Poor Baby Boomers -- They're Growing Old and Decrepit

My friend Jon Curie, founder and CEO of Curie Communications, which specializes in research for the broadcast media industry, just performed a literary biopsy on an article about aging boomers by syndicated columnist Bill Husted. Jon’s analysis revealed a case of metastasized ageism.

Poor Baby Boomers – They’re Growing Old and Decrepit

The article’s headline: Baby Boomer Market Comes of (Middle) Age

The subhead: Retailers want to attract big-spending boomers.

Well, I can say that any retailer who thinks ala the Husted article isn’t likely to do all that well in aging boomer markets. Please read on.

The article began:

"You’ve seen them at the department store, holding a sweater at arm’s length so their middle-aged eyes can read the price tag."

Jon observed: Means we all have poor eyesight. I've never done that in my life.

(And at age 72, Jon, my eyesight is correctible to 20-20 so I don’t hold price tags at arm’s length to see them either.)

Husted: Other than a few telephones with big buttons and alarm clocks with giant, easy-to-read numerals, there aren’t many gadgets designed for this lucrative demographic group.'

Jon: Why do baby boomers need special gadgets? We're the ones buying the gadgets first as they are now.

Husted: “It will be a major factor,” Bach said. “It already is. Look at late-night television and see the ads for memory supplements.”"

Jon: Don't need memory supplements. Maybe the author does.

Husted: “Baby boomers, she said, want to be able to open a jar of pickles without using a pair of pliers."

Jon: I can open a jar of pickles with my teeth.

Husted: "She means gadgets with a middle-aged twist - digital assistants with larger and easier-to-read screens; cellular telephones with buttons large enough for fumbling fingers; and digital cameras that make sense to the pre-PC generation."

Jon: My Gen X and Y kids still come to me with their computer problems. I bet I can teach the author a thing or two about C++.

Husted: “We have flip phones and clamshell phones for the younger audience. But at the same time, we have the big buttons and bigger screens for others.”

Jon: My wife and myself both own flip phones. And a big screen TV. But not because of my eyes, because I have a home theatre.

Jon’s closing remark: You get the point. They want our money---but are f-ing clueless!

Jon’s f-ing right!

Comments

[Yvonne DiVita]

What a joke that article is! Here are two strong, intelligent, ready to take on the world (and Gen X or Y or whomever) Baby Boomers--- without eye-glasses, using all the latest technology, and without the snide remarks in that article, thank you! (my fiance and I are hitting the 54 mark this year...so be it. We're better than ever!) Watch out world, we aren't alone!

[Anita Campbell]

Interesting....

Is there a link to the underlying article? I'd like to examine it.

[Wayne Hurlbert]

Obviously this Bill Husted person has never met a real life baby boomer. The boomers stay young all of their lives, as age is only just a number anyway. Boomers embrace the latest technology, and in fact are teaching and evangelizing its uses in business and in everyday activities.

[Chuck Nyren]

Who are all you touchy people?

I thought the Husted article was great. And especially great for you, David.

Husted writes about technology for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. His articles are syndicated. The original title for the article: Gadget makers approach aging boomers carefully. Rather innocuous headline.

When newspapers pick up syndicated articles, they often change the headline - and edit. So a few of the newspapers inserted crappy headlines. Oh, well.

Is there a problem with you folks as far as making technology easier to use? Universal design?

Quotes from the article:

"Retail analysts say finding the right way to market to these boomers isn't easy."

"The products and a marketing blitz targeting the boomers is coming, said Robert Bach, director of market analysis for Grubb & Ellis Co."

Hmmmm. Well, we wouldn't want any of that stuff publicized. Especially you, David - because you might just sell more books and get more speaking engagements.

Making fun of baby boomers? I found the article to be rather light-hearted. And perfectly acceptable. Personally, I don't hold consumer goods at arm's length - I take off my glasses so I can see them. So what.

The last sentence in the article: "The magic word these days is ageless."

Hmmmm again. Gee, David - we wouldn't want THAT phrase in everybody's consciousness, now would we? While the definition of 'ageless' in the article isn't exactly the way you define it - it's not that far off.

Someone in marketing reads this article. The last word they see is 'ageless.' Then at some point they stumble across a book titled 'Ageless Marketing.'

You should be publicizing this article, and put a link to it on your web site.

Husted knows a few baby boomers. One in particular - a fellow he sees whenever he looks in the mirror.

PLEASE tell me that not all Baby Boomers have lost their senses of humor, that they can appreciate a bit of self-deprecation, can make fun of themselves. If we all get into a rage at every little slight, imagined or otherwise - if all we do is sit around and take offense at every little thing - guess what. We HAVE lost our youthful outlook - and we're a bunch of old, angry fuddy-duddies.

Loosen up.

[David Wolfe]

Chuck:

Got to agree with a lot that you say. No kidding.

But on the other hand (like economists usually have according to Harry Truman who wished for a one-handed economist, I sometimes have another hand, there is a difference between "self-deprecation" and being deprecated by others. Moreover, we know from much research (including Ellen Langer's which is cited in the post I made after this one) that invocation of negative images about aging can have negative effects on memory acuity.

In one famous study, two groups of elderly were given memory tests. On group was exposed to words projected by a tachistoscope (at 1/20 of a second exposure which is too brief for the conscious mind to grasp) representing negative images of aging. The second group was presented words projected by the tachistoscope that represent positive images of aging.

In follow-up memory tests, members of the first group suffered a decline in memory acuity while just the opposite happened with members of the second group.

Just some food for thought.

And just in case you think yours truly is too starchy a fuddy duddy, I really like these two humorous bon mots:

• My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. Now she's 97 years old and we don't know where the hell she is.
• The only reason I would take up exercising is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

Happy New Year, Chuck

[Chuck Nyren]

I just thought Husted's article was a pretty good one - and couldn't figure out why everybody was picking on it - especially you.

I'm writing a book called Advertising to Baby Boomers. If some columnist writes an article and ends it with "The magic words these days are 'advertising to baby boomers'" I will thank him/her profusely. I will buy him/her dinner.

I don't like it when advertisers -- if they pay any attention at all to people over forty -- denigrate them with vicious characterizations. (Forget the fact that they're alienating such a huge market segment -- their loss.)

But I found Husted's gentle humor to be fairly innocuous. He was PROMOTING marketing to baby boomers and older. Some of the people quoted in the article admitted that they did not know exactly how to do it. (And that's where folks like you and Brent and Jon and Yours Truly come in.)

My point is this: I visited 'dickless marketing' and busted up -- chuckled and laughed. Not at the idea of marketing to women -- but at the title of the page. Brave lady, funny title. She makes her point.

But the reactions here to Husted's article made me think that my reaction to 'dickless marketing' should have been one of outrage and offense. How dare this WOMAN denigrate males by characterizing them as merely 'dick-appendaged'!!! As if she thinks that if we didn't have dicks we'd be women!!!

Is that all males are to her? Dicks??? She should be horsewhipped!

But, unfortunately, I just chuckled and got the joke.

[Suzanne]

Not sure why Jon is offended - at age 72, he's not a Baby boomer. Also, you boomers need to look at the glass half full - if you are "middle aged" at age 60, you should be living to about 120 years.

[David]

Suzanne,

Actually Jon is a boomer -- in his later 50s, I believe. And as to the prediction that average life expectancy of 120 is just around the corner, no current science supports that. I take that oft-mouthed prediction to be an expression of breathless hope -- something many boomers are good at doing -- rather than imminent reality.

Thanks for your thoughts,

DBW