A mud-splattered race but a clear winner … A galaxy of puns and visual riffs on Star Wars … A nation celebrating the freedom and democracy of another nation … This weekend had it all! If you’re as exhausted as we are from the Kentucky Derby, May the Fourth and Cinco de Mayo, here’s the solution: a round-up of the top links for marketing to baby boomers and seniors.
1. MOST CLICKED/MOST SHARED: Amazon is launching a new store — the 50+ Active and Healthy Living Store (www.amazon.com/50activeliving). Why?
As Savvy Shopper Korky Vann reported in the Hartford Courant it’s all about the money. (If we had a dollar for every time some big organization FINALLY realized the economic power of baby boomers and seniors …) She shared the following stats:
“* The 50-plus segment is the most affluent consumer group today, accounting for over 40 percent of total consumer demand.
* The group spends almost $2 trillion on goods and services annually.
* Consumers over 50 spend $7 billion each year on online purchases.
* And new research from Forrester Research found that baby boomers between the ages of 56-66 years old spend the most money online when compared to all other generations.”
Here are some more key facts about baby boomer spending power, the financial might of a cohort that comprises 44% of the population. They account for 49% of total CPG (consumer packaged goods) sales. Baby boomers control 70% of US disposable income. They purchase 80% of luxury travel. They are 41% of the customers buying Apple computers.
Which should explain why Amazon’s store has “departments” for travel & leisure and entertainment alongside those for incontinence and health care.
The new store is attempting to attract all folks over 50 — a very disparate group that can include a 50-year-old first-time parent to a 94-year-old classical music fan. Therefore, per Vann, Amazon is designing “a destination where the typeface is larger to encourage the presbyopic crowd to spend more time browsing, and the promotions are a little, well, less sexy than Amazon’s home page.” There’s also a lot more white space which is nice for eyes of any age.
Read the article: http://cour.at/11NDObt
Also of note:
* Events with resident testimonials, “glimpses of good life” sell homes to older buyers http://bit.ly/12b6Sdi (BuilderOnline)
* 7 steps for dealing with online trolls – GREAT advice from Gini Dietrich http://bit.ly/11NGENs
* Social listening: “The full-time job of growing old.” Insights from beloved Canadian journalist Joe Schlesinger http://bit.ly/127ODXE
* Audience Quality > Audience Quantity: Why I stopped caring about the numbers, by Myke Hurley http://bit.ly/13lMJCR
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