Boomer generation exploding online. Are you ready?

When I was in my teens, 30-year-old people seemed like they were ready for retirement, 40-year-olds seemed like they should be knitting sweaters and the 50+ crowd should be getting their estates in order. Now that I am 30 I know that life is really just beginning and the wisdom that comes with age is invaluable. These misconceptions of age and computer savvy/ability run rampant in the interactive space so I want to shed a little light on things before it goes too far.

When you think of "old" what comes to mind? It's subjective isn't it? Too often, the baby boomer 50-64 (pre-retirement) crowd is tagged as offline, computer-illiterate technophobes by young marketing executives. We think to ourselves "man they're old and they don't even know how to use a mouse, I better stick to just using print and radio ads and small websites with large font sizes". That statement is outdated and needs new, integrated thinking. Instead, look at it this way, the baby boomer crowd has been using computers and the internet in the work setting since they were commercially available (10+ years now). It's true they did not grow up with computers, baby boomers are self-taught and I admire that.

So what are the stats today? According to a recent study by JWT Boom, 72% of users in the 45-65 range are on broadband connections. 82% of them use the web. 40% of the total US population is over 45 years old (108 million people) and control the majority of US spending power. They're also the fastest growing group of internet users and are expected to grow over 50% in the next 15 years (compare that with 3% growth in the 18-40 range). Another key takeaway is that the 65+ age group will grow 32% in the same timeframe.

Another item to take away from this post is that they're spending their time online differently. Boomers are not watching video, downloading music, writing blogs or playing games. They're looking for information and doing research on purchases, communicating with friends and family, shopping and reading. The report also notes the power of integrated campaigns in reaching the boomer demo. 92% visit a web site after seeing a print article, 89% after seeing a print ad and 83% after seeing a TV ad.

Until now, we've been complacent in our efforts to really reach the boomer customer online. Statements like "they're just not online" and "they don't know how to use a mouse" are blatantly false. Boomers control the majority of the spending power and are exploding online. Marketers cannot afford to misjudge this hugely powerful market as we've done in the past. It's time for new thinking, new planning and campaigns that span and re-align media formats with a focus on this powerful group of consumers.

UPDATE: Seth Godin has a great (as usual) insight on boomers and their move to becoming "seniors".

Technorati Tags:
strategy, marketing, advertising, interactive marketing, trends, relevance, JWT Boom, ThirdAgers, Baby Boomers

Comments

[GoingLikeSixty]

Eh? Whose on the line? You say we got mice?
Oops, I just exploded in my Barcolounger.
BRB.

Nice job - you sure you're not a boomer? You may have missed a couple things: we like to watch videos of scantily clad women on our laptops (especially when it's warm) and there's a lot of poker playing going on (I guess that's not really gaming?)

Here's another falsehood: boomers will not change brands.

Anyway for a punk you done OK.

[Matt Dickman]

GoingLikeSixty -- Thank you for the comment and for sharing some insights. I am going off of research and it's nice to have personal input straight from the horse's mouth. I'm glad you found it valuable. Interesting what you said about changing brands.

I think we'll see the video trend pick up wtih boomers as content that appeals to this market comes online in the future. Blogging will probably follow the same curve.

[C.B. Whittemore]

Matt, age and perceptions of age are indeed funny things... And so is research! My dad learned how to use a computer at age 70. He is now 88. He talked me into using Quicken and Turbo Tax. I'd love to get him blogging [he has a PhD in intellectual history and would be a natural], but I don't think that will happen. He does subscribe to my blog, though. When I got started blogging, I assumed I would be the 'old' one. I have found instead that all ages can and do blog [have you read Ollie's blog - she's 100+ ?] as long as the individual has passion. Technology and what it enables [e.g., blogging/communicating or marketing] are powerfully democratic and ageless. Great post.

[GoingLikeSixty]

If you want mouth, I will give you mouth, and try not to act like the other end.

Exactly what content do you think would appeal to boomers that needs to "come online?"

"Enemas for Dummies?" "Living with a Clostomy Bag?" "Why I Envy Denny Crane?"

You had me right up to that comment.

:-)

[Matt Dickman]

GoingLikeSixty -- LOL. What I meant was I think content creators have been holding content off the web in video format (mobile format too) thinking that boomers are not using it. I think they will begin posting more of that content over time.

[Matt Dickman]

C.B. -- Thank you for the great example. I think it would be fascinating for your dad to blog, there is so much knowledge to share. My parents are both very active internet users and my siblings and I are pushing them a little further every day. They have broadband, instant message, read blogs and post images to Flickr.

Discounting the group through an incorrect stereotype is just dumb from a marketing perspective.

[King Hill]

Your observations about the baby boomers are much appreciated. As a bb, I completely agree that marketers have held back on using certain technologies and delivering certain content thinking that old men like me were somehow unable to use the tools they require.

Where I would add to your thinking is that this mistake in judgement isn't unique to online marketing.

Even in traditional marketing, marketers fail to recognize the fluidity present in consumer media usage habits. When we're younger, like you Matt, media usage is "me" centered. (No disrespect intended.)

As a consumer matures, the focus shifts naturally to others. There are, of course many reasons for this shift, but I'm not a psychologist. In any event, this shift in focus necessarily brings about a shift in the way a consumer uses media.

In the offline world (pre web), that shift might have manifested itself in a move from Television (personal entertainment) to magazines (part entertainment, part information).

So, the big lesson to marketers is: get your head out of your ass and recognize that your customers evolve -- online and offline.

[Matt Dickman]

King -- Thanks for the comment. You win the award for number of shifts in one comment ;) I think the whole point of social media is moving from "me" consumption to "us" consumption across all age groups. Technology is enabling this to happen in unprecedented ways and at rapid speeds.

People move through many different stages in life and their usage patterns change. The web presented a new challenge. Never before did marketers exclude an audience because they thought the audience couldn't use the medium. TV, turn the nob. Magazines, flip the page. Radio, push the button.

There is no reason to exclude the boomer group on the web. No need to step softly and dumb down the technology. This is a great opportunity to connect with more consumers across the board and enrich the experiences of the whole community

[GoingLikeSixty]

10-4, Matt. Thanks.

[Chuck Nyren]

Good piece, Matt. I probably think it's good because your tongue-in-cheek story reminds me of me twenty-five or thirty years ago.

Not much new for me in the JWT Boom study. I've been immersed in all of it for years: a blog before there were blogs, a book, consulting/speaking, a blog that is a blog ...

Chuck

[Matt Dickman]

Chuck -- Thank you for the comment and I'm glad you got value from my post. You seem to have a great understanding of this market and I would love to get your input in the future.

[GoingLikeSixty]

Hi Matt,
http://www.prnewswire.com/news/index_mail.shtml?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-10-2007/0004562344&EDATE=

is this the kind of site you think boomers will flock to? or boomertowne.com?

First lets deal with the name of the marketing consulants name: MonVia. Reminds me of Mons Venus. There got that out of my system.

Otherwise, doesn't this press release describe a blog?

Blah Blah, share passion, blah blah, storyteller, blah blah, exhange memories...

Boomer = Technoidiot. WRONG.

[GoingLikeSixty]

http://tinyurl.com/2hlkm2

[BOOMj]

Just thought I would let you know about a new website dedicated to baby boomers called BOOMj.com that your readers may be interested in. There are many nice sections (health, movies, finance, travel etc.) where you can meet new people as well as keep up on all the latest news, tips and goings on in the world. You guys should check it out if you feel so inclined. See ya.