Marketing to Baby Boomers: Ignore Lessons from the Pandemic at Your Own Peril

NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Peter Hubbell, a columnist for MediaVillage's "The Age of Aging," cautions marketers that when "Marketing to Baby Boomers: Ignore Lessons from the Pandemic at Your Own Peril."

The founder and chief executive officer of BoomAgers, the world's leading ad agency dedicated to understanding aging consumers, points out in his newest column that: "As we begin a return to normalcy, 78 million Boomers are arithmetically two years older but geometrically wiser because of the life-altering nature of the pandemic. For a generation whose size alone has always amplified the impact of its choices, now add the overlay of pent-up dreams and desires for a cohort that has a finite number of years to do what they've waited a lifetime for."

Notes media ecologist Jack Myers, founder of MediaVillage and AdvancingDiversity.org: "Peter Hubbell understands societal, cultural and business trends and how the seniors market is both impacted by and impacts these trends. His columns are a must-read for all who are marketing to the largest untapped growth opportunity." 

In this column, Hubbell points out the dynamics on why the pandemic has created valuable opportunities:

• The Ageless Generation Got a Glimpse of their Mortality: When the pandemic wrested control of the future from them -- and had a disproportionate toll on their aging peers -- the most optimistic generation in history got a massive dose of reality. . . As our worlds begin to get back to normal, expect the Boomers to bring an unprecedented zeal to how they live their lives. They will be motivated by a sense of urgency, to do the things they've always wanted to do while they still can. . . While everyone's eager to get back to doing the things they enjoy doing, there's an important difference when it comes to the boomers: They've got a shorter window to spend a lot more money.

• They Had a Lot of Time to Have Lots of Meetings with Themselves: It took a pandemic to create more free time for us to assess our lives and choose new priorities. Many Boomers came to the realization that it was more important to appreciate what they already have instead of constantly seeking something new; that those experiences are more important than material possessions, and that being surrounded by family and friends is the ultimate sign of success. Just as importantly, many discovered that happiness was less about knowing what you want and more about knowing what you don't want.

• Aging in Place Just Got a Shot in the Arm: One of the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic was long-term care facilities (LTCFs). According to the CDC, more than 200,000 LTCF residents and staff have died from COVID, representing a staggering 23% of all U.S. COVID deaths, down from 50% at the start of the pandemic . . . The innate desire to nest, to be in the comfort of your own home when illness imposes discomfort, is a very powerful force that has gained inertia because of the LTCF woes during the pandemic. If you're servicing any aspect of aging, now is the time to be more home centric for aging Boomers that -- given the choice -- will prefer their own home over the nursing home.

• The Fear of COVID Has Been Replaced by the Fear of Missing Out: For the generation that has the most money and loves spending it, the waiting is over -- but they're going to need to get on the wait list for all those great adventures that were postponed by the pandemic . . .With heightened demand for leisure pursuits facing limited supply, "50+ FOMO" is starting to take hold. The pandemic helped the Boomers to realize how precious time is, especially when it's taken away from you. Expect them to be led by their dreams, lest another "nightmare" robs them of their freedom to pursue the joy they've worked their whole lives for.

Hubbell, who has written for MediaVillage since 2019, has become one of the pre-eminent experts on marketing to age; his clients include prominent global brands such as Procter & Gamble. He is also the author of two award-winning books in his Age of Aging series — The Old Rush: Marketing for Gold in the Age of Aging and Getting Better with Age: Improving Marketing in the Age of Aging.

For press inquiries, contact Diane Stefani at [email protected]. Follow @MediaVillageCom, @JackMyersBiz and Jack Myers on LinkedIn.

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SOURCE MediaVillage