2009: What A Long Strange Trip It's Been

by Anne Mai Bertelsen, Dec 14, 2009, 10:54 AM

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Since Thanksgiving, I've been hunkered down in 2010 planning. Planning always involves reflecting on the past year's major events and trends and what their impact might be longer term.

For Boomers, 2009 has been a long, strange trip: it was a year we witnessed significant, symbolic progress for civil rights and a setback for women's rights; we marked the 40th anniversary of peace, love and music and an escalation in military troops overseas; we slogged through the greatest economic meltdown of a generation and saw major brands and media and entertainment outlets re-embrace the Boomers. In short, it was a year that seem to epitomize the Grateful Dead's famous lyrics:

Sometimes the light's all shining on me.
Other times I can barely see.
Lately it occurs to me, what a long, strange trip it's been.

Here then, are my highly unscientific reflections of 2009 events and trends:

A Delayed Dream Come True

We started the year giddily inaugurating our country's first African-American President, who promised change, sounding themes reminiscent of the 1960s: an end to failed foreign policies, equal rights for all, including workplace and marriage equity, and enactment of health care reform.

While Boomers did not initiate the Civil Rights movement, their participation was critical for gaining broad support among whites and bringing about important legislative victories during the 1960s and '70s. But, it wasn't until this year that the dream of content over color enabled an African-American to win the White House -- and the Boomers, as much as the Millennials, made that victory possible.

A Long, Protracted Recession Resets the Rules

While Boomers have weathered other economic downturns, this particular recession forced a re-think not only for them but also for the brands that market to them. With concerns about the value of their assets and their prospects for continued employment diminishing, given their rising ages, many Boomers shifted to value brands or significantly reduced their discretionary spending.

• Gallup reported in August that Boomers cut their spending from a daily average of $98 in 2008 to $68 in 2009. While their reduction was not as severe as Generation X or Millennials, the sheer size of the Boomer population -- 78 million -- has greater ramifications for marketers as well as the economy.

• Brands like Mercedes-Benz and Burberry have had to re-think their marketing strategies as they witnessed Boomers reducing spend on luxury items. Others, like Kraft Foods, L'Oréal, Procter & Gamble and Target seized on this trend and began courting this sizable demographic group.

• Despite these trends, Boomers remain the wealthiest of generations and account for 77% of all investable assets in the United States.

The Media and Entertainment Companies Rediscover Boomers

While traditional media struggled for viewers and advertising dollars, some media outlets discovered that catering to Boomers benefitted their circulation, viewership and advertising revenue. Periodicals like People magazine have seen circulation and sales grow when Boomers are featured on the magazine's cover.

On television, ABC and AMC both have hits - "Cougar Town" and "Mad Men" -- featuring Boomers. TNT is hoping it can cash in on the magic when it airs "Men of a Certain Age." Even The New York Times began a weekly column devoted to Boomers, titled "Generation B."

40 Years Later: A Generation Gap Still Exists between Boomers and Their Parents

There seemed no end to the 40th anniversaries this year: Woodstock, the moon walk, Stonewall, Sesame Street, the Nixon doctrine and the Manson killings. Looking back, we see the seeds of Boomers' rebellion. Yet 40 years later, Boomers continue to disagree with their parents: this time on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, on abortion, civil rights, gay marriage and health care reform.

But, there seems to be virtually no gap between Boomers and their children for new technologies

In fact, studies consistently show Boomers' willingness to embrace new technologies -- whether smartphones, Kindles, or yes, even social networks -- that enable them to stay connected to friends and family and news and entertainment.

As we enter into a new decade, marketers should continue to monitor these trends for their impact on Boomers.

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0 comments on "2009: What A Long Strange Trip It's Been ".

1. Pooky Amsterdam from PookyMedia
   

   commented on: December 14, 2009 at 1:26 p.m.

   As the population ages (I read on this blog that someone in the US turns 50 every 8 minutes I believe) I wonder if the median age of those authoring marketing to this population will also age.
   It might be a better match for marketing, when those of a certain age can also target through media and advertising the demographic that they are themselves.
   Creation of strategic media initiatives and effective customer integration does mean acknowledging the nuance which resonates within this group.
   The question is how best to find it, through sampling of population or empathetic resonance?
   Social Media is trending older, as are intelligent immersive virtual worlds such as Second Life.

2. Jerry Foster from Energraphics
   

   commented on: December 15, 2009 at 3:04 a.m.

   There is some good information in this article (stats). But it needs editing elsewhere such as in "we witnessed...a setback for women's rights". I don't think its professional to use a marketing platform to start political arguments. Was the author mad that states are starting to recognize that the Violence Against Women Act is unconstitutional in its very name?

   The author would know that half of marketers aren't politically left and the myth of the Vietnam Era generation gap is just that - in 1972 most boomers were begging their parents to vote for Nixon who was in the process of turning China and transforming the entire dynamic in Asia (the Vietnam War became a non-issue after China turned but China wouldn't have bothered to become friends with the USA if they had been able to easily conquer Asia by force in the 60s - which is what their words and actions were trying to do).

   So let's use a marketing platform to discuss business issues and not antagonize people with blatantly partisan political opinions.

3. Jerry Foster from Energraphics
   

   commented on: December 15, 2009 at 3:32 a.m.

   Marketers should look at locally oriented environmentalism to win Boomers' hearts. That is the one thing Boomers agreed on (besides making premarital sex the norm).

   Although Boomers were generally in favor of battling communism and terrorism and split on key left-right social issues (the hyping of which served to preserve an oligarchy of only 2 parties in the US), they did usher in a major concern for the environment - which resulted in good legislation against things like asbestos before the ridiculous cat fight about a global "theory" now going on.

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