By Gerry Linda
The marketing and advertising community itself is as subject to fads as the very consumers it tries to influence. One historical example is the orgy of motivational research that took place in the 1950s after Freud’s theory became well-established in the US. Ad agencies and their clients outdid themselves trying to find the underlying motivations for purchasing or not. As if a single tool could solve all marketing problems. Here’s another example, for about 10 years now the use of mordant humor and irony is considered the only way to communicate with Gen-Xers. More recently we’ve seen the entire songbook of the late 60s converted to ad soundtracks. I swear if I hear one more old favorite converted to advertising, I’ll flee the room. Not because I don’t like the music and not even because I think the songs’ owners have “sold out.” (They own the rights and can use them any way that is legal as far as I am concerned.) What’s appalling is that once more everyone is doing the same thing. Doesn’t this offend the marketer in you? I think it should.
But the most lemming-like behavior ever practiced by our community is the slavish emphasis on the 18-49 demographic slice of the pie to the exclusion of all others. This has been going on since Nielsen first started reporting TV viewing behavior—over 50 years ago. Now occasionally someone will jump up and say African Americans are important; after all they account for about 14% of the population. And someone else will raise their hand to point to the 20% or so of the population comprised by Latino Americans. In California particularly some try to focus attention on the big mix of Asian Americans in that state. And, of late, we’ve even identified gay and lesbian Americans as a sizeable demographic target.
But the biggest, most important target of them all is Baby Boomers, who started turning 50 in 1996 and have been doing so at the rate of 10,000/day for the past 10 years and will continue to do so for the next five years. (That’s right, they’ve moved beyond the 18-49 age break.) This age group now contains 78 million people, one third of the population over 21 and those turning 50 can be expected to live another 35 years.
What’s so shocking about ignoring Baby Boomers is that they spend $2 trillion on goods and services, control 70% of the nation’s wealth and account for half of all household discretionary income!
Marketers’ ignoring Baby Boomers is worse than a marketing misdemeanor, it’s a marketing crime. I think it’s also a form of discrimination termed “ageism.” What’s so insidious is that most, who practice ageism, aren’t even aware they are doing so.
Gerry Linda is President of marketing consultancy, Gerald Linda & Associates. He can be reached at glinda@gla-mktg.com.
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