing" and "50+ Marketing." Also the former editor of Circus, Starkey was featured in BBC TV's "Should I worry about ageing?"

I’ve blogged Reg a bunch of times:

Reg Starkey blogs…

Check out an issue of Circus Magazine (PDF).

It should be a fun webinar. Reserve your virtual seat now.

Craig Ferguson has figured it out: Why everything sucks.

My sister Jill (who has yet to establish herself in the ether – but her husband Gary has) watched this and called me the next day:

I searched for it, couldn’t find it.  Thanks to The Ad Contrarian, I finally saw it.

And loved it.  Sort of the humorous version of the first chapter of my book.  (If you’d like to take a look, be my guest – I scribd it – but don’t tell my publishers.):

Chapter One

New Advertising Research Study

Another study about advertising and the use of technology:

New Study Shows Consumers' Affinity for Using Technology Increasingly Important in Success of Advertising Campaigns
Integrated Media Measurement Inc. (IMMI), a leading provider of consumer behavior and audience exposure data to media companies and advertisers, today released data showing that there is a rapidly growing subset of the population who are tech savvy regardless of their age … "There are signs that the non-tech Boomers will catch up and embrace new technologies for viewing content, so marketers should time their options and not write them off," said Welsh.

Sounds familiar.  Culled from my book, first published in early 2005:

… This is due to misconceptions about Baby Boomers and our knowledge of technology.
We’re lumbering Luddites, according to conventional wisdom ...

… The computer/internet ethos for most Baby Boomers is that they pick and choose what technology they want to use, buy, or install. Some are all over Skype, video and music uploading and downloading, research, education, travel planning, shopping—while eschewing blogging, communities, and web page design. Or it’s the other way around. Or variations thereof. When it comes to new technology, most Baby Boomers learn only about what interests them, what they believe will be useful. They don’t feel the need to know everything there is to know about technology, computers, and the web.

… 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.

I like it when marketing research finally catches up.

Boomer Diva TV

A bevy of talented, beautiful Boomer Divas is about to have a whole lot of fun:

Boomer Women Prepare to Launch Boomer Diva TV
The women of Boomer Diva Nation will showcase their expertise in front of an international audience with the debut of their own Internet TV Network …  Each member will be responsible for producing her own video segment, which will be available to the general public.

My guess is that the merriment will be laced with priceless advice from resident experts –including Beverly Mahone, founder of Boomer Diva TV and veteran journalist, author, media coach and motivational speaker:

“We have small business owners, entrepreneurs, best-selling authors, virtual assistants, marketing strategists, photographers, life coaches, health and fitness experts and we even have someone who can cook as good as, if not better than, Rachel Ray,” says Mahone.

(Hmmm.  I hope they’re aiming bit higher than that in their culinary studios …)

At the moment, the featured video on Boomer Diva TV cracked me up:

Actress, TV Producer and Boomer Diva Nation member Debbie Zipp explains how she has found a way to "contain" herself with a new product designed for women. Video created by In the Trenches Productions.

More from the Press Release:

BoomerDivaTV.com is going to change the way boomer women are perceived, according to Mahone. “We’re not just a group of older women having a midlife crisis. We are on the move and making a difference.”