• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, April 13, 2011

Representing a clear marketing opportunity, 66% of boomers are on the lookout for brands to better express their "youthful" personalities, according to a new study conducted by WPP agency The Geppetto Group.

"Are [marketers] offering [boomers] optimism and social conscience, and are they identifying with inherent qualities of their youths?" asks Julie Halpin, founder and CEO of The Geppetto Group. "Think of the impact that kind of thinking could have for sports retailers or restaurant chains, for instance."

For the survey, Geppetto Group polled 200 men and women ages 35 to 64 to discover what drives this target audience to gravitate toward certain brands, and what they are considering during the purchase process.

What it found is that 57% of adults expressed a desire to be "surprised and delighted" by brands, while boomers led the way in this trend, along with brands like Swiffer for the home; Keurig for the palate; and Under Gear for the man inside.

"We found that the old notion of the older we get, the more we're looking for trust and reliability no longer holds true," said Rachel Geller, chief strategic officer at The Geppetto Group, adding "that by the time you own a home and a car seat, you're not looking for surprises."

Brands like Apple, Sony, Dell and HP were also cited as good reflections of boomers' inner selves.

In addition, among boomers, Amy's Kitchen was cited as the personification of organic; Dove represented work with women; Trader Joe's stood out for its strong shopping experience; and SodaStream represented a brand that brought back an old-school experience to this socially conscious new world.

The study found that just like Gen Xers, boomers said technology is how they now express who they are and what they're all about.