Busting myths
about baby boomers
They are lot more media savvy than one might think
By Diego Vasquez
Jul 20, 2010
Advertisers have long been obsessed with targeting the young and the hip, the consumers under 50 years old who are perceived to have the most spending power. But now that the baby boomers, and all their buying clout, have begun aging into their 50s and 60s, it may be time to adjust that attitude. A new study from Nielsen reveals just how off base some of our impressions of older people are. The research shows that boomers as a group are early adopters who consume huge amounts of media, including more time-shifted television than their 18-24 counterparts, and they comprise a surprising one-third of all social media users. In fact, millennials and boomers have a lot in common. Eight of the top 10 web sites visited by millennials are also in the top 10 for adults born between 1946-1964. Pat McDonough, senior vice president of insights, analysis and policy at the Nielsen Company, talks to Media Life about boomer misconceptions, how advertisers should be approaching over-50s, and whether attitudes will ever change.
What prompted you to do this report?
Part of our normal process is working with clients to help them understand the data we provide. We had a large client meeting back in June, and what we found when looking at suggestions for topics is on both the consumer side and media side we were getting questions about changing demographics.
Given that common thread, we decided to gather all of that information. On both sides over the last year or so we've been working with clients to help them understand what's happening.
What was the most interesting or surprising thing you learned while researching it?
I think one of the interesting things is that older people use TV more. But when we looked at the online audience and also online TV viewing, the baby boomers made up roughly a third of the regular TV audience, the online audience and also online video users.
People may have thought they weren't as much on the internet, but that wasn't really true.
Have marketers begun to change their approach because this is the boomers, or are they still caught in that under-50 thinking?
I think some of them have. Procter & Gamble certainly was involved in putting together some web experiences with NBC Universal targeting boomers.
One of the things we showed during the presentation was a Weber grill commercial that really uses people of all ages and ethnicities. And it's perfect because that's the type of product that everyone uses. So I think it is beginning to happen.
I think it's still much more common for advertisers to think about 18-49s, but some are also starting to think more broadly.
How are boomers different than previous over-50 generations?
We think the main driver probably is they've adapted to computers and everything else after that. First of all there are so many of them, and that's one of the drivers. It's just a huge generation so they were advertised to specifically because of their sheer clout.
But they've adapted to technology. Of all the technology we looked at, they're using it. And as long as that continues to happen, they'll adapt to new products.
Why is there so much crossover between the top sites for boomers and millennials?
Because I think we all do common things. It's really similar, if you think about it, to the way people use television.
We probably all watch the major broadcast and cable networks, and there are some widely viewed TV experiences. And in addition, we all have individual preferences. But if we look at just the top 10 we will usually see very common denominators.
What type of media usage statistics did you find that might contradict general perceptions of over-50 media consumption? Why?
One of the things we found is the way they use DVRs, and also that they're both purchasing and using expensive DVD equipment.
But I think a lot of things are being geared toward younger people. Look at Macs and some high-level smartphones, the boomers are making up a majority of purchases there. And I think if most people were asked about it, they'd say it's mostly 18-24s or 18-34-year-olds.
Why are boomers such early adopters when it comes to technology?
I think there're two factors. Number one is they're comfortable with technology because more and more has been launched as they've moved along.
And number two, they've got the money. They're at the point in their careers where they have discretionary income, more than they did when they were 30 years old.
Both of those combined are driving it. And they also still have the millennials at home with them, so the technology kind of crosses over. In many instances the boomers are paying for the technology the millennials are using.
When do you think we'll see marketers' attitudes start to change, and what will convince them?
One of the things I hope we'll start to see is we'll have individual marketers looking at it on a product-by-product basis. Who are the purchasers of my product? If you look at that and expand your age target, not ignore the younger consumers but look at a wider target, I think that's what will drive it.
So it's for this brand, this makes lots of sense because 40 percent of my consumers are in that baby-boomer bracket, and I can do better if I target them as well as others. Also, if you get people like a Procter who are innovative marketers have some success with it, others will follow.
|
|
|
