We hear a lot about Boomers as members of the "sandwich generation," caught between raising their (sometimes adult) children and taking care of their elderly parents. The Pew Research Center notes that about one in every eight Americans aged 40 to 60 is currently caring for a parent, physically or financially. And with the over-65 population set to double in the next two decades, the sandwich generation's burdens are likely to increase exponentially as well.

We know Baby Boomers are ages 48-66 and hold 70% of the U.S. wealth. They are online, they have life-changing needs and passions and money to spend. They grew up with technology and are embracing time on the Internet. They are spending 39.5 hours per month online. Because I am getting nice feedback on the quiz formats, here is another one for you.

In a recent survey, we asked Baby Boomer women about their jobs (or lack thereof) and attitudes about work. After decades of thought-leaders predicting that Boomers would reinvent the notion of work as they aged, the working life of Boomers is, in fact, looking a lot like ... the working life of everyone else.

Reluctant to be defined by anyone but themselves, Baby Boomers continue to create new norms for what it means to be age 50+. At the same time, medical science and healthier living have made it possible for Boomers to expect to live active, healthy, productive lives well into their 80s, 90s and beyond. As a result, rather than marking the beginning of the end, Boomers are recasting age 50 as a midpoint to an adult life that can easily last 30 to 40 more years.

I'm often asked "What are the 'best' (most effective methods/strategies) to target specific groups of Boomer and older customers? Here are some thoughts for consideration. They by no means cover all ways to connect with these markets.

When people ask me what Boomers think, my first response is, "Which ones?"

Have you noticed that women are multi-taskers, run the family social calendars, are the majority of caregivers, do the household purchasing, gift buying and most all family communications? Now, women can get information online to streamline their busy lives but also to do research and shopping for autos, travel, clothes, shoes, caregiver solutions, gardening, finance, hobbies and more. Women are super consumers. The brands that engage, connect and provide them with solutions will earn their business.

In our recent survey, Baby Boomer women told us that cosmetic and skincare companies aren't telling her what she really wants to hear about their products.

My friend and mentor, David B. Wolfe, passed away Dec. 3, 2011, after a long illness. David's special interest was mature markets. He wrote Serving the Ageless Market and (co-authored) Ageless Marketing, Firms of Endearment, and his last book, Brave New Worldview, was completed just before his death and will be published in the near future. He will be missed.

It's apparent that Boomers represent a significant segment of Web and social media consumers. The elephant in the room here is data. In a world where Boomers basically feel ignored by advertisers, online behavioral data may hold the key to successfully - and accurately - communicating with them.