Marketing to “Boomers” has been the call for many of us for a very long time. That call has been made, though perhaps not received! The truth is that consumer spending is found in discrete consumer segments and the media that target them. Take a look at the grandparent market. The nature of grandparenting is evolving. For the first time in human history, there are three distinct generations of grandparents in the United States. This continuum of the grandparenting lifestage is based on dimensions such as the age of grandchildren, affluence, and household structure. In this economy, grandparents are contributing to their children and grandchildren’s lifestyles in unprecedented ways. The changing nature of families Many factors are affecting the structure of families and the role of grandparents. Divorce frequently puts the grandparent/grandchild relationship at risk, often with no legal recourse for grandparents. The high percentage (40%) of children born to unmarried parents creates a dilemma when parent relationships change, leaving grandparents wondering about their own rights. Multi-generational households are growing, either as a result of economic pressure on the grandparents or the parents. One in five grandchildren is living in households led by a grandparent, which creates a unique set of social, legal, and advocacy needs. Regardless of the living situation, grandparents across the age continuum provide for grandchildren; this reality, in turn, provides a new target for many consumer products and services. While much consumer attention is focused on the first-time grandparent and their spending, research shows that grandparents are financing everything from daily expenses to tuition, cars, auto insurance and college expenses. The ability to do this is reliant on the grandparents’ access to financial resources. Research from MetLife Mature Market Institute reveals one-quarter of grandparent age households report an income over $90,000, while another quarter report income of less than $25,000. (Read more at The MetLife Report on American Grandparents: New Insights for a New Generation of Grandparents [July 2011].) Trends driving the grandparent market Key trends emerged in our research into the grandparent market, and are shaping our approach to a larger study. These trends and their implications unlock new consumer needs, desires and values. Among these are: