Baby Boomer Insights

Dancing with the stars shows Boomers can still shake a leg

I've always wished I could dance. Unfortunately, I still have to remind myself when walking, "Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot."

Some people will argue that anyone can learn to dance and maybe they're right, which confirms my belief that I'm not just anyone. In fact, a few years ago I was at the National Speakers Association convention and on the last evening, I attended the dance event. I looked on with admiration at the  people who had the courage to get out on the floor and have fun while I self-consciously sat and resigned myself to be just an observer.

Along came a woman I didn't know who asked, "Want to dance?"

I laughed and said, "Oh honey, I would never embarrass myself or another person by doing that! I have absolutely no sense of rhythm."

She sat down and said, "I can teach you. Everyone can dance." To prove her point, she took my hand in hers and said, "OK, here's what I want you to do. Tap your hand against mine to the rhythm of the music, then let that rhythm just overtake your whole body."

I was skeptical, but since everybody else was dancing  and I had no plausible excuse not to honor her request, I started tapping.

She gave it a good five minutes, smiled sweetly and said, "You may be right. You really don't have much rhythm, do you?" She suddenly remembered something she needed to do and she escaped before I could give her a list of all the things I can do well.

Anyway, when "Dancing With The Stars" became a TV show, I resisted the urge to watch it, figuring it would only remind me of my own inadequacy. But last night, I gave into temptation. After all, Marie Osmond (age 47) , Wayne Newton (age 65) and Jane Seymour (age 56) were on  and my curiosity got the best of me.  (OK, I confess... I also had a terrible crush on Donny Osmond in the 70's and caught his Osmond's Odds on Entertainment Tonight in which he gave his sister high marks.)

Wow! I was impressed! Marie Osmond was very entertaining and incredibly sexy and Jane Seymour was as captivating on the dance floor as she is on the big screen. Wayne can't dance any better than one of Marie's plastic dolls, but I couldn't help but cheer him on anyway!

It was really fun to watch these Boomers (and one "Mature" adult) show the world what we Boomers already know: there's no age limit when it comes to having fun or learning/refining a new skill. The fact is, Boomers are rushing to gyms, yoga classes and dance classes in an effort to stay fit. We "get it" that getting fit doesn't have to be done in under the watchful eyes of a trainer or in front of a TV in the basement.

The lesson for marketers? Understand that Boomers aren't easing into old age. We consider ourselves vital, young-at-heart and ready for adventure. If you want our attention, find ways to connect with us at this level. Why not offer free dance lessons - or a pass to a gym - as an incentive to buy your product? Consider (if you sell food) what healthy choices you'll offer Boomers who buy from you. Support their causes, such as fund-raising walks.

Meanwhile, don't look for me on the dance floor, but do know that I'll be tapping my foot (off rhythm, probably) while cheering on my fellow Boomers!

How Toronto pulled off being a model for the latest trend in travel: multiple generations headed in the same direction

I just got home from four glorious days at the Toronto International Film Festival, where I had the time of my life in what I consider one of the friendliest and prettiest cities I've ever visited. There were celebrities galore, of course, and a feast of over 300 films to choose from. But, as they say on cheesy infommercials, "Wait! That's not all!"

I also got to see a perfect example of a destination that understands how to create an environment that encourages multi-generational travel. There was something for everyone. Visitors could choose any number of films, based on type, director, country of origin, specific actor(s), time available, you name it. Perhaps you've heard that there were many political, dark and very provocative films debuted at this event. But don't be mislead - kids were a part of the scene as well.  There was an entire set of films representing the best in children's cinema.

Meanwhile, down by the harbour was a big music festival featuring all kinds of bands (again, some well known and some you may never have heard of). Even the vegetarians were welcomed with their own event.

So in one weekend, you could go to one city and enjoy everything from serious films to silly street performances to loud music and good food (assuming, of course, you think vegetables fall in to the "good food" category). It's as if Toronto decided it wanted to model the latest trend in travel - multiple generations traveling together. Boomers were everywhere, but so were their Gen X children, with the Gen Y children in tow.

Already, the Toronto International Film Festival is considered among the top two such events in the world, and I believe one of the reasons it has earned that title is because organizers so warmly embrace diverse groups of people and they understand that what happens outside the theater can shape opinions on what happens inside.

So, whether you go to star-gaze, study cinematography, see the town, or just absorb the city's wonderful culture, you can't help but walk away satisfied. In other words, no event was attempting to siphon off customers of another event; on the contrary, they seemed to all blend together.And by the way, I can't even imagine another place or environment where word-of-mouth is so encouraged or facilitated.

The lesson marketers can take away from all this is simple, really: don't be myopic. Rather than working so hard to make your event stand out, look for ways to bring together multiple events that increase the likelihood that you'll positively affect attendance across multiple age groups; otherwise, when the "rising tide lifts all boats," you'll be standing on the dock wondering how your boat ended up under water.

Why hiring Boomers and Matures may be a company's best hiring strategy yet

"When most employers talk about diversity, they're rarely talking about age." So says Gary Phelan,  speaking on behalf of Outten and Golden, an employment law firm in New York. He was responding to the assertion that people older than 50 have a much harder time finding a job than those under 50.

Phelan is right if you go just on the numbers.  In 2006, it took the average worker age 55+ some 22 weeks to find a job, compared to 16 weeks those those under 55. What's more, candidates under 40 were 50 percent more likely to get called in for interviews. So, what's up with that?

Apparently, many employers assume that Boomers and Matures will be 1) too expensive; 2) overqualified; 3) not technologically as astute as younger workers; and 4) more likely to use health benefits and, eventually, retirement benefits. Like anything else in this world, those are generalities, though, and not all will bear out with each worker who happens to have inhabited the earth for five or more decades.

Shortsighted companies fail to acknowledge that by 2014, there will be an overall increase in employment of 17 million and 11 million of those potential workers will be 55+. Seems like it would be a good idea to start embracing the Boomers and think more about what they offer and less about what they might not.

For instance, studies show we Boomers are, generally speaking, more dedicated to our work, and we bring  experiences and perspectives  younger workers simply can't offer. Moreover, it turns out that because we're more likely to be health conscious than previous generations, we're relatively healthy and we have fewer dependents who rely on the company health plan.

According to the AARP, 80% of Boomers plan to work past retirement, so the opportunity for companies to take advantage of the wisdom and experience of Boomers is  unprecedented.

The way I see it, Boomers looking for work need to learn how to make their past experience relevant to a company's current needs. Meanwhile, companies need to consider the impending labor shortage, especially in certain areas like nursing, and be more open to the idea of hiring outside "the norm."

In short, sometimes we all call the world dirty, when in fact we just forgot to clean our glasses.

The lowdown on downloading music: age doesn't reduce a desire for tunes

One of the things I love about long weekends is they give me a chance to chill out and add new tunes to my iPod. This weekend was no exception. I added about 50 new "old" songs, then played some of them loudly as I drove back to Atlanta from our lake house.

As I was downloading some Steely Dan, Elton John, Billy Joel, Allman Brothers, Jimmy Buffet, and Ray Charles I got to wondering if I was the exception or the rule when it comes to Boomers downloading music onto MP3 players. Turns out AARP offers "Music for Grownups."  It's a fun site that encourages Boomers to get back to their musical roots, but also explore music we've never tried. It's great!

Later, I learned from Yankelovich research that consumers 45+ accounted for more than 25% of music sales in 2005, compared with a 12% consumption share for older teens.  What's more, because Boomers tend to love music and we have money, we're prime candidates to pay for what we download. Why spend the time trying to figure out how to get it for free or, heaven forbid, pirate copies from others when it's so easy to pay less than a buck to get a legit high-quality copy of what we really want? By the way, the research also showed that Boomers are more likely to download entire albums rather than select just a song or two, which is what Gen X and Gen Y tend to do.

I also find it interesting that AARP is sponsoring a tour of Tony Bennett, who, of course, has many Boomer and Mature fans and is also gaining new, younger ones, thanks to his recent appearance on American Idol. I couldn't help but wonder why we don't see more concerts sponsored by AARP and other brands associated with "older" consumers. I suspect it's partly because not a lot of artists are clamoring to be associated with  brands that people associate with aging, as if one's taste for music changes drastically or is lost as we get older. What a load of bunk.

I hope to see more artists, Boomer and otherwise, align themselves with marketing efforts aimed at Boomers. I think they might be surprised at how many "old" fans would be ready to fork over bucks and bring a new generation of fans with them.

How about you? Do you download music? If so, who are your favorites? What's age got to do with it? What brands would you like to see partner with "Boomer bands"?

Looking for a Boomer? Try You Tube

Lately, I've notice a huge increase in the number of vintage videos being put on You Tube. Many of these videos are put there by Boomers who want to share with others everything from favorite old commercials to vintage risque pin up girls. Some of the videos have been watched hundreds of thousands of times.

Marketers who think Boomers are technophobes or just not interested in the online world are mistaken. On the contrary, Boomers are among the fastest growing segment of online users. Sites like You Tube have captured our attention because they're fun, easy to use and enable us to make connections with people who share our interests. 

For months, we've been hearing about how new alternative rock bands are building fan bases using You Tube. Now we're starting to see old jazz bands and scat singers get attention from Boomers who want to introduce them to a whole new generation while reminding one another of "the good old days." (My personal favorites are the old Sesame Street clips. My daughter and  I used to watch that show daily in the mid-80's.)

You Tube and Video Jug are also great places for Boomers to share knowledge, to create legacies and to communicate with old friends and family around the world. 

Marketers who want to reach Boomers would do well to consider ways to translate their messages to video and post them on the Internet. Remember, we not only troll sites looking for information, we love to share things we find that are interesting.