Posted by WebMaster (232.122.122.31) on December 07, 2003 at 16:52:19:
In Reply to: Babby B posted by Samuel on December 04, 2003 at 23:09:12:
: What is the personality of the Boomers & the preferred message style?
Most of Baby boomers are self-assured and set in their own ways. They either strongly believe in saving the world or saving themselves....
The message to baby boomers should be direct but not condescendence! The message is that they are still young, healthy, vibrant and a very spiritual being!
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This is an excellent EXCERPT from a reseach by a student at a univeristy: Her name and photo is on the page linked below:
Background. The baby boom began 1946, just after World War II ended. In the years during the war, the birth rate in the United States had dropped somewhat because most of the reproductive-ready males were away at war. After the return of the soldiers, the birth rate increased and continued to do so until it reached its pinnacle in 1957, and finally slowed down in 1964 (Anonymous 2001).
As mentioned earlier, for marketing purposes a generation is not simply people the same age living at the same time. The shared experiences that shaped the people of the generation and influenced their values were and are an integral component. Because the baby boom was a lengthy 18 years, many experiences shaped boomer’s attitudes. Some of the early influences were
the Vietnam War,
the civil rights movement,
the women’s movement,
integration,
birth control,
rock-n-roll,
drugs, and
Woodstock (Morton 2001).
Later influences include new technology such as personal computers and answering machines, Watergate, the impeachment of Nixon, AIDS, “Reagonomics,” and even more drugs (Smith and Clurman 1997). While some of these experiences and occurrences had a strong impact on boomers, others were not even born yet, so this is a generation with heterogeneity.
This plethora of experiences and occurrences shaped the boomers attitudes and values. Between the Vietnam protests, Civil Rights movement, and the women’s movement, a distinct anti-establishment message arose. The distrust of “the man” translated not only into distrust of government, but also of people over 30: Hence the rallying cry “don’t trust anyone over thirty” (Lipke 2000). The distrust of adults lead to an exceptional valuing of youth, and boomer favorites such as The Who’s “My Generation” belting out: “Hope I die before I get old” (Smart 2001).
The boomer’s also enjoyed a rock-n-roll rebellion against their parents and adults in general. Music was another way for them to proclaim their individuality from their parents and express themselves. It was also a means to express their social concerns and an artistic outlet for their social activism (such as Vietnam protests). The availability of birth control and the peace movement produced the motto "make love, not war." People, especially women, could control their bodies, and a sexual revolution was born. For later boomers, however, the sexual revolution became associated with the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS.
Implications. At a crucial time in their lives, these experiences influenced baby boomer values and attitudes permanently and shaped many aspects of their personality. Boomers value individuality, youth, optimism, determinism, and social activism (Morton 2001). Understanding these values is crucial to effective marketing and comprehension of boomer’s consumer attitudes and behaviors. If companies want to succeed, it's extremely important for marketers to understand boomers attitudes and desires - they account for 50% of consumer demand, at least 70% of the household net worth, and they buy everything from diapers to diet pills to denture cleaner, because they are in many various life stages. Some married young, some delayed family and marriage, and some never have had kids (Morgan 1998). They also have higher discretionary income than all other age groups because they have been productive for so long and most have had dual income households. To compound the confusion, but also the needs, many are under the charge of not only purchasing for their children (because they put off marriage and family), but their parents too as they grow older. To ignore this aging population would be a mistake. It is one of the only growing groups in the United States (Morgan, 1998). Instead, it is important for marketers to understand baby boomers values and needs.
Although in excess of 10,000 baby boomers are turning 50 each day now, they still value youth (Lipke 2000). What’s more, they still feel young, some up to 15 years younger than their chronological age (McDonald 2001). They don’t feel old, they don’t want to be called old, and they don’t want to marketed to as old (McDonald 2001). They don’t fit the typically “old” stereotype of a consumer set in their ways either. They are open-minded experimenters and are willing to try new brands (Bernstein 2001). While some consider themselves brand loyal or somewhat brand loyal (Malley 1998), they are more interested in the utility of a product than the brand name (Bainbridge 1998).
To get away from the connotations and stereotypes of older consumers, some marketers have begun calling boomers “zoomers” (Smart 2001). This not only reinforces their youthful attitudes, but the fact that they are still active and motivated, and it’s important to them that they can identify with the brands they choose (Dychtwald 1997). This activity and accompanying optimism is echoed in many sentiments by boomers that their lives are just beginning as they head toward retirement (Smart 2001).
In fact, retirement won’t be typical retirement for some boomers. Many boomers say that they want to work at least part time out of interest or enjoyment (Patel 2002). A brand that portrays active adults would thus be more attractive to boomers.
Boomers also want brands they can trust (Bond 1997). Boomers are better educated than any preceding generation. In fact, nearly 90% of boomers graduated from high school, and in excess of 25% also have a bachelors degree (Smart 2001). These are savvy consumers and are not easily deceived. Yet, they are receptive to advertising and even consider it communication because it delivers information (Dychtwald 1997).
Self-indulgence and self-absorption also characterizes boomers. Many have recently reached the empty nest stage of life and are ready to spend money on their own enjoyment and luxuries (Chura 2002). They are also ready for celebrations and entertainment, and drink more than previous generations did at their age (Chura 2002). They are impulsive purchasers, and the once dubbed “me-generation” is ready to indulge themselves more, especially if they are empty nesters.
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Read complete reseach on the site.... Peace !