The number of U.S. adults over age 50 will soar over the next ten years. In fact, U.S. Census Bureau data shows that 50+ adults will be the only growth demographic — measured by age — between now and 2015 as the massive Baby Boomer generation enters its 50s and 60s.
Plenty of companies hesitate when it comes to marketing new products to Boomers — especially products with a technology focus. Many marketers adhere to traditional — and wrong-headed — thinking about older consumers: They’ve already made their brand choices and can’t be interested in anything new. They’re resistant to change. They don’t adapt well to new technology.
Marketers will tell you the big opportunity lies in young consumers, because that’s where you can convert a “customer for life.” But with today’s ultra-dynamic product marketplace, the notion of acquiring lifetime customers is obsolete, perhaps with the exception of mundane consumer products such as toothpaste and soap. The pace of product change is just too great for any company to hold on to consumers that long.
What’s more, Baby Boomers are just as open to new products as younger consumers. This is a generation that has broken the mold during every stage of life — and middle age is no different. As Boomers hit midlife, they’re open to a wide range of new products and experiences — just as they have at every other stage of life.
In fact, Boomers always have been at the forefront when it comes to embracing new products and technologies. During the course of their adult lives, Boomers have embraced personal computers, cell phones, PDAs, e-mail, and voicemail, and a wide range of other products.
“Boomers are leading the companies that are bringing new technologies to the world,” says Anne Wall, senior vice president of C&R Research, a Chicago-based market research company that specializes in Boomer consumers. “They’re using it at work, and at home and their kids are using it, too. Their entire lives have been about change.”
When it comes to the Internet, the story is no different. Boomers are using the web at nearly the same rates as other age groups, and in just about the same way. Contrary to the stereotypes, 70 percent of adults age 50 to 64 are online, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, about 12 percentage points less than younger age groups.
And while fewer 50+ Internet users have access to a broadband Internet connection than the general online population, their overall usage patterns mirror other age segments, according to Pew research. They’re more likely than GenX’ers to use the web to gather information, nearly as likely to shop online, and they’re avid consumers of digital health information.
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