Baby Boomer Marketing Blog

What's Your Brand's Personality Quotient? Part 2

2009-07-23T07:00:00.001-05:00

When you consider how the best creative advertisers build brand images that appeal to Baby Boomers, some important things come to light. First, many of them personalize their companies by using spokespeople who look and sound credible. Makes sense. After all, it’s a lot easier to buy from a human being than a faceless corporation.

They also try to build relationships using potentially high-touch media like direct mail and telemarketing rather than mass media like TV, radio and print, because the more intimate the contact, the more it will resonate with Boomers. Genuine warmth goes a long way in selling them on products and services, which is why they value companies with high PQs.

Marketers with high PQs resonate with Boomers because they treat them like reasonable people who value their feelings as much as their intellects. Like everyone else, Boomers like to be treated with simple respect, and when a company does that, they reciprocate with increased loyalty as they come to know and trust the company and its brands.

Like dependable people, companies with the highest PQs aren’t fickle, so they don’t change images every year or two. Instead, they build on their existing one. This gives them genuine credibility, so when they claim a long history of satisfying customers, Boomers know they can back up those claims with testimonials, which they often do. This helps their image grow broadly and deeply, laying down roots in the Boomer Buying Center over time.

All this brand building helps them leverage their ad dollars, too, because with each passing year, they’re strengthening facets of their existing PQ rather than spending incremental dollars on an expensive facelift or complete makeover.

Like people with strong personalities, companies with the highest PQs know who they are and what they’re about, so they stand behind their products and services with iron-clad, no-risk, money-back policies. They make a commitment to customer satisfaction and back it with a “no-questions asked” guarantee, because they know that’s how you build trust.

Companies with high PQs also manage to do a better job of image building because they refuse to waste time or money on marketing communications that don’t work. Rather than drowning the market with saturation messaging, they try to consistently reach out to their best prospects with pinpoint communications that go right to the heart of each Boomer’s self-interest.

So, if you want to increase your Personality Quotient with Boomers, build a friendly, believable image—one that will carve out a unique niche in Boomers’ minds. Start today, and in time you’ll find that a high PQ will increase your share of mind, and share of market will follow.

What's Your Brand's Personality Quotient?

2009-07-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Does your brand have a winning personality—a high personality quotient or PQ? That’s a key question, because when you’re selling to Baby Boomers, they consistently seek out products and services that are believable and likeable, just like the people they trust most. That’s why one of your primary business goals should be to build a credible, friendly image using a variety of creative marketing communications, from advertising to PR to blogging.

A brand’s image is the personality that it projects. Like the Boomers, the best brand personalities are individualistic, while the worst try to be all things to all people and end up being buried beneath the clutter of the teeming marketplace. To avoid this fate, you must raise your brand’s PQ by reaching out and touching Boomers where they really live. Do that, and over time, they’ll embrace your brand, as well as your company, as you gain an ever larger share of mind and market.

Many of the most effective image builders come from Direct Marketing. Take a pioneer like L.L. Bean and a more recent success story like Victoria’s Secret, for example. These brands appeal to decidedly different market segments, yet in their own ways, they’ve built highly individualistic brand personalities that their customers have come to know and trust. Their high PQs have helped them carve out a share of mind by standing for something uniquely important with their customers. That’s why they continue to be successful.

Unlike some brands which seem to change with the seasons, L.L. and Victoria keep burnishing the same image, year after year. While other advertisers try to rebuild images instantly, as if the sheer weight of megabuck budgets can buy enduring relationships, they refine their PQs the natural way, slowing but surely. As a result, they’ve earned something money can’t buy: customer loyalty.

In my next blog, I’ll talk a little more about how to build a winning personality that Boomers can come to know and trust. So staying tuned, because a higher PQ means more profitable sales.

Hit 'em in the Gut. Part 2

2009-07-21T07:00:00.001-05:00

One of the biggest problems in assessing advertising and marketing communications is that creative executions can’t be reliably judged by using logic and reason alone. Advertising that makes perfectly good sense to the rational part of the mind is often dull and predictable on a gut level. “But is it effective?,” I hear the MBAs screaming. To which I counter, “Did you ever try to bore someone into buying something?” It doesn’t work.

If you want to employ creativity in your communications, you have to learn to loosen up. Don’t be afraid to entertain “peculiar” ideas, especially ones that seem scary. Use bright, inventive language to give fresh expression to old, familiar things. Be enthusiastic, but don’t try to force emotion, because then it will have a whiff of desperation about it. People can smell a phony a mile away, so if you can’t swing free and easy and connect on a gut level, hire someone who can, because nothing is more pathetic than a caricature of an emotion.

Of course, I’m not advocating creativity for its own sake. Unfettered creativity can be quite destructive at times. Today’s global financial catastrophe is firmly rooted in the creativity of mortgage underwriters and the seductive but worthless securities that a cadre of geniuses created out of thin air. To be useful, creativity has to be disciplined by good judgment and uncommon sense, the kind that comes from innate talent.

If you want to hit Baby Boomers in the gut with your message, your creative executions must be built on a solid strategic foundation. Then you have to creatively massage that strategy until it yields the emotional appeals that you can use to motivate browsers to become buyers.

Once you’ve got a grip on the gut level appeal you want to use, you have to put the primary emotional benefit right up front—in your ad’s headline, in the first three seconds of your radio and TV commercials, on the envelope of your direct mail. In short, you’ve got to take a straightforward approach to hit ’em right in the gut.

Sudden emotional impact has real stopping power that engages the audience and motivates them to take action. This leads to more than just increased sales and bigger profits, it also helps build customer loyalty, because Boomers will feel that you understand them on a level that few others do.

Ultimately, to get to that special place that I call the Boomer Buying Center, where purchasing decisions are made, you have to be half Gerontology Counselor and half creative communications genius. If you’ve got both of those things going for you, you’ll understand how to discover and stay on the right wavelength in a way that will resonate with Boomers, making them far more receptive to your messaging.

Of course, attaining this skill level doesn’t happen overnight. Not only do you have to have an inborn creative spark, you also have to learn to tap into the source of your creativity, and that’s not easy. The best way to learn how to do this is to pretend you’re a Gerontology Counselor in training.

Begin by getting in touch with yourself. Jump into the deep end of your emotional swimming pool. Learn to recognize what a genuine emotion feels like, how you react to it and how your reactions affect others.

Once you’ve learned to take your emotional pulse, keep your finger on it. Learn to express your feelings with a colorful and diverse vocabulary. Talk about your emotions. Write about them. Draw what you feel. Be genuinely expressive! Do this consistently, and you’ll begin to realize your creative potential. Make a real effort, and your natural creative spark will explode into brilliance, illuminating every aspect of your life with a richness born of limitless creative possibilities.

If it sounds like a lot of work, well, it is. That’s why most people won’t bother. That puts you in the driver’s seat, however, because even if you end up with results that aren’t quite magical, you’ll still be miles ahead of the rest.

Too many people try to substitute academic degrees and book learning for true creative exploration. That’s why so much of today’s advertising and marcom is pablum. The truth is that creativity comes from the depths of the spirit not the pages of a book. And seemingly safe executions are actually dangerous to your bottom line, particularly when you’re going after Boomers.

So, if you want to increase profitable sales, you’ll have to learn to be more creative, not more rational. You can’t “think” people into buying. Emotions have far more impact and persuasive power than mere logic and reason. To create more effective communications, then, start with a sound strategy, vest it with genuine emotion and hit ’em in the gut.

Hit 'em in the Gut.

2009-07-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

Advertising and marcom are more memorable when they evoke visceral emotions, especially when you’re targeting Baby Boomers. It’s not that Boomers aren’t well educated or intellectually sophisticated enough to make well-reasoned judgments. It’s that all of us have a tendency to use logic in order to justify decisions that are rooted in emotion rather than pure rationality. So, if you aim to communicate effectively with Boomers, you’ve got to hit them where they live. Pow! Right in the gut.

Conventional wisdom says that we’re logical, level-headed people who make enlightened choices based on our ability to analyze information. But it’s closer to the truth to say that emotion is reflected in every facet of decision making. Still, we persist in embracing comfortable illusions. So whether you’re a sixty-something grandma who’s a seasoned shopper or a hard-nosed executive, you probably believe that when you buy something, you’ve done your due diligence and made a businesslike decision, after reflecting on all the facts in the cool, calm light of reason. Not likely.

Just remember that when you’re trying to sell anyone anything, you’ve got to give them good reasons to buy, or they won’t. And the fact is that more often than not “good reasons” tend to be highly subjective and emotional rather than objective and factual.

Boomers are self-centered individualists with outsized egos, so the most effective communications appeal to what those subjective egos need or want to believe about themselves, others and the state of their world. “Objective” facts are important when they support the Boomers’ emotional needs, desires and choices.

Like everyone else, Boomers are highly selective about the facts they use to rationalize and support buying decisions they’ve already made at the gut level. Even purchases that seem based on a straightforward thing like saving money are more often linked to what saving money means to the buyer’s ego than to the actual value of the dollars saved.

That doesn’t mean that emotion has to ooze from every pore of everything you communicate. In fact, your greatest challenge is to portray the emotional appeal in such a subtle way that it works its magic quietly.

And keep in mind that ideas and words aren’t the only tools you can use to elicit an emotional response. Any technique that helps you tap into the Boomers’ emotions will help you touch the spiritual child that lives within each of them. That’s the part of their being that’s more playful, less reasonable, less uptight, more spontaneous. You can help create that emotional appeal with colors, shapes and designs that engage and challenge the imagination. You can use rich imagery that conjures up complex feelings that even the most agile mind can’t quite grasp intellectually but can certainly discern at a gut level.

In tomorrow’s blog, I’ll talk a little more about the role that creativity plays when you want to hit Boomers where they really live.

12 Ways to Make Yourself Perfectly Clear, Part 3

2009-07-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

Picking up where I left off yesterday, here are six more tips you can use to make your writing more appealing to Baby Boomers.

7. Learn to spell. It’s simply good manners to be an accurate speller, especially in an age when email and Twitter have encouraged people to get downright sloppy about spelling. Correct spelling shows that you care about your writing and have enough self-respect to use a dictionary when in doubt. Readers are sure to trip over a misspelled word because it sticks out like a sore thumb, and that’s guaranteed to derail the communication process. And, of course, don’t ever fully trust Spell Check in Word or any other program. The only proofreader you can rely on is yourself.

8. Listen to your writing. The ear loves clarity the way the nose loves freshly baked bread. Read your writing out loud so you can hear it flow. If it doesn’t sound good to you, it’s certainly not going to sound good to the reader. Elegantly rhythmic writing makes it easier for the reader to embrace and absorb what you’re trying to communicate. So be sure to choose your words and sentence construction with a tasteful ear so your writing really sings.

9. Give the reader concrete details. Your writing will always seem more real and less abstract when you engage and enliven the senses. Let the reader smell, feel, see, hear, and touch exactly what you are talking about. Don’t go overboard, though; a little of this goes a long way. Keep in mind that specifics are much clearer than generalities, and they give your writing more credibility, too.

10.Learn to cut without bleeding. It seems like the writer with the least to say often uses the most words to say it. But if you’re going to write like a pro, you have to be your own most ruthless editor. It’s easy to fall in love with your own words, but too many unnecessary ones just clutter the landscape and get in the way of what you’re writing about. Just remember that you’re conveying ideas not words, so make sure your writing gets directly to the point and stays there. Here’s a good rule of thumb: If it doesn’t move the Big Idea forward, cut it. Period.

11.Learn to use punctuation with good taste. Punctuation marks are like traffic signals that keep the reader’s eyes and thoughts flowing along the highways, side streets, and back roads of your writing. Whatever you’re writing about is unexplored territory for your audience, so be considerate. Tell the reader when to slow down or stop. And be consistent in the way you use punctuation—especially commas.

12. Maintain a unified point of view and voice. An orderly, logical flow paves the way for clarity, so once you get on track, stay there from start to finish. Your tone, style, and the tense of your verbs should also be consistent from beginning to end, unless you have a compelling reason to vary them. And your transitions from one sentence to the next and one paragraph to another should be logically consistent, as well.

Ultimately, there are no shortcuts to becoming a crystal clear writer. Use the tips I’ve given you as a starting point and do a lot more homework on your own. Then write and rewrite until everything you want to communicate is stated so perfectly that it’s simple, straightforward and easy to understand.

Is that clear?

12 Ways to Make Yourself Perfectly Clear, Part 2

2009-07-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here are the first six tips you can use to ensure that Baby Boomers will clearly understand what you’re trying to communicate.

1. Keep it simple. Simplicity is crucial to clear communication.

2. Eliminate jargon, euphemisms and clichés. Use fresh language in an interesting and engaging way. Become sensitive to the subtle aspects of vocabulary and grammar. Employ nuances of meanings and usage with fine discrimination.

3. Play by the rules. Use proper syntax and grammar. You must master writing by the rules before you can even consider breaking them.

4. Choose powerful verbs to drive each sentence. Forget about passive voice, keep it active, and you’ll seldom have to worry about using adverbs to shore up weak-sounding verbs.

5. Thoughtfully select your nouns. Make them concrete and colorful. A sure sign of a poor writer is the tendency to lean on adjectives to help support puny nouns. And don’t use nouns as verbs. “Impact” is primarily a noun. Sure, you can use it as a verb, but when you do, it sounds strange. Besides, it’s not nearly as clear or powerful as the word “strike,” for instance. And keep a thesaurus handy, because that’s where all the really cool nouns hang out. In fact, you should think of that reference book as a spice rack that can add a little zing to your writing and keep people interested enough to continue reading.

6. Cut way back on adjectives and adverbs. If you use concrete, descriptive nouns and expressive, active verbs you won’t need to embellish your writing with too many adjectives and adverbs. And that will be just fine, because more often than not, they simply bloat sentences, and get in the reader’s way.

Tune in tomorrow for six more tips on how to become a clear, powerful writer with real Boomer appeal.

12 Ways to Make Yourself Perfectly Clear, Part 1.

2009-07-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Becoming a writer is a lifelong process. You’re never really finished perfecting your craft, especially when it comes to being clear about exactly what you’re saying. Crystal clarity is essential if you’re trying to communicate with Baby Boomers. They’re well educated, sophisticated and demanding consumers who will simply ignore any piece of communication that’s hard to understand.

If you’ve been regularly writing your own advertising and marcom, you’re probably a pretty good writer by now, so I’m going to share with you the things that you must master to perfect your craft. If you keep these tips in mind, you’ll be better able to polish the rough edges until everything you write is crystal clear.

If you think this smacks of trying too hard, you’re not a real pro. Striving for absolute clarity is the minimum that a good professional writer owes his or her audience. This should be painfully obvious, but it’s not. Don’t take my word for it. Skim the first page of a dozen or so books at random. Better yet, try to decipher just about any written communication from the government—you’ll need the Rosetta Stone to penetrate the meaning. Ironically, the government is supposed to be our friend. Of course, that isn’t always the case. Consider the exalted civil servant who said, “Let me make one thing perfectly clear,” as he desperately labored to obfuscate the obvious.

Problems of clarity generally arise from two sources. The first is a brew of ineptitude, carelessness and laziness. The second source is that certain writers want to pretend that they’re communicating something of substance, when all they really want to do is give the appearance of communication. Long before 1984, George Orwell wrote, “The great enemy of clear language is insincerity.” And that, unfortunately, often seems to hold true in advertising and marketing communications, where playing it loose with the truth is business as usual.

The best copywriters know that nothing speaks as clearly or loudly as the truth well told. No thinking person will tolerate anyone who willfully distorts the facts, and no one is going to buy anything from anyone who treats them like a fool.

People feel cheated when they don’t have a clear grasp of exactly what you mean after having read what you’ve written, because you’ve wasted their time. If you don’t approach the creation of your advertising and marcom with crystal clarity in mind, you’re not going to ring up too many sales with Boomers. “Buy something from you? I’m not even sure what you said!” is the way Boomers react to poorly written promotional materials of any kind, from TV to Twitter.

If your goal is to have Boomers really understand what you’re talking about, you’ll find helpful tips in the next couple of blogs. Take them to heart before you create your next ad or brochure, and you will clearly be on the road to becoming a more powerful writer.

Promises, Promises.

2009-07-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

When Baby Boomers ask, “What’s in it for me?,” they’re looking for a strong Promise and equally strong Reasons Why they should believe it. But your Promise and Reasons Why have to be more than just dry marketing statements. They have to sparkle with creativity, too.

A genuinely creative approach will elevate the Promise and Reasons Why above the commonplace and give them the edge needed to cut through the clutter of today’s communications garbage can. Of course, there’s no safe, scientific way to be creative, which is why so many marketers shy away from trying. Fact is, you’ve got to be a risk taker to even dabble in creativity, because seeking safety is antithetical to the creative process.

One reason why being creative is inherently dicey is that it’s often hard to differentiate good creative from bad. A quick look at most of what passes for advertising and marcom today proves that. One rule of thumb I use is this: If a creative concept scares you, it’s probably innovative and sharp enough to penetrate the audience’s apathy. If the idea feels comfortable, pitch it, because it’s undoubtedly shopworn. And never worry about being “too creative”—that’s impossible. Just make sure that you stay on target, because as the adage goes, “It ain’t creative if it don’t sell.”

Tapping into your creativity isn’t a theoretical or businesslike venture. It’s more like jumping into the sandbox and playing. Just make sure that the results include a meaningful Promise that’s paid off by credible, compelling Reasons Why Boomers should believe it.

Use powerful imagery and language that persuade the audience to see your products and services in a new light. Be competitive without being pushy. Design creative executions that are uncluttered and stylish. Make your points concisely and with elegant simplicity. Be daring and a bit presumptuous. Be gutsy and a little dangerous, too. In short, be creative, whatever that means in the context of your communication challenge and your capabilities. Just make sure that everything you do is believable in a way that resonates on the deepest levels with Baby Boomers.

Finally, always remember that the best advertising and marketing communications begin and end with a Promise. Clearly communicate that Promise with a boldly executed Big Idea, and eventually you’ll break through to the Boomer Buying Center. That’s a Promise.

So You Want to be a Copywriter?, Part 2

2009-07-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

Direct Response copywriters are the door-to-door salespeople of the writing world. I say that without a trace of sarcasm and with great admiration. These copywriters labor in the vineyards of Direct Marketing, so they don’t depend on dazzling style alone to make the sale. Instead, they focus on writing the very best “Because” copy possible, because that’s what’s required to motivate Baby Boomers to take action. “Because” copy supplies the Reasons Why anyone should give serious consideration to what you’re saying and selling. Its purest form might be a short bullet that makes a rather common product feature seem like something that will enhance the life of the target market.

Effective “Because” copy is especially important with Direct Marketing prospects because they always want to know “Why?” Why is that such a good feature? Why should I believe the claims that are made? Why is the product worth the price? Why should I buy the product? Direct Response copywriters answer each Why with at least one credible, compelling “Because”, because that’s what it takes to convert browsing Boomers into loyal customers.

Direct Response writing is the closest thing to “writing as science” that I can think of because its results can be measured. However, despite what the latest seminar du jour may claim, there aren’t any reliable formulas for successful Direct Response copywriting, although there are certain guidelines that are usually worth heeding. For instance, research suggests that using certain tricks of the trade can influence response rates in a positive way. There are plenty of good books around that can teach you the basics, but there are no shortcuts to mastering Direct Response copywriting. It may be part science, but it’s part magic, too. And, as with every skill, you learn by doing, refining, doing, refining… It’s not easy, but it can be very rewarding for both you and your clients.

It’s a shame that the general public considers Direct Response copywriting to be shilling rather than a serious tool of commerce, like consumer research. This is partly due to simple ignorance, but it’s also because people think that all writing should rise to the level of “fine art,” whatever that is. Besides being a snooty point of view, it’s also misguided. Writing of any kind, from a short poem to a ponderous tome, has always been about selling something, be it an inspiring idea (Walden), a defense of a political position (universal healthcare), or simply entertainment (choose your favorite sitcom).

An advertising client asked me if I’d ever written anything “serious.” I guess she meant a novel, or even less profitable, a short story (I’ve written both). I replied that copywriting is the most serious kind of writing that I do. It’s serious because I have to convince some pretty tough customers to carefully consider parting with their money. That’s a lot more challenging than getting them to turn the pages of a book. Over the past four decades, I’ve written just about everything you can think of from billboards to short films. Some of that stuff may have caused the audience to laugh, cry, ponder, or rage—all important effects, I suppose. But if I can get you to pry open your wallet and spend some cash (OK, put it on plastic), that is quite an achievement in my book.

A final thought: Through the years, I’ve worked in ad agencies and belonged to various professional organizations, where I’ve met a lot of aspiring writers. I’ve mentored some, too. And I’ve found that there’s one characteristic that all successful writers share in common: They write. I’m not trying to be funny. I’ve heard too many wannabes talk about writing, theorize about writing, moan about writing, but they don’t actually write.

So, if you’re sincere about being a really good copywriter, especially a Direct Response copywriter, you must sit down with at least one good idea and write about it for at least an hour a day. Every single day. No excuses. And don’t just ramble on. Revise your stuff until you have at least 500 good, solid, publishable words. If you do that long enough, and well enough, one day you will awaken to the fact that you are, indeed, a real pro.

So You Want to be a Copywriter?, Part 1

2009-07-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the club. Seems like almost anyone who can hold a pencil or tap on a keyboard fancies him or herself a writer. Of course, there’s a huge difference between dabbling in writing and living by the written word. I’ve been a professional writer since the age of 21, and I’ve learned a few things along the way that I’d like to share with those who aspire to the writer’s life.

First, you should know that the secret to good writing is dogged persistence. Good writing does not mysteriously well up from some cavern of creativity deep within the soul. Nor does it only happen when the muse strikes. In fact, waiting for inspiration paves the way for starvation. Simply put, good writing comes from facts and the ideas that spring from them. Facts provide the who, what, why, when, where, and how that fuel the imagination. Once the creative candle is lit, old images and familiar feelings are seen in a new light. When that happens, all things are possible, because they’re just a flight of fancy away.

That’s true even if you’re a commercial writer, as I am. I write about Baby Boomers, so my ideas and vocabulary tend to focus on Positive Aging and Individualism. To sell Boomers with the written word, you must envelop them in facts about your product or service, but you can’t bore them into buying. The facts you present and the way you present them must be captivating, involving, interesting, engaging and important. They have to turn the Boomers’ imagination loose in a way that eventually helps them convince themselves that they need whatever you’re selling.

The hallmark of all good writing is the use of concrete language. The kind of language that gets Boomers really close to your product or service. It’s the kind of language that let’s the Boomer touch it, taste it, experience it on every possible level, physically, emotionally and spiritually. It lets the Boomer dream about your product or service, fantasize about it, fall in love with it.

Finding the most important facts about your product or service isn’t always as simple as it may seem. You have to dig, not just deeply but widely. You have to flood your mind—every level of it—with all the facts you can discover. Then suddenly “Pop!”, something creative will happen. You’ll discover a new relationship that no one else ever saw. Or you’ll transform a banal feature into an important and exciting new benefit. With the right touch, a good writer can light up the sky with a meteor shower of new ideas derived from the same old dry facts that everybody else takes for granted.

What you do with your newfound insights will demonstrate if you’re a really good creative writer or not. To see how you measure up, fill a blank page with all the facts you can dig out of your product or service. Build a big list without stopping to critique along the way, then sleep on it. If you’re a real writer, you’ll hit the ground running the next morning with lots of new permutations and combinations of the stuff you wrote the day before. New ideas and themes will flow through your fingertips and onto the page. If you find you get stuck along the way, don’t give up. Real pros know that Writer’s Block is more an excuse than a reality. Keep writing, and you’ll overcome every obstacle. At least that’s been my experience over the past forty years.

In my next blog, I’ll talk a little bit about what it takes to be an effective Direct Response copywriter.

"Because" Copy is Best Because...

2009-07-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Every Baby Boomer loves a freebie, whether it’s a high-value coupon or the kind of psychosocial strokes that enhance the ego. You need to reward Boomers each time you communicate with them, and nothing does that better than effective “Because” copy that’s clear, concise, creative and cogent. Why? Because understanding something that’s truly meaningful is, in a way, its own reward to discerning Boomers.

“Because” copy is what great copywriting is all about. Whether it’s done in long-form, short bursts or terse bullets, it spells out the benefits for the audience in no uncertain terms.

For practical insight into how to write effective “Because” copy, study ads that have bullet points that go right to the heart of the matter. Appliance and automotive ads can be very instructive for two reasons: 1) some are outstanding, and 2) some are just awful.

Great bullet copy is only possible when the advertiser distills each feature/benefit into a clear, concise statement that’s meaningful and easy to grasp. Bad bullet copy shoots itself in the foot, because it tends to be self-admiring. It says, “Gee, look at all those features. Aren’t they swell?” This kind of copy, which is quite common, is a prime example of the company talking to itself, and although the corporate committee that wrote and approved it might love it, Boomers won’t pay it any mind.

Although “Because” copy is sell copy, it should never sound dull, labored or shrill. To be effective, it has to deftly communicate heavy meaning with a light touch. Good taste and writing skill will help you develop a style that allows you to express complex ideas in a clear, concise way, but it takes lots of practice. As James Michener said, “I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.”

In the end, there’s no substitute for using just enough of the perfect words to say exactly what you mean. And that takes persistence, patience and a passion for effective communication.

To grasp the importance of “Because” copy, read a dozen advertising or marcom headlines that are presumably aimed at Boomers. Try to see things through their eyes and ask: “What’s in it for me?" Then do the same with each line of copy. Does the overall thrust of the communication have impact? Does it hit the Boomer where he or she really lives? As a Boomer, do you care about what’s being communicated? Are you puzzled by it? Or worse, are you simply bored? Bottom line: Can you tell what’s in it for you?

Do the same exercise with radio commercials, TV commercials, Twitters—any form of communication that’s knocking on the door of your consciousness.

Trying to see advertising and marcom as the Boomers see them, you’ll become increasingly aware of the grammar, vocabulary, sound and feel of effective “Because” copy. You’ll also become aware of how often advertisers miss the mark in terms of reaching and motivating the Boomers they covet.

Finally, if you want to see where you stand, put your own advertising and marcom to the acid test. Read it as if you were a disinterested Boomer, and be brutally honest. Is there enough “Because” copy to engage, inform, entertain and motivate you, or are you left wondering, “What’s in it for me?” The answers you give are crucial to your success, because…

What's In It For Me?

2009-07-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Whether spoken or unspoken, that’s what every Baby Boomer asks when he or she hears your sales pitch. Boomers are self-centered individualists, so no matter what the medium, from TV to Twitter, their first question is quite naturally “What’s in it for me?” If your advertising and marcom aren’t answering that query clearly and credibly, you have no right to expect stellar sales. In fact, if you can’t tell Boomers what’s in it for them, you’re talking to yourself, so save your money.

Boomers don’t care about your products or services the way you do. That’s why “Because” copy is crucial to your success. Face it, simply talking about how wonderful and beautiful your product’s features are is a real snooze. It’s like showing complete strangers pictures of your grandkids and expecting them to really care.

“Because” copy is the key to answering the question, Why should I buy? That’s why “Because” copy only mentions features that have real benefits that consumers can easily perceive and believe in. Tell Boomers how your product’s features will change their lives for the better, and you’ll grab and hold their attention, especially if your product’s benefits are related to Positive Aging, a vital goal for all discerning Boomers.

Rather obvious, you say? Then why isn’t “Because” copy common in today’s advertising and marcom? I think it’s because too many marketers are clueless or complacent. Most seem content to say: “We’re great, and you should love us the way we love ourselves.” That may work with trendy post-adolescents, but it won’t fly with discriminating, highly individualistic Boomers.

You can’t expect Boomers to read plain vanilla features and then discern the corresponding benefits automatically. They just aren’t going to work that hard to understand your pitch. If your product or service has a feature important enough to state, then clearly attach a meaningful benefit to it, otherwise don’t bother mentioning it.

When benefits are dramatically highlighted in a clear, concise, creative and cogent way, the product’s value suddenly seems obvious. So that’s exactly what you need to do—spell out those benefits in vividly engaging ways. Bring the benefits to life, and you’re well on your way to the Boomer Buying Center, where all the most important buying decisions are made.

In my next blog, I’ll talk a little more about the rewards of well-conceived and well-written “Because” copy, so stay tuned.

Benjamin Braddock, The Birth of the Boom, Part 2

2009-07-02T14:37:00.001-05:00

The Graduate is a funny, fascinating flick that compares and contrasts the values of two warring generations and ideologies. Even in 1967, it put an exclamation point on the growing dissatisfaction that budding Baby Boomers had with the status quo. That discontent grew exponentially, as the Boomers turned away from the alienation bred by “things as they should be,” and looked inward for new and unique ways to create meaningful lives.

Individualism became the normative value for Boomers as the horrors of the Vietnam War, assassinations, and burning cities gave way to the hardcore cynicism born of the post-Watergate Era. For the Boomers, “Don’t trust anyone over 30” ultimately morphed into what might be individualism’s anthem: “Don’t trust anyone but yourself.”

Impulsive individualism was reflected in The Graduate’s final, and most telling scene, when Benjamin rescues Elaine from the all-too predictable life promised by her groom, Carl Smith. The symbolism of individuality versus conventionality is joyously portrayed as the once mousy Benjamin barges in on one of society’s most solemn ceremonies and steals the bride right off the altar just as she’s about to kiss the groom, sealing her fate. Benjamin’s passionate appeal is so convincing that she readily rejects a world that has inflicted so many unwelcome expectations on her delicate psyche.

As a last resort, Mrs. Robinson insists, “It’s too late!” Elaine answers, “Not for me!” Mom counters with a couple of slaps to the chops just before her rebellious daughter dashes off with her savior. In a final gesture of contempt, Benjamin uses a large gold cross to fend off their pursuers. He then uses it like a dead bolt on the church’s big glass doors, locking the enemy within their own little world and out of his and Elaine’s.

The newly liberated couple streaks to the nearest bus stop, two mavericks on a heady journey toward God knows where. With everyone and everything left behind, they ride off in the back of a bus, secure in the knowledge that their declaration of independence has prevailed over the forces of orthodoxy that threatened to rob them of their souls. The other passengers silently stare at them incredulously (a wedding grown will draw those kinds of looks in the back of a bus), as Benjamin and Elaine settle into their private reveries to The Sounds of Silence.

Like all good art, The Graduate was slightly ahead of its time in the way it so vividly showcased the individualism that would become the primary value that continues to drive the Baby Boomers in their decision making.

After a torrid weekend, Benjamin and Elaine probably went their separate ways, eventually marrying other people. But although they may have settled into a more conventional lifestyle than the finale might suggest, it’s highly unlikely that they ever abandoned the belief that they’re each the center of their own little universe. And, in the final analysis, living that belief is what being a Baby Boomer is about.

Benjamin Braddock, The Birth of the Boom, Part 1

2009-06-29T06:30:00.000-05:00

If you’d like to get gut level insight into what the Baby Boomers are about, watch The Graduate again, or at least the final scenes. The last few minutes of the film offer a vivid depiction of individualism in action, and it shows just how nonrational a force it can be.

As you’ll recall, Benjamin Braddock is a freshly graduated nebbish who becomes the sex object of an alluring middle-aged adulteress, Mrs. Robinson. It’s not clear whether this man-child is alienated and adrift or just plain lazy, but he sure is horny. After graduating from college, his parents prod him, while he pokes his paramour. Gradually, he begins to grapple with the shifting sexual mores of the 60s, as well as his own feelings of guilt and estrangement.

As the film progresses, Benjamin becomes increasing conflicted as he rebels against society’s conventional customs and stifling expectations. Commitment to the “plastics” lifestyle doesn’t resonate with him, so he struggles to discover what he truly wants. As his self-absorption grows more focused, his individuality begins to poke its head out of the clouds of apathy. As a result, his post-adolescent discontent with the status quo becomes intensified and validated, at least in his own mind.

Watching this unfold is like viewing the birth of Boomer individualism, which may have developed as an easy and gratifying answer for a generation that felt confused, exploited and betrayed by “The Man.” Benjamin’s own “Coming of Age” odyssey provides no hint of where it might end up. One thing is clear, however, he has discovered that he can mollify his yearnings by exercising his independence and ingenuity, two hallmarks of Boomer individualism. For much of the movie, his rebellion is mostly an internal struggle. But when he finally takes decisive action, it’s a compelling example of the kind of mindset that gave birth to the Boomers, so be sure to come back for Part II.

Stop 'Em Dead

2009-06-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

Playing it safe with advertising and marcom can be dangerous to your business, because the more communication that floods human consciousness, the less we pay attention. And in the Age of the Internet, there’s more junk bombarding us with each passing minute.

In this hyperkinetic communication environment, the ads and marcom that grab and hold an audience are those that take powerful, well-focused shots directly at the heart of their target market. When there’s a Big Idea in the driver’s seat, these are the ones that will be noticed, remembered and acted upon. That’s why taking creative risks is always more effective than playing it safe. That’s especially true when you’re selling to a jaded group like the Baby Boomers.

Successful marketers know just how dangerous safe advertising can be to their bottom line. They realize that everything they do promotionally from TV to Twitter has to have Stopping Power. That doesn’t mean it shows off or shouts. Instead, it’s so thought-provoking and meaningful that it stops Boomers dead in their tracks, compelling them to pay attention. Effective “Stop ’Em Dead” ads and marcom always connect with Boomers at the deepest level, the Boomer Buying Center, where all real purchasing decisions are made.

To put Stopping Power into your advertising and marcom, you need to carefully consider the medium you choose, so you can make the most of it. Of course, your ultimate success will depend on how effectively you’ve used your Big Idea to position your product or service in a uniquely meaningful way. Here are some thought starters.

o Print has to have a strong visual stopper that keeps the reader from zipping right past the page. And the graphics must be complemented by a compelling headline followed by well-crafted copy that’s just long enough to tell the story well.

o TV is above all else a visual medium. It’s easy to determine if a commercial will be effective or not. Just turn off the sound, and if you get the essence of the message, the commercial is a success. Of course, in the Age of Tivo, the visual flow must start dramatically and steadily build to a climax, or it won’t hold anyone’s attention. The copy should be brief and easy on the ears, and it has to complement rather than parrot the visuals.

o Radio is easy if you have a knack for creating theater of the mind. Historically, it’s leaned on gentle humor to deliver its message. The best radio takes the product or service seriously, but not itself. Believable dialogue that rings true to the ear has far more Stopping Power than an announcer who reads mind-numbing copy. And there should never be a surplus of gimmicky sound effects or other distractions.

o Direct mail must be engaging, informative and urgent. In addition, it should make a valuable offer that the Boomer finds irresistible. And it must clearly ask for the order without being pushy. This is a difficult medium to shine in, because it’s so cluttered, but it can also be very cost-effective and rewarding. Direct marketing techniques are numerous and nuanced. There’s even an “art and science” to designing an effective coupon. That’s why it pays to hire a seasoned DM pro who knows when, where and how to use the “tricks of the trade.” You’ll get your money’s worth.

o Email marketing is akin to direct mail, but there are more restrictions, and you really do need to heed them. Unless you use permission-based marketing, you’ll be labeled a spammer, and you’ll be roundly ignored, or worse. The powers that be are cracking down on spammers, much to the relief of anyone who uses a computer, so don’t just launch junk mail into cyberspace, hoping for the best. Also, it should be obvious that the subject line is where you need to blast your Big Idea, or Boomers will soar right past your email in the blink of an eye.

Whichever of the above media, you need to make sure your creative executions have real Stopping Power. Begin by objectively assessing your latest marketing communication efforts. Using a critical eye, ask these questions. “Will this stuff Stop ’em dead?” “If I weren’t its creator, would I remember it tomorrow, or even later today?” “Does it motivate me to take action now?”

If you’ve answered in the affirmative, you’re well on the way to getting the job done. If not, you’ve got some work to do. After all, if your creative executions can’t stop you dead, they’ll never stop Boomers long enough to get their attention let alone sell them anything.

Get Personal

2009-06-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Picture this: A salesman comes into your home, sits down next to you, and begins talking about his product or service. But he’s not particularly warm or friendly. In fact, he subjects you to a rather impersonal sales pitch. It quickly becomes apparent that he has no desire to communicate person to person.

He bores you with an endless list of features that mean little to you. He shouts the price in your face, while stressing what a great deal he’s giving you. Then he asks for the order. By now, you’re not in the mood to do anything but throw him out on his ear. And that’s exactly what the vast majority of people do to almost all the advertising and marketing communications that they experience.

People can’t be bored or bullied into parting with their money. But sometimes they can be nudged or romanced into buying—if you touch them in a genuinely personal way. This is especially important if you’re selling to Baby Boomers. They’re highly individualistic, so they like to be tickled where they really live. Of course, determining how to do that takes much more than research. It takes the insight and sensitivity of a gerontology counselor—one who also happens to be an advertising and marcom expert.

You need someone like that, because you can’t create a feeling of personal warmth with reach and frequency alone. That frame of mind is born of a genuine rapport that you create. And that rapport doesn’t come easily. Building it takes time and finesse and a caring attitude that respects each Boomer’s needs, desires and self-perceptions.

Our obnoxious salesman isn’t the type who would bother trying to build such a “soft” skill set. Why bother, when you can bulldoze people? Well, that might work with some consumers, but not Boomers. That’ s why your advertising and marcom need to go far beyond canned presentations—the kind that bore the audience with drivel that was cobbled together by a committee back at the home office. Before you take this route, ask yourself, When has anything truly personal come out of a committee?

Whatever media you use, the message is clear: People are always more open to what you’re saying and selling when you speak to them, not at them. Faceless facts, no matter how convincing they may seem, don’t make for persuasive communication. People rarely buy for logical reasons. Most often they use logic to rationalize the emotionally-driven purchasing decision they’ve already made.

If you decide to get personal with Boomers, just keep in mind that there are ways to shout without yelling. As you create your next ad or brochure, ask yourself if it really hits Boomers where they live. Does it sell gently, with warmth and respect? Does it treat Boomers the way you’d like to be treated by someone coming into your own home? After all, the mind is the most important home we all have.

No matter how you do it, one thing is undeniable: Get personal, and you’ll be far more welcome in the Boomer Buying Center.

Why Positive Aging Resonates with Baby Boomers

2009-06-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

For insight into why Boomers seem so self-centered, google psychologist Carl Rogers & unconditional positive regard. Humanist psychologists like Rogers believed that unconditional positive regard and acceptance would provide optimal conditions for personal growth. During the Boomers’ formative years, the concept of unconditional positive regard was promoted in education and child-rearing, becoming a guiding light for their teachers and parents.

Unconditional positive regard holds that everyone has the innate ability to improve without changing who they actually are. Although it’s true that unconditional positive regard and acceptance can lead to unadulterated selfishness, simply being self-centered isn’t as negative as it sounds. In fact, it can be quite beneficial when it empowers a person to nurture self-esteem and optimism. That alone can be a driving force that energizes focused actions which enhance the individual’s well-being. And that’s one of the reasons why so many Boomers have a distinct preference for Positive Aging.

What's Your Best Position?, Part 2

2009-06-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

Once you’ve decided on your best position, your next job is to communicate it clearly and creatively in a cogent theme that helps build a distinctive brand personality that resonates with Baby Boomers. Only then will you be able to get the share of mind required to get a healthy share of the Boomer market.

As you create your position, don’t fall into the Superlatives Trap. Deal in reality. Understate some of your benefits. “We’re number 2, we have to try harder” turned out to be a brilliant position for Avis Rent A Car even though it made it appear that the company was taking a backseat to Hertz. The key to its enduring success was a clear and memorable statement of a crucial consumer benefit. In the same vein, you have to create a position that convinces Boomers that you’ll try harder to please them in every possible way, from the quality of your products through customer service.

And once you’ve established your position, you have to be consistent. In the early eighties, Seven-Up® crafted a very intriguing position when it called itself the UnCola. This position succeeded in sharply differentiating the brand, setting it apart from major competitors. Rather than consistently building on this strong position through the years, however, Seven-Up eventually defaulted to the tired soft drink technique of lifestyle advertising, with predictable results. The lesson is clear: If you vacillate, so will your customer base.

As an aside, right now, KFC® is resurrecting the Un- idea, asking consumers to UnThink what they know about the kind of chicken the company sells. Although this is clearly derivative, it’s going to make a very interesting case study because the brand seems to be intent on at least partially unseating a well-established idea, i.e., KFC=fried chicken, and replacing it with a new line extension concept KFC=grilled chicken, too. This is tricky business, because they certainly don’t want to switch people over to grilled chicken in a way that cannibalizes their flagship product. It will be interesting to see if they can pull it off.

Establishing the best possible position is especially crucial for retailers. During peak promotional periods, most of these businesses look and sound the same because they all articulate very similar shrill messages. (Buy Now! Save Money! Do This Or Die!) And almost all of this shouting is done in a decidedly uncreative way. The problem with this myopic approach is that if you look and sound like you’re just one of the rabble, you’ll never become a leader.

Although it’s true that positioning isn’t easy, if you can manage to stake out a unique niche in the Boomers’ collective consciousness (with a firm foothold in the subconscious, as well), you’ll have a share of mind that nothing else can occupy, and that’s the key to increasing your share of market.

Bottom line: Effectively answer the question,What’s Your Best Position?, and you’ll take an important step toward the Boomer Buying Center.

What's Your Best Position?, Part 1

2009-06-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Creative positioning is crucial to gaining market share, because it helps differentiate products and services in the consumer’s mind. A well-conceived position can penetrate consumer apathy, and that’s an absolute prerequisite for success, because all of us ignore tons of advertising and marketing communications every single day. It’s simple self-defense. The relentless promotional bombardment comes from all sides, battering us 24/7, and so much of it sounds and looks the same. But a sharp marketer can rise above the masses and get its message across if it uses its Big Idea as the basis for a position that resonates with Baby Boomers in a uniquely memorable way.

Despite what some marketers seem to believe, positioning isn’t something that happens in the marketplace like an end cap display. It happens in the consumer’s mind. Ultimately, that’s where all sales occur, so the most innovative positioning is designed to cut through the communication clutter and carve out a unique niche in the consumer’s awareness. But it has to be done deftly to be effective.

A truly meaningful position doesn’t beat people over the head. In fact, some of the most successful positioning is so subtle it’s hard to detect. The understated approach is particularly important if you’re selling to Baby Boomers, because they’re grown weary of bombastic advertising and marcom that tries to shout over the competition. The secret of effective positioning, then, is to first create a quiet corner in your prospect’s mind, and then gently fill it with your message. Y’know, speak softly and carry a Big Idea.

And keep in mind that in a world deluged with me-too communications, there’s no hope for the marketer with an identity crisis. To carve out a solid position, you must know exactly who you are and what you have to offer. If you can’t figure that out, no one else will either. More about positioning tomorrow.

What's the Big Idea? Part 2

2009-06-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

By now I trust you’re beginning to appreciate the selling power of a Big Idea. Without one driving your creative executions, clever headlines, countless features/benefits bullets, and cutting-edge production techniques will all add up to advertising and marcom that just lies there gasping. Don’t get me wrong. Those things may be necessary, but they’re certainly not sufficient, because if you don’t have a Big Idea behind the magic curtain, you’re pushing water uphill.

A Big Idea gives you the leverage needed to penetrate the natural apathy Baby Boomers have toward your brand. Used clearly, concisely and creatively, it can help convince Boomers to carefully consider whatever you’re selling. So why are there so few Big Ideas in advertising and marcom today?

The reason’s simple. Big Ideas take guts to implement because they’re so fresh and innovative that they’re scary. Comfort-seeking marketers shy away from powerful Big Ideas without even realizing that it’s the tension that they create that makes them so effective. Big Ideas make people feel and think differently. They smash preconceptions, shatter indifference and dare people to try (or at least consider) something new. In the depths of their souls, Big Ideas are risky business. That’s what gives them spirit, and it’s that spirit that connects with people.

Going back to the last blog’s Marlboro® example, ask yourself, Is there any sensible reason why a smoker should relate to a cowboy puffing on a cigarette while riding a horse in God-Knows-Where, Montana?” I can think of no logical reason. I can barely come up with a semi-convincing subliminal reason. Yet the spirit of that Big Idea has resonated so profoundly over decades that countless smokers switched to the brand. And who knows how many started smoking because of it?

No one can deny that this Big Idea ultimately proved horribly harmful to millions (the original Marlboro Man purportedly died of lung cancer). However, that fact just puts an exclamation point on the overwhelming power of a truly Big Idea.

Is implementing a Big Idea worth the risk? Advertising history suggests it is. But playing table stakes with a Big Idea is never easy. Way back when, it took genuine courage for Bill Bernbach to tell Avis® that it had to overtly admit to being the number two car rental company. Of course, he didn’t sheepishly state this obvious fact, and then skulk off to oblivion. Instead, he made that fact—and the Big Idea that grew out of it—the brand’s most potent strength.

Bernbach’s insistence on using his Big Idea (various versions of: We’ve number two. We have to try harder) was so bold that he almost lost the Avis account, but he stuck to his creative guns. The campaign he created was so deliciously different at the time that it became an instant advertising classic. More important, of course, it also helped Avis carve out a unique share of mind that led to a nice, big share of the market. To this day, “Avis. We try harder®” drives the company’s advertising and marcom.

One of my all-time favorite Big Ideas was for Sears Diehard® Batteries. I wish I’d been part of the team that came up with it, but I worked on Sears Steady Rider® Shocks, instead. Anyway, the Big Idea was: “Diehard. Starts Your Car When Most Batteries Won’t®.” Nothing fancy about it. Simple, straightforward and powerfully memorable. It tells you exactly what the product does, and why you can trust it. Every Big Idea should be so good. And how about the name? It’s the perfect complement to the Big Idea. “Diehard” says it all!

Of course, after the Diehard breakthrough, Sears gave Foote, Cone & Belding (R.I.P.) the task of coming up with something just as good for SteadyRiders®. The Big Idea for that brand worked well with the name, but it was no Diehard. (For you advertising historians, it was “SteadyRiders. They named it right.” Good, but not great.)

Enough history. Now let’s take a close, critical look at your most recent advertising and marcom efforts. Spread them out on the conference room table, and ask, “What’s the big idea?” If it hits you right between the eyes, then it will rivet your audience’s attention to your sales message. On the other hand, if there’s just a lot of noise and flash and mind-numbing detail but nothing really compelling about the sum total of what you’re looking at, then it’s DOA.

The bottom line: Don’t expect your Big Idea to perform miracles all by itself. Like Marlboro, Diehard, et al, you’ll need a lot of professional help in terms of execution. This is especially true if you’re targeting Boomers. Then you’d be wise to find an advertising pro who’s also credentialed in gerontology counseling. That’s the kind of professional who can help make your Big Idea really come to life in the mind of the Boomers. And when that happens, your brand will be headed toward the Boomer Buying Center.

What's the Big Idea? Part 1

2009-06-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

That’s the question Baby Boomers ask themselves whenever they see or hear your advertising or marketing communications. They may not put it in those exact words, but you can be sure that if your message doesn’t have the power of a Big Idea behind it, you’re fighting a losing battle.

Fortunately, if your brainstorming was successful, then you’ve got a Big Idea that dramatizes what your brand is all about. That Big Idea promises to pave the way to the Boomer Buying Center, so you can’t let it just lay there. Your next challenge is to communicate it in a way that’s so creative and intriguing that it grabs Boomers’ attention, and resonates so meaningfully that it motivates them to listen, to act and to buy.

If you think I’m overemphasizing the importance of a Big Idea, consider its power. Skeptics have often asked me, “What’s a Big Idea worth?” Although I abhor cigarettes, I cite the example of Marlboro® Country. That was a Big Idea that created so much cash flow that it helped build Philip Morris® into a multinational behemoth.

How does an idea like a cowboy smoking a cigarette, something that’s totally foreign to the lives of the average smoker, move so many of them to buy Marlboros? Who knows? But it remains a smashing success story, and it still attracts countless consumers despite the fact that the industry as a whole kills hundreds of thousands of its very best customers every year. Year after year. Amazing. But that’s the power of a Big Idea.

Most Big Ideas are a lot more consumer friendly. Take the Maytag® Loneliest Man in Town. Wikipedia claims that my father Vincent R. Vassolo created this advertising icon in 1967 when he worked on the account at Leo Burnett. As I recall, though, Ol’ Lonely was born before then. (And, a note to Wikipedia: My father wasn’t a copywriter when he conceived the idea, he was a VP, creative director.)

In any event, Ol’ Lonely really helped put Maytag on the map, and led the brand to the top of its category, where it reigned for decades. It eventually toppled from the pinnacle around the time somebody decided this memorable communication icon just wasn’t effective enough to sell the brand any longer, at least not by using the print stories and TV mini-dramas that emphasized the brand’s dependability so memorably.

Go to the Maytag website, and you’ll find that they still talk about dependability, and the Loneliest Man is still kickin’ around somewhere, but he’s not front and center, as he was in the days when the brand dominated the category. In my opinion, they’ve diluted their Big Idea to the point where it’s lost its power.

Years ago, when consumers asked “What’s The Big Idea about Maytag?,” they remembered the message of the Loneliest Man In Town, and recalled that the brand stood for rock solid dependability. Now that message is diluted and diffuse, and Maytag seems like just another appliance manufacturer. Who knows, maybe some day the guy trying to sell the brand at retail will be the Loneliest Man In Town.

On a more positive note, once you’ve created your Big Idea, you’ve got to be very wise in the way you use it and care for it as the years pass. Do right by it, and your Big Idea will become top of mind with Boomers, and that’s sure to increase profitable sales. More about what to do with your Big Idea tomorrow.

The Brain Game: Successful Brainstorming, Part 3

2009-06-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we covered the first five steps you should take when you’re brainstorming. Here are five more that will help lead you to that elusive Big Idea.

6) Innovate. For advertising and marcom purposes, the goal of brainstorming is to come up with a Big Idea that’s unmistakably original. You may not find one that’s never been seen before, but that’s your goal, because a Big Idea’s value is inversely related to its familiarity. But don’t get discouraged if you feel you’ve fallen a bit short of the ideal. As Leo Burnett said, “When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either.”

7) Choose the best idea. This can be tough, but ultimately somebody has to crown the champ, without regard for the powerful egos or corporate politics that might threaten to pollute the process. As the group leader (or creative director, if you will), you have to determine which idea communicates the solution to the problem in the most dramatic and compelling way. Which is clearest in terms of summarizing the benefits of the brand? Which is the simplest to understand? Which communicates most quickly and directly. Which is the most creative, the most engaging, the most cogent? All those things and more must be carefully considered before you can confidently make a final decision and recommendation.

Synthesizing all those factors into a coherent whole that leads to a genuinely Big Idea is a big job. That’s why to be effective the leader of a brainstorming session needs experience, expertise and an instinctive grasp of what works best and what doesn’t. It’s more art than science, so after you’ve considered all the facts and research, trust your gut. Once you’ve picked your Big Idea, embrace it wholeheartedly, and file away the others for future reference.

8) Determine the best way to sell your Big Idea to others. Unless you work in a vacuum, you’ll have to sell your Big Idea to one or more people. To do this, you have to be a showman of sorts, presenting it in an exciting, engaging way that really makes it come to life. Of course, you’re bound to run up against objections; that’s where the salesmanship starts. Stick to your guns, unless there are truly compelling reasons to change your mind (corporate gamesmanship doesn’t count as a good reason).

Most often, you’ll find that you must take greater care and spend more time in selling your Big Idea than you took in discovering it. But you’ve got to make the effort, or all that brainstorming adds up to a big zero.

9) Be flexible, reasonable, honest and courageous. Allow for different points of view, listen very carefully to other opinions, accept constructive criticism, but persist in selling your Big Idea. Radiating confidence is the best way to convince others that your Big Idea is the best possible solution to the communication challenge.

10) Don’t be afraid of failure. This is the single biggest obstacle most people must overcome when brainstorming. They’re afraid that they’ll look incompetent, or worse, come up dry. My advice is simple: Don’t worry, just do it. Home run hitters tend to strike out a lot, but that doesn’t stop them from swinging for the fences. So make like The Babe, because one Big Idea is worth a thousand “safe” ones that are timeworn and tired. Try slipping one of those “safe” ideas by a savvy Baby Boomer, and you’ll quickly discover how dangerous it can be to your business.

Well, that’s about it. Now you’ve got a simple, straightforward guide to brainstorming, so start using it today. If you’re unsure about how to make the process flow efficiently and effectively, hire an experienced facilitator, preferably someone with training in group dynamics, as well as creative advertising.

And, if you’re trying to generate ideas that resonate with Baby Boomers, it pays to hire a qualified gerontology counselor with decades of advertising and marcom experience to run your brainstorming session. A multifaceted professional like that can help keep things moving along while keeping an eye out for the inevitable roadblocks that spring up whenever people try to build a consensus.

In the final analysis, brainstorming is never easy, but when it’s done well, it can provide a Big Idea that can take your brand to the next level in terms of sales and image, even with a tough group like the Baby Boomers.

The Brain Game: Successful Brainstorming, Part 2

2009-06-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Big Ideas are the heart and soul of effective communication, but discovering them is hard work. As the leader of a brainstorming session (whether you’re doing it alone or in a large group), you need to know how to sift through the dross in search of those rare nuggets that you can use to create effective advertising and marcom for your products and services. Just remember, you’ve got to be truly original because Baby Boomers have seen and heard it all. So, roll up your sleeves, loosen up your mind, and let’s have a brainstorm.

1) State the problem clearly. Don’t do anything else until you’re absolutely sure that you understand the precise nature of the communication challenge that you face.

2) Dig for solid facts. Dig deeply and broadly. Look at the challenge from every point of view and context you can imagine. Carefully consider all the concrete facts surrounding the problem, because they are the bricks and mortar you will use to create your Big Idea.

3) Stay loose. Free associate. Suspend Judgment. Think of solutions quickly. Capture every thought on paper (or screen) without pausing to assess the merits of any one in particular. The goal is to compile dozens of ideas (or fragments) as fast as you can.

4) Have a meeting of the minds. Get other bright people involved. Collaborate. Volley ideas from mind to mind. Don’t let self-consciousness get in the way, and don’t worry about how wild or silly an idea may sound. You also have my permission to laugh at really inane ideas, because a sense of humor helps keep you loose. And don’t just laugh at other peoples’ obvious duds; laugh at your own, too. Remember, brainstorming should be fun!

5) As you focus on the solution, begin to use judgment. Steadily focus on the perfect solution to the problem no matter how impossibly out of reach it may seem. With this ideal as your goal, you’ll have a way to measure whether any of your ideas are on target. At this point, you’ve got to become objective as you begin judging the raw concepts. Naturally, everybody loves their own ideas, but you’ve got to keep your ego in check to remain credible.

Tomorrow, I’ll cover five more steps to brainstorming success.

The Brain Game: Successful Brainstorming, Part 1

2009-06-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Brainstorming is like panning for gold. You dredge up as many raw ideas as you can from the depths of your mind and sift them through your emotions and intellect, keeping a keen eye out for the shiniest nuggets. When you’ve discovered a bright, new idea, you polish it up and show it off to the world by using it as the Big Idea that makes your product or service really shine. This Big Idea will form the foundation for the basic concept that drives all of your advertising and marcom, from billboards to brochures to TV to Twitters.

Getting creative ideas on demand isn’t as tough as you might think, but it does take some practice. In the next couple of blogs, I’ll give you some guidelines that will help you generate so many new ideas that you’ll have to file some away.

In fact, you’ll have so many to choose from that you may find it difficult to distinguish a genuinely Big Idea from one that’s merely brilliant. But don’t worry, there’s a virtually foolproof way to distinguish the best from the rest. That’s important to do, because if you’re selling to Boomers, you’re trying to motivate very picky consumers who won’t fall for the same old, tired pitch. You’ve got to convince them that your product or service is worthy of their time, attention and dollars. Do that, and you have a chance to turn them into loyal customers for life.

So, here’s what I call The Big Boom Test for determining if you’ve got a genuinely Big Idea—one that’s powerful enough to build all of your communications around.

If the idea startles you, better yet, scares you and others, you’ve got the real thing, so make the most of it.

Don’t get timid and settle for less than the best. Old, “pre-driven” ideas are so comfortable that they just sit there like overstuffed easy chairs and lull Boomers to sleep. That’s why they make terrible candidates for building credible, compelling advertising and marketing communication campaigns. If your idea is fresh enough to get everybody around you a little worried, you’ve made an important discovery. Use it wisely and well.

As you brainstorm, keep in mind that getting Big Ideas can be as quirky and individualistic as the people involved, so use my simple 10-point system as a starting point rather than a set of hard and fast rules. As you develop other ways to discover truly creative ideas, supplement my list with your own personal brainstorming wisdom. Over time, you’ll build a skill set that will prove to be indispensable to building your brand.

Is Your Brand Gaining Share of Mind?

2009-06-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

All brands are created and live in the human mind, not the bosom of your company. Likewise, all sales begin inside the consumer’s head. If you’re a marketer, it’s important to wholeheartedly embrace this reality, especially if you’re selling to Baby Boomers. They’re very individualistic, thoughtful consumers, so they’ll form their own attitudes and opinions about your brand and act accordingly. That means you have to be insightful, sensitive and meaningful in the way you communicate with them.

When you’re tying to motivate Boomers, you can’t just ride the wave of the latest fad. Boomers are far more sophisticated shoppers than trendy teens and status-seeking Gen Xers and Yers. With Boomers, you actually have to create a brand that’s worthy of their time, attention and dollars. To gain mindshare with Boomers, you must carefully craft your advertising and marcom in a way that builds your brand’s image while making the sale.

Carving out a share of mind is easy to understand but difficult to accomplish, because it takes considerable talent and time to accomplish the task. Perhaps that’s why so many contemporary marketers don’t bother, going for the quick hit instead. That may work temporarily for an “On Sale Today Only!” hustler; however focusing on this approach is likely to relegate the brand to the LaBrea Tar Pits of clueless companies, where it will wallow with the likes of General Motors, Chrysler and other has-beens. Oddly enough, many of these former powerhouses subscribed to share-of-mind advertising and marcom during their glory years. But eventually they stopped brand-building, lost focus, and their businesses got derailed.

Companies that are relentlessly focused on hyping rather than brand building, may generate floor traffic by offering inducements garnished with a sense of urgency, but ultimately that myopic approach can be as harmful to a brand’s well-being as shoddy products and services.

Almost any business can make a few bucks by shouting “Buy Now Or Die!,” but lasting riches come to those companies that make a real effort to build a brand personality based on a credible story that people can come to know and trust over time. This approach is particularly important when targeting Boomers, because they’re at a stage in life where they value long-term relationships over brief flings.

Share-of-mind advertising is more like a courtship than a sales pitch. It sells gently but persistently, presenting products and services in a way that allows Boomers to decide what the brand actually means and whether it deserves a place in their lives. As confidence in the brand grows, so do profitable sales and brand equity.

When done with flair, imagination, humor and warmth, share-of-mind advertising can transform a parity product into an industry leader. Apple, Budweiser and Nike are just a few of the consistent brand builders who dominate sales in their crowded, competitive categories.

The one thing these brands have in common is a history of doing effective share-of-mind advertising. Through the years they have looked, acted and communicated like credible, reliable leaders, so consumers know them, trust them and buy from them.

Of course, if you want to do share-of-mind advertising and marcom, you must discover your brand’s Big Idea, and then use it to create a unique position that has the power to carve out a meaningful niche in the Boomer mind. To start the process, you need to have a healthy brainstorm or two. Of course, that’s easier said than done, so in the next few blogs I’ll cover some simple ways for you and your team to really get your creative juices flowing. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth the effort, because a truly Big Idea can help your brand gain a greater share of mind.

Ten Elements of a Compelling Brand Story, Part 2

2009-06-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

By now, you should be well on your way to setting pen to paper (more likely, fingers to keyboard) to write your own brand story. If you have any doubts, please understand that creating this story isn’t a pointless exercise, but rather a way of thinking about your brand in a new light. Why bother? Because it will help you tap into the most lucrative market segment in history: the Baby Boomers.

6. Be sincere. If you believe in your story and are convinced by it, your audience will be, too. So express yourself in a genuine way that’s honest, straightforward and earnest.

7. Radiate enthusiasm. Don’t confuse this with rah-rah cheerleading and over-the-top excitement. Real enthusiasm springs from the soul with gusto, making your brand story even more lively, interesting and inspiring. If you communicate a passion for your brand, others will feel it, and react accordingly.

8. Say it with style. There’s nothing wrong with understatement, but if you don’t pull it off artfully, you risk boring Boomers, and that’s communication death. Fact is, most of the time, a little pizzazz goes a long way, so speak in a vigorous voice. Make your story spirited, exciting, eye-catching, enchanting. See everything in your mind’s eye, including sounds, tastes, smells, colors, then paint vivid word pictures with vibrant language. Make the audience feel what you’re talking about. Make every word the perfect word. Imbue each sentence with a mellifluous rhythm and resonance. And, of course, don’t just talk about what’s happening, show it.

9. Respect the audience. When it comes to advertising and marcom, Boomers have seen and heard it all, so they can be an impatient bunch. Respect their time and attentiveness by telling your brand story as concisely and cogently as possible. And don’t clutter your story with too much detail. Boomers are bright, well-educated, worldly people, so you can trust them to draw the proper conclusions based on what you’ve presented. If you think you need to say a lot to be convincing, watch Pixar’s UP. It provides an ideal example of wordless storytelling in a lengthy montage of the main character’s life from childhood, through marriage and into old age. Without saying a word, it’s as meaningful and moving as any book you’ve ever read.

10. Keep it real. This isn’t to say that your story can’t make a crazy leap or take a flight of fancy (see Pixar’s UP), but the theme and basic message that the audience takes away has to be something they can realistically relate to. The believability factor is crucial to the success of your brand story. So, develop a style that’s uniquely yours. Live with your brand story until the characters and their world become as real to you as people and places you’ve known all your life. Make the story real for yourself, and you’ll be able to keep it real for others.

Now that you know what it takes to be a good storyteller, it’s time to write the story of your brand. If you feel that you don’t have the time or talent, find someone who does, because storytelling is one of the most effective ways to connect with Baby Boomers, and that’s like money in the bank.

Ten Elements of a Compelling Brand Story, Part 1

2009-06-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

I’ve already covered some of the reasons why you should put storytelling to work for your brand when selling to Baby Boomers. Now it’s time for some nuts and bolts. The techniques of good storytelling are easy to describe but difficult to master. Still, it pays to consider some of the common characteristics that all good stories share. So, here are some things you should consider as you begin to think about how you might create and tell the story of your brand.

1. Center on one clear theme. Use a theme that resonates with Baby Boomers, and you’ll be able to communicate in a way that seems timeless to them. Begin by asking how you can position your brand using a universal Boomer value like individualism. Think in terms of a big, dramatic idea that you can use in a compelling message that rings true with Boomers on a gut level. And whether you state the theme explicitly or imply it abstractly, make sure that it comes through in a way that showcases its effect on the individual, as well as contemporary life. Ultimately, the theme should showcase your product as a hero, of sorts.

2. Develop a dramatic plot. This may be the most important element, because a brand story needs to have dramatic impact to cut through the communication clutter in today’s world. The only way Boomers will pay attention to your story is if you bring out the inherent drama of your brand in a clearly developed sequence of events. Whether the flow of action is explicit or implicit, plot development must be reasonable and easy to follow to motivate Boomers to embrace your theme.

3. Craft a logical storyline. If you want Boomers to follow your brand story, the plot has to flow in a simple, concise way. You begin by setting the stage for the action to come, introducing characters as they become players in the inherent drama of your brand’s story. In the end, the drama builds to a compelling climax, as the brand is positioned as the “hero” that brings the story to a satisfactory resolution. As you tell the story, vary the ebb and flow of the action. Make sure that transitions are smooth, and that characters have every opportunity to interact meaningfully.

4. Create realistic characters. Stories are about characters, so make them seem real, even if they take on a nonhuman form, like the tortoise and the hare. Storytelling is useless unless the audience can feel what the characters are experiencing and why. You make characters believable by physically describing them, as well as their actions, thoughts and speech. Well-developed characters encourage the audience to get inside their skin—to empathize and sympathize with them. That’s why you must fill your story with lively personalities that others want to know. Breathe life into your characters, and they’ll be convincing.

5. Write with ear and eye-appeal. Diction level, sentence structure, voice and content are all important elements of storytelling. Combine them in a way that’s appropriate to the audience, and your story will rest easy on the ears, making it all the more welcome to the listener. Imagery and words should always be used in a way that paints a vivid picture of each scenario, helping you establish a mood that harmonizes with the message.

Tomorrow’s blog will cover the next five elements you should consider when creating your brand story.

Once Upon a Time: Storytelling Magic, Part 2

2009-06-02T05:00:00.003-05:00

If you want to learn how to be a great storyteller listen to the best. One of my favorites was Paul Harvey. His book, “The Rest Of The Story,” is worth it’s weight in gold for every aspiring storyteller. For decades, Harvey sniffed around the most common places and came up with some of the most uncommonly interesting stories you can imagine. No wonder millions of loyal listeners made him the most popular radio personality in America.

A couple of the stories in the book include the tale of the 20th century presidential candidate who killed a teenage girl, and a New York governor who dressed like a woman—at the electorate’s expense, of course. Each line of each story is packed with so much interest, that you’re compelled to keep listening. And, of course, there’s Harvey’s patented surprise punch line that never fails to make you say, “Hey, I didn’t know that.” The stuff is sheer delight, not to mention a great way to learn memorable information. Wouldn’t you love to be able to do something like that for your products and services? Well, you can.

Of course, trying to match Harvey’s ingenuity and creativity is pretty daunting, so you might start with something easier, say, pourquoi. Pourquoi is French for “why?,” and, as the name suggests, these “origin” stories explain how or why something got the way it is. For example, why does a zebra have stripes? It’s hard to say, but one thing for sure is that you can create a pretty interesting story explaining it in a plausible and memorable way. The reason these “how and why” stories are so popular is that in addition to being entertaining and informative, they also often reveal the genesis of deep-rooted cultural traditions. That makes them feel like they’re part of the listeners’ DNA, and that makes them incredibly compelling.

So, if you want to put storytelling to work for you, discover the “how and why” of your brand. Then dramatize it in a way that makes it really matter to Baby Boomers. You’ll find that if you can tell the right brand story in the right way, you’ll be on your way to the pot o’ gold at the end of the rainbow: The Boomer Buying Center.

Once Upon a Time: Storytelling Magic, Part 1

2009-06-01T05:00:00.001-05:00

The arc of every lifetime is one big story made up of many little ones. That’s why the first form of creative communication was storytelling. Storytelling is so important that there’s evidence of it in virtually every known culture and subculture throughout human existence. It was, in fact, the most important way to transmit knowledge and wisdom in the millennia before the invention of writing.

Since ancient times, storytelling has been considered an almost magical form of entertainment and education, teaching many of life’s most important lessons. Its simple, straightforward techniques put to shame most of the “sophisticated” tricks of the trade currently being used in much of what passes for advertising and marcom.

We’re all familiar and comfortable with storytelling, so it’s puzzling why more marketers aren’t using its techniques to promote their brands. After all, every product and service has an important and compelling story to tell, and that story is, in fact, what every successful brand is all about.

If you’d like to try promotional storytelling, keep in mind that you must be vividly creative and crystal clear, as well as concise and persuasive at a gut level that genuinely resonates with people. Storytelling can be particularly effective with Baby Boomers, because they’ve reached a developmental level where they process information more carefully than those who constantly Twitter about. That makes them more thoughtful and open to a persuasive story that has real depth. In fact, with Boomers, nothing works quite as well as storytelling when it comes to holding their attention and motivating them.

Boomers love a good story, which is reason enough for you to search for and crystallize the big idea in your product or service, so you can dramatize its features and benefits in a compelling tale.

Testimonials are the most obvious form of promotional storytelling, but there’s so much more you can do. You can begin by considering your brand to be a character that’s intrinsic to the human drama. Think of it as a living, breathing entity that has a life of its own and a backstory that’s fascinating and engaging. Explain how the brand got to be what it is today, how it makes the present moment more fulfilling, and how it promises to help build a better tomorrow.

Your brand has a interesting, important story to tell, so share it with Boomers by showing them how its life intersects with their own. Create a physical, emotional and spiritual bond between your brand and the Boomers by using a little storytelling magic, and you’ll be well on your way to the Boomer Buying Center.

Musings on Creativity

2009-05-28T05:00:00.001-05:00

At the Dawn of Advertising, a sage noted, “It ain’t creative, if it don’t sell!” As a strategy-driven copywriter and creative director, I couldn’t agree more.

In advertising and marketing communications, the bottom line is the bottom line. Period. Whether you’re selling products, services, ideas, or all three, making the sale isn’t everything, it’s the only thing. All else is window dressing, because if the cash register doesn’t ring, the creative executions aren’t worth the time, money or effort it took to create them.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can ignore creativity in favor of communicating things in ways that would make even Bean Counters yawn. You’ve seen the kind of advertising and marcom that results from that approach. Ugh!

Remember, you can’t bore Baby Boomers into listening to your marketing messages. So, if you try to tell or sell them something using Drivel and Pablum (I think that was a Kansas City agency that closed its doors in the ’90s), don’t expect Boomers to greet your efforts with anything but disdain.

Just remember that if creativity is magic, strategy-driven creativity that actually works is genius. But to get the job done, you’re going to have to hire the most creative writers, art directors and producers around, and that’s like panning for gold.

I’ve hired many creative professionals over the past forty years, and the truly gifted ones are rare indeed. If you’re looking for creative pros who can take your business to the next level, don’t bother writing tight, logical job specs for them (unless you’re forced to by corporate fiat), because they defy description. Irrespective of education or experience, the one common quality I’ve noticed, is that their creativity never fails them. Wake them up at 3 AM, give them a tough challenge, and they’ll quickly come back with a very respectable professional solution, if not something borderline brilliant.

Managing creatives is more art than science, but it’s absolutely necessary because they tend to be so enamored of themselves and their ideas that they’ll go off on self-indulgent tangents that might look and sound cool, but are quite likely to leave you scratching your head, saying, “Where did we go wrong?”

To ensure things function efficiently and effectively, you need a strong, visionary leader who has a natural flair for creativity, as well as a deep belief in the power of a well-wrought marketing strategy. This person must have the experience, expertise and guts to stand up to the most flashy creative type and insist, “Where’s the idea?” That’s the only sure way to craft advertising and marcom that’s as disciplined to the sales function as it is faithful to creativity. The creative leader also has to have the skill to deftly shepherd the idea (and it sundry executions) from creation through the various levels of management approval that threaten to emasculate it. That, in a nutshell, is what a good creative director does.

Creative directors of the future will be required to challenge their own prejudices when it comes to communicating with Boomers. Most of the hotshots in the field are just too young to understand or empathize with Boomers, and that will be their downfall.

Boomers are highly sophisticated, media-savvy consumers who have seen and heard it all. They simply won’t tolerate advertising or marcom that talks down to them. No business can afford to try to marginalize the Boomers, because there are just too many of them. And if you get on their wrong side, they can be as temperamental as teens. The difference is that they have a lot more money, and they won’t spend it as impulsively as younger, trendy consumers, so you better be spot on with the creative approaches you take.

Fortunately, Boomers are as hungry for creative communications as anyone, but they’re the toughest audience out there, so you need a lot more experience and expertise to reach them. And you’re got to know more than just advertising and marcom, too. You’ve got to know the principles of Gerontology Counseling.

Reaching Boomers can be rather difficult, but if you have the skill and wisdom to devise and stick with a sound strategy, and if you have the courage to express it in the most creative ways possible, you’ve got a shot at getting your share of the Boomer market. Just remember, when you’re communicating with Boomers, there’s nothing more compelling than a memorable message that’s actually worth remembering.

Over the past couple of months, I’ve talked about various aspects of Positive Aging, as well as other subjects related to Baby Boomers and the graying of America. In the future, I’ll be offering tips and tidbits about what I know best: How to be creative, especially as it relates to communicating with Baby Boomers. I trust you’ll find these blogs useful.

Who Is This Guy Anyway?

2009-05-27T05:00:00.006-05:00

If you’ve been following this blog for the past couple of months, you’ve probably asked that question, so here’s a brief overview. Forty years ago, exactly one month after graduating from the University of Illinois with a BA in philosophy (try finding work in that field, Socrates), I got a job at one of Chicago’s biggest ad agencies. That was a miracle of sorts, because I had no education or training in the field, but I did have a knack for doing ads, especially thirty second TV commercials. Maybe it was destiny. Or maybe it was in my genes. After all, my father Vincent R. Vassolo had created the Maytag Loneliest Man In Town for Leo Burnett, and enjoyed a run of almost forty years in the business as a copywriter and creative director.

So, I began plying my trade as a creative advertising professional on July 16, 1969, steadily rising from coffee-fetching junior copywriter to creative director, executive producer and, finally, director of creative services. Over the past forty years, I’ve worked at some of the biggest, most demanding ad agencies in the world (Burnett, Y&R, FC&B, McCann, et al), as well as some of the smallest and most creative (you’ve never heard of them). I’ve also worked as Director of Marketing Communications in corporations, ranging from rock-solid Rockwell to “trying to make it on a wing and a prayer” e-commerce start-ups, as well as high-tech companies. And, I’ve run businesses of my own, including the latest, Vim, Vigor & Vassolo LLC, an advertising agency that specializes in creating marketing strategies and communications that resonate with and motivate Baby Boomers. (We also create advertising and marcom for a variety of other clients.)

During the mid-90s, I worked at advertising by day, and at night I earned a master’s degree in Gerontology Counseling followed by a post-graduate professional certificate in the same. I branched out from advertising, because I love to learn, especially cutting-edge stuff. And there’s nothing as unexplored or unknown as the vast implications of what happens when the entire world ages way beyond “normal” expectations. In America, particularly, it represents an unprecedented opportunity for businesses to profit from understanding and meeting the needs of the biggest, richest market segment in the history of the world: The Baby Boomers.

I’m a Boomer my self, of course, and I’ve always been a believer in Positive Aging, even when I was quite young. It’s not an easy thing to embrace wholeheartedly, because life’s challenges can run from merely irritating to quite daunting. But long ago, I learned that Positive Aging is the only way to go, because living lethargically is a waste of breath.

My lifelong commitment to Positive Aging has paid off quite nicely, because it’s helped me achieve a great deal despite the fact that I’ve had Crohn’s disease for 50 years (I’ve also got 15 surgeries under my belt—literally). Through it all, I’ve raised a family, had a long, successful career, and in my spare time, I earned a 7th degree black belt in Kenpo karate, which I taught for over a quarter of a century.

I suppose I could have curled up in a fetal position, and languished, but that would have been a living death. My belief in Positive Aging has kept me interested in the possibilities of tomorrow. As a consequence, I’ve remained as fully engaged as possible with daily life, day after day, decade after decade.

So, although Positive Aging may sound like some New Age mumbo jumbo, Baby Boomers like me are going to demonstrate its real meaning through living rather than lip service. Wait and see. But don’t wait too long, or you’ll miss out on a lot of the upside.

Instead, be among the pioneers who will definitively break the chains of our youth-worshipping culture. Shed your ageist prejudices. Shape your own creative vision of the meaning of the Dawn of the Boomers. Then understand each Boomer as an individual by asking “Who is this guy (or gal) anyway?” If you listen in just the right way—with your third ear—you’ll discover that the answers often reveal the Power of Positive Aging.

GeroMarketing™ Basic #4: Communicate Meaningfully

2009-05-26T05:00:00.002-05:00

There are as many definitions of what’s meaningful as there are people. In gerontology counseling, meaningful communication is crucial because it deepens the therapeutic relationship and helps people understand the roots of conflict, as well as ways to resolve it.

Meaningful communication is equally important when advertising to Baby Boomers. Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that there can be no formula for meaningful communication, because each encounter that a marketer has with a Boomer is a unique experience for both. Often, you have to play it by ear—your third ear, that is. The one that’s so sensitive that it let’s you “hear” what the other two so often miss.

Of course, I have many thoughts on how to meaningfully communicate with Boomers, but I’ll offer just a handful. In no particular order then, here are twenty tidbits to consider.

1. If you don’t talk directly to the Boomers’ individualism, you’re talking to yourself.

2. Substance trumps style.

3. Authenticity puts trendiness to shame.

4. Self-awareness increases your ability to speak with conviction.

5. Humility is important because communication is a mysteriously complex process.

6. Your personal assumptions and interpretations have to take a backseat to what Boomers actually feel, believe and value.

7. Create a positive connection.

8. Find a deft way to combine emotional and intellectual appeals.

9. Don’t be afraid to challenge Boomers. They admire individualism.

10. Be creative. Offer fresh perspectives, innovative angles, new insights and provocative opinions.

11. Offer a Big Idea that Boomers can wrap their minds around and act on.

12. Be cogent. Make your message so compelling that Boomers will motivate themselves to listen to what you’re saying.

13. Be concise. Nobody likes a windbag, so don’t use two words when one will do.

14. Be clear. Revise your writing over and over and over again until your message is perfectly lucid.

15. Create a change, whether it’s in belief, attitude or emotion. Inform, inspire, enrage, educate, just don’t be namby pamby.

16. Since 1926, McCann Erickson’s motto has been “Truth Well Told.” Nothing resonates as convincingly as reality.

17. Strive to communicate in a way that makes Boomers think, “You took the words right out of my mouth.”

18. Don’t insult the Boomers’ intelligence by talking down to them.

19. Avoid stereotypes, especially about age, as if they were the Swine Flu.

20. Be true to yourself and what you have to offer.

I could go on, but it would be more productive if you made your own list to supplement the above. As you do, keep in mind that effective communication doesn’t happen by accident. Carefully assess every single thing you say and the way you say it in your advertising and marcom, and you should be able to communicate meaningfully with Boomers. And that can open the door to the Boomer Buying Center.

GeroMarketing™ Basic #3: Use Research To Form Hypotheses About Boomers.

2009-05-21T05:00:00.004-05:00

In gerontology counseling, the counselor’s active listening and accurate feedback enable clients to clarify issues, so they can effectively address them by using powerful inner resources, like insight and problem-solving. Before that can happen, however, the most salient issues have to be identified. Often, this is a problem for both client and counselor. To meet this challenge, counselors form hypotheses about the client’s behavior after assessing its overt manifestations and intuitively “researching” its hidden roots.

Marketers must do the same before attempting to craft advertising and marketing communications for Baby Boomers. The biggest flaw in forming marketing hypotheses based on research is that too often creativity is shunned in favor of the “safety of numbers,” as if attitudes and values can be measured like height and weight.

Instead of focusing on questions like “What are the most common characteristics of Boomers?”, or “What can we do for Boomers?,” it’s more useful to ask “How does this Boomer perceive him or herself, and what beliefs and values drive his or her motivation?” If you form your marketing hypotheses while looking through the subjective eyes of individual Boomers, you can use your creativity to intuitively connect with what drives their behavior.

The problem is that this seems dangerous if not impossible for most marketers. You can hear their despair in the common lament “I’m just not creative.” That’s a cop out. Everybody’s creative.

What separates creative pros from mere mortals is the ability to confidently and consistently tap into the imaginative power that all human beings are born with. Learn that skill, trust that power, and you’ll be able to boldly form

hypotheses about Boomers that will lead you to the Boomer Buying Center.

GeroMarketing™ Basic #2: Listen Actively.

2009-05-20T05:00:00.001-05:00

This is tricky, because unless you’re in a personal selling situation, you’re not actually face-to-face with the customer. That means in order to hear what Baby Boomers are “saying,” you have to rely on research. But can you depend on it? Ageism is so pervasive that you need to have the acute sensitivity of a gerontology counselor to tease out the valid from the invalid, the truth from the prejudice.

Fortunately, each of us has a third ear that allows us to hear in more discerning ways than the other two do. However, the third ear has to be trained to be useful. That’s what active listening is about.

Active listening can be traced back to Carl Rogers’s client-centered therapy. In counseling, its purpose is to listen so attentively that the therapist can reflect back to the speaker what was heard with a high degree of accuracy. It’s a skill well worth developing, because it’s very useful in countless contexts beyond the therapeutic milieu.

In fact, you can use the principles of active listening to help you develop and implement your marketing communications with Baby Boomers. Learning to use your third ear will help you see the facts and figures derived from Boomer research in a new light. It will give you a more sensitive understanding of the concepts behind the numbers, as well as the feelings associated with them. When you make a concerted effort to be aware of your preconceived notions, feelings and opinions, you can hear a more accurate kind of truth which will help you reach Boomers more effectively.

Next time you’re assessing research, be it quantitative or qualitative, review these four concepts from gerontology counseling to help fine-tune your third ear. They’ll help you form conclusions that resonate with Boomers in ways that facts and figure won’t.

o Empathy happens when you penetrate external perspectives and break through to a clearer understanding of the Boomer’s internal frame of reference. As an empathic listener, you’ll understand the Boomer’s thoughts and feelings in a way that paints a more accurate picture than the obvious conclusions you might otherwise draw from the research.

o Acceptance is empathy’s kissin’ cousin. It entails having respect for each Boomer simply for being him or herself. And when it’s unconditional, it’s a powerful relationship builder, because everyone loves to be loved for just being. Acceptance will help you avoid making value judgments about what the Boomer believes. That, in turn, will encourage the Boomer to let his or her defenses down and become more receptive to hearing what you have to say.

o Congruence is about being genuine, open, and candid. As a congruent listener, you know yourself because you’re in touch with your thoughts and feelings. Rather than pretending to be objective, you don’t mask emotions, you communicate with genuine candor. In advertising and marcom, being that real is exceedingly rare. But Boomers are good at sniffing out artificiality and insincerity, so keep it real.

o Concreteness means focusing on specifics rather than generalities. Be precise about facts, figures, anecdotes—anything you use to try to persuade Boomers to consider what you’re selling. That doesn’t mean you can’t take creative flights of fancy. You just have to make sure that ultimately you return to earth and connect with something real that resonates with Boomers. In the end, being vague is unconvincing. Reality is the only place where productive communication can grow.

Learning to listen actively isn’t easy, but it will help smooth out the often bumpy road to the Boomer Buyer Center. Make the effort, and you’ll reap the rewards.

GeroMarketing™ Basic #1: Establish Rapport.

2009-05-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

Essentially, establishing rapport is about making friends. In counseling, it’s the process of building a continuing relationship based on respect, intellectual and emotional understanding, and empathy. Once established, it encourages the client to trust the counselor and become open and receptive to therapeutic approaches. Without rapport, the chance that counseling will succeed is slim, indeed, although you’d never know it from the way some hyperaggressive talk show “counselors” act.

When communicating with Baby Boomers, establishing rapport is the first step on the road to the Boomer Buying Center. It’s the key to getting Boomers involved with your advertising and marcom, and it’s crucial to all the sales techniques that come after it. But be careful. It can’t be done in an obvious, ham-handed way, or it will be perceived as nothing more than crass manipulation.

Authentic rapport convincingly mirrors the values and world views of the target market, as well as their communication style and diction level. If you ignore these guidelines and try to willfully impose your message on Boomers, you’ll lose them faster than you can say, “Hey, how come that expensive glossy ad didn’t work?”

But, if you can make Boomers feel genuinely understood, they will be more apt to trust you and be open to whatever you’re selling, because you’ve shown that you truly comprehend and respect the way that they see the world. Make it clear that you embrace their values—that you’re on the same wavelength cognitively and emotionally—and you’ll establish the kind of rapport that mere money can’t buy. The bottom line is that real rapport has the power to turn Boomers into more than just friends—it can make them loyal customers, too.

4 GeroMarketing™ Basics that Will Help You Communicate More Effectively with Boomers.

2009-05-18T05:00:00.003-05:00

Effective advertising and marketing communications depend on a number of skills that are similar to those that gerontology counselors use. They may hate to admit it, but cut through the dense academic jungle, and you’ll find that many of the most popular and effective counseling paradigms follow a process that resembles personal selling.

Of course, there are crucial differences between counseling and selling. Authentic psychosocial counseling is inevitably much more complex and volatile than the sales process, and the outcome is far more significant than dollars gained or lost. Furthermore, attempting to follow the ground rules of professional counseling ethics would quickly and permanently cripple any marketer or advertiser. Despite those crucial differences, it’s still useful to consider some of the skills that form the foundation for effective person-to-person communication.

In 1994, there was no name for the marriage of gerontology counseling and marketing communications, so I named it GeroMarketing™. Not too catchy, but descriptive nonetheless. No matter what you call it, master these four basic GeroMarketing skills, and you’ll be well on your way to reaching the Boomer Buying Center, and that can prove to be a very rewarding journey.

1. Establish rapport.
2. Listen actively.
3. Use research to help form hypotheses about Boomers.
4. Communicate meaningfully.

The next four blogs will consider the above as concisely as possible. It would be easy to write volumes about each, but a more important goal is to understand their essence, so you can easily wrap your mind around these concepts and begin to use them effectively in your advertising and marcom. If, in the final analysis, it all seems a bit too touchy-feely for you, hire someone who has a solid counseling skill set, as well as the advertising and marcom experience to help you accomplish your goals.

Benjamin Braddock, The Birth of the Boom, Part 2

2009-05-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

Benjamin Braddock, The Birth of the Boom, Part 1

2009-05-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

Wooing Boomers: Final Step

2009-05-01T05:00:00.001-05:00

Personalize your service. Even if all you sell is paperclips, you’re in a customer service business, so act accordingly. Whether it’s at the retail level or by phone or email, make sure that your service is fast, friendly, attentive and respectful.

Right now, Apple provides stellar customer service at every point of contact from store level through online support. That’s why so many savvy consumers pay a premium for their products.

Give the Boomers all the personal touch they crave, and chances are you’ll get a good buzz going, because Boomers like to share their experiences—good or bad. They’re a fickle group that loves to be wooed, especially by marketers. So, give them all the service they feel entitled to, and they’ll give you their business.

Wooing Boomers: Step 3

2009-04-30T05:00:00.000-05:00

Create a dialogue with them. Every life, be it a person’s or a product’s, is made up of a series of tales. Do a creative exploration, and discover ways to craft stories about how your product intersects with the lives of Boomers. Make them laugh, make them cry, make them feel something about your product, and you’ll have created a priceless connection with Boomers that money can’t buy.

Simple, sincere storytelling is an ancient technique that has resonated with human beings since before Beowulf. Stories have more meaning and staying power than glib slogans and goofy commercials, because they touch a deeper place. In this case, it’s called the Boomer Buying Center.

Wooing Boomers: Step 2

2009-04-29T05:00:00.000-05:00

Shower them with personalized communications. This doesn’t mean merely putting each person’s actual name on a mailing label. It means speaking directly to what each individual Boomer actually needs and wants. So, do your homework, then use your empathic skills and speak to them person to person.

If you’re not quite sure how to do this, find an advertising expert who’s also a gerontology counselor. Then you’ll have the best of both worlds, and a much clearer path to the Boomer Buying Center.

Wooing Boomers: Step 1

2009-04-28T05:00:00.002-05:00

Customize your product’s image for greater Boomer appeal. If you assume that Boomers will buy whatever you’re selling, prepare to go broke. The fact is that you have to do whatever it takes to make your product as appealing as possible to them. That doesn’t mean rebuilding your product from the ground up, but you do have to reposition it in a way that focuses on the Boomers’ needs, wants and fantasies.

For example, let’s say you’re selling tons of iPods to kids, and you want to grow your bottom line by 10%. A dedicated communication campaign directed to the heart of the Boomers’ special interests (stressing podcasts over pure entertainment, for instance) might well garner incremental profits without much heavy lifting. The point is simple: You’ve got to make sure that your product’s image fits their lifestyle, then you’ve got a good shot at making a sale.

Ways to Woo Your Ideal Boomer

2009-04-27T05:00:00.000-05:00

Being a true individualist, the Ideal Boomer seeks to have every need, want, desire and whim catered to in a way that provides genuine value and personalized service. Of course, any consumer would love to be treated so royally. The thing about the Boomers, though, is that they insist on being courted like kings and queens. The reason for this is simple: They have a deep-rooted belief that they’re special—that they are The Entitled Generation.

This attitude is unique in history, at least for so large a group. The generation before the Boomers was tempered by the Great Depression and WWII, so they’ve been content to make due with whatever comes their way. The generation following the Boomers is learning to do the same, because they believe that once the Boomers wring all the dollars out of Social Security, Medicare and other middle class entitlement programs, there will be little left for them. Perhaps they’re right.

The Boomers may have become disillusioned during the ’60s, but they’ve never lost that feeling of entitlement. That’s why they’re among the world’s most demanding consumers. Their motto could be: “We’ll have it our way or no way at all, because we’re entitled.” In short, if you don’t live up to their high expectations, they’ll find somebody else who will.

The next four blogs will cover some ways you can begin to transform hard-to-please Boomers into loyal customers. It’s very challenging, but it can be very rewarding, too.

Who's Your Ideal Boomer?

2009-04-24T05:00:00.001-05:00

The best way to create effective advertising and marcom for the Baby Boomer market is to imagine that you’re speaking person-to-person with each individual. To do that, it helps to have a sense of whom the Ideal Boomer for your product or service might be. After all, the best way to appeal to the needs and desires that drive Boomer buying behavior is to see things through their eyes.

The first step in characterizing your Ideal Boomer is to focus on key facts drawn from reliable research. Of course, facts and figures aren’t flesh and bone, so you’ll need to make a leap of faith if you’re going to understand and reach that Market Of One known as the Baby Boomer. In short, you need an instinctive knowledge of human nature and lots of energetic creativity to get Boomers as excited about whatever you’re selling as you are.

If you’re not comfortable taking leaps of faith and trusting creativity, keep in mind that the world’s most innovative business leaders do exactly that, especially when the stakes are sky high. You’ll find a good example in a recent BusinessWeek article about PepsiCo America’s CEO, Massimo d’Amore. (Blowing Up Pepsi, April 27, 2009; ).

Before Pepsi began redesigning the packaging for its flagship brand, one of the company’s top branding guys, Frank Cooper III stated, “We’re done being all things to all people. We are going to reach out to one very special demographic, the real you. The demographic of people who march to the beat of their own drum…” Hm-m-m, sounds like he could be talking about the Boomers.

The article doesn’t explain how Pepsi is going to figure out exactly who “the real you” is. They’ll probably use some research to validate their creative hunches after they’ve executed the new packaging. That’s often the way it happens, although few care to bluntly admit it. But the fact is that every marketer who aspires to do breakthrough communications has to depend on creativity to cut through the swamp of tiresome executions that pollute the media.

And that creativity has to be meaningful, too. That’s why key facts from research make a good starting pointing, but if those facts aren’t brought to life with an inspired creative touch, they’ll be like millstones around the necks of the “creative” executions. And executions that don’t sink in, quickly sink to the bottom of the turbulent sea of media that permeates our world.

So, do your best to tightly define and characterize your Ideal Boomer, but keep in mind that your rough caricature is only a launching pad for the creative process. Your success will depend on how effectively and creatively you can convince Boomers that your products and services will help them validate and celebrate their individuality. Do that, and your advertising and marcom will resonate like the real thing, reaching what Pepsi might call “the real you” inside each Boomer.

The Trouble with Research

2009-04-23T05:00:00.001-05:00

Characterizing target markets is older than advertising. Way older. The first successful cave-to-cave salesman had an instinct for sizing up potential customers like Ms.Og before she ever rolled back her front boulder for him. He did this by drawing on what he knew about human nature, and creatively applying it on an individual basis, person to person. Might seem primitive, but it’s still the most effective way to reach human beings.

Trouble is, business loves numbers, because quantification seems to make slippery subjects easier to grasp, and there’s some truth to that. However, the numbers game is too often used as a shield rather than a creative tool. Insecure marketers turn to numbers to justify decisions in the event things don’t go exactly as planned. After all, it’s a lot easier to hide behind a phalanx of figures than take the brunt of the blame for a blown call.

Of course, market research has come a long way since the dawn of selling. Today, it’s a quasi-science that can drown a well-meaning marketer in minutia. Ask any research guru to describe a key market segment, and you’ll get an encyclopedic recounting of facts and figures, with the kitchen sink thrown in. It may be comprehensive, but it’s not lifelike. And lifeless stats make for lifeless messaging in advertising and marcom, two disciplines that thrive on instinctive creativity.

Collecting data has always been the easiest part of market research. It’s knowing what to do with the raw numbers and tenuous conclusions that really counts. From the looks of most of the ads and marcom currently being spoon-fed to Baby Boomers, few marketers know how to separate useless factoids from the meaningful ones. Obvious research conclusions lead to obvious messaging, which leads to boredom, and you can’t bore Boomers into buying.

(As an aside, I recall an expensive, and very time-consuming study that once revealed that people wanted a lawnmower that lets them cut their grass quickly and easily. That was the bottom line conclusion! The creative group I headed up at the time didn’t find that very informative or inspiring, but at least we had a lot less time to get the commercials done and on the air.)

So, next time you’re faced with a solid block of research, make like Michelangelo and chisel away everything that doesn’t look like David. That takes real creativity, but if you can do it, you can be sure that you won’t weigh down your creative executions with stuff that doesn’t engage and resonate with your target market.

I’ve been in this business for decades, so I know that research can be valuable in fashioning a rough caricature of the Boomers, but if you want to reach their Buying Center consistently, you’ll have to ferret out the things that really matter. Then you’ll have to speak to the Boomers’ individuality with insight and imagination, framing your messaging in ways that reaches them where they really live.

If you can do that clearly, concisely, creatively and cogently, you’ll succeed. If you can’t, all the facts and figures in the world won’t help a bit.

Boomer Marketing Around the Blogosphere: part 2

2009-04-22T05:00:00.009-05:00

In a second installment of Baby Boomer Marketing around the web, here's Chuck Nyren's Blog. It's called Advertising to Baby Boomers and he's been at this for about 4 years.

If you follow his blog, the logic is self evident and right on the mark. Chuck explores numerous examples of how marketing to Boomers makes sense. More importantly he demonstrates how if you don't market to Boomers, you're not as bright as you think you are.

I like this one from earlier this year about how Chico's catalog skewed too young with their models, turned off customers and got the CEO fired. Read it here.

Or try this one from last year. Chuck writes about the Madison Avenue trend of portraying Boomers in black and white images, as if "we're merely characters in a handful of Woody Allen movies." Read it here.

Thanks to Chuck's blog I can finally prove I'm not crazy about this Baby Boomer Marketing thing.

Also check out Chuck's book, Advertising to Baby Boomers. It'll change the way you think about us, once and for all.

Boomer Marketing Around the Blogosphere

2009-04-21T05:00:00.002-05:00

Don't just take my word for it. Marketing to Baby Boomers is potentially big business... not to mention SMART business.

Bob Hoffman, the self-described cranky CEO of Hoffman/Lewis in San Francisco, writes in his book The Ad Contrarian, about advertisers aiming their message too young:

Of all the dumb things that advertisers do, perhaps dumbest of all is aiming their message too young.

There seems to be an irresistible urge for marketers to target young people despite monumental evidence that older people have far more money, are more willing to change brand loyalties, are far easier to reach, and all-in-all make better customers.

Of course, there are some products that rely on the youth market for their survival. But for most companies, targeting young people is simply senseless. When’s the last time you saw a car ad with an old person in it? And yet, of the 13 cars the average American will buy in a lifetime, 8 of them will be bought after the age of 50.

The rationale for always showing young people in ads is the stale canard that older people want to be like younger people. In fact, not only do older people not want to be like younger ones but in a recent study half said they tune out when they see a spot pitched to young people and one-third say they actively avoid products whose ads are directed at younger people.

The worst and perhaps most pervasive rationale for targeting young people is the notion that if you get them young you’ll have them for life. This is the idiotic “lifetime value” argument that spawned the dearly departed “new economy.” Someone please show me one 50-year-old who drives the same car, drinks the same beverages, wears the same clothes, or eats the same food he did at 16. I mean, besides my brother-in-law.

Some facts about people over 50:
• They make up 29% of the population.
• They control 77% of financial assets.
• They control 50% of all discretionary spending.
• They watch 50% more television.
• They are the target for 10% of all advertising.

There are only two possible explanations for the above. Either advertisers are crazy or they are hopelessly out of touch with, and prejudiced against, the people who economically control this country.

Since I don’t think they’re crazy, the explanation has to be the latter. They have become so used to accepting the 30-years-out-of-date wisdom that every brand has to be “youthful”; they are so used to young and hip advertising winning all the awards; and they are so sure that the rest of the world is just like them that they are blind to what is perfectly evident to anyone who looks at this objectively.

Not only is most advertising not appealing to the people who have and spend most of the money but it’s alienating them with imagery, values, and cultural references that are actively disliked and resented.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Check out Bob's blog for more cranky opinions on the ad business.

Continued tomorrow with Chuck Nyren and his Advertising to Boomers blog.

Positive Aging Around the Blogosphere

2009-04-20T05:00:00.014-05:00

Richard Ambrosius is an evangelist and pioneer for Positive Aging Marketing for over 30 years.

In 1981, he helped launch a movement by founding a company specializing in marketing to those in life’s second half using an approach he called Positive Aging. He was among the first consultants in the nation to specialize in the maturing market and aggressively counter aging stereotypes through his research, products, articles, lectures and workshops.

Read his poignant words about Positive Aging and the effect it can have on your marketing initiatives below:

The Pathway to Happiness - Turns Out to be Aging by Richard Ambrosius-

With all the focus in recent commercials on nostalgia to attract Boomers, one would think the road to happiness lies in the past and not the future. Or, I suppose you could conclude that older adults have been waiting for Baby Boomers to get older to show the rest of those in life's third stage how to "reinvent" retirement. as some pop culture consultants claim. Once again, it seems the consultants and Madison Avenue types trapped in yesterday's youth paradigms are wrong...again... or should I say still when it comes to understanding older consumers.

According to a 2006 University of Michigan Study, the belief that younger people are happier, a belief which is shared by the old and young, is just another myth or aging factoid. It would seem that older people "misremember" how happy they were as youths and young people "mis-predict" how happy or unhappy they will be as they age. While the young know older people are unhappy, they don't see themselves as unhappy in later life.... (finish the article)

Individualism: The Boomers' Core Value

2009-04-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

Although much has been written about the relevance of Boomer values to marketing, it’s still virtually impossible to predict the buying behavior of so large and diverse a group. Most researchers agree that Boomers value flexibility, enthusiasm, relevance, questioning, active participation, informality, optimism and personal autonomy. They may well value all those things and more, but individualism is their most stable, long-term value, serving as the guiding light for the decisions they make.

Of course, many other values can play a role in influencing Boomer buying behavior, but those values revolve in constellations around the core of individualism, radiating out from the most to least important. That means when it comes to how and what they buy, Boomers will have things their way, regardless of what the rest of the world may think.

The roots of this individualism were established during the ’60s, when the Boomers rejected traditional standards that limited the way previous generations thought and acted, and they haven’t looked back. As a result, Boomers tend to place their goals and desires over those of the community or nation. And they won’t tolerate being manipulated or meddled with when making decisions. Trying to dictate to them is worse than futile, because it can lead to a perceived lack of respect, which can result in the worst kind of word-of-mouth advertising imaginable. Diss the Boomers, and they’ll let the world know.

So, as you navigate the rugged terrain of reason and emotion that leads to the Boomers’ Buying Center, keep in mind that road is paved with individualism. Also remember two other things. First, reason may help Boomers rationalize the “Why” of buying in their minds, but emotion validates the decision at gut level. Second, while individualism and other values may lead the way to the Buying Center, it takes the finesse of a counselor with advertising and marcom experience and expertise to open the door.

What's a "Market Segment of One?"

2009-04-16T05:00:00.001-05:00

The expression “A Market Segment of One” might sound like marketing mumbo jumbo, but it’s an easy, reliable way to remember that although Baby Boomers share many common values, the most important is individualism. Given their experiences during the ’60s, “typical” Boomer values revolve around a strong ego that stresses independence and self-reliance. Honor their robust sense of self by speaking meaningfully with each individual Boomer, and you’ll have a good chance of moving that person from apathy to action.

A major mistake that many traditional marketers make is clustering Boomers together in convenient market segments that only superficially recognize their individuality. Herding Boomers like that might provide a loose sense of what they’re like as a group, but it won’t necessarily facilitate connecting with their Buying Centers. A better approach is to understand, embrace and celebrate each Boomer’s uniqueness.

Get inside the individual’s head. Share that person’s thoughts and feelings in an intimate way. Use authentic words and images that resonate with and engage that person on intellectual and emotional levels. Do all that, and you’ll begin to understand what it means to address Boomers as “A Market Segment Of One.”

Of course, trying to precisely define “A Market Segment Of One” is as tough as trying to pin down what each individual Boomer is actually like. It’s certainly not easy, but it’s not impossible. And learning how to do it is the key to unlocking the hidden profit potential in your products and services.

Advertising and Marcom Thought Starters From Gerontology Counseling

2009-04-15T05:00:00.002-05:00

Here are four key things you should think about if you’re planning on marketing to Baby Boomers. Let them really soak in, and you’ll find they’ll help jump-start brainstorming sessions that spark innovative advertising and marcom strategies and tactics.

Ageism:

Research indicates that this prejudice is even more pervasive than racism. Succumb to it, and you’re doomed. Not only is it illegal and immoral, it’s just plain stupid. If there’s one thing Boomers won’t stand for, it’s being labeled in moribund ways that suggest they’re anything other than vibrant individuals. To succeed with Boomers, you must replace this repellent prejudice with new, uplifting concepts based firmly on various aspects of Positive Aging.

Motivational Interviewing:

This counseling paradigm is ideal for conceptualizing advertising and marketing communication campaigns. It’s all about moving people from being unaware through ambivalence toward positive action. Choose and use the most appropriate principles from this paradigm for each of your products and services, and you’ll help Boomers motivate themselves to buy your brands.

Reframing:

This is a fundamental technique of motivational interviewing, as well as other counseling paradigms, and it can help change the way that Boomers see your products and services. It’s not easy, but if you can develop strategies and tactics that redefine concepts (especially those commonly considered negative) in new ways that resonate with and excite Boomers, you can begin to motivate them to seriously consider what you’re selling.

Taking A Holistic Approach:

Boomers are very well educated, thoughtful and sensitive people who see themselves in multiple dimensions, and that’s exactly how you should look at them, too. Assess your products and services in terms of how they might appeal to Boomers in an integrated way, taking into account their physical, mental, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions. And you also need to keep in mind that all the while you’re communicating with “A Market Segment of One.”

Of course, simply reading the above isn’t enough. You need to write down what you think and how you feel about these subjects. In addition, you should do the same with these ideas: What’s Attractive?, What’s Quality?, What’s Wellness?, What’s Positive Aging? Let your observations sit overnight, then look at them with an analytical eye, and ask: Can my own thinking use a little reframing. Would that lead to more realistic attitudes that would help my products and services connect more meaningfully with Boomers?

Boomers Turn Branding Upside Down

2009-04-14T05:00:00.003-05:00

Boomers are bright, opinionated and socially connected, so they’ll decide what your brand means rather than having you or some trendsetter define it for them. As a marketer, your challenge is to craft ways that will encourage Boomers to spread the good word about your products and services to friends and neighbors. That means you’ve got to be a good reporter, as well as an engaging storyteller, and it doesn’t hurt to have a good sense of humor, as well. With the Boomers, the trite idea that the customer is always right becomes a literal truth, because, as always, they’ll have it their way, thanks.

Ultimately, you’ve got to really understand the Boomers on many levels to reach them. You need to be as sensitive as a counselor and as dynamic as an advertising creative director. A rare combination, but not unheard. If you find that kind of resource, you can begin to help Boomers see your brand in a more meaningful light.

When it Comes to Marketing to Baby Boomers, it Pays to Think Like a Shrink.

2009-04-13T01:02:00.000-05:00

Or at least think like a bona fide gerontology counselor. That means going beyond the conventional wisdom of conventional research about Boomers, and listening to their needs, deeply and actively. You’ll begin to genuinely appreciate how they think and feel. Then you’ll be able to communicate with them in respectful, insightful ways that motive them to act.

It also helps if you’ve lived through the developmental stages that Boomers have. The sad fact is that the overwhelming majority of younger people simply don’t have the life experience that allows them to go beyond an intellectual understanding of what the Boomers are all about. And it shows in the advertising strategies and tactics that they use.

Strange as it may seem, this is the one area of advertising and marketing where gray hair isn’t just necessary, it’s indispensable. When it comes to establishing rapport with an audience, there’s no substitute for careful listening and insightful messaging based on shared life experiences. As many sincere marketers and advertisers have found, superficial communications simply won’t fly with sophisticated consumers like the Boomers.

The most powerful advertising and marketing communication campaigns resonate with independence, identity, authenticity and community, four things Boomers hold sacred. And, of course, you always have to keep in mind the most important values of all: Individualism, because each Boomer is a “Market Segment of One.”

Think Like a Counselor, Sell Like an Ad Exec.

2009-04-09T19:58:00.004-05:00

When marketing to Baby Boomers you need to know how to reach each person as a unique individual. In a very real sense, you have to have the depth and breadth of understanding and empathy that a counselor has.

Of course, there are many gerontology counselors who know how to communicate quite effectively with Boomers, but they don’t know a thing about advertising or marketing communications. Use one of them as a consultant, and you’re likely to get lots of statistics and some psychobabble, but very little practical advice you can use in selling to Boomers.

Likewise, there are lots of great ad execs, including very talented writers and art directors, who can sell anything you can name, but they don’t know a thing about how to communicate effectively with Boomers. To make matters worse, the vast majority of them have no desire to even try. Instead they go for what they believe to be the easy money, focusing on over-leveraged impulse buyers like trendy teens and post-adolescent consumers.

In order to penetrate the Boomer market, you need the help of professionals who are as adept at gerontology counseling as they are at advertising and marcom. Of course, in the business world, that combination of experience and expertise is rare, indeed, but it’s out there.

For instance, in the fall of 1994, an advertising Creative Director who shall go unnamed, wrote about what he then called GeroMarketing. Pretty uninspired name for an ad guy, but better than Industrial Gerontology, which was suggested by one of his professors. As he developed the concept, he renamed it Creative Gero Marketing because it married key principles of creative advertising and marcom with those of gerontology counseling. Fifteen years later, the concepts he refined as a result of this synthesis have helped him and his agency devise unique ways of reaching, speaking to and motivating Boomers in authentic, effective ways.

Taking his pioneering effort to the next level has proven to be very exciting. Frustrating, too. But it’s worth the effort, because as he’s learned, thinking like a counselor and selling like an ad exec can be very rewarding in more ways than one.

Positive Aging Can Increase Sales for Virtually Any Business.

2009-04-08T23:41:00.004-05:00

But before you can change your profit outlook you have to change your mindset. In order to embrace the concept of Positive Aging, you have to transform the way you think about and relate to Boomers. It begins with breaking stereotypes, but that’s just the beginning.

Your strategy and tactics have to be grounded in a genuine respect for each Boomer’s individualism. Your advertising and marcom have to be brimming with concepts that conjure enthusiastic images of Positive Aging. Your writing and visual executions have to energize Boomers with messages that reflect vitality and independence. Understand and adapt to the Boomer mindset, and you can develop new markets, expanding the profit-making potential of your products and services.

And, if you think your products and services can’t be profitably repositioned against the Boomer market, you haven’t creatively searched for the opportunities that are right under your nose. The Boomer Strategy Audit™ is an innovative way to reconsider brands in a new light in order to discover incremental profit-making opportunities. It’s also an engaging, exciting and valuable tool for brainstorming innovative approaches to the Boomer market.

When you do a Boomer Strategy Audit, you’ll discover that it’s like the difference between panning for the occasional gold nugget and striking the mother-lode of increased sales.

Why It's Simply Good Business to Embrace Positive Aging when Marketing to Baby Boomers.

2009-04-07T21:34:00.007-05:00

Historically, aging has been seen as a time of increasing disability and frailty inexorably leading to death, but the Boomers refuse to accept that point of view. That’s why the new paradigm of Positive Aging positively resonates with them. That’s also why advertising and marketing communications that mirror Positive Aging’s many facets can profoundly influence Boomer buying decisions.

So, if you haven’t already done it, the smart move now is to take a close look at your products and services, and ask yourself how you can reposition them toward the burgeoning Boomer market. Of course, this isn’t to suggest that you walk away from your current markets. No, it’s about adding profitable sales in ways you might never have dreamt possible.

What makes this new opportunity so lucrative is that there’s a new methodology that can help add incremental profits that will grow your bottom line. It’s the Boomer Strategy Audit™, and it can help virtually any business grow in almost any economic climate, because it can help you apply the principles of Positive Aging to your advertising and marcom.

Baby Boomer Marketing: The Most Promising Opportunity in American History

2009-04-07T00:51:00.008-05:00

The Baby Boomers are causing a seismic shift in purchasing patterns, transforming markets and creating new ones from coast to coast. They’re 75 million strong, and they spend over $2 trillion dollars yearly on everything from pharmaceuticals to fashion.

Right now, the Boomers are sitting on more expendable income than any other group of consumers, and they’re hitting their peak spending years.

Somehow, though, the vast majority of marketers keep overlooking them in favor of trendy teens and post-adolescent consumers. But this is just foolish, and it is rooted in ageism.

If you consider yourself a savvy marketer, you can’t afford to think this way and pass up the countless profit-making opportunities brought about by the blossoming of the Boomers.

If you want to market to this group of individualists, you need to go well beyond merely devising strategies and tactics. You need to execute advertising and integrated marcom programs that reflect their values and culture to ensure that your communications resonate with them.

And you can only do this by dispelling antiquated notions of what aging means, replacing them with values, attitudes, strategies, copy and visuals based on the power of Positive Aging.

If You Don't Speak Directly to Baby Boomer Values... You Won't be Heard.

2009-04-05T21:56:00.011-05:00

As we've discussed earlier, Baby Boomer Marketing can be hard to navigate without the right guide. Although the most important Boomer value is individualism, it helps to consider a handful of other values that underlie common themes in the world of gerontology counseling.

Personal Significance…every Boomer feels that he or she is capable of making a real mark in this world, and you’ve got to convince them that you believe the very same thing.

Quality…they’re intelligent, well-informed and picky about what they buy. They know quality when they see, and they’re more than willing to pay a premium for it. That’s why you’ve got to convince them that you can deliver the best possible products and services at a fair price.

Inner strength…they know who they are and what they’re about, and this self-knowledge helps them make their own choices with confidence. Your communications have to convince them that you celebrate their empowerment by treating them with respect rather than lip service.

Respect…Boomers simply won’t tolerate feeling marginalized. Not only have they accomplished a great deal in their lives, they also have big plans. You’ve got to convince them that you understand that they want more out of life than simply a comfortable rocking chair on life’s back porch.

Empathy…they may be self-centered, but Boomers also care about others, often very deeply. To connect on a meaningful level, you must convince them that you share their care.

Substance with style…you can’t fool Boomers with flashy fads like you can most younger consumers, but that doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate style. They do. But it has to have real substance behind it.

Optimal health and wellness…Boomers don’t expect to die young or unwell, for that matter. They expect to live a vigorous life, brimming with energy and enthusiasm. And they’ll love you for sharing that expectation and showing them the way.

Authenticity …living through the Sixties and beyond has caused Boomers to crave genuine experiences that make them feel fully alive and connected to others, as well as their deepest roots. Their search for authenticity is inextricably interwoven with their search for meaning and happiness. Learn to tap into these primal values, and you’ll be communicating with their souls.

To turn Boomers into buyers, you need to embrace and reflect these values in your advertising and marketing communications. And never forget that you need to cloak these values in individualism, because ultimately, you’re communicating with a Market Segment Of One.

What's a Baby Boomer Value?

2009-04-03T00:15:00.004-05:00

That’s a challenging question, because Boomer values are as diverse as the people themselves. It’s tempting to succumb to the easy answers provided by current research, but trying to neatly categorize these iconoclasts can lead to dead ends that waste time and marketing dollars.

If the Boomers have anything in common, it’s a deep mistrust of authoritarianism. This mistrust is justified given the political and social turmoil of the 1960s, when America’s biggest cities burned, beloved leaders were gunned down, and the war in Vietnam raged on. As a result, the tranquility of the 1950s quickly gave way to a divided country that was part battleground, part cauldron of change.

The Boomers questioned the most sacred societal values, and the sentiment behind the slogan “Never trust anyone over 30” almost became “Never trust anyone.” Shaken loose from mainstream moorings, each Boomer was left to create a unique path in life. This led to a kind of individualism that’s often been mistaken for total selfishness when it’s more like a very active autonomy.

Deep-seated individualism makes Boomers hard to pin down in terms of values, and typical research is of little help. A quick google reveals that this research offers the following as Boomer values: Good health, fitness, functionality, well-being, close relationships with family and friends, altruism, kindness, compassion, self-respect, spirituality, intellectual curiosity, fun, happiness, financial security, power, recognition, excitement, balance, civility, conservatism and liberalism. Well, that really narrows it down. Imagine trying to talk one-to-one to a Boomer Consumer using that kind of research as a guiding light for your advertising and marcom.

Fact is, the best way to reach the Boomers is to consider them a “Market Segment of One.” Then you can go about the business of addressing each one of them as individuals who have unique paths that lead to their Buying Centers. It’s a little more work, but it can be quite lucrative.

How to Reach the Baby Boomers' "Buying Center"

2009-04-01T23:06:00.002-05:00

When thinking about marketing to Baby Boomers, remember values inspire and inform Positive Aging. As people mature, their values tend to move from materialistic to meaningful. That’s why the Boomers’ reasons for buying are more than skin deep, and motivating them to purchase takes more than trendy techniques. It takes genuine communication based on a sensitive understanding of what drives Boomers to act.

Marketers who don’t understand and respect Boomer values risk making them feel marginalized, and that’s a recipe for disaster. Commoditized research can help identify and clarify Boomer values, but knowing how to address them in genuinely sensitive and meaningful ways takes a unique skill set which encompasses advertising and marketing communications, as well as gerontology counseling.

Why gerontology counseling? Well, to engage and motivate Boomers, you have to precisely identify and communicate with the issues that go to the heart of the matter—their “buying center,” if you will. That’s where Boomers ultimately make their purchasing decisions. However, the journey to that special place, where reason and emotion converge, is complex and confusing, unless you have the guidance of a counselor who knows how to understand and empathize with Boomers. Once you reach their Buying Center, you have to communicate in a way that motivates Boomers to take action. That’s where advertising and marcom expertise come into play.

Finding all of that experience and expertise in one place may seem futile. Or it might be right under your nose.

Two Myths About Marketing to Baby Boomers

2009-04-01T00:06:00.012-05:00

If you market to Baby Boomers or plan on it, here is something interesting you should know:

On January 7th 2009, TNS Compete and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced a new joint study, "Greying Gadgets: How Older Americans Shop for and Use Consumer Electronics."

The study reveals that the age segments of 50-somethings, 60-somethings and 70+ use many technologies at or near comparable rates as younger age segments. Consumers in their 50s are as likely to own, or plan on buying, an HDTV as those under 50. Eighty percent of 60-somethings used a cell phone in the past week, nearly equal the usage rates of 18-34 year olds. Additionally, 71 percent of 60-somethings and 52 percent of 70-somethings used a search engine in the past week, compared to 77 percent of 18-34 year olds.

The study also revealed that older Americans rely more heavily on in-person information sources for purchasing electronics products. Sixty-three percent spoke with a sales associate in-person when researching their consumer electronics purchase, compared to 47 percent of those aged 18-49. (to read the full report)

This study points out two very important facts about Boomers. First, that they embrace technology as much as any other generation. And second, that they demand one-on-one interaction when making a purchase.

In other words, they like gadgets and they want to be treated as an individual consumer not as a mass market- two more myths about Baby Boomers shattered.

Baby Boomers Bask in Reflected Images of Positive Aging

2009-03-30T23:51:00.003-05:00

You can’t successfully market to Baby Boomers until you understand, embrace and communicate Positive Aging in a creative and deeply respectful way. To do that, you have to change the way you think about and relate to Boomers. It begins with banishing ageism and disregarding stereotypes, but that’s not enough. Your writing and visual executions have to energize Boomers with messages that reflect the hallmarks of Positive Aging, like vitality, independence and commitment. Understand and appreciate the Boomer mindset, and you can develop new markets, expanding your business’ profit-making potential.

To accomplish this, though, you can’t just focus on market segments. Instead, you must focus on individuals, because when you’re talking to Boomers, you have to do it person-to-person, or you can ring up No Sale. Don’t be tempted to clump Boomers together. Instead, seek to understand, embrace and celebrate each person’s uniqueness, because that’s the key to reaching Boomers where they make their buying decisions.

Of course, speaking to Boomers with authentic, value-based communications is just part of what it takes to reflect the various aspects of Positive Aging that resonate. These people are highly individualistic, so you will have to take a Boomer-Centered Approach that will allow you to address each and every prospect in your target market in a genuinely personal way.

And if you think your products and services can’t be profitably repositioned against the Baby Boomer market, you haven’t effectively searched for the opportunities that are right under your nose. If that’s the case, you need to do a brand audit, carefully looking at what you have to offer until you create a position that strikes the mother lode with Boomers. Think of it as panning for gold—a way to help you discover the hidden profit potential that can help grow your bottom line in any economic climate.

To do this, of course, you’ll need the help of that unique someone who has decades of advertising and marketing communications experience, as well as professional training in gerontology counseling, and a little gray hair, too. Find that someone, and you’ll begin to prosper in ways you’ve never imagined possible.

How to Reach those Affluent Baby Boomers.

2009-03-29T21:27:00.003-05:00

If you’re in marketing or advertising, the key to reaching the Baby Boomers lies in knowing how to talk to them with insight and sensitivity. The most affluent Boomers are Positive Agers who are worldly, well-educated and discerning. They’re also self-centered, self-directed and more than a little vain. That’s why effectively communicating with them often requires intelligent, plausible reframing of issues that sometimes have negative connotations, and that can be very tricky.

Research can help in understanding the Boomers, but in their hearts and souls they defy categorization, so it’s best to consider them a Group Of One. A glance at their history shows that they’re diehard individualists who make buying decisions on their own terms not someone else’s—least of all some faceless corporation that’s urging them to buy, buy, buy!

If you’re a marketer and you understand that, then you’ll act accordingly and prosper. Chances are, though, you’re going to need wise counsel to motivate the Boomers to buy, because when it comes to advertising and marcom, they’ve seen and heard it all.

So, if you’d like to get a piece of the Boomer market, you’re going to need the help of someone with decades of experience and expertise in advertising and marketing communications. And that someone must also have professional training in gerontology counseling, because that’s the best preparation for knowing how to talk about the issues of aging, realistically and with a positive tone. And it helps if that someone is also a Boomer, because living the life is completely different than just studying it.

Finding and working with a resource like that will help you to not only understand Boomers but communicate with them in meaningful ways that resonate on levels where emotional decisions are made and motivation is born. Reach Boomers where they live, and it’s highly likely that they’ll carefully consider what you have to say and what you’re selling. And, if you’re really skillful, you might even motivate them to buy.

The Most Self-Hating Form of Prejudice

2009-03-26T22:23:00.004-05:00

If you’re black, you’ll never be white.

If you’re male, you’ll never be female.

But no matter what your age, some day you’ll be old.

That’s why you should start purging yourself of the most pervasive, pernicious prejudice of all: Ageism.

This isn’t to imply that other forms of prejudice aren’t destructive; it’s simply the recognition that ageism is unique because it can victimize every living person. The undeniable fact that each person must grow old is what makes ageism the most self-destructive, self-hating form of prejudice that’s ever existed. Ageism is diametrically opposed to Positive Aging, because it’s impossible to live constructively while courting what is essentially self-loathing. If you hate aging, on some level you hate yourself. That’s a fact.

Fear and ignorance form the foundation of all prejudice, and ageism is no exception, because people who indulge in ageism project their fears of aging on older adults. They’re afraid of growing old, because it seems to be filled with land mines. Positive Agers understand that although they will certainly face countless challenges, the life skills they’ve developed give them the ability to live a fulfilling life under any circumstances. Because they’ve acquired the resources to cope, they have the courage to live life to the fullest. To them, age becomes just another number that they seldom even think about.

So, if you want to be a Positive Ager, you must take an honest look within yourself and root out ageism in all its manifestations. And, if you’re not sure exactly what ageism is, learn about it, because your future well-being is on the line. Unlike other things you fear, you can’t segregate yourself from aging. You have to deal with it, because it will most certainly deal with you. (Of course, if you don’t age, you won’t have problems, because you won’t be around.)

The Baby Boomers have lived through the volatile, turbulent ’60s, when the struggle for racial equality was at its most passionate. They know the destructive power of prejudice, and they’re showing signs that they simply won’t tolerate ageism. In fact, the next Civil Rights movement may well address ageism in all its forms, and Boomers will lead the way, because they are, after all, revolutionaries at heart.

What Positive Agers Know

2009-03-26T00:43:00.006-05:00

Positive Agers know the difference between growing as you become older and simply growing older.

They know that successful Positive Aging isn’t about adding years to your life; it’s about personal growth and making the most of what life offers under any and all circumstances.

Positive Agers also know that it’s not about dodging every bullet; it’s about avoiding frailty by cultivating a healthful lifestyle that enhances physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being.

Cultivating various aspects of Positive Aging prepares them to meet the inevitable challenges that come with everyday life— challenges that seem to increase over time.

They know that wear and tear can’t be completely defeated, but becoming worn and torn can be. Positive Agers know how to face infirmity with flexibility. They know that the facts of physical aging dictate that their sense of well-being must lie beyond the limits of their bodies, even as they struggle to live in them.

“Old age ain’t no place for sissies,” according to a quote from Bette Davis.

It’s an adage that rings true, because there’s simply no substitute for courage in creating a positive lifestyle. But you need more than that. To be a Positive Ager, you need a sensible strategy and effective tactics to develop and maintain optimism, hope and perseverance. In the final analysis, Positive Agers know that growing as they become older is vastly preferable to simply growing older.

Why Positive Aging Resonates with Baby Boomers

2009-03-25T09:55:00.003-05:00

Boomers embrace Positive Aging because the idea that all good things are possible—indeed, inevitable—for them has been virtually programmed into their psychosocial DNA. People who don’t understand Boomers see them as extremely self-centered, but they also tend to be much more altruistic than previous generations. That has important implications for marketers who target them.

For insight into why Boomers seem so self-centered, google psychologist Carl Rogers & unconditional positive regard. Humanist psychologists like Rogers believed that unconditional positive regard and acceptance would provide optimal conditions for personal growth. During the Boomers’ formative years, the concept of unconditional positive regard was promoted in education and child-rearing, becoming a guiding light for their teachers and parents.

Unconditional positive regard holds that everyone has the innate ability to improve without changing who they actually are. Although it’s true that unconditional positive regard and acceptance can lead to unadulterated selfishness, simply being self-centered isn’t as negative as it sounds. In fact, it can be quite beneficial when it empowers a person to nurture self-esteem and optimism. That alone can be a driving force that energizes focused actions which enhance the individual’s well-being. And that’s one of the reasons why so many Boomers have a distinct preference for Positive Aging.

What You Think About Aging is Crucial

2009-03-23T20:42:00.005-05:00

Fact is, what you think about anything is of great importance, because to a significant degree, what you think largely determines your life experience. The idea that you are what you think has been around for millennia. Almost two thousand years ago, Marcus Aurelius wrote, “A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.” Much more recently, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A man is what he thinks about all day long.” Seems obvious, yet how often do you really think about what you think?

It’s an important question, because the difference between seeing various aspects of aging in a positive versus a negative light can be like the difference between heaven and hell. Of course, there are certainly lots of very potentially troubling things that can come with aging, from physical to psychosocial challenges. That’s why reframing negative perceptions in a constructive way is a key ingredient in Positive Aging. Reframing teaches you that you can control how you think about reality—that you can see negatives more positively or eliminate them altogether.

Of course, reframing doesn’t happen by accident. It takes consistent effort, but it’s worth it when you consider the enhanced quality of life it can bring. If you’re unconvinced, compare your models for positive and negative aging. Do they seem happy and fulfilled or cranky and frustrated? What is it about their lives that makes them that way? Does it have anything to do with the way they perceive reality?

The bottom line question is: What will you choose for yourself? Will you actively embrace the ways of Positive Aging or drift into a negative way of life? One thing is certain: The choices you make about what you think will color your days, no matter what your age.

How Do You Define Positive Aging?

2009-03-23T12:21:00.002-05:00

The way you define Positive Aging becomes crucial as you grow older, because if you don’t think for yourself, you’ll end up accepting stereotypes that will erode your sense of well-being. To begin to define Positive Aging for yourself, you must clearly identify and then stay in touch with how you feel about various aspects of aging.

Coming to terms with the way you think about aging will help you redefine and refine the way you age. So, start by making a written list of five negative beliefs you have about aging and five positive ones. How realistic are those beliefs? Which have the greatest influence on the quality of your life and the way you act? Which strengthen your sense of well-being? Which diminish it? Do your beliefs indicate that you buy into cultural stereotypes about aging, or do you clearly think things through for yourself? Do you feel your beliefs are set in stone, or can they be modified?

Finally, pick the single most important negative belief that you have about aging, and ask yourself how you can modify or eliminate it. Then pick the single most important positive belief, and ask yourself how you can use it as a building block for growth. This is the beginning of your Path to Positive Aging.

Staying in Touch with the Present Moment is Tough

2009-03-19T23:02:00.002-05:00

Living in the present moment may seem more than tough; it may seem impossible, but before you give up on even trying, consider the alternatives. You can dwell in the past, reliving the “good” and brooding about the “bad,” but both of those outcomes are dead ends. Chronically living in the future is even worse, because it’s doomed to be a concoction of fantasies about “good” and “bad” things that might happen, but seldom do. Two more dead ends.

Being in the moment, on the other hand, allows you to partake of reality as it actually is. It may not always be pleasant, but it’s more rewarding than wasting the here and now on distorted thinking about what was or what might be.

Staying in touch with the moment is key to escaping the prison of letting life just “happen” to you. It helps you silence the incessant chatter of “thinking” and plumb the depths of what actually is. The more you can accurately perceive reality, the more you can maximize the possibility that you’ll make the most of your life at any given moment. And that’s what Positive Living is all about, no matter how you define it.

What's Reality Got To Do With Positive Aging?

2009-03-19T09:40:00.004-05:00

It may seem odd to ask about the nature of reality in everyday life, but it’s worth contemplating, if only because we so infrequently attempt to tease out the genuine facts from the fictions created by our magpie minds. The best way to learn how to do this is to sit quietly and follow your breathing, gently bringing your attention back to it when your mind inevitably wanders. This practice has been around for millennia, and if you can work up to 20 or 30 minutes a day, you’ll discover the rewards are more than worth the time invested.

Mindful meditation is well-known as a stress management technique, but it’s so much more than that. It’s actually the simplest, surest way to get in touch with and stay in touch with objective reality, from moment to moment. What’s that got to do with Positive Aging? Everything, because you can’t begin to wrap your mind and body around something as elusive as Positive Aging, unless and until you become adept at living in the present. Once you do that, you can begin to lead your life fully awake to the possibilities of the moment, and that’s the essence of Positive Aging.

How To Recognize Reality

2009-03-18T09:42:00.002-05:00

Living in the present moment requires that you experience the immediate reality that’s right under your nose. Any striving to create that reality is vain and, ultimately, self-defeating. The need to live in the present moment sounds obvious because it is, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

For a taste of living right here, right now, try this: Find a comfortable place where you can sit undisturbed for five full minutes. Then, simply watch your breath going in and out. Follow it as it gently flows in your nose and then out of your mouth. When your mind wanders, gently bring your attention back to your breathing. It sounds simple, but it can be devilishly difficult to do. However, establishing this kind of practice is extremely valuable, because it’s the best way to begin to recognize reality as it unfolds moment to moment, unencumbered by the noise of thinking. Eventually, you’ll come to treasure each instant—that moment where we must all live, all the time.

You Have Only A Moment To Live!

2009-03-17T08:30:00.003-05:00

It’s a fact. You have just a single moment to live…and then another…and then another. That’s one of the keys to understanding Positive Aging. True, pondering the past and future can sometimes bring pleasure (and pain), but the fact is that everything always happens right here, right now. And the moment you recognize that fact, the moment is gone. So if you want to be a Positive Ager, you have to learn the way of living in the moment. Moment after moment after moment.

The Elusive Meaning Of Positive Aging

2009-03-16T09:35:00.002-05:00

The precise meaning of Positive Aging is impossible to pin down because there are as many definitions as there are people. Although it’s true that research can provide valuable insights into the meaning of the concept, current findings can’t be synthesized into a meaningful whole that truly gets to the heart of the matter.

The reason is that, ultimately, the most important definition is the one that each individual believes on a gut level. That definition, no matter how simple or complex, no matter how factually accurate or inaccurate, will form the foundation for the belief system that will be the guiding light of each individual’s aging process. If that belief system holistically facilitates the physical, psychosocial and spiritual well-being of the individual, then it is the essence of Positive Aging, at least for that particular person.

Positive Aging: a new paradigm

2009-03-12T11:48:00.004-05:00

In order to embrace the concept of Positive Aging, you have to change the the way you think about and relate to Baby Boomers. It begins with breaking stereotypes, but that's not enough. Your creative executions have to energize Boomers with messages that reflect vitality and independence. Understand and adapt to the Boomer mindset and you can develop new markets, expanding the profit making potential of your products and services.

Historically, aging is a time of increasing disability inexorably leading to death, but the Boomers are changing that point of view. That's why the new paradigm of Positive Aging positively resonates with them. That's also why advertising and marketing communications that mirror it's many facets can profoundly influence their buying decisions.