Baby Boomer Insights

Gotta have my HGTV: Fellow Boomers share my addiction

I'm thinking I may soon need to find a 12-step program for viewers of HGTV. I'm seriously addicted. From Property Virgins to House Hunters International, to Devine Design, I rarely miss an episode about people buying houses, decorating houses, renovating houses, or selling houses. And then, there's the landscape makeovers to see. It's exhausting, yet I can't pull myself away! Last night's show demonstrating new gadgets and home features from the International Homebuilders Show made me want to start replacing fixtures and ripping out bathrooms!

I think subconsciously I believe that just viewing these shows will somehow improve my real estate karma, sort of like thinking that just regularly walking through Office Depot will ensure that I'm a better business professional.  (Just so you know I haven't completely lost it, I do not believe that standing in my garage makes me a sports car.)

It turns out that my addiction (or at least preference for viewing HGTV) is shared by my fellow Boomers. In the Boomer Insights Study, 2007 conducted by Strategy One and Edelman several months ago, we zeroed in on Boomers' media consumption habits and HGTV made the list for both men and women.

Perhaps it's because Boomers aren't following the patterns set by our parents when it comes to deciding how we'll live as we consider retirement. I confess I've waffled some myself on exactly what my next real estate investment will be. When I visited a Del Webb active adult community neighboring Reynolds Plantation at Lake Oconee in middle Georgia, I loved it. (Ironically, just a couple of weeks later, a reporter at the Atanta Journal-Constitution called to ask my perspective on Boomers seeking places like Del Webb as a retirement choice.)

Then a renovation show on HGTV just about convinced me to just change the home I live in today and stay there... until I saw a few shows on Boomers heading to places like Costa Rica and even Panama. I loved the idea of adventure and lower housing costs. But I couldn't stand the idea of being so far from my adult children.

I still haven't ruled out the possibility of trading in a big suburban home for a townhouse in the city, either.

The point is, like many Boomers when it comes to making decisions about how to live out the last quarter of my life, nothing is set in stone. We love adventure, spending time with our families, making new friends, volunteering and trying new things. And where and how we choose to live is a big part of all of that.

This is becoming even more and more evident to me as I have the opportunity to work with many of Edelman's real estate clients, all of whom want to reach Boomers in some way.

If you're a Boomer, what would you tell real estate clients to do to get through to you?

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!

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.

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!