"Okay boomer" jokes aside, there are a lot of stereotypes about the baby boomer generation: their slow adoption of technology, their preference for Facebook, and their resistance to change. But if this is your target audience, you'll need to unlearn these outdated marketing assumptions and generational tropes.
In reality, the baby boomer generation is not as stubborn as the media would have us believe. On the contrary, they are adopting new technologies and social platforms more than you might expect. Some traditional approaches still work, but you'll need to go deeper into their psyche to have your ad campaign really hit home.
Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, currently comprise 22 percent of America. While many brands sleep on this generation, it's time to wake up to the facts. Boomers have accumulated ten times more wealth than every other generation.
So, what marketing strategies should you focus on for this demographic? Unlike Generation Z, which adores a brand with values, boomers could care less about what political causes you support. They also generally don't care about personalized products or services.
In some ways, a return to the traditional marketing strategies around price and customer service would better service this demographic. Despite this generation's comparatively good financial standing, they still consider price the most crucial deciding factor when deciding what and when to make purchases.
In fact, according to a report by GWI, nine out of 10 baby boomers prefer to wait for a product to go on sale rather than purchase at full price.
Beyond price sensitivity, one of the secondary factors in the boomer decision-making process is customer service. Boomers want easy, straightforward means to speak with your customer service department — and value a transparent return process
The core values behind any marketing campaign targeting the boomer's heart are lower prices and better service.
But of course, you'll have to go much deeper than price and service because boomers have more nuanced preferences than many give them credit for. They comparison shop and are wary of overzealous sales pitches. Here is how you'll capture their loyalty.
Did you know that only 10 percent of boomers see themselves adequately represented in advertising (GWI)? That means most brands' images, videos, and other advertorial resources fail to depict anyone over the age of 58.
It may sound redundant to say that if you want your advertisements to genuinely speak to boomers, you'll have to include them. Ensure your marketing campaigns use authentic imagery of boomers — don't just pull over-used stock images of 'older' people.
Whatever you are offering, you'll want to implement a customer loyalty/reward program. Almost 50 percent of baby boomers report that rewards cards are influential to their purchasing decisions.
This demographic is much more likely to comparison shop, and if you have a loyalty program, you are 56 percent more likely to earn their hard-earned dollars.
Online marketers often assume baby boomers are too stubborn to adopt new technology. While they weren't the first generation to pick up a mobile phone, they are increasingly likely to use it as their primary digital device. So at the very least, ensure your website and email marketing is mobile-friendly.
But it goes further than that. As a Forbes article states, "Baby Boomers Are Just As Addicted To Smart Phones As Millennials." This generation spends most of their screen time in front of Facebook, Instagram, and email — this is hot information for where you need to spend your digital marketing dollars.
When asked how they discovered new brands, 41 percent of boomers said TV. That's more than any other avenue for brand discovery. Ipsos reports that 59 percent of baby boomers watch 10 hours or more of television weekly.
The math is clear here. Because boomers watch the most television and continue to discover new brands via this interface, it's a sure-fire way to access this demographic.
The consumer surveys don't lie: Price remains the most influential factor for baby boomers. But this approach to marketing to boomers is far too simplistic. This generation is rapidly breaking down the (many stereotypes) marketers hold about them.
Marketing to baby boomers begins with well-curated and representative campaigns. It means targeting traditional media (television) while also branching out into mobile-friendly digital marketing (social media, email). Sprinkle in a rewards program and responsive customer service — and you're almost guaranteed higher ROI on ad spend.
Amplify believes in a more human approach to advertising. Let us demonstrate how you can reduce wasted ad spend and conversion by implementing an omnichannel strategy that amplifies your SEO, Paid Search, Content, Email, and Programmatic strategies. If you would like to learn more about shifting your marketing strategies to grow your market share and bottom line, let's have a conversation.
