In the last year we think marketers have experienced enough "pain" to their bottom line to examine the opportunities of targeting Boomers, or those over 50.

While there is undoubted potential for "old products for old people" (just as there are baby products for babies) the grand prize lies in ageless marketing.

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.

If you acknowledge these women's resilience and their ability to grow through setbacks, you are likely to remain their friend through thick and thin.

Clearly, reaching the right decision maker in the right way is critical to successful healthcare marketing. With so many boomer women responsible for healthcare decisions -- for themselves and others -- it's imperative to target and effectively connect with this important segment.

The trick, quite honestly, is how to evolve from "cool" to "wise"? Fortunately for Boomers, there is time to let our actions make the transition for us. Moving beyond cool to wise is something we will have to do.

As we get older we become more resistant to absolute guarantees or propositions. Salespeople should allow the consumer to pull wanted information; never push it at them.

Public health officials neglected to take these different generational experiences into consideration when developing their marketing communication efforts. Had they done so, they might have been more effective in encouraging younger parents to inoculate their children.

This survey confirmed that these Boomer women may be the "last consumer standing" in hard times. Fifty-nine percent of respondents told us that they are willing to pay more for higher quality ingredients in beauty products even during the current economic climate.

We don't share in the excitement that Boomers and older adults are truly smitten with social networking sites for three reasons --- one based on experience to date, one based on psychology and one based on the math.