Baby Boomer Insights

Three famous boomers die, leaving lasting legacies: RIP Farrah, Michael and Billy!

Wow... hard to even imagine that it's possible for the world to lose three iconic boomers in a matter of two days: Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and Billy Mays. I admired each of them for entirely different reasons. Each was a quintessential boomer, too, whose lives closely tracked their fellow boomers, whether we realize it or not.

Farrah, as she came to be known (no last name required), 62, went from being one of the most cherished poster pin-ups to being a serious, credible actress. Like many boomers, she chose a career and worked very hard to be good at what she did. She wasn't always taken seriously and she had to start with commercials and bit-parts, but eventually her skill served her well, earning her critical acclaim, the respect of those who worked with her, and the love of legions of fans from every generation. Like many boomers, Farrah was independent and liked to do things her way. Her determination to fight her disease led her to travel to Germany to seek alternative, but eventually unsuccessful, treatments. She was also willing to use her bully pulpit as one of the most famous dying people in America, to share her experience and lessons via a documentary, which originally aired on NBC. Farrah proved that nice people can be successful, even in one of the toughest businesses.

Michael Jackson, 50, was also known by names other than the one his parents gave him: MJ, Wacko Jacko and others not suitable for a "family blog." I admired his incredible talent that spanned several decades. We grew up together (well, chronologically, anyway), so I've heard his music for most of my life. I remember "I'll Be There" like it was yesterday and sat in awe of Thriller when it was released on MTV. He was innovative beyond words and influenced musicians across genres and generations. He was also known for his big heart. Boomers love to give money, raise money, and volunteer their time to their favorite charities and MJ was no exception. In fact, he donated millions of dollars to about 40 charities he personally chose. On the other hand, he also wasn't a particularly good money manager (just like many of his fellow boomers). He made hundreds of millions, and yet spent it as fast as he could make it, indulging his desire for material things, as well as giving much of it away to friends, family and in support of his fanciful dreams according to many sources.

THEN THERE'S BILLY MAYS, WHO SHOUTED EVERYTHING! The iconic pitchman, 50, was the most in-your-face product endorser/demonstrator on TV. Even if you didn't know his name, because of him, you know about products like Oxyclean, ShamWow, and Kaboom. He was the most successful pitchman in the history of television, bringing companies that hired him millions of dollars in a matter of moments (especially on the Home Shopping Network) from viewers who couldn't resist his enthusiastic yelling. He even was selected for the Discovery Channel's reality show, "Pitchmen."  What I liked about Billy was that, like many boomers, he had an amazing entrepreneurial spirit and used his unique skill to get rich by making others rich. His, "Hi, Billy Mays here" was a common intro to his product pitches, and became a way of creating a personal brand that transcended whatever he was selling. If anyone ever doubted his fame and success, all they'd have to do is type his name into an internet search engine and see how many spoof videos appear. He was proof that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

One thing that strikes me about these three boomers is that they all became famous first because of television. In recent years, you could find them on countless web sites, social networks and on YouTube, but they earned their fame the old-fashioned way. Each had to reach out to disparate, disconnected audiences and hope to improve ratings, unlike some of today's artists, who seek fame online with hopes of making it onto television. Today's many communications venues offer a chance to connect people to one another first, then use their connections to advocate for favorite artists across multiple channels. (Who can forget Susan Boyle?).

One thing's for sure... boomers will continue to play a significant role in creating tomorrow's famous performers. After all, in addition to being one of the fastest growing groups on the Internet, we still love our television and aren't likely to let it go any time soon.

So RIP, Farrah, Michael and Billy. Know that you've touched multiple generations with your talents and "you did it my way."

Niche social networking sites that really matter: CaringBridge sets the bar

Despite the fact that I'm pretty involved in online social networks, including Facebook, LinkedIn, numerous blogs and forums, I've come to appreciate a whole new type of niche social networking that serves a very specific - and often short-term - purpose.

I'm referring to CaringBridge, an online source that enables people to set up a personal, customized web site to facilitate support from loved ones during an illness or accident. Using a journal format, you can keep friends updated on your condition, treatment and recovery. In turn, subscribers to the journal can share their encouraging words, comments and insight.

Last week, one of my dearest friends lost her husband of 17 years to a brain tumor at the age of 51. Phil was diagnosed 18 months ago and his wife immediately set up a CaringBridge site to keep his many friends and colleagues up to date on what was happening. I'm so glad she did. Over the past several months, I've learned so much about him, not just through their daily experiences shared online, but through the comments left by friends, some of whom dated back to elementary school.

Regularly, new pictures were posted and stories told about what it was like to go through the roller coaster ride that became their daily existence. We readers shared the emotional ride too and learned a lot in the process, not just about the disease, but about them. When you have literally dozens and dozens of good friends and family members, this is a great way to keep everyone informed without having to do it one-on-one.

CaringBridge is free to users, supported purely through donatons, which come from individuals and corporations (including hospitals and healthcare entities). When Phil died, his wife asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to CaringBridge so they could continue to provide support to others in need of such services. I considered it an honor to donate in Phil's memory.

But in Phil's case, the social networking extended beyond CaringBridge. Even the funeral home that arranged his visitations and memorial service used an interesting social networking platform. A page was set up on the chapel's site and friends could leave messages, which many did. There was even a way to upload photos of Phil and share stories. What a wonderful way to celebrate his life!

Both of these sites offer ways to create a permanent product from the entries, such as the Caringbook, a hard copy publicaton of the patient's CaringBridge web site. The funeral home offered a CD of the pictures and messages. 

Boomers have been quick to embrace technology, including social networking sites, and I predict they'll be the ones to keep these specialized niche sites going. Facebook is fun. LinkedIn is productive. But a site that lets you experience life when it matters most is truly special.

Jay Leno leaves The Tonight Show: Will boomers follow him?

I watched my last Tonight Show on Friday night. I have been a huge fan of the show for 30 years and am one of Jay Leno's biggest fans. Jay (and Johnny Carson before him) have been there for me through countless nights of insomnia. So, you can bet I'll be watching at 10 when Leno returns in September.

While I never say never, I can't see myself ever purposely tuning in to watch Conan. I've given him many opportunities over the years to entertain me and he just never has. He reminds me of a 15-year-old class clown.... goofy, sophomoric and just  plain boring most of the time. My husband couldn't disagree more. He thinks Conan is hilarious. (Other than this serious flaw, Ralph's quite a good guy, just for the record.)

Two years ago when my company, Edelman, did an extensive study on boomers, one of the things we discovered was that The Tonight Show with Jay Leno was the one TV show that was in the media "bull's eye" for both boomer men and women. Typically, boomer women favor local newspapers and lifestyle kinds of programs, while boomer men turn to national news and radio sports talk. But Leno has brought them together for an hour five nights a week. His appeal is probably because he's such a likeable comic whose monologues have always incorporated the news of the day, while his interviews have included pop culture icons.

A few years ago, I got to experience firsthand what a nice guy Leno truly is. I was in California for the National Speakers Association Convention when some friends and I decided to attend a Tonight Show taping.  His guest that night was Kirstie Alley, who, at the time, was starring in "Fat Actress." When the show was over, Leno agreed to pose for pictures with us. He even chatted for a few minutes and thanked us for coming.

A year or so later, when Ralph and I were in Las Vegas for a weekend, Leno was headlining at a Casino. We bought tickets to see him and I was blown away by his ability to do two hours of nonstop standup that was so clean and funny, I'd have been willing to take my mother. (The next night, btw, we saw George Carlin, another favorite, who was just hysterical, but certainly not clean.)

Will boomers follow Leno to the 10:00 hour? I think the shift to prime time may actually affect the way boomers watch TV. Expect more of us to turn to our DVRs to catch the few shows we do make it a point to watch and time-shift our way through them all. How about you? Will Leno's shift to 10:00 make any difference in how you watch TV?

Is your brand's Bull's Eye Boomer driving up readership of People Magazine?

Don't you love it when you read in a credible source an article that validates what you believed to be true, but had trouble convincing others? That's how I felt when I read an article in the Sunday NY Times about People Magazine.

The article agreed with the results of research Edelman and its marketing research arm, Strategy One, revealed two years ago: Boomer women still read People. Every time we share our research showing what media outlets influence boomers, someone questions whether People really belongs in the same company with the CBS Evening News, Time Magazine and the NBC Nightly News. 

Yet, based on the NYT article, boomers are not only a target, they play a big role in how the publication plans cover stories. The 45 to 59 year-old boomers make up 28 percent of the magazine's readers. Moreover, while other publications that focus on celebrities are seeing a decline in circulation, People's readership is up.

So, how does the boomer demographic actually influence People's coverage? In the first five months of 2009 alone, the magazine has devoted 10 covers to boomers vs. only 11 in the entire year of 2007. Editors consider subjects that can cross generations, such as the weight gain of Kirstie Alley, the deaths of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin and Tim Russert, and the inside scoop on the current relationship status of Bristol Palin.

I'm a long-time reader of People and consider it a favorite guilty pleasure. When the magazine arrives on Friday, I immediately put it into my stack of reading material to take to the lake house, where I peruse it over the weekend. It has come in handy, too. Thanks to what I've read between the covers, I've been able to come up with answers to the celebrity trivia category in "Catch Phrase," a favorite game my college daughter, Sydney, and her friends like to play.

So, what's all this mean to you as a marketer? Simply this: don't make assumptions about the media outlets boomers consume. It's important to know who the Bull's Eye Boomer (tm by Edelman) is for your brand and what media outlets they like. With all the changes occurring in the media today, it's critical to stay on top of what's in and what's out with boomers. Know, too, that online outlets are increasingly influential. Today, People is hot. But there's no guarantee is will be weeks, months or even a year from now.