Managing Editor
Who has buying power? Try the nation’s 78 million Baby Boomers.
The Nielsen Co. research group advises that marketers, always in search of young customers, not overlook the Boomers, who are 46 to 64 years old.
“When it comes to marketing, the focus always seems to be on youth,” reports Nielsen. “As a result, media companies focus on reaching consumers age 18-34 or 18-49, who spend, or have a key role in spending, billions of dollars every year.”
But Boomers have money, too.
“Today’s middle-aged and older consumers are different than their predecessors,” said Nielsen, saying the conventional wisdom is that the age group spends little, resists technology and is slow to adapt new products.
“Boomers are an affluent group who adopt technology with enthusiasm,” said Nielsen. “They have also shown a willingness to try new brands and products.”
Boomers should matter because they spend 38.5 percent of the dollars spent on consumer packaged goods, said Nielsen. “Yet it’s estimated that less than 5 percent of advertising dollars are currently targeted toward adults 35-64 years old,” it said.
That age group includes the latter half of Generation X, too.
“With most marketers generally targeting 18-49-year-olds, more than half of the affluent Boomer demographics is ignored entirely,” said Nielsen.
Boomers remain the largest single group of consumers and as they retire, they continue to be critical for advertisers, according to Pat McDonough, senior vice president of Insights, Analysis and Policy at Nielsen.
To learn how local marketers and organizations view Boomers, see page A-5.
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Generations
Florida State University professor Elwood Carlson researched generational cycles. He determined seven generations through 2001, including “The New Worlders” born 1871-1889.
| Generation | Born | Ages |
| The Hard Timers | 1890-1908 | 102 or older |
| The Good Warriors | 1909-28 | 82-101 |
| The Lucky Few | 1929-45 | 65-81 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-64 | 46-64 |
| Generation X | 1965-82 | 28-45 |
| The New Boomers* | 1983-2001 | 9-27 |
* Called Generation Y and Millennials by other sources.
Source: “Population Bulletin,” Elwood Carlson, Charles B. Narn Professor in
Sociology of Population, Florida State University.