Perception                                                      

As the years pile on, it is difficult not to become conscious that the business world sees the older segment of society as a group which is best forgotten because it is less important than the coveted 20 to 49 demographic. The reason might be that in the market place what is offered doesn’t always fit our needs. For example, few women over the age of 50 buy pointed-toe shoes with stiletto heels, yet the choice of stylish comfortable shoes in attractive colors with a sensible heel is in my view quite limited. So we forego buying new shoes.

For its part, the advertising world sees us as one mass in need of a cure. They cater to us with ad after ad of bladder-control solutions or cholesterol remedies. While some of us do need and use these products, it is a mistake to stereotype the whole group. Today’s over-50 crowd is the healthiest ever and, like every other segment of the population, it is made up of people with varied interests. Because their children are out in the world carving their own lives, boomers have time for many pursuits:  they write, they travel, they teach, they volunteer, they go back to college, they renovate their homes, they take in movies, they eat in restaurants, etcetera.

As a group, boomers have a lot of clout. For the most part, we have money to spend on ourselves and on our children and grandchildren, so are we really the demographic that is best forgotten? Decision makers should consider, for example, that the person shopping for the latest computer or other device today may not necessarily be of an age the business world targets. Yet, I suspect that unlike younger consumers, boomers tend to be more loyal to a brand or to a store.

Since the number of boomers is the fastest growing segment of the population, let’s not be shy about our age. Let us tell the world we are definitely alive and well and a big part of the reason the world is going round and round.