Mainstream business has been slow to react to dramatic population aging—maybe even in denial. All but a handful of enlightened companies remain fixated on the gold standard of demographic marketing targets: adults 18 to 49.
This changed when Baby Boomers began turning 65 beginning January 1, 2011. As the generation that popularized the 18-to-49 demographic in youth began to reach this landmark age, about 11,000 U.S. Boomers will turn 65 daily for a total of 19 years. The bellwether birth anniversary signifies eligibility for Medicare, as well as tidal changes in the nation’s demographic composition.
What are the implications? Is Boomer aging a problem or opportunity? What can businesses and nonprofits do to take advantage of this historically unprecedented change in the nation’s balance of old to young?
“The next few chapters of western society will include Boomers as influential protagonists,” said Brent Green. “Accurately forecasting the Boomer future has significant monetary implications for many industries, including healthcare, education, financial services, philanthropy, housing, travel, and retailing.”
Experts in demography and sociology commonly agree that Boomers have shaped every life stage they’ve occupied. With nearly 85% now over age 50—and millions heading to 65 and beyond—Boomers are again shaping business practices, from dawn of medical tourism to later-life entrepreneurialism. They are still ruling popular culture, from blockbuster films to stadium crowding classic rock concerts.
Green’s 285-page book, available through online book retailers, gives readers astute glimpses into what it means to be part of this generation. Through this lens readers can discover how to improve marketing communications, product and service development, nonprofit value, and public policies. A special section examines Baby Boomer men, including underdeveloped opportunities to combine gender and generational nuances in marketing
“Behind so much of what I talk and write about—Mass Customization, the Experience Economy, and Authenticity—lies two key words: Baby Boomers. They demand things their own way, they desire experiences more than goods and services, and most of all they want it real. To learn how to engage them through personal, enriching, and authentic marketing experiences, let Brent Green be your guide. His book Generation Reinvention provides you with the guidance you need to understand and embrace the nation’s most economically dominant generation.”
“In Generation Reinvention Brent Green does a masterful job of envisioning how Baby Boomer men are about to transform the cultural narratives about aging and maturity. Based on 30+ years experience as a leading-edge marketer, in this important and groundbreaking book, Green reveals provocative and actionable insights about how this unique cohort will reshape the future marketplace as elder consumers. This is the best book I’ve seen for both commercial marketers and nonprofits hoping to tap into the Boomer male’s ongoing quest for material, experiential and even spiritual sustenance.”
