Baby boomers can be generally described as anyone born between 1946 and 1964. "Leading-edge" or "first-wave" boomers are those in their fifties. A typical leading-edge boomer:
Though boomers are edging up on senior status, there are big distinctions in marketing to the two groups, says Bob Kesner, President of Evergreen Direct. Some major differences include:
Kesner says you may end up marketing through boomers to reach seniors because a common thread among baby boomers is the reality of taking care of elderly parents.
To walk the fine line between the needs of boomer caregivers and their senior parents, it's important to use first person and be conversational but polite - not condescending. Let them know that you understand the issues they're facing, that you're on their team. Some of the leading considerations to maximize email efforts to boomers boil down to:
1. Use wording that lets them maintain their idealistic dreams.
2. Focus on the financial and calm their potential fears.
3. Emphasize convenience.
4. Avoid scare tactics.
5. Use statistics.
6. Give them options.
7. Use letter-like messages instead of HTML.
8. Use personal or cultural references.
Finally, Baby boomers are at the peak of their earning power, they're financially savvy, they're socially aware - and they're in love with email as a communications medium.
for more information, contact: consumermarketingbiz@lists.marketingsherpa.com