“Retirement at 65 is ridiculous. When I was 65, I still had pimples,” said comedian George Burns, who lived to be 100. He echoes the sentiments of baby boomers today who feel young and vibrant as they age.

Why spend ad money on boomers, those Americans born between 1946 and 1964? They are the wealthiest and most influential generation and will increase their spending over the next two decades.

To understand how to reach them with creative ads, consider their TV viewing and lifestyle behaviors:

  • Boomers spend twice as much time as younger generations watching traditional TV and TV advertising.
  • They’re not influenced by their peers and don’t remain loyal to brands. They make their own choices. This means they’re open to new providers, products, and services.
  • Boomers are excited about trying new trends and technology.
  • They don’t think of themselves as old and reject messaging to that end. The average boomer age today is 55. For them, “old” won’t happen for another two decades.
  • To remain active later in life, they’re getting knee and hip replacements and rotator cuff surgeries. Boomers are expected to increase the number of knee replacements 800 percent by 2030.
  • They continue to work well into their 60s.
  • Today’s boomers are tomorrow’s Medicare patients. Medicare patients will control the majority of inpatient volume by 2030 and drive 88 percent of volume growth.
  • Boomers influence the healthcare decisions of their parents, partners or spouses, children and grandchildren. That’s four generations of family members who may need your services.
  • Boomers don’t like ads with political overtones or those that take a stand on controversial social issues.

Source: Ace Metrics

Now that you understand baby boomers better, it’s time to brainstorm ad strategies. Our next post will take a look at creative messaging tactics for the boomer generation. Reach out to us if you’re in need of strategies to better reach these patients.