Baby Boomer Insights

Obama to announce his VP via text message: "my vp iz..."

I remember staying up to watch Jay Leno one night to find out if "The Arnold" was going to announce his candidacy for Governor of California. I thought it was a clever idea to go on the reigning late-night talk show to make such a declaration (and I wasn't disappointed).

Over the years, most politicians have used pretty conventional means for getting out key messages. Usually, a rally or press conference has been the vehicle of choice. Now, Senator Obama, "the presumptive Democratic nominee" (are you as sick of that phrase as I am?) has decided to shake things up a bit.

Last night, Obama sent a text message to his supporters to let them know he'll be announcing his VP choice via text message some time between now and the Democratic National Convention. Those who want to be the "first to know" can sign up to receive the notice by texting "VP" to 62262 on their cell phones. Of course, he's encouraging folks to spread the word and help sign up even more people.

With two weeks until the Convention starts, there will no doubt be a flurry of activity and stories about this tactic, which is clearly intended to show Obama as the candidate for change, even if that change is just in a new-fashioned way to make an old-fashioned announcement.

I'm a Boomer who gets several text messages a day from my Gen Y kids, who use it as a primary method of communication. I even bought a new phone recently just so I could text back faster.  To me, texting is a necessary evil, not a preferred way to communicate.

Frankly, I plan to find out who the VP candidate is from whichever reporter breaks in to tell me after getting the message on his/her cell phone. 

Something as anticipated as this particular announcement deserves more than a gimmicky high-tech mass mailing. I want to see the reaction of a crowd and feel the passion of the candidate when he says the name of his choice. It's just the Boomer in me, I suppose. But then, I don't think Obama is trying to appeal to me as much as he is to my kids, who would love to get a message from the Senator.

I hope the Senator can/will track sign-ups by age. I'd love to know how many Boomers sign up to get the news this way. Meanwhile, count me in the group that still wants to get big news from big news sources. Brian Williams or George Stephanopoulos: I'll be looking for you!

The Volunteering Report of America shows Boomers like to give back

I've written here before about the fact that Boomers are big on "giving back" to their communities but a new study, just released days ago, shows just how much. The Volunteering Report of America provides details on volunteerism in all 50 states and in 163 cities.

According to the press release, brought to my attention by Megan Griffin, this new report is the most comprehensive ever assembled on the subject of volunteerism in America.

Some highlights Megan shared with me that I think you'll find particularly interesting:

> Between 2005 and 2007, an average of 31.2 percent of Boomers volunteered each year, giving an average of 52 hours per volunteer per year.

> The Midwest was the biggest beneficiary of Boomer volunteerism. Some 36.9 percent  of Boomers there volunteer.

> Volunteer retention is always an issue and this study shows that Boomers want to engage in activities that that tap their professional or managerial skills (almost 75 percent indicated that would entice them to continue to volunteer). What they don't want is to be relegated to general labor or supply transportation (give them those tasks and you'll retain only 55.6 percent).

Boomers will double the number of volunteers in America over the next few decades, but to take advantage of their generous spirit and willingness to get involved, organizations will need to think carefully about how to recruit and retain them.

One way to do that is to consider how your volunteer opportunities offer Boomers a chance to stretch a little. The Volunteering Report of America showed, for instance, that the phenomenon of "voluntourism" continues to attract Americans, including Boomers. This is certainly in line with the study my company, Edelman, and our marketing arm, Strategy One, conducted last year. We learned Boomers are looking for volunteer activities that let them also contribute to opportunities like saving the environment and giving back to victims of natural disasters... and they want to do all of this with their grandchildren. So it wasn't surprising to learn that in addition to an increase in Boomer volunteerism, we're seeing Gen Y get aboard the volunteerism train as well.

But pay attention: organizations that don't have a strategy for recruiting and retaining volunteers, especially Boomers, will suffer. After all, between 2006 and 2007, more than a third of Americans dropped out of the volunteer ranks.

Want to know how your state - and perhaps even your city - stack up? Check out this section of the Volunteering In America web site to learn how the study was done and where volunteerism stands in your neighborhood.

Sex and the City movie furthers the notion that gray is the new black

My almost-19-year-old daughter, Sydney, and I went to see the Sex and the City movie last night. When it was a TV series I watched it only on occasion and was never a big fan. But I knew it would be all the rage at the water cooler this week and I wanted to know enough to talk about it.

The first observation I made was that the audience was 90% boomer women. They clapped, laughed heartily, and squealed like the delighted girlfriends they were. Clearly, this crowd loved catching up on the foursome that made TV history talking about things women supposedly really talk about when they're together, out of the earshot of men.

While it was incredibly predictable, even to someone not intimately familiar with the characters, I found it pretty enjoyable nonetheless. I liked that three of the four women characters - Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte are in their 40s  - and Samantha is 50, yet they were portrayed as still stylish, full of life and still interested in talking to death various angles of relationships. The underlying theme of the movie was about forgiveness, something one typically understands and knows more about in her 40s and 50s, for sure. I loved that the actresses were playing their "real" ages and it seemed perfectly natural for them to have many of the same interests in "mid-life" as they did in their 20s and 30s.

In a way, this movie is a continuation of the "gray as the new black" phenomenon we've seen sweeping the country recently. From  "Cougars 4 Cook" on American Idol, to Dancing With the Stars having a devoted boomer audience, to the top three movies featuring "mature" actors (Harrison Ford in the new Indiana Jones movie, Robert Downey Jr. in "IronMan") Boomers are redefining what makes good pop culture. Just as we wanted all the focus on us when we were twenty-something, now we want it on us despite having a little gray around the temples.

Even Neil Diamond has made a big comeback after appearing on American Idol recently. (BTW, I got his new album for Mothers Day and just love it!) And Lord knows we're not done yet hearing all about Madonna turning 50 this year. In other words, Boomers are showing up everywhere, even in places traditionally thought to belong to the "young people."

(It says something, dontcha think when you have to insert a twenty-something star like Jennifer Hudson into the Sex and the City movie to help make it more relevant for that age group!)

Advertisers and marketers need to pay attention because Boomers are in the drivers' seat again, proclaiming what they believe is sexy and sellable. We see ourselves as younger than we really are and we want to remain vital (not necessarily young) for a long time yet, so we'll plop down our dollars if we believe you embrace us.

How Boomers have shaped 40 years of political conventions

Today marks 111 days until the 2008 Democratic National Convention.  It may be the most significant meeting of the donkey party since the Chicago convention in 1968. Obviously, it is historic because the two frontrunners are a white woman and a black man. But it's also noteworthy because of the role Boomers played - and continue to play - in shaping elections.

In 1968, as "leading Boomers" were exiting college, the Convention was interrupted by protesters, who used the occasion to loudly register their belief that racism threatened the very democratic process and that the United States' involvement in Vietnam was immoral and wrong in every way. 

They organized sit-ins,  love-ins and protests around the country primarily by word-of-mouth. You might say they created the original social networks.  And their hair and clothing styles, symbols and lifestyles were how they expressed their support of an attitude as much as how they were defined as a generation.

These Boomers believed they could change the world - and they did in many ways.   Thanks in large part to the Boomers of '68, the 2008 Convention will be the realization of a dream - a gathering in which either a white woman or a black man will get the nomination as the Democratic candidate.

But along the way, Boomers have changed too - and that's something a lot of marketers fail to realize. The very ones who carried picket signs, used recreational drugs and rocked out to the Beatles grew up.  Many now look back on those times as  a snapshot in time, rather than what defined them for the rest of their lives.

In fact, according to the Boomer Insights Study conducted by Strategy One and Edelman in 2007, almost a third of Boomers don't even identify themselves as Boomers, in part because they associate the Boomer generation with the folks who eschewed wealth and resented the establishment. But that was before they became the most affluent generation ever, running the most successful companies on the planet.

That doesn't make Boomers hypocrits. It simply means we've discovered other ways to affect change and we've used our education, brainpower and energy to  develop the technology that has made it possible for a white woman and a black man to be truly heard. Blogs, cell phones, web sites, and sophisticated Internet strategies are the electronic version of sit-ins, picket signs, petitions and protests. Tear gas doesn't hold a candle to a Boomer with a computer and an Internet connection!

So, what does this mean to you? If you want to reach Boomers, understand first of all that we aren't a large tribe that thinks and acts alike. On the contrary, we're all about choice and individualism and we expect to be approached with respect for our experience and intelligence.

What definitely hasn't changed since 1968 is that we still want to make a difference in the world and will use whatever means are available and necessary to be heard!

Tornadoes hit Atlanta: Boomers turn to local news for coverage

By now you have seen the countless videos, pictures and stories about the tornado that touched down in downtown Atlanta Friday night. How did you find out? Chances are, the generation you're in made some difference in how you learned about the news and how you've kept up with the aftermath.

Tornadoes rarely hit metropolitan areas, especially on densely populated streets full of high-rise buildings, but this one was a doozy and left downtown Atlanta a mess. Thankfully, Edelman's offices on the 29th floor of Centennial Tower overlooking the trashed Centennial Olympic Park made out OK under the circumstances.

My husband and I learned the news from WSB TV. We kept the TV on  - tuned to local stations, rather than CNN or the Weather Channel -  almost around the clock through this morning, watching for updates and learning all kinds of new things from meteorologists armed with the latest in 3D technology.

Meanwhile, my youngest daughter (18) learned the news about the tornado when someone texted her on her cell phone, then sent some video. My oldest daughter (22) heard about it from a friend she was visiting, who got an email on her Blackberry from a friend whose mother had called her. To my knowledge, none of these young people have turned to television for their ongoing news. Instead, they've relied on radio, the Internet, text messages and voice messages from their universities.

While I want to know every last detail (and have been very frustrated by the lack of TV footage of my office building), my Gen Y daughters are satisfied to know just enough to be in the know at a surface level. If they want an update, they'll seek it out, usually by going to CNN.com. Tuning into the 11:00  p.m. news for updates ranks right up there with sliding down the dinosaur's tail when the bird whistle blows.

None of this surprises me, especially after seeing the results of the 2007 Boomer Insights Study by Edelman and Strategy One. In it, we learned that Boomer men prefer local evening news while Boomer women want to catch the morning shows. Boomer women seek the feature-type stories that tell about a rescued baby or how a handicapped person was cared for during the tornado, while Boomer men want to know what's being done, how long will it take and what's the likelihood of this happening again.

In other words, the classic "give me the information and I'll draw my own conclusions" is the male perspective. Females want to feel good and reassured that all is well. We both want to get the news from sources we trust, such as local papers, news anchors and "people like me." We like knowing we can find out more if we want by going online, but for the most part, we're more interested in hearing news from the same people who have been delivering it for years.

Think about the implications of this. It's risky to think you can get your messages to Boomers by putting all your efforts into courting the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek. Sure, we read them, but not as consistently nor as thoroughly as we consume local news. So don't blow off that local paper with a circulation of only 50,000 or a news station whose signal doesn't extend past four counties. You just may be missing your best opportunity to reach your target audience!

Boomers, rejoice! Custom calling cards are making a comeback!

Today's Wall Street Journal carries an interesting story called, "A Business Card for Your Wild Side."  It's about a new trend in people carrying multiple business/calling cards that reflect different aspects of their life.

The argument is that a more personalized card that contains non-traditional information is more appropriate for social settings and many networking events. Often the multiple-card carrier has a side business, but keeps a day job, or wants to be known for a particular thing, such as a blog s/he writes.

How ironic that as our society gets more and more connected electronically, the good old standby paper card is making a comeback (albeit with perfume and lipstick, so to speak). Some folks are even springing for designer cards that can cost a few dollars per card. All I have to say is, "Thank goodness!" (No matter how much I use technology like LinkedIn, there simply is no substitute for a great card.)

I love business cards. I rarely throw one away. In fact, I have hundreds of them safely stored in ziplock bags. Of course, many are also in my electronic Contacts file, but when you open up an online address book, everyone looks the same. A business card is an opportunity to really express yourself. I notice everything from the weight of the card to the design to the type font. Each design element tells me something about the person who gave me the card. Since I'm a very visual person, I can often remember a person's card even better than their name months after meeting them.

My daughters and I (they're 22 and 18) differ tremendously on this point. When they meet someone they may want to contact later, they instantly put their contact information into their cell phones. "Why write something down or keep up with a card?" they argue. "You can always just delete them if it turns out you don't want to stay in touch. " My approach is the opposite. I decide if they're "keepers," THEN add them to my address book or cell phone.

That's a key difference in Gen Y and baby boomers. We use technology as a tool to accomplish a specific task. Gen Y uses technology as a lifestyle. Here's another example: How many different ring tones do you think the average Boomer has on his/her cell phone? We just want it to ring to let us know someone's calling. Gen Y wants the ring itself to announce who's calling.

Marketers who want to reach Boomers, take heed: even though we love technology and use it, we still like to flip through hard copies of publications, swap real cards and enjoy tactile experiences. So don't go crazy thinking that all you have to do is put your " stuff " online and we'll go find it. Make us feel your brand too!

Boomers are an active bunch, despite what the entertainment industry, the mainstream media and advertisers seem to think

Boomers are frustrated.  We don't like the way the entertainment industry, the mainstream media and much of today's advertising portray us.

That's what Edelman and Stratey One learned recently in our Boomer Insights and Implications Study. Some 91% of self-defined Boomers feel the entertainment industry is trying to appeal to a younger age group. A full 72% of us feel the mainstream news media are trying to appeal to a younger age group and over half - 54% - are frustrated by advertising the misrepresents our generation.

This really hit me between the eyes just this week. You see, I accidentally ruptured a tendon just running up some stairs and have been wearing a walking cast for several days. Despite the inconvenience, I've continued my normal schedule and, in fact, crossed the country, schlepping through airports and hotel lobbies. Along the way, several people asked me if I fell. Only one person asked, "Did you do that snow skiing?" The age range of the folks observing the likelihood that I fell was all over the place.

The point is, we're conditioned to assume that the older one is, the more likely it is they were injured doing something besides a sport or other vigorous activity. And no wonder. Boomers are too often portrayed as a sedentary bunch who aren't particularly vital and adventurous.

Take paddlesports as an example. Most of the time, when you see a picture in marketing collateral or ads about a paddlesport, you see some hot buff guy or gal showing off their love of adventure and risk. They're usually doing something really extreme, like jumping off a waterfall or throwing themselves in their awesome canoes and kayaks off a whitewater cliff.

But guess who actually buys paddlesports equipment? Boomers. That's what my friends at Quietwater Films and Rutabaga Paddlesports tell me.  It's the Boomers who will spend the money to buy the right equipment, look for instructors and approach the sport with intelligence and a desire to do it right. They seek the adventure and enjoyment of "quietwater" paddling. So while there are actually MORE people interested in - and paying for - a quietwater experience, the ads and media attention usually lean toward the whipper-snappers riding rapids.

That's why I love what Darren Bush (a Boomer) and Jeff Bach (almost a Boomer) are doing. I read all about it in a Wisconsin newspaper.  They aim their marketing efforts at paddlesports enthusiasts who want to learn more about how to enjoy the sports as solo paddlers or in tandem. They educate people about how to enjoy canoes and kayaks and such in ways that encourage physical fitness, interacting with nature and even being adventurous.  In other words, they're advocating for folks like us (Boomers) who want to enjoy sports, just not always the way extremists do.

One way they teach is through video, producing what they call "inspructions," intended to both inspire and instruct people to give paddlesports a try. What a smart approach. That's what it takes to harness the vitality and enthusiasm of Boomers. First, assume we're still vital enough to try a sport; and 2) invite us to participate fully, then get out of the way.

Why Dr. Phil is one of my favorite Boomers (to love and hate)

While I was writing my last blog entry just moments ago, the Dr. Phil show came on. Oprah was there, along with good wishes from celebrities and clips from past shows. It was all a part of the tribute to Dr. Phil as part of his 1000th episode. For six years he has been giving advice in his "get real" way and people just eat it up.

I confess, most of the time I'm a fan. I've watched him since he first appeared on Oprah's show 10 years ago and I love his "in your face" approach. Admittedly, there are days when I roll my eyes at the topics on his show and I do wish he'd leave Robin and the kids out of his gig. But the fact remains that he often says things that are worth noddling on.

That's why I thought I'd use this blog entry to share my favorite Dr. Phil quotes I've collected over the years.

After all, I fall squarely into the 98% of Bull's-Eye Boomers (tm) who love to share information online. So... in honor of daytime's beloved TV therapist, here are my favorite Dr. Phil quotes, straight from my hard drive, where I added them as I heard them over the past six-plus years:

You can’t give away what you don’t have. 

No matter how flat you make a pancake, there’s always two sides.

How’s that working for you? 

Sometimes you make the right decision; and sometimes you make the decision right.

Awareness without action is worthless.

The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.

It is better to be healthy alone than sick with someone else.

If you want more, you have to require more of yourself.

The most you get is what you ask for.

You’re only lonely if you’re not there for you.

We teach people how to treat us.

The quickest way between A and B is not always at a feverish pace.

Sometimes you've just gotta give yourself what you wish you were getting from someone else.

Anger is nothing more than an outward expression of hurt, fear and frustration.

People with nothing to hide, hide nothing.

There is no reality – only perception.

Life rewards action.

You have to name it before you can claim it.

There is power in forgiveness.

Life is managed; it is not cured. 

You create your own experience.

 You either get it or you don’t.

 People do what works.

 You wouldn’t worry so much about what people think about you if you just realized how little they do.

 You have to create yourself from the inside out.

 You can’t talk your way out of something you behaved your way into.

 You’re only a loser if you quit while you’re behind.

 Sometimes, a relationship just needs a hero.

 You can’t fix what you don’t acknowledge.

Even if you don't like Dr. Phil (and I do see how that's possible) you just about have to admit he comes out with some real jewels sometimes.

Edelman reveals results of Boomer study: Bull's-Eye Boomers rule!

My company, Edelman, will announce tomorrow that it has created a new consultancy called Boomer Insights Generation Group to specialize in communications marketing strategies to reach and activate Boomers. This is probably the most exciting thing that I've been involved with in my 30 years in PR.

We'll be helping companies understand how to build relationsips with self-identified Bomers, whom we call Bull's Eye Boomers (tm). More than one person has asked me "How hard can that be? After all, we already know who the Boomers are - they were all born between 1946 and 1964."

That, my friends, is the the crux of the problem. Too many companies market to Boomers as though we're defined by our age. Yet, one of the key findings of the Strategy One/Edelman Boomer Insights & Implications Study is that a full 28% of Boomers don't see themselves as Boomers as all. Can you imagine spending millions of dollars marketing a car to people who have committed to walk everywhere they go? And yet that's what companies do every day when they crank up their marketing and advertising campaigns and aim them at this massive group called "Boomers."

The Strategy One/Edelman Boomer Insights & Implications Study, which was conducted in July, 2007, included 1,320 adults ages 43-64. Here are some of the highlights you'll be hearing more about over the coming weeks:

> 72% of self-defined Boomers feel mainstream news and media try to appeal to a younger age group.

> 81% of women and 65% of men believe the government has the greatest responsibility to provide affordable medications to adults age 65 and older.

> Women said lack of money was the greatest challenge they faced when trying to maintain or improve overall health and wellness, with 45% of women and 40% of men citing stress as the second greatest challenge or barrier.

> 29% of surveyed women vs 19% of men say they are primarily loyal to one brand. Only 25% of Boomers of both genders is loyal to one brand.

So, as you can see, despite the fact that Boomers are 78 million strong and represent 24% of the U.S. population, they certainly don't always think and act alike. Moreover, brand promoters who don't understand who their Bull's Eye Boomer is stand to waste a lot of money and influence.

Over the past several weeks as we have sliced and diced the research, I've found myself in constant amazement at how often my fellow Boomers have nodded agreement when I mentioned specific findings to them. The conversation almost always turns to a "you won't believe what I got from such-and-such a company," followed by a tale that ended with "What were they thinking?"

Too often "they're" not thinking - marketers who have always targeted generations are going to be left in the dust if they don't quickly shift gears and start aiming toward the bull's eye!

Marketing to Boomers online: we love to spend money, plan trips and influence others!

When my oldest daughter, Katy, graduates from the University of Georgia next weekend (with a degree in commercial real estate), we'll present her with a trip out of the country to somewhere she has never been. Just in case she reads this blog, I'm not revealing where she and her best friend are headed, but  I'm pretty darn certain they'll have a great time. (I've never been there myself, btw, but we boomers are like that - we indulge our kids first!)

I've had a lot of fun planning for the trip and managed to do the entire thing without ever talking with anyone. I found the resort online, booked the flights online, hired a car to pick them up at the airport, arranged to expand her cell service capabilities and even  alerted the bank that she'll be out of the country for a week so they don't deny her unusual debit card purchases (made with money I transferred into her account online). Of course, I've been teasing her with e-mails about the whole thing and she lovingly responds with text messages from her cell phone.

My point is simply this: marketers who continue to assume that they need only focus on Gen Y and Gen X in their online marketing are making a huge mistake. I confess during the entire process of planning Katy's trip, I found myself making quick decisions about what web sites I wanted to interact with and what service providers I was willing to send money to based on the experience I had with them online. Here's a tip for you web site developers: a page completely filled with "stuff" turns off Boomers, especially if the "stuff" is presented in nine-point type!

My insistence on finding and purchasing so much online isn't unusual for my generation. According to a recent report by E-Marketer.com, Boomers and seniors are frequently turning to online sources to do research and make purchases. And their significant economic clout is really starting to show in cyberspace. With an average household discretionary income holding steady at almost $30,000, Boomers have more money to spend online - and offline - than any other generation. And guess what? We're increasingly spending that money on booking online travel for ourselves! (Don't worry, Katy - Dad and I promise not to show up on your trip!) A big difference is we're looking to learn on the beach, not burn on the beach.

Boomers are not only getting - and staying - online, we're influencing seniors to do the same. In fact, the over-60 crowd is expected to grow from 17.5 million in 2006 to over 25 million by 2010. Unfortunately, too many marketers think that because this group largely retired before computers and high-speed internet access became the norm at home, there probably aren't very many who are online.

On the contrary, many find that now is the perfect time to learn a new skill like surfing the web. Many connect with their grandchildren on MySpace and Facebook.  Some are even looking online for opportunities to volunteer.

So, as you put together your 2008 communication and marketing plan for reaching Boomers, make sure you understand how we're changing and influencing online behavior or you may never get a shot at us!