How do we market products and services to baby boomers? What has the economy done to alter our philosophy and methods?

The topic surfaced again recently when the folks from Response Magazine called about an upcoming article covering boomer trends, needs and wants. Since smack on the younger edge of that group, I am more than interested in data, opinions and where the generation is headed.

The 79-million baby boomer category is the biggest, healthiest and wealthiest group ever seen ever on the U.S. marketing landscape. It is totally opposed to being labeled as “older” – or even getting to such a place. You’ve heard it all – 70 is the new 50; 80 is the new 60, etc.

The boomer group has revamped every life stage it has entered – retirement is next – and clearly altered every imaginable product from jeans, to automobiles to ice cream. Boomers apparently are hard-wired with a sense of adventure, possess a lust for the exotic, and have never been averse to borrowing. In fact, it’s been said that baby boomers never met a loan they didn’t like. More on that in a moment . . .

What they don’t like is hype, and that’s definitely something all marketers need to keep reminding their customers.

Mark Goldstein, a specialist in the demographic, lifestyle and “psychographic” trends of aging baby boomers and seniors, said the 50+ population is growing at a rate of 10,000 people a day. These numbers bring immense business possibilities and ramifications.

“Not only will this group re-invent retirement,’’ Goldstein said, “but it also will not stand for hype. The style of marketing to boomers must be educational or they won’t be buying.’’

Another critical point for our clients to remember is that Internet activity is increasing fastest in the 50-plus age group. While the web was made for the young and by the young, boomers and seniors clearly respond to a different drummer. One of the online companies that clearly gets this is our online marketing partner, Net Media Group which now specializes in a variety of messages and products for aging boomers.

Now, back to the boomers and their habits on borrowing and spending . . . About one year ago, nearly to the day, this huge portion of the population got an unprecedented wake-up call.

In a three-day period starting on September 14, 2008 Merrill Lynch was sold in distress. On September 15, 158-year old Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy, setting off a worldwide panic. On the following day, the Federal Reserve loaned $85 billion to AIG, the first of four bailout payments. September 16, 2008 was “The Boomer Moment”. And, the flames were fanned soon thereafter when President George W. Bush uttered “The D Word” (Depression) on national television.

Since only a reported 25 percent of all boomers are financially prepared for retirement, most of those 79 million people in the United States who thought they were heading into retirement on track to live a good lifestyle were finally shaken into reality.

Where will they be willing to spend their hard-earned cash? On products that they can understand and services that will benefit their lives – both presented without hype.

What changes have you experienced in boomer buying trends? Has the economic meltdown done anything to alter their free-spending ways?

I welcome your thoughts.

R. Cesari

Did you ever take a moment to think about the dynamics of the fast-food restaurant window?

While many consumers welcome the chance to get out of the car, stretch their legs and browse the menu at a popular neighborhood eatery, countless others prefer to stay in the car, perhaps continue a conversation on a cell phone, get their order as soon as possible and munch it on the road en route to their home, next appointment or desired location. Some do not want to be seen in public (dirty shirt, forgot to shave, etc.) and do not want to verbally interact face-to-face.

Remaining in your car and not entering a retail location is not about staying out of the summer heat or the torrential downpour of early spring. It’s about speed yet more about being able to conduct business in the privacy of your own space. The same is true for direct response and the Internet.

The initial goal of direct response marketing was to find a variety of ways for consumers “pick up the phone.” While this remains the core result for radio, television and print advertising, many companies have tweaked their existing techniques and crafted new ones to drive retail store sales. For example, our Cesari Direct team produced a campaign that helped Rug Doctor not only increased consumer direct sales of its carpet cleaning machines (previously offered only as rental units in 33,000 grocery stores) but it also increased interest and traffic in stores that were rental-only outlets.

The evolution of direct response to the Internet is an absolutely natural progression. In fact, it’s been said that direct response is what the Internet has always been. That’s because the Internet is all about speed and the ability to exchange information. If you have a terrific product, the web can be an immeasurable ally and spread the positive word about your offering to millions of potential customers instantly. Conversely, if your new widget is cheap – or your company spends decades to respond to a customer’s needs – the Internet can assure you an instant failure.

While “picking up the phone” can be done in the privacy of your own den or car, the traditional telephone is no longer the place to conduct instant research (online mobile devices excepted). Consumers want to research, probe and subsequently apply or buy on their own time. Our direct response model provides information and then allows the consumer to make a decision with that information. Companies like Net Media Group are increasing client conversion rates by redefining web pages and the critical questions asked to interested Internet visitors.

While we test, test, test our direct response messages to gauge how, when and where they are best received by the public, Net Media Group runs through a similar repetitive process – specific website conversion testing – to improve the effectiveness of web pages and drive better conversion rates of its clients.

In the present economy, all companies wanting to promote and expose products are extremely budget conscious. Creative directors – and budget supervisors – take extra steps to explore how to reach more customers with a differently appealing, yet less expensive, offering.

Online marketing is typically less expensive and it is not held to the time and space constraints of television, radio and print. It allows the client and consumer to be extremely thorough in both presentation and discovery.

The Internet, by definition, is interactive – exactly what direct response marketing is designed to be and wants to accomplish. And, consumers can take full advantage of it in the privacy of their own space.

Rick C.