Here’s the final entry in this mini-series of myths about Baby Boomers.
Tenth in the top ten myths: Boomers are retiring early
Much of the attention given to Boomers’ turning 62 this year is being eligible to take Social Security benefits early.
In reality, few plan to stop working entirely when they reach retirement age — only 11 percent.
Of those Boomers who know what they plan to do when they reach retirement age (some two-thirds), 72 percent plan to keep working, either part- (65 percent) or full-time (7 percent).
Whew. It makes me tired just thinking of all those years of working ahead of…
Preconceived notions about Baby Boomers are out there, but here at Beneath the Brand, you get to know the real Boomer through the Quarterly Boomer Report from AARP Services and Focalyst.
Ninth in the top ten myths: Boomers are downsizing their homes
Do you have an image of older consumers as “winding down” and simplifying their lives and homes as years progress?
I admit I did. However, it isn’t so.
Just 6 percent of Boomers plan to live in a smaller residence five years from now.
Moreover, 76 percent plan to live in either a same-sized (their current home or a new home of the…
Eighth in the top ten myths: Most Boomers are married empty nesters
• Most are not Empty Nesters.
• Only about one in four Boomers fit the profile of married with adult children who have left home.
• 37 percent of Boomers still have children under 18 in the home.
• One-third of Boomers are single.
Christine Babick is a blogger at www.beneaththebrand.com. A marketing strategist and linguist, she specializes in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause and relationship marketing.
Seventh in the top ten myths: You can capture Boomers with mainstream advertising
Boomers pay attention to advertising, but they do not always like what they see.
Here, the key for the marketer is to find out exactly what is considered offensive to those 67 percent!
Source
Christine Babick is a blogger at www.beneaththebrand.com. A marketing strategist and linguist, she specializes in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause…
Sixth in the top ten myths: Boomers are brand loyal and will not switch
I have to say I fell prey to this myth. I thought the “stick-with-it-ness” of the tried-and-true brand/consumer marriage was held in high regard by Boomers.
I should have known there was hole in the story I…
Fifth in the top ten myths: Boomers are all wealthy
Collectively Boomers are the wealthiest generation in history, but only 9 percent are truly affluent (defined as having pre-tax incomes of $150,000 or more if working, or $100,000 or more if retired).
In fact, one quarter of Boomers have no savings or investments at all.
What does this mean in terms of preference for certain brands? Is this niche unlikely to choose luxury items?
Source
Christine Babick is a blogger at www.beneaththebrand.com. A marketing strategist and linguist, she specializes in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause and relationship marketing.
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A report that came out in April can help us to separate fact from fiction when it comes to Boomers.Third Quarterly Boomer Report from AARP Services and Focalyst, titled “How Well Do You Know Boomers? Counting Down the Top 10 Boomer Myths.”
Fourth in the top ten myths: Boomers are winding down with age
They are quite active. The typical Boomer regularly participates in an average of 10 activities — and participation extends beyond going to church or gardening. They travel (60 million took at least one trip last year), attend live sporting events (22 million) and bicycle (11 million), among other…
AARP Services and Focalyst have tackled a few myths about the Baby Boomer generation in the third Quarterly Boomer Report released in April of this year.
Second in the top ten myths: Boomers are the “me generation”
Boomers have typically been portrayed as the self-centered “Me Generation,” but their actions in later adulthood suggest the description “We Generation” is more accurate.
Here are the facts:
Third in the top ten myths:…
Preconceived notions exist for just about everything under the big blue sky. Part of being a savvy–and therefore, successful–marketer is knowing that myths exist and that you have to cut through the myths to get to the reality.
Today I’ll begin a series of entries that cuts through the chaff about Baby Boomers and get to what makes this generation’s beat go on.
We have a top ten, and I’ll start with the first: Boomers are all the same.
That’s right–all 77 million of us. But according to Jack Lett, executive director of Focalyst, we are not. “Within this generation are diverse segments…
