Advertising to Baby Boomers

The New Millennium Tales on AEF Must-Read List

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:15:25 PST

Way back in 2005 I was boggled when The Advertising Educational Foundation chose my book as a Classroom Resource:

Only twenty-five titles have been chosen over the last six years. They include A BIG LIFE (in advertising) by Mary Wells Lawrence (Alfred A. Knopf), How Brands Become Icons by Douglas B. Holt (Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation), and Contemporary Advertising by William F. Arens (The McGraw-Hill Companies).

I’m boggled again (although not quite as boggled since I can only take about 1/90th of the credit for this one). AEF has included The New Millennium Tales on its Recommended Must-Read List.

You’ll have to scroll a bit to reach it:

OK … maybe I’ll take a wee bit more credit than just 1/90th of it. Yours Truly suggested to Kevin Lavery that he submit the book to Marcia Soling for consideration.

Pilgrim Chuck is chuffed to be represented on both AEF’s book lists.

And the online Wall Street Journal mentioned The New Millennium Tales. Very heady.

Congrats to all Pilgrims who told tales. And a special thanks to Ms. Soling and The Advertising Education Foundation. Visit them on Facebook.

Barbara Hannah Grufferman on Anti-Aging

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:15:49 PST

There’s a new voice (and beautiful face, if I may be excused for being a tad philogynous) talking lots of sense:

Barbara Hannah Grufferman is the author of The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More, a resource book which addresses many of the concerns of women over 50…

Ms. Grufferman is the latest in a long line of fascinating and intelligent women “of a certain age” (whatever that means). Scrolls and scrolls, parchment or ether, would be needed to list them all. A few off the top of my head: Myrna Blyth, Marti Barletta, Gail Sheehy, Mary Furlong, Carol Orsborn.

I stumbled upon an excellent piece along with a short, trenchant video (produced by my friends at Growing Bolder):

Is The Anti-Aging Industry Bad for Our Health?
Barbara Hannah Grufferman
A new study finds that the absence of older women in magazines wreaks havoc with our self-esteem. It isn't limited to just the images on the covers: An analysis of editorial and advertising images reveals that despite proportions of older readers ranging as high as 23 percent, magazines (even those supposedly geared to women over 40) show older women infrequently, if at all. Magazines geared toward older women generally show young, thin, wrinkle-free women on their pages . . . an "ideal" that's impossible to sustain, even with the use of Botox, fillers, or plastic surgery. Now experts are saying these media messages threaten to cause eating disorders, low self-esteem, and loss of sexuality in post50 women.

Find more inspiring video, audio, and images at Growing Bolder.

Botox. That sounds familiar. From 2003:

Don't call them old
By Jean Starr
Chuck Nyren is a leading creative consultant, copywriter, and columnist, who focuses on baby boomer demography, sociology and culture.

"Not wanting to get/be/look older isn't anything new. However, baby boomers will do it a bit differently," he said. "Looking and being healthy will be more important than toupees and botox. While botox and the like are getting a lot of press, I'm guessing only a small percentage of people are using stuff like that. Being able to ride a bike, play tennis and garden will be more important than looking good and feeling (bad)."

Airbrushing:

Twiggy & Me
Way back in July 2009, NostraChuckus mentioned something about Twiggy’s airbrushed Olay ad in one of his lantern and shadow shows.

Self-Esteem:

It won’t hurt you to watch the first minute of this:

2007 European Tour

Anti-aging? What’s wrong with that?

The Best Anti-Aging Products, Services, and Activities: Guaranteed!

There’s also something called Graywashing.

And the advertising industry screwing up:

Boomer Backlash II
If every time someone over fifty sees a commercial targeting them and it’s always for an age-related product or service, pretty soon their eyes will glaze over, they’ll get itchy and grumpy.

“But more importantly, isn't it time to rise up and demand that the media - and the advertisers that support magazines, television, and radio - change how they engage with us?”

It’s people like all the ones I’ve mentioned who for years have been challenging the myopia of media and advertising.

Keep plugging away, Ms. Grufferman.

There’s still a lot of bad advice out there.

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:09:17 PST

From November 2010:

There’s a lot of bad advice out there.
Even a jaded, grizzled fellow like yours truly is often amazed at the poop on the web, along with what passes as cutting-edge thought. I’m not talking politics here – but marketing advice. I expect silliness on political web sites…

Recently I’ve stumbled on more weird opinions and advice. I’ll share some, but no linking because I’m too nice a guy.

An article about Super Bowl ads catering to Baby Boomers made very little sense – before or after the game. I didn’t notice many spots targeting Boomers – but apparently they all were, what with Star Wars being a theme over and over.

But Star Wars is a franchise that continues with every generation (as does Star Trek, anything Disney, and a few other iconic whatevers). The only spots I saw that specifically targeted Baby Boomers were MetLife’s cute piece with classic cartoon characters (except for the Peanuts crew, most probably unrecognizable to younger folks):

MetLife

And the Honda CR-V/Ferris Bueller spot:

Ferris Bueller

While Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Elton John, and a few other “Boomers” were featured in ads, the spots weren’t really targeting the 50+ demo. I’d say they were age-neutral (which is fine, often better than fine).

Back to that article. The writer said something else that made zero sense. She thought Apple was prophetic, ahead of the curve, with their famous 1984 spot – because it targeted Baby Boomers.

But …. that was 1984. Boomers were the coveted 18-35 demographic. Almost all companies in the 1970s and 1980s were targeting Baby Boomers. Somebody needs a history lesson.

I’ll also mention that the article was agog over freeshipping.org – as if this were the new way to shop and is taking over the world of consumer marketing. Apparently, the site generated over one billion dollars in sales.

But it’s simply an online clearing house for retailers – from Walmart to Amazon.com to Sears, K-Mart, Land’s End, and on and on. I’m not going to ‘do the math’ – but a billion dollars is probably one-fiftieth of one percent of sales generated by all the companies involved.

While Freeshipping.org is a sweet niche business, it’s hardly the revolutionary paradigm for shopping as portrayed in the article. (And for transparency, the writer of the article works for the company that owns freeshipping.org – so the piece was really a thinly-disguised advertorial.)

Back to The Super Bowl. I think this piece does a better job reflecting reality:

Super Bowl XLVI TV commercials ignored Baby Boomers
by Laurie Edwards-Tate
… If you’re over 50, you probably noticed most of the advertisers didn’t bother to talk to you. This is a big, big mistake.

And a week ago there was another editorial piece that confused me. Again, I won’t be linking. It featured the Toyota Venza campaign from last year, and how wonderful it was for not portraying Baby Boomers as clichés.

I had a different take on the campaign:

13 July 2011
Non-Diversity = Solipsism
The spots were targeting Baby Boomers. Yet the themes revolved around Millennials, with Boomers portrayed as smiling, vapid – with no real personalities whatsoever.

Not that this surprised me:

Why does the media think Boomers are smiling, vapid idiots?
Actually, there are two distinct demos – something marketers need to know:

• Baby Boomers who scream and jump in the air on the beach

• Baby Boomers who scream and jump in the air on their motor scooters.

How did Venza do last year, thanks to the campaign? Find out by clicking here.
Beware of what you read on the web. (I’ll even allow you to be a bit suspicious of what you’re reading now.)

Inflation Hits WOMM/Social Media Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 10:23:26 PST

It was in August 2011 when WOMM reviews could be purchased for a dollar a star:

5-Star Web Reviews Go for $5
In tens of millions of reviews on Web sites like Amazon.com, Citysearch, TripAdvisor and Yelp, new books are better than Tolstoy, restaurants are undiscovered gems and hotels surpass the Ritz.

Since then, due to demand, the price has doubled:

For $2 a Star, an Online Retailer Gets
5-Star Product Reviews
The merchant, which seems to have no Web site and uses a mailbox drop in suburban Los Angeles … had received 4,945 reviews on Amazon for a nearly perfect 4.9 rating out of five.

It’s time for social media marketing departments and agencies to take action by locking in their Brand Ambassador and Citizen Marketer rates. If not, the cost for phony reviews will spiral out of control.

Collusion in the Social Media industry is the only answer – or soon Brand Ambassadors/Citizen Marketers will feel free to make even more outrageous demands. Some predict that it won’t be long before they’ll be forming Unions.

The Federal Trade Commission is already sticking their stinking noses in all this:

Under F.T.C. rules, when there is a connection between a merchant and someone promoting its product that affects the endorsement’s credibility, it must be fully disclosed.

That would sort of defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it?

These are likewise freedom of speech and censorship issues. All Citizen Marketers should be allowed to write/say whatever they want when reviewing a product/service without evil government intervention (and, more importantly, as long as they are properly compensated – but no gouging, please).

I don’t know why we can’t all live and work together in a peaceful, deceitful world.
____

Web Log

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:17:10 PST

This I knew:

A blog (a portmanteau of the term web log) is a personal journal published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete entries ("posts") typically displayed in reverse chronological order so the most recent post appears first.

This I knew:

The term "weblog" was coined by Jorn Barger…

This I didn’t know:

The short form, "blog," was coined by Peter Merholz, who jokingly broke the word weblog into the phrase we blog in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com in April or May 1999 … Shortly thereafter, Evan Williams at Pyra Labs used "blog" as both a noun and verb ("to blog," meaning "to edit one's weblog or to post to one's weblog") and devised the term "blogger"…

Why am I writing about all this arcane stuff? Because I have nothing else to write about. So I guess I’ll blog:

Along with some client work, just finished up a huge project (too huge) for Henry Stewart Talks.

My blog has a QR Code! Found it while fiddling around with the Google Blogger settings. If you wave your smartphone QR Code reader over it, you’ll be reading ….. this.

Topics I write/talk about all the time, the ones that fill so many folks with unbounded love for me, are advertising on the web, word-of-mouth marketing, and using social media for advertising/marketing. So they’ll love me even more, I’ve tossed up links to most of my posts on these subjects. If you’re a proponent of social media and all that wonderful stuff, and you feel like worshipping someone new, consider Yours Truly as an object of your affections:

The Social Media - WOMM – Web Advertising Posts

One I forgot to add to the list:

“Hello, slippers!”

NostraChuckus Predicts The Future Redux

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:45:48 PST

Famed Soothsayer and advertising gadfly NostraChuckus has been startling the world for years with his mundane prognostications.

In 2006, he omened the re-branding of Retirement Living TV (or at least strongly suggested it):

Tailoring media to an older crowd
I won't comment on the shows because I haven't seen them (although this doesn't stop some media experts and pundits). I will say that I admire Mr. Erickson and his team simply because they're doing it.

However, the word 'retirement' might scare off Baby Boomers. It smacks of 'old' and 'irrelevant.'

Six years later, NostraChuckus’ predictions are again coming true (click the graphic):

The re-branding has begun. Imagine how far ahead in the game they would be if the powers-that-be had heeded the advice of The Crystal Ball of Common Sense those many years ago!

Back to NostraChuckus’ predictions in 2006:

I hope Mr. Erickson finds some good sounding boards—along with an eclectic mix of vibrant, creative Baby Boomers to produce, write, direct, and edit his network's offerings.

Hmmm. The Crystal Ball is still a bit hazy on that one.

Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers VI: Turkey

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:03:01 PST

It’s 2012. Last year we had “The Arab Spring” – which continued into summer, autumn, now winter – and probably for many seasons and years to come.
That’s the end of my predictions on that subject. I’m no political expert – just guessing.
And, of course, writing about international advertising and marketing doesn’t make me an expert on world politics. Whatever I’m about to say, I shall recuse myself from political positioning.
I’ve done this before with a few other posts about Turkey:

Turkey: A Bright Star In The Region (2010)
There are 15 million people living in Istanbul – and I think I saw all of them. And I met about two dozen of the brightest …
Turkey is a vibrant, economic powerhouse – especially the financial sector. There will be no stopping them (not that you’d want to).

Turkey: Tiptoeing Across The Bosphorus (2011)
I do my best to keep this blog apolitical and focused on international advertising and marketing to Baby Boomers. A warning: I’ll be tiptoeing across The Bosphorus with this one.

Turkish Democracy: A Model For Other Countries?

What does all this have to do with Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers?
With a thriving economy and ties to Arab and European countries, it just might be a place for adventurous Boomer entrepreneurs. Apparently (again, I’m no expert), Turkey welcomes new businesses. Even if your business is based in your own country, you might think about the possibilities of taking advantage of the Turkish economy and its connections around the world:

In Turkey, Western Companies Find Stability and Growth
By Mark Scott“The economic backdrop in Turkey is better than in other European economies and has been rebounding faster,” Emre Yildirim, an executive director at JPMorgan Chase who focuses on Turkish mergers and acquisitions. “It’s a large country that’s growing quickly, so it makes strategic sense for companies to take a look.”
It also has a growing middle class, an attractive characteristic to Western consumer product companies.

Ikea

Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers I

Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers II
Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers III

Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers IV
Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers V

Microsoft: 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 02:31:58 PST

This’ll be a long one – the last of the year. Let’s get all the disclaimers, caveats, and transparencies out of the way:

Back in the Middle-Ages (around 1998) I did a bit of freelance copywriting/consulting for Microsoft. It had something to do with this, and whatever I did has vanished into the ethereal unity.
I’ve applauded and bashed Microsoft in various posts over the last five years. Here’s one. Here’s another one. There are more.
An “in-law” relative works for Microsoft.
I never received my shiny, new, free laptop.
I recently installed Windows 7 on my desktop and like it.
I recently purchased a Windows 7 Phone and like it.

From CNET:

Microsoft: Five things to look for in 2012
by Jay Greene
… Microsoft is prepping the big kahuna of its product arsenal, Windows 8. The company hasn't set a date, though most analysts expect the flagship operating system to debut before the end of the year, and perhaps in time for back-to-school shopping. From that product, much else from Redmond flows.

I’ve had a lot (probably too much) to say about smartphones & tablets & Baby Boomers. Some of the too much:

The Slippery Finger Dance

The Obligatory iPad Post

The Obligatory Follow-Up iPad (and Smartphone and QR Codes) Post

Baby Boomers & Smartphones
The real issue: Marketers assuming that if you're over fifty you're automatically a member of one and only one age demographic - all with the same needs and wants.

So for now, forget about online advertising and marketing and let’s talk about selling smartphones and tablets.

Most Boomers in business have been using Microsoft products for twenty-five years. Some stuck with Apple, especially in the advertising/media biz because Macs were better at all the graphic stuff – or was for years.

But in offices around the world? Windows and Office rules.

Baby Boomers want to keep on working. They also want to have fun. Repeating for the umpteenth time:

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.

We’re not Luddites.

In 2012, Microsoft wants to make more than a dent in the symbiotic smartphone, tablet, and computer markets. It can be done. Their smartphone OS (Mango at the moment) is top notch, and a compatible tablet is coming (Windows 8).

And we won’t be retiring. We’ll be working, millions starting our own businesses.

This is perfect positioning for the new Microsoft offerings: Fun and productive technology for Baby Boomers.

Unfortunately, NostraChuckus’ Crystal Ball of Common Sense is a bit hazy, not projecting any clear images depicting the marketing department at Microsoft having or not having a clue about any of this.

And even if they did, would they know what to do about it? How to do it?

Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers V

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:43:24 PST

I keep getting interrupted. This staggered series of posts about entrepreneurs was supposed to be maybe three or four entries – but interesting things are always popping up.

The 60-Something Entrepreneur: Can a Start-Up Pay for Retirement?
Americans ages 55 to 64 started some 10,000 businesses a month in 2007-08, more than any other age group…

Not sure about the silly picture (that’s a pretty big board and recording studio for a ‘home business’ – which is what the piece is mostly about) but the points in the article are pretty good ones.

The case for old entrepreneurs
In 2008, I led a research team in exploring the backgrounds of 652 U.S.-born chief executive officers and heads of product development in 502 successful engineering and technology companies established from 1995 to 2005. These were companies with real revenue -- not just the start-ups founded by the college dropouts that some venture capitalists like to fund. We learned that the average and median age of successful founders was 39. Twice as many founders were older than 50 as were younger than 25. And there were twice as many over 60 as under 20.

Not a big surprise for me. I wrote a book in 2005 that was partially for entrepreneurial Baby Boomers. NostraChuckus knew they were coming – even before the financial meltdown.

Baby boomers will be assets, not liabilities
By Chris Farrell
The economy will eventually gain traction and the unemployment rate will come down. Many older workers will decide to go into business for themselves. For instance, 55- to 64-year-olds had the highest rate of entrepreneurship of any age group from 1996 and 2010, according to the Kaufmann Foundation … The bottom line: It's time to change the conversation about aging boomers from the decline and fall of the economy to a focus on boomer productivity and creativity…

I can’t even link to all the excerpts from my book – along with blog posts over the years about this. Just one:

The Creative Art Of Growing Old
When does creativity peak? The second-act aces make a case for middle to late age. Take a look at some of the people who have not simply performed well but done their best work in their later years.

Last but not least …

Wish I had been there:

The Rise of the Grey Market
The theme contemplated in this session is the enormous opportunity and challenge created by the aging demographics of the United States and Europe. What are the trends that define this opportunity? What industries are affected by it? Who stands to win, and who stands to lose? Who is at the forefront of creating solutions to address this market, and who is investing in them?

Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers I
Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers II
Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers III
Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers IV

Holiday Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:45:28 PST

Just a few baubles to hang on your tree:

Baby boomers seek green gifts
Written by Theresa Keegan For The Poughkeepsie Journal
“The majority of our customers are the boomer age and are more aware of things like green gifts and fair trade,” said Norbert Lazar, co-owner of the Phantom Gardener.

Two posts from February:

Green GrandBoomers in Toyland
"I think that the success of our company, shows that there is clearly a wide segment of the population that will pay a little more for environmentally friendly toys," said von Goeben, whose toys cost roughly a third more than comparable playthings made from conventional materials.

Green Boomers Redux
Baby Boomers have been influencing society since the 1960s when they planted the seeds of the modern day green movement when as idealistic youths, gathered to celebrate the first Earth Day, in 1970…

Huffington Post Senior Writer Ann Brenoff cracked me up with some of her non-ideas for presents this year:

Holiday Gifts Post50s Don't Want
This is the time of year when we scratch our heads and try to figure out what to give our friends and loved ones for the holidays. I thought I would make it easy and tell you precisely what not to get the boomers on your list -- especially if I'm one of them.

A copy of "Internet for Dummies."

No kidding. From my book ©2005:

Anything cruise-related.

Again, from my book:

The Wall Street Journal was ~~smart~~ kind enough to pick up my blog posting about a great gift for Marketing and Advertising Folk.

Congrats to Gill Walker and Evergreen Advertising & Marketing in Australia for two International Generations Awards! Gill also contributed a rollicking tale in the book profiled above.

More parents helping kids buy homes
One in five baby boomer couples have already given at least one of their children the means to purchase a home -- either buying it outright, furnishing the down payment or co-signing the loan, according to a survey from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.

And everyone is picking the top 10, top 100 books of the year. Here’s one I’ve yet to read, but it gets my nod for funniest title of 2011:

Beverly Mahone is a veteran journalist and baby boomer who has spent more than 30 years in radio and television broadcasting. She says her book was written to help fellow boomers who are transitioning from corporate America into their own businesses or entrepreneurship.

David B. Wolfe ( - 2011)

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:33:32 PST

Please follow this link:

In Memoriam: David B. Wolfe, author, thought leader and a friend for the ages
by Brent Green

I met Mr. Wolfe in 2004. We corresponded sporadically. I linked to his blog, he to mine.

ADWEEK: Magazines Pull Back on Tablet Bells and Whistles

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:48:10 PST

NostraChuckus is in a meandering mood today. Not really headed anywhere, he has no idea where he’ll end up, isn’t even sure of what mundane prognostication he might proclaim.

Our humdrum Soothsayer saw this a few days ago:

Will Baby Boomers kill the daily newspaper?
By Paul Briand
At one time, the thought was that the daily printed daily newspaper would be around as long as Baby Boomers are around.

But industry experts say the tablet reader -- theApple iPad and its ilk -- may indeed attract enough Baby Boomer readers as to help render the printed paper to dinosaur status at some point…

That’ll probably happen eventually. It’s not exactly new news – not even new in 2006:

Baby Boomers Burst Online
Three of five adults 55 years and older, known to be the heaviest consumers of offline media such as newspapers and TV network news, say they use the Internet more today than they did a year ago. This data is supported by Com Score Media Metrix research, which finds the number of online adults aged 55 and older grew by 20 percent to reach over 27 million in 2005.

OK, but there’s this:

Magazines Pull Back on Tablet Bells and Whistles
By Lucia Moses
Publishers say their research shows having a tricked-out app isn’t the highest priority. “The number one benefit is to have a great reading experience reading the tablet,” says Steve Sachs, executive vice president of consumer marketing and sales at Time Inc.

Hmmm. Sounds familiar. I think NostraChuckus divined something like this a year and a half ago…

Foretellings (May 2010)
… The more people use smartphones (and tablets), the less they’ll tolerate silly graphical doodads mucking up their small screens.

That silly retronym “traditional advertising” will remain the premiere force for introducing people to a product or service, along with sustaining its shelf life. Television, print, radio, and billboard ads will continue to have the visceral power they’ve always had – if only for their sheer size, simplicity, and cutting-edge audio/visual qualities. Advertising on smartphones will be considered an annoyance, invasive, and rather dinky – while marketing (coupons on steroids, and more) will flourish and dominate.

More “sounds familiar” – Tablets, magazines, television, radio as a passive experience:

Positioning Magazines for Baby Boomers (April 2007)
There are active and passive parts of our day. Without getting into too much psychobabble, as you get older the passive side needs more nourishment. It’s not really passive. It’s focused absorption. At some point you have to climb out of your frenetic digital nest and concentrate on one thing. It might be reading a book, watching a TV show or movie, listening to music, looking out the window.

Or immersing yourself in a magazine.

This isn’t ‘down time’ (that would be sleeping), but nourishing your psyche by absorbing and not actively being involved in what you’re doing.

NostraChuckus has some new mundane predictions. His Crystal Ball of Common Sense tells him that the business world is too hung up on the operating systems and branding of smartphones and tablets, that within the next five years there will be all sorts of smartphones and tablets in all shapes and sizes, all with different functions and capabilities.

At first, folks carried around their iPads as status symbols. Now, no one cares – so they’re left at home. Tablets will become much bigger, lighter, and will be on your coffee table. You’ll lie on the couch and pick it up, reading your favorite magazines, newspapers, or whatever. A passive experience. Simple, straightforward advertising will not be considered invasive.

You will have the option of using your tablet as an active device – but most people will be ‘active’ on their computers and smartphones.

Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers IV

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:39:33 PST

How I began Part I of this series:

All of a sudden every other news article about Baby Boomers is focused on business and entrepreneurs.

That was in September. Since then, gobs of others have popped up. Three good ones:

Boomers Look to Create Jobs, Meet Community Needs
Study finds many aspiring ‘encore entrepreneurs’ undeterred by current financial risks
By Michael S. Fischer
A sizable number of American baby boomers are considering starting businesses or nonprofit ventures over the coming decade, according to new research released Tuesday by Civic Ventures, a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose.

But wait … I thought we were selfish thugs. (This written by someone who buys a lot of shoes.)

A post from 2009:

Me vs. We Redux Redux
Today, Baby Boomers are two or three times removed from being a “me” generation. What constitutes self-actualization when you are twenty-five is different than when you are fifty-five. In your twenties a person thinks they are the picture. As you get older, you see yourself more and more as a picture that is part of a bigger picture.

Talk to some folks in their twenties, thirties. They are now in that ‘me’ stage. It’s healthy, smart for them to be so. I was just like them thirty years ago, get a big bang out of them, admire their boundless creativity, energy – and self-obsession. These ‘me generation’ twentysomethings today will become a ‘we generation’ in thirty years.

So The Shoe Girl will grow up eventually (I hope).

Boomers Lead and Drive the New Wave of Entrepreneurs
By Martin Zwilling
… The Boomer demographic is currently the single largest, mainstream pool of experienced talent in the market today (76 million people strong). They have worked with high technology and computers for at least 20 years, are highly educated, and highly motivated. Last year about 40% of the total workforce was Boomers.

Most surprisingly, according to a report from the Kauffman Foundation, the highest rate of entrepreneurship in America has already shifted to the 55–64 age group, with people over 55 almost twice as likely to found successful companies than those between 20 and 34.

I’m not surprised – but it’s great to see some numbers. Way back in 2005 (updated in 2007) I wrote a book with huge sections dedicated to Baby Boomer entrepreneurs:

ADVERTISING TO BABY BOOMERS
Targets Clients and Entrepreneurs
Paramount Market Publishing, Ithaca, N.Y.
… Chuck Nyren's egalitarian approach to advertising and the creation of campaigns is all-inclusive. A large section of the book is dedicated to helping Baby Boomer entrepreneurs get their marketing and advertising up and running. The author as well gives advice and guidance to the small businessperson on how to fashion a handmade campaign.

And from The New York Times:

Goodbye, Golden Years
By EDWARD L. GLAESER
Published: November 19, 2011
IT’S counterintuitive, but the forever work life of older Americans may turn out to be a good thing for young workers. The “lump of labor fallacy” envisions an economic order in which there is a fixed amount of work to be done. But we can make more or less, buy more or less, and most important, we can create new lines of enterprise. Over time, growth and innovation can create plentiful new work opportunities. If the economy needed only a lump of labor, the spectacular expansion of America’s female work force would have led to vast male unemployment. But it didn’t. In fact, the number of working women rose by 87 percent in the 25 years between 1975 and 2000, during which time total male employment also increased, by 41 percent…

… America desperately needs more entrepreneurship, and by at least one measure, the elderly are often the most entrepreneurial Americans. Self-employment rises significantly with age.

Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers I
Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers II
Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers III

Graywashing

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:52:58 PST

Good word.

Graywashing was minted by Colin Milner, CEO of the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA). From a recent article in The Journal on Active Aging®:

Tackling Graywashing (PDF)
by Marilynn Larkin
“Graywashing refers to the act of misleading consumers regarding any purported age-associated benefits of a product or service,” Milner explains … “Graywashing gives older-adult consumers a false sense of security by positioning a product or service as uniquely beneficial to them…”

…. On the opposite end of the stereotyping
spectrum are campaigns that suggest
all older adults should be superstars.
“Portrayed in the media and marketing
materials as healthy, wealthy and defying
aging, ‘superstar’ older adults present
an image that also distorts reality,”
comments Milner. “Such stereotypes
imply or explicitly state that ‘aging well’
requires health, independence, vitality,
economic wherewithal and social
connections. Not surprisingly, these are
qualities we equate with youthfulness,”
he states.

Way back in 2005 I wrote about similar issues:

Don’t Paint Too Rosy A Picture (Excerpts)
A recent article in USA Today asks us to “take a moment to journey forward to 2046, when 79 million baby boomers will be 82 to 100 years old.” A paragraph later, the reporter asks, “So just what kind of America will be forged by this crowd of geriatric goliaths?”

Excuse me for being an unassuming ‘David’ (or even worse, a genocidal Grim Reaper) but I doubt very much that all 79 million Baby Boomers in the U.S. will still be alive in forty years, swaggering like giants – unless the medical establishment is holding out on me.

The good news you know: many Baby Boomers will live longer, healthier lives – more so than in any previous generations. The bad news you also know: by 2046 a huge chunk Boomers will have passed on, and another huge chunk will be dealing with acute diseases and afflictions.

The problem is that well-meaning articles in the press like the USA Today piece, along with mountains of 50+ marketing fodder, are setting up Boomers for a psychological fall. There will be a backlash.

And I’ve blogged about them through the years:

Boomer Backlash II
If every time someone over fifty sees a commercial targeting them and it’s always for an age-related product or service, pretty soon their eyes will glaze over, they’ll get itchy and grumpy.

The Era of Oversell is Over
There’s nothing wrong with being positive and aspirational – you just have to temper it with dollops of reality so your marketing won’t be dismissed as pie-in-the-sky nonsense.

Uh-oh. We’re in trouble
Rapped on the knuckles…

Marilynn Larkin interviewed me for the article. I put up a tongue-in-cheek post about it:

The Best Anti-Aging Products, Services, and Activities: Guaranteed!
There are plenty of anti-aging products, services, and activities that are staggeringly effective. They stop the aging process almost immediately…

So quotes from yours truly are splattered throughout Tackling Graywashing – along with trenchant comments from Lori Bitter and Dr. Bill Thomas.

Thanks, Mr. Milner, for coming up with a masterful phrase to describe it all.

The New Millennium Tales: Baby Boomer Marketing Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:03:47 PST

It’s larger than this, hardcover and classy – suitable for dazzling display on a petite coffee table.

Yours Truly scribbled a tale, one of many penned by marketing, advertising, business, political, and artsy folk from around the globe. Also expect poems, illustrations, cartoons, great commercial photos and print campaigns, etc.

The Pilgrim behind it all:

Kevin Lavery
He is one of the founders of Millennium, the UK's leading specialist advertising and marketing agency for the 50+ market. Kevin is an advertising and direct marketing specialist with over 37 years' agency experience, having started with Ogilvy & Mather in 1974.

The Pilgrim behind the Pilgrim behind it all:

Reg Starkey
Reg's practical experience of working with many of the world's most acknowledged advertising agencies has now been combined with an in-depth knowledge of the important and neglected mature market. His knowledge and consultancy in this sector is sought by discerning clients in a broad range of sectors.

From The Introductory Tale:

This book is just a step along the way. It’s not a ‘how-to’ book, it’s more an ideas book. Can we offer Baby Boomer marketing enlightenment?That’s for you dear reader to decide. What I can promise is the these diverse tales will give you a worldwide view of baby boomer thinking, needs and wants, and hopefully stimulate you to look at your Baby Boomer marketing with fresh eyes. In much the same way as the Canterbury Tales gives a snapshot of life in late 14th century England, I hope this book will give you an insight into the world of the Baby Boomer at the start of the second decade of the new Millennium.

A handful of blurbs from the back cover:

Praise for The New Millennium Tales
This book is ahead of its time in its recognition and understanding of the importance of the mature market. Whilst others waste time obsessing about youth, this collection sheds all the light you need on reaching Baby Boomers.” – Fiona Webster, former Editor of Active Life magazine, writer, broadcaster and mature market specialist.
“Chaucer would applaud this stereotype-busting snapshot of the Boomer generation. Marketers would do well to pay heed to Kevin Lavery’s impressive band of marketing pilgrims who know
the best route to the Boomer’s heart and pocketbook.” – Carol Orsborn, Ph.D. CEO, BoomerInfluence.com, Co-Author of: Vibrant Nation: What Women 50+ Know, Think, Do and Buy (with Stephen Reily)

“It is quite remarkable that the marketing community has managed to ignore the maturing baby boomer market; the largest, wealthiest and best educated segment of our society… Lavery’s book hopefully will go a long way towards opening some eyes.” – Jerry Shereshewsky, GrownUpMarketing, New York

The New Millennium Tales is now available on Amazon (UK) and directly from Involve Millennium. Copies may make their way along worldwide trade routes, becoming obtainable elsewhere.

As sooth is said, eld has great advantage;
In eld is both wisdom and usage;
Men may the old outrun but not outred.
– Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales

Age has its advantages, after all. It is a sign of wisdom and of long practice. You can outrun the old, but you cannot outwit them.
– Canterbury Tales, A Retelling by Peter Ackroyd (Penguin Hardback Classics)

Now for the COMPLETE LIST OF NEW MILLENNIUM TALES. I’ve linked to a few PILGRIMS, but google some on your own. It’s an eclectic, impressive bunch:

The Introductory Tale
Kevin Lavery...........................….. 7

The Designer’s Tale
Rama Gheerawo......................... 11

The Lifeboat Man’s Tale
David Brann................................ 15

The American Consultant’s Tale
Chuck Nyren....................……….. 20

The Messenger’s Tale
Tim Hamill................................. 25

The Raku-Raku Land Tale
Florian Kohlbacher............…..... 29

The Actor’s Tale
Mike Grady.........................…..… 34

The Historian’s Tale
Leon Kreitzman.......................... 37

The Retailer’s Tale
Sara Prowse................................ 41

The Celebrity‘s Tale
Lynda Bellingham....................... 45

The Journeyman’s Tale
Dick Stroud................................. 46

The Ambassador’s Tale
Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles.......... 50

The Australian Forecaster’s Tale
Charlie Nelson ………................... 53

The Journalist’s Tale
John Tylee................................... 58

The Trade Unionist’s Tale
Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe........ 63

The Photographer’s Tale
Peter Rand................................... 67

The German Marketer’s Tale
Frank Leyhausen......................… 73

The Supermodel’s Tale
Paula Hamilton........................... 77

The Sexpert’s Tale
Carol Martin-Sperry.................. 79

The Gamekeeper’s Tale
David Wethey............................ 84

The Poet’s Tale
Roger McGough...........…........... 89

The Cruiser’s Tale
Nigel Lingard.................…......... 90

The Blue Cross Tale
Zair Berry................................... 94

The Soldier’s Tale
Major General David Burden... 95

The New American
Woman’s Tale
Leda Sanford............................. 100

The Disability
Consultant’s Tale
Mary-Anne Rankin................... 101

The Music Magazine’s Tale
Brian Oliver............................... 104

The Eco-gardener’s Tale
John Dominic............................ 105

The Australian
Ad Woman’s Tale
Gill Walker................................. 109

The Wife’s Tale
Sue Gluck...........................…...... 114

The Ex-Patriate’s Tale
Allein G. Moore..............….......... 115

The Producer’s Tale
Peter Shillingford..............…...... 120

The IFA’s Tale
Peter Maxwell-Lyte................... 121

The Californian Tale
Bill Kay....................................... 125

The Ad Man’s Tale
Dick Lumsden........................... 129

The Project Leader’s Tale
Matt Thornhill........................... 130

The Choirboy’s Tale
David Watson............................ 134

The Media Man’s Tale
David Cravit.............................. 135

The Media Woman’s Tale
Pat Lowe.................................... 140

The Researcher’s Tale
David Sinclair............................ 142

The Inventor’s Tale
Arlene Astell............................. 146

The Grandfather’s Tale
Charles Grimaldi....................... 147

The Straight Man’s Tale
Peter Tomlinson........................ 152

The Parisian Tale
Brent Green............................... 153

The Builder’s Tale
Keith Chapman......................... 156

The Nurse’s Tale
Kathleen McGrath.................... 157

The Doctor’s Tale
Dr Michael Chamberlain.......... 161

The Brand Doctor’s Tale
Chris Payne............................... 162

The Policeman’s Tale
Michael Hinchliffe.................... 163

The Personal Trainer’s Tale
Angie Best................................. 167

The Planner’s Tale
Nicholine Hayward.................. 169

The Radio Operator’s Tale
Tony Hertz................................. 174

The Media Independent’s Tale
John Ayling............................... 175

The Father’s Tale
Andrew Kitching...................... 177

The Mathematician’s Tale
Mark Ronan............................. 178

The Anchor’s Tale
Richard Quest......................... 182

The Teetotaller’s Tale
Anthony McLellan........l.......... 183

The Brewer’s Tale
Keith Quinn............................. 187

The Paparazzo’s Tale
Eddie Boldizsar........................ 191

The Lawyer’s Tale
Yvette Vanson & Michael
Mansfield QC..................... ...... 193

The Cartoonist’s Tale
Gray Jolliffe.............................. 197

The Author’s Tale
Richard Donkin........................ 200

The Yankee’s Tale
Hunter Riley.............................. 201

The Media Correspondent’s Tale
Torin Douglas............................ 205

The Butterfly’s Tale
Rachel Meade...............….......... 206

The Buddhist’s Tale
Michael Armitage..........…......... 210

The Teacher’s Tale
Robert Johnson.................…...... 211

The Artist’s Tale
John Fisher....................….......... 216

The Slimmer’s Tale
Ann Wimbledon.................…..... 219

The Dancer’s Tale
Eva Lewis...........................…..... 220

The Social Worker’s Tale
Anne Mummery............…......... 228

The Animator’s Tale
Tony Cuthbert............…............. 229

The Accountant’s Tale
Gordon Cowie..................…....... 231
.
The Dermatologist Tale
Dr Nick Lowe MD..................... 232

The Hippy’s Tale
Steve Ballard......................…..... 236

The Graphologist’s Tale
Erik Rees.......................….......... 237

The Typographers Tale
Adrian Greenaway........…......... 239

The Islander’s Tale
Jeremy Thomas...............…....... 240

The Visionary’s Tale
Joan Bird...........................…...... 243

The Weaver’s Tale
Jon Stannah and
Emily Luscombe............…......... 244

The Co-pilot’s Tale
John Peake........................…...... 246

The Dreamer’s Tale
Sally Wilton...................….......... 249

The Scientist’s Tale
Professor James Scott......…...... 250

The Winner’s Tale
Michael Seymour.........…........... 252

The Collector’s Tale
Chris Ingram..................…......... 253

The Compassionate Tale
Andrew Tyler................….......... 256

The Agency President’s Tale
Lori Bitter.................................. 257

The Fundraiser’s Tale
Margaret E. O’Grady................ 261

The Cheesemonger’s Tale
Justin Tunstall........................... 262

The Eagle’s Tale
Michael Belben.............….......... 265

The Corporate Cook’s Tale
Mark Lyons................................ 266

The Pumpkin’s Tale
Paul Mercieca....................…..... 267

The Godfather’s Tale
Reg Starkey......................…....... 271

The Literary Agent’s Tale
Dinah Wiener............................ 272

The Trainers’ Tale
Speakers’ Corner...............…..... 273

Henry Stewart Talks II for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:01:40 PST

From 2009:

Henry Stewart Talks: Latest Thinking in Marketing to the Older Consumer

Henry Stewart Talks publishes animated audio visual presentations by world leading experts - advanced content in a user friendly format. We cover biomedicine, life sciences, advertising, management, marketing, finance and transnational crime.

I’ve signed a contract to produce an update for this series. The U.S., Canada, Europe, and Turkey will get the most attention – along with some great campaigns from Japan and Singapore. It will be released early next year.

This’ll be a blast to do.

The Press Release Parade Marches On

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:04:35 PDT

I’m in a bad mood today (for personal reasons) so I’m putting up a nasty post. It’ll make me feel better.

It’s a follow-up to this one:

The Press Release Parade
… Press Releases are like virtual confetti nowadays … Most are daft, pointless blather…

While I usually sweep up the confetti and toss it, for some reason I bent down and read this one (names not revealed to protect the guilty):

Chuck, Good Morning.

****** Adding a New twist to Mobile Advertising

“Coming Soon” will now allow Apps to promote before launch

Mobile marketing platform ******* is launching a new ad unit for iPhone that lets app developers promote the applications they’re about to launch. The “Coming Soon” ad doesn’t just announce the forthcoming applications, however, but can also gather early sign-ups from potential users through its “notify me” button.

So far, so good. Not that I think apps will be taking over the world like most people, but I think they’re fine.

The press release continues:

Here are some statistics about mobile advertisements:

Mobile advertising generates 2.5 times more attention than a static billboard.
97% is the recall rate on mobile advertising.
96% of respondents say mobile advertising is more effective than traditional outdoor advertising.- Outdoor Advertising Magazine TACA

…. What? Something sounded very weird, especially the percentages. I knew these had to be wrong.

So I did a bit of research. The “statistics about mobile advertisements” are about those moving and/or animated ads on commercial vehicles. Moving billboards are more effective than simple paper billboards.

This has absolutely nothing to do with smartphone apps.

Power of Mobile Advertising

97% is the recall rate on mobile advertising.
- Outdoor Advertising Magazine
96% of respondents say mobile advertising is more effective than traditional outdoor advertising.
Mobile advertising generates 2.5 times more attention than a static billboard.

ADHITCH

The press release is from a semi-major PR outfit. Do they check their facts before sending out press releases? Do they make sure a press release is reviewed by a few other employees before going public?

Here’s a quiz. Take it, and grade it yourself:

The person who wrote this press release…
a) is an idiot.
b) is sloppy and incompetent.
c) is trying to put something over on all of us.
d) has some form of myopia or mental condition, and can’t tell the difference between a ‘mobile billboard’ and a ‘smartphone app’.
e) possibly isn’t confused, and is really promoting outdoor mobile advertising, not a smartphone app. I’m the one who’s confused.
f) Come up with your own reasons for this silly, useless, deceptive press release.

… Whew. I feel so much better now.

Baby Boomers & Smartphones

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 12:19:57 PDT

It was way back in 2007 when I blogged a bit about smartphones vs. simple cell phones, listing “The Good” and “The Bad”:

The real issue:
Marketers assuming that if you're over fifty you're automatically a member of one and only one age demographic - all with the same needs and wants.

It’s not a question of dumbing down technology for Baby Boomers (we invented and were the first users of most of this stuff) – but more a question of universal design, easy-to-handle knobs and controls, bigger fonts and correct color contrasts…

A few experts on this subject:

Smartphones & Usability
Jakob Nielsen:
How do you design mobile applications for older people? With great care.

Tech & Baby Boomers: Universal Design vs. Universally Dull
Dr. Joseph Coughlin
The convergence of technology and global ageing is driving new business opportunities, innovations in service delivery and the promise of a better life tomorrow for older adults …

Fat fingers are no barrier to using the iPhone
By Dick Stroud
The first video is from the Ellen DeGeneres show. It is an amusing parody of the Apple's iPhone 4 ad. I have to say I think it contains a smidgen of truth.

So four years later it’s nice to find another expert with a practical list of smartphone features he uses regularly:

Smartphone Features for Baby Boomers
by Robert Fowler
… I found my smartphone easy to use and now understand it’s features and how it will help me in my daily life. I think Boomers will continue to discover the benefits of smartphones and find them useful like I did. As we get older using technology will make life easier and more manageable.

For all smartphone designers to remember: an easy-to-grip handle on a utensil is not ‘dumbing down’.

Understanding the Boomers and Beyond Market

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:23:38 PDT

CD Publications has a long history of excellent 50+ Marketing books, pamphlets and newsletters. 77 Truths About Marketing To The 50+ Consumer by Kurt Medina and John Migliaccio was published over a decade ago, and updated in 2009. Selling To Seniors has been around for I don’t know how long, and yours truly has been featured in it I don’t know how many times.

Their latest offering:

Understanding the Boomers and Beyond Market
Publisher: Mike Gerecht Senior Editor:
Dr. Leslie M. Harris
This new Special Report, published by Selling to Seniors – the 50+ Marketing Report, zeros in on the aging Baby Boomer market and how it differs significantly from both older and younger generations … The book includes essays from some of the world's leading experts on the 50+ market, including: Adriane Berg, Brent Bouchez, Mark Gaylor, Gary Geyer, Steve Howard, Paul Johnson, Gerry Linda, Theodore Reed, Jerry Shereshewsky, Jane Singer and Dick Stroud, as well as Dr. Harris.

In the first chapter by Gerry Linda, there is discussion about The Nyren Hypothesis – something I never knew existed. (Then again, hypotheses may not exist, since they are by definition hypothetical.) If I told you what it was, I’d have to defend it with footnotes and citations and all sorts of academic rigamarole. You’ll just have to read the book.

And do. Understanding the Boomers and Beyond Market is full of outstanding, easily digestible, practical marketing advice.

Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers III

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:37:24 PST

When weather permits, I peddle up and down a popular bike trail here in The Great Northwest – on my big-seat, balloon-wheel cruiser. Usually I pass by folks pushing, pulling, or tugging all sorts of wild contraptions. Often they’re strapped to these medieval torture devices.

Those measly trike things unnerve me the most. Put someone on one, and they remind me of cartoon velociraptors swerving and scurrying, looking for lunch.

Awhile back I received a phone call from a gentleman who’d designed a clever piece of exercise/sporting equipment for rollicking and rolling on trails. It was an adaptation of another clever, successful product, making a certain popular activity much safer – and more fun. He told me the URL, I punched it up, and immediately knew his offering had potential. Lots of potential.

I was preparing for an overseas gig, said I liked his product, and would contact him when I returned.

A week later I punched up the URL and took a look around. I still loved the product, but there were major issues – both with the design and the positioning:

Although well-constructed, the product looked like an odd piece of medical equipment you’d find abandoned in a corner of a hospital. It needed an industrial designer/artist to mold it into something exciting and engaging. Colors, sleek lines, etc.
And, of course, since it’s (mostly) for Baby Boomers, the offering was positioned as a medical device. Very silly. It’s actually quite an exhilarating and fun piece of sporting equipment - although you’d never know that by looking at it.

I emailed the inventor/entrepreneur, telling him that in the next few days was going to put together a memo about his product, tell him what I think he needed to do and what I could do for him.

He immediately replied:

I didn't request anything from you … I didn't hire you … I just finished professional videos which are now being edited.

Not sure how to respond (if at all), I thought about the fact that most entrepreneurs – at least ones with an idea for a product or service – might not be businesspeople, might be a bit naïve and paranoid. As understanding as I could be, I explained my intentions:

Of course you didn’t hire me. I was going to ‘pitch’ you at no cost.

How about this – do what you’re doing and have fun and good luck. But if it isn’t going as planned in a few months, contact me. I’ll put together the pitch then.

I never expected to hear from him again – and never did. A month later I punched up his web site. The ‘professional video’ was anything but. Some lady quacked away about the product – and there was no wind shield for the microphone. Just standing there, it sounded like she was reporting from the scene of a hurricane.

And the rather dismal-looking picture of the product languishes on the web site. Alexa global ranking: 16,104,259. No U.S. ranking because when one or two or less people visit a site per month, Alexa ignores it.

Lessons for entrepreneurs? Due Diligence, of course. But not everybody is out to steal your your money with promises of fortunes with their marketing/advertising prowess. I’m not the only one who could’ve helped this fellow, put him on the right track.

Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers I

Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers II

Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers: Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 12:38:55 PDT

From my business web site:

I have an egalitarian bent and enjoy slinging sentences for small start-ups and entrepreneurs.

So I get a lot of email from entrepreneurs and folks starting their own businesses. Some emails are ignored (MLM, vitamins, supplements, etc.), some are answered and we might chat for a bit on the phone as I try to point them in the right direction, some become clients, some don’t.

It’s sort of like the real-life business world.

I’ve found that there are two mistakes made by almost every entrepreneur targeting this unwieldy, diverse market:

Positioning their product/service in a medical category when it could easily be positioned as a lifestyle or premium offering.
Assuming that all you need is a web site, maybe a bit of paid Google Search, maybe some banner ads here and there – and they will come.

I’ll write about #1 in future posts. Let me take on #2 first (not that I haven’t been screaming about it for years).

Some posts you should skim before I prattle on:

Click this ad. 0.051% do.
… a tiny fraction of people ever click on an ad. In fact, 99% of stable cookies examined never click on an ad … optimization of campaigns to achieve higher CTR may in fact be reducing brand ROI.

Ad Campaign Effectiveness Dives
by Steve McClellan
…Certain segments in the online space were more sharply impacted during the reported period. Display ads and sponsorships were down 26% and 35%, respectively, in customer engagement.
Online ads generally were 25% less effective than traditional ads for "incremental customer demand generation," per the report.
Foretellings
…With the exception of the workplace, smartphones (along with iPads and Kindles or something like them) might just make desktops and laptops and the web as we know it obsolete. If ‘being connected’ mostly means communicating with friends, doing simple search, reading the news - then all that’s really needed is a smartphone.

A ubiquitous phrase (I’ve used it myself): You have to cut through the clutter.

Actually, the reverse is true when uploading a product/service web site. A better hackneyed analogy: Think about traveling along a major highway in the desert and seeing a dirt road leading to what appears to be nowhere. Now imagine travelling ten miles up this empty road and finding a big billboard for your product/service. That’s what a consumer-targeted web site really is.

You can put a small billboard on the main highway telling people to turn off and travel ten miles to see your big billboard – but how many people will do that?

Alexa is a free service (or partially free). I have their toolbar on my browser. It’s fascinating to know what a web page rank is:

A Bit Of Social Networking Site Research

****.com has a three-month global Alexa traffic rank of 32,289. Approximately 68% of visits are bounces (one page view only).
*******.com has a three-month global Alexa traffic rank of 411,987, and roughly 58% of visits to the site consist of only one page view (i.e., are bounces).

Ready to spend your marketing nickels or your gazillions on Banner Ads or coercing members to be ‘fans’ on these sites?

I had a meeting with an advertising agency a few months ago. Their client is a medium-sized financial planning company. They hired a comic actor (semi-well known) and made a few videos with him, hoping they’d ‘go viral’ or something. This was not a TV campaign, and I wondered why. “We’re going to have a Facebook page!” the account exec said, with a big, excited smile. They already had some banner ads floating around on a few financial web sites.

Here is the Alexa ranking for this web-only campaign:
There isn’t a U.S. Ranking because it’s so infinitesimal you can’t measure it.

And this is not a small start-up.

Part III will be about an interesting piece of sporting equipment that is being positioned as a medical device. Its Alexa global ranking at the moment is 16,114,472.

Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers: Part I

Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers: Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:23:26 PDT

All of a sudden every other news article about Baby Boomers is focused on business and entrepreneurs. A handful:

Advice for baby boomers who want to start businesses
By RON CONSOLINO, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Q: I'm an early baby boomer and am thinking about leaving my corporate job to open a small business of my own. Do you have any advice?
A: You are not alone. Many of America's 77 million baby boomers contemplating retirement are finding that slowing down is the last thing they want to do.

Rise of the Boompreneur
By Casey Dowd
Boomer: Why are baby boomers starting businesses?
Izard: The economic conditions today certainly have triggered many baby boomers to want to go back to work and often they want to work in their own business; they don't want to work for someone else.

Small Business Survey Reveals Baby Boomers Account for 84 Percent of New Businesses
“To be able to use my 401(k) to invest in myself and to start my own business made everything possible. This was the best business decision I have made in my career.”

An Aging Population Means New Jobs
Kerry Hannon, Contributor
This demographic shift is already creating a wave of new fields and opportunities for workers of all ages. It’s just a tease of what’s to come.

South Florida is stage for new generation of entrepreneurs: Baby boomers
Peter Fogel and Anna Collins, who are baby boomers, (born between 1946-1964), have found their niche: an Internet radio show in which they talk about themselves and everyone else their age, laugh a lot and make money doing it.

AARP Launches New Innovation@50+ Scholarships for DEMO Conference
New scholarships to help two entrepreneurs pitch the next great idea for Americans 50+ at nation’s premiere start-up launch conference.

An excellent introductory video about this emerging business market (although it concentrates on technology only – just about every industry can benefit from targeting Baby Boomers):

MIT AgeLab: Emerging Business Markets in Aging with Dr. Joseph Coughlin

"Advertising to Baby Boomers" Targets Clients and Entrepreneurs
In his book "Advertising to Baby Boomers," Chuck Nyren takes on the excuses that many advertising agencies give for not targeting the baby boom audience, and urges companies wanting to attract this formidable market of 76 million people to rethink their approaches.

For the next few posts (over the next week or so), I’ll concentrate on some common mistakes entrepreneurs have made when advertising and marketing to Baby Boomers. Most will be real-life examples.

Ameriprise: Psychedelic Peace Signs Now White Picket Fences

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:40:39 PST

“What a long, strange trip it’s been…” watching Ameriprise pander to Baby Boomers. Originally (well, make that 2005 when it split off from American Express for reasons I’ll leave to legal experts to comment on), the company burst on the scene with all sorts of silliness:

Invoking "The Sixties" (2005)
Ameriprise's campaign slinks around and takes the low road — invoking 'The Sixties' for no reason other than to unctuously 'brand' their service.

The two spots I've seen open up with a montage (make that a sloppy collage) of standard-issue 'Love-In' stock footage and clips of home movies. There may be some recently shot computer-played-with video mixed into the mess. At some point, a bunch of kids pop out of a VW Bus — and magically morph into fiftysomethings.

Ameriprise vs. Fidelity Financial Redux
The 1960s were about cultural change and political activism. But in Ameriprise's new commercials, the era's touchstones are evoked in the name of money, money, money.

Dennis Hopper for Ameriprise

Advertising Has Removed Music's Soul

A big chunk of the campaign’s subtext was “We’re this brand-new financial planning company just for you groovy Baby Boomers!”

A few years later, Ameriprise calmed down a bit:

Meet Us Today (The spot has vanished, but you’ll get the message.)

Now it seems Aunt Polly made Tom whitewash that fence. No more peace signs or psychedelic graffiti.

Ameriprise's new face of retirement
The new campaign features two spots. In the one titled "Generations," Tommy Lee Jones leans on a white picket fence as iconic images of farmers, a small-town diner and college students walking through a picturesque campus fill the screen.

Ameriprise Speaks With a New Voice
By STUART ELLIOTT
The initial commercials feature Mr. Jones outdoors, leaning on a fence, and speaking to the camera in his characteristic plain-talk tones.

Here’s my favorite part:

Mr. Jones … describes how Ameriprise has worked hard for its customers since 1894, “never taking a bailout.”

So all of a sudden Ameriprise is not a new, shake’em up, dazzling company – but a stodgy, conservative one that’s 115 years old, “never taking a bailout.”

Hmmm. Very admirable. But … how many ‘bailouts’ have been offered to Ameriprise over the last 115 years? One?

While using television or movie stars as spokespeople usually isn’t a good idea…

CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS THAT ARE MOST PERSUASIVE

…Tommy Lee Jones is a likable fellow – and brilliant actor. Not a bad choice if you think your product/service needs a face:

Ameriprise

The Obligatory Follow-Up iPad (and Smartphone and QR Codes) Post

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:43:44 PDT

I have a handful of zombie posts – ones that keep getting oodles of hits year after year. Over the last three months, one from April 2010 has crawled out of the grave, haunting the internet. It’s more popular now than when first published.

Why? I guess NostraChuckus has been divining the future behind my back:

The Obligatory iPad Post (April 2010)
“Used in relaxed mode…” (Dick Stroud) That reflects a lot of what I said way back in April ‘07 about the strength of magazines and why they’re not going away…

I use the word iPad as a generic term referring to all tablets, sort of like “Have you googled anything on Bing lately?” Droid, Mac OS, Windows 7 – don’t ask me about that stuff. I’m more interested in the concept and how it impacts advertising and marketing to Baby Boomers.

A handful of news stories:

As PCs Wane, Companies Look to Tablets
By VERNE G. KOPYTOFF and IAN AUSTEN
…Computer makers are expected to ship only about 4 percent more PCs this year than last year, according to IDC, a research firm. Tablets, in contrast, are flying off store shelves.

Sounds familiar. At least to NostraChuckus:

Foretellings (2010)
…With the exception of the workplace, smartphones (along with iPads and Kindles or something like them) might just make desktops and laptops and the web as we know it obsolete. If ‘being connected’ mostly means communicating with friends, doing simple search, reading the news - then all that’s really needed is a smartphone.

Ad Campaign Effectiveness Dives
by Steve McClellan
…Certain segments in the online space were more sharply impacted during the reported period. Display ads and sponsorships were down 26% and 35%, respectively, in customer engagement.

Online ads generally were 25% less effective than traditional ads for "incremental customer demand generation," per the report.

What a surprise:

Click this ad. 0.051% do.
… a tiny fraction of people ever click on an ad. In fact, 99% of stable cookies examined never click on an ad … optimization of campaigns to achieve higher CTR may in fact be reducing brand ROI.

And…

Smartphones & Usability
There is no way anybody, no matter what age, will put up with graphic gizmo advertising on smartphones. Simple Fact: The real estate isn’t there.

New Study Reveals Generational Differences in Mobile Device Usage
Boomers are the most likely buyers of eReaders… More than 9 out of 10 Boomers (92%) use the device at home, 13% at work, and 36% power up their eReaders while on the go.

Baby Boomers Up-to-Date on Smartphone Technology, Study Finds
"It is a common misconception that smartphones are complicated or hard to operate," Marick said. "But as we see in this survey, an overwhelming majority of current smartphone owners ages 40-plus were able to teach themselves the functions of their device."

Wow. What a shock. From my book, first published in 2005:

Shock redux:

Snake Oil In Cyberspace (February 2009)
A recent report from Forrester Research indicates that while it might be tempting to categorize all aging Americans as techno-dinosaurs and Luddites, more than 60 percent of baby boomers are avid consumers of social media like blogs, forums, podcasts and online videos…

Perhaps … it is simply a case of older users being a bit more savvy about marketing ploys, social networking, and the intermixing of the two.

QR Codes are beginning to play a big part in it all:

Foretellings II
How revolutionary! How clever we are in this modern day and age! Imagine! Using your phone to order from a grocery store and having your items delivered! What’ll they think of next?

But …

QR Code Scanners Skew Male, Young, Wealthy

However, the numbers aren’t shoddy for Baby Boomers. And add this into the equation:

Home Most Popular QR Code Location
The most popular source of a scanned QR code was a printed magazine or newspaper, with nearly half (49.4%) scanning QR codes from this source…
Among mobile users who scanned a QR code on their mobile devices in June, 58% did so from their home…

And that brings me to my mantra, repeated so many times by yours truly that I’m even sick of hearing it. Update it a bit with QR codes:

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

What can be gleaned from this meandering, bloated post?

Smartphones are used to scan QR codes while reading newspapers and magazines at home.
The perfect tablet (someday) for Baby Boomers will be big, thin, light, unbreakable – and while you’ll be able to use it for search, email, Facebooky things, etc. – it will mostly be for curling up on a couch and reading your favorite magazines, newspapers, books, watching short videos, etc. I think we used to call this ‘alone time’.

Takeaways:

Television, Magazines, Radio, Outdoor: Advertising
Smartphones: Some Marketing on steroids, no advertising
Tablets: Advertising, maybe some marketing – but you’d better be careful. Remember – most Baby Boomers will be in ‘relaxed mode’ when using tablets.

If you don’t know what ‘relaxed mode’ is:

Positioning Magazines for Baby Boomers April 2007

Virginia Ironside: You're Old, I'm Old . . . Get Used to It!

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Nyren) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:37:37 PDT

Writing about getting older, especially after you’ve hit fifty or thereabouts, has become quite an industry. The subject now rivals books on Gardening, Beauty, Sex, Yoga, Health, Religion, Cable-TV Inspired Politics, and Self Help. You could blanket Yasgur’s Farm with books about Sixty being the new Forty, Sixty being the new Sixty, or Sixty simply being Sixty.

There are silly ones, serious ones, worrisome ones, fascinating ones, funny ones.

Sometimes I think we should have another cultural revolution like we did in The Sixties. Instead of burning draft cards and bras, we should burn these books. You can even toss mine into the fire if you want.

Although there is one I happily devoured recently that pretty much summed it up for me – along with being humorous, serious, full of pungent truisms, and wildly entertaining. You should flip through it before setting it aflame:

You're Old, I'm Old . . . Get Used to It! Twenty Reasons Why Growing Old Is Great
by Virginia Ironside
No matter what they say, sixty will never be the new forty. But sixty- five-year-old British writer Virginia Ironside is determined to convince people that getting old is not so bad-even for a Baby Boomer who interviewed the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix early in her career.

Among scores of other concerns, Ms. Ironside nails digestion and death. She gives only lip service to one of my favorite subjects – drooling. But I’ve covered that topic in its entirety.

Virginia’s take on being a modern-day grandparent is the best I’ve read. There’s an abridged version on the web somewhere, but I’m not linking to it because you really should savor the whole chapter.

I’ll allow you to read this, however:

Introduction to You’re Old, I’m Old … Get Used to It!

And watch this – culled from her one-woman show The Virginia Monologues:

Virginia Ironside

…I’d deem it an honor to spend ‘a couple of minutes’ with Ms. VI…

So grab the book, step away from the bonfire, just far enough so you’ll have enough light to read, laugh out loud dozens of times – and when you’re done maybe you should save this one from the flames.

Virginia Ironside’s Web Site:
www.virginiaironside.org/