Boomer Advertising
Posted by drbrickey on January 24, 2008
Action to take
Take a tip from Madison Avenue ad firms and pitch your lifestyle to the
age you choose to perceive yourself to be.
Why
Advertisers call it psychographics–using demographics in marketing to
determine the attitudes and tastes of a market segment. For Baby Boomers
psychographic studies prompted marketing to the Baby Boomers’
perceptions of their age and lifestyle. Boomers perceive themselves as a lot
younger than we used to associate with their chronological ages. Hence
50 is the new 30, etc. Some may see it as denial. I see it as supremely realistic.
Our perceptions and stereotypes for what people are supposed to be like at
40, 50, 60, etc. are typically based on how our parents’ generation aged.
We have to have some reference and our parents have been our role models.
But Boomers have a vision of being much younger than those stereotypes and
refuse to go along with expectations. Eventually, advertisers caught on and
marketed to their perceived ages. The ads in turn reinforced the Boomer beliefs
that they are forever young.
You can perceive of yourself as younger, older, or about the same as
stereotypes for your age. Thinking of yourself and your lifestyle as younger
fosters being more active, resilient, hopeful, and healthy. You’ve got to like choices
that give you everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Quotes
I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty.
~George Burns
Humor
The perfume industry missed one important Boomer psychographic.
Yes there are perfumes that make you smell sweet. But if
Boomer women really want to attract Boomer men, they need
a perfume that subtly, imperceptibly smells like pizza.
~Mike Brickey
Anti-Aging Psychologist Dr. Michael Brickey is keynote speaker and author of the Oprah-featured book, Defy Aging and 52 baby steps to Grow Young. The books and his Reverse Aging anti-aging hypnosis CDs comprise his anti-aging system.
