Untapped Markets: Mobile + Boomers

Engaging the Mobile Consumer by Generation: Baby Boomers

Baby Boomers offer incredible brand-growth opportunities, but are often overlooked in marketing campaigns that involve internet and mobile technologies.

Boomers are Online and Willing

In a recent blog post Nielsen noted, “The conventional wisdom that they spend little, resist technology and are slow to adopt new products needs to be re-assessed. Boomers are an affluent group who adopt technology with enthusiasm (think about the number of parents or grandparents who regularly send e-mails or upload photos to Facebook and other sites). They have also shown a willingness to try new brands and products.”

Boomers are responsible for 38.5% of the consumer packaged goods market, yet receive less than 5% of the advertising love. Consider these Nielsen facts about Boomers:

• Dominate 1,023 out of 1,083 consumer packaged goods categories
• Watch the most video: 9:34 hours per day
• Comprise 1/3 of all TV viewers, online users, social media users and Twitter users
• More likely to have broadband Internet access at home

In a study conducted in September 2010, by Google/Nielsen Online/Sterling entitled, “The 4 Truths About Boomers & Media,” researchers found that Boomers are the largest group online, spending 91 billion minutes online per month (compared to 69 billion minutes for Gen Y) and Boomers have shown more interest in the same content online versus offline than younger generations.

And it’s also interesting to note that eight of the top ten online destinations are the same for Boomers as adults age 18-34: Google, Yahoo, Bing, Facebook, Microsoft, YouTube, and Wikipedia. Boomers also visited Amazon and Ask and adults 18-34 also visited Fox Interactive Media and Apple.

Design for the Generation

Many technologies and social networks are not developed with older people in mind. Consider the tiny keys and screen on mobile phones that make basic use difficult for most people over 40. Boomers may also be more cautious about online security and photo sharing than their children and grandchildren.

Elie Gindi, founder of the senior-focused tech blog ElderGadget, was recently quoted in a Mashable post as saying that the people who follow him and his writers are interested and excited by gadgets and new technologies.

“If it’s good technology, seniors embrace it the same as everyone else,” he said. “The key here is if it is truly ‘good’ and they see a real use for it, whether for entertainment or business or lifestyle. They are smart shoppers who aren’t so much interested in [the] useless ‘bells and whistles’ many products contain.”

Target Boomers Effectively

Here are some tips to reach this valuable demographic.

Give them tons of relevant content and media – Boomers consume more than their percentage of online minutes. Boomers make up 26% of the population, yet consume 34% of the total time spent on Craigslist and 31% of the total time on WordPress.com. They outrank both Gen X and Gen Y in total time spent watching video per month, and they respond better to sponsored links. Boomers love media, so serve them content that is valuable, meaningful, and relevant.

Market also to the people who are helping them consume online – More than any other demographic, Boomers turn to family and friends for assistance and advice about technology. Don’t ignore these trusted advisors; consider running branding campaigns targeted to Gen X and Gen Y to establish name recognition and value.

Stay within their comfort zone — Not driven to be early adopters, however Boomers do not mind experimenting with new concepts and features as long as they remain within their comfort zone. Watching a video on their smartphone might be a new, but acceptable experience whereas scanning QR codes would have a lower engagement rate.

Add Boomers to your design team — Brands that target this demographic get great value by adding one or more Boomers to campaign teams and making sure they have a voice. With an age range of 47-64 years, this generation can contribute style and ease-of-use direction to ensure engagement by their peers.

Of all the generations, Baby Boomers offer the most untapped potential to brands seeking growth. They are responsible for the highest amout of internet use and at 80 million members are the largest demographic,  yet receive just a tiny percent of advertising dollars. Brands that shift marketing budget toward Boomers are bound to win in the new age of mobile.

Does your brand market to Boomers? Do your analytics bear out this research? Let us know what you think in the comments below.