© 2013 The Futures Company | 1

Quick Facts

What’s Changing

NowWhat?

Brands &Marketing

Quotesof Note

OtherResources

Downloadin One

Core Values Adventure Bound

Challenges

BOOMERS

© 2013 The Futures Company | 2

QuickFacts

An assortment of facts and figures providing a quick viewof Boomers

BOOMERS

Born between 1946 and 1964; the last of the Boomers turn 50 in 2014 25% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau) Every eight seconds a Boomer turns sixty-five. (AARP) $3.4 trillion in buying power (CBS News) 22% of Boomer parents still have at least one child under 18 at home 40% are empty nesters (2012 U.S. Yankelovich MONITOR) 52% are grandparents 52% are in the workforce; 22% are retired More than 40% of Boomers may not be able to afford basic living expenses in

retirement (Market Watch) 50+ Americans are twice as likely to get divorced as people of that age were 20

years ago (NPR)

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What’sChanging

Shifting dynamics businesses and brands must understand and address in reaching Boomers

BOOMERSSTILL MATTER UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY BLAME GAME

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What’sChanging

Shifting dynamics businesses and brands must understand and address in reaching Boomers

BOOMERS

STILL MATTER: In Boomers’ minds, everything seems to start with what’s happening to them. Boomers will have their say by staying the course as they age, even if it means fighting for everything they want and reinventing themselves and everything they encounter along the way to remain relevant.

Boomers want to continue to matter, just as they always have: unlike their parents’ generation, Boomers have little intention of giving in to limits, moving to the sidelines, or relishing a conventional retirement.

of Boomers agree: “The future belongs to the next generation; my generation won’t have much to do with it”

(2009 U.S. Yankelovich MONITOR)

20%

BACK

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What’sChanging

Shifting dynamics businesses and brands must understand and address in reaching Boomers

BOOMERS

UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY: Reduced portfolios, disappearing pensions and stunning unemployment rates are taking a mental and emotional toll on the Boomers, a generation committed to being on top and in charge—and fundamentally inexperienced in coping with prolonged disappointment.

Boomers will have to do some mental gear-shifting to figure out how to reconcile a host of new challenges—the legacy of a severe and lengthy downturn, an uncertain future, the realities of aging, being managed in the workplace by younger supervisors, and other practical constraints—with their generational assumption that things always work out for them.

“Higher suicide rates [among Boomers] might be due to a series of life and financial circumstances that are unique to the baby boomer generation. Men and women in that age group are often coping with the stress of caring for aging parents while still providing financial and emotional support to adult

children.”

-Ileana Arias, CDC Deputy Director (The New York Times)

BACK

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What’sChanging

Shifting dynamics businesses and brands must understand and address in reaching Boomers

BOOMERS

BLAME GAME: Boomers find themselves vilified at almost every turn, blamed for the economic mess, accused of being parasites on the road to bankrupting Social Security and Medicare, and reproached for clogging workplace opportunities for younger people. And as they continue to advance their own generational interests, Boomers will likely see themselves squared off more and more against younger generations.

“Blame The Boomers? What Our Parents Didn't Teach Us About Money And Why?”“How Baby Boomers screwed their kids – and

created Millennial impatience”

“Retiring Boomers Will Hurt Consumer Spending, Economic Growth”

“Baby Boomers: Five Reasons They Are Our Worst Generation --Ten thousand are retiring every day. Good riddance”

“Are Baby Boomers to blame for broken government?”

“Generational Theft”

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BOOMERS

INDIVIDUALITY

SELF-ABSORPTION

YOUTH

CoreValues

Values shaped by shared experiences in Boomers’ formative years

Like any other generational cohort, Boomers navigate life and respond to current conditions—economic booms/busts, technology innovation, etc.—within the context of the values and expectations shaped by the shared experiences of their formative years.

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BOOMERS

INDIVIDUALITY: A never-ending quest for and celebration of self is a Boomer hallmark. The presumption of prosperity freed most Boomers from the psychological burden of worrying about basic survival or accepting conformity or limitations and allowed Boomers to pursue more self-focused things like fulfillment, enlightenment and meaning.

CoreValues

Values shaped by shared experiences in Boomers’ formative years

of Boomers say they are likely to look for personal fulfillment over the next 10 years by “educating yourself about something that is important to you”

(2011 U.S. Yankelovich MONITOR)

61%

BACK

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BOOMERS

SELF-ABSORPTION: An ingrained sense of entitlement, expectation and a need to feel important is part and parcel of being a Boomer. What’s more, the sheer size of the Boomer cohort has kept this generation front and center for many decades; it is too big and too restless to ignore.

CoreValues

Values shaped by shared experiences in Boomers’ formative years

“Like the ‘little emperors’ of one-child China, too many Boomers were taught early that the world was made (or saved) for their comfort and enjoyment. They behaved accordingly, with a self-indulgence that was wholly rational,

given their situation.”

-Eric Liu (The Atlantic)

BACK

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BOOMERS

YOUTH: Determined to stay open and connected, Boomers have brought a youthful attitude to every situation and to every stage of their lives. Boomers reject the hallmarks of being “old”—closure, tradition and convention—in favor of exploration, reinvention and innovation, the hallmarks of a youthful sensibility.

CoreValues

Values shaped by shared experiences in Boomers’ formative years

“They have become the first youthful generation of older Americans: the iPad-toting grandparents, the Facebook mothers and fathers.”

(AARP, “50 and Over: What’s Next?”)

BACK

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AdventureBound

Life continues to be about the next adventure for Boomers passionate about endless possibility

BOOMERS

PHYSICAL ADVENTURE

SPIRITUAL ADVENTURE

INTENSITY & INVOLVEMENT

Trying new things is a life-long Boomer habit, so dollars will be more in flux than was true for previous generations of older folks. While Boomers may not continue to be engaged in the same pursuits that have absorbed them thus far, they will pioneer new ways to channel their desire for engagement.

of Boomers agree, “life should be a never-ending series of adventures”

(Boomer Dreams Study)

80%

of Boomers agree, “I would welcome more novelty and change in my life”

65%

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BOOMERS

PHYSICAL ADVENTURE: Boomers prize physical adventure and the release gained from participating in exciting activities.

The adventure travel industry owes its very existence to the jumpstart it got from the interests and demands of young Baby Boomers. Aging Boomers are gravitatingto rugged, edgy adventure experiences that are customized and exclusive, generating a large part of the recent growth in demand for skydiving, scuba diving, mountain biking, and more is owed.

Boomers are outpacing younger generations in joining health clubs: those 55 and older are joining at a rate of 34% a year (vs. 18% for ages 35-55). A million Boomers joined health and fitness clubs between 2007 and 2010, according to a survey from the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. (Associated Press)

80% of more of those opting for medical tourism are Boomers (IndUSSHealth)

BACK

AdventureBound

Life continues to be about the next adventure for Boomers passionate about endless possibility

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BOOMERS

SPIRITUAL ADVENTURE: Boomers’ exploration of new forms of wellbeing and fulfillment is ongoing.

In his study of religion and spirituality among Baby Boomers, Wade Clark Roof, the J. F. Rowny Professor of Religion and Society at the University of California at Santa Barbara, famously characterized Boomers as a “generation of seekers.” The result has been an eclectic mix of spiritual fashions that Boomers have tried and continue to try, from New Age to holistic health.

BACK

of Boomers say that prayer/meditation is important to them in maintaining their health

(2013 U.S. Health & Wellness MONITOR)

51%

AdventureBound

Life continues to be about the next adventure for Boomers passionate about endless possibility

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BOOMERS

INTENSITY & INVOLVEMENT: Whatever the adventure, Boomers aim for intensity, not just involvement.

Empty-nesting will propel Boomers toward their next big adventure and give them bandwidth to approach their adventures with passion.

Adventure Bound

Life continues to be about the next adventure for Boomers passionate about endless possibility

BACK

“Boomers are all about maintaining engagement, not coping with decline. When appropriate and necessary, they will seek/pioneer new ways to

channel their desire for engagement and adventure, from coughing up the money for knee replacements so they can continue to ski the trail of their

dreams to opting for a costly, but chic hearing aid.”

(“The Day the Music Died,” The New York Times)

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BOOMERSSHIFTS IN CONTROL

ACTIVE DESPITE AGING

SPECTER OF LATER YEARS

Challenges

Boomers face both predictable and startling hurdles today and tomorrow

© 2013 The Futures Company | 16

BOOMERS

SHIFTS IN CONTROL: Feeling controlled by events is uncomfortable and untenable territory for a generation that has never lacked the self-esteem and self-confidence to take charge.

As Boomers look ahead to the kind of life they want, in true Boomer fashion they are reluctant to accept barriers or limits—financial, emotional or physical—along the way.

of Boomers in 2009 said they worry about “not being able to live life to the fullest” in retirement, up from 51% in 2006

(2009 U.S. Yankelovich MONITOR)

58%

BACK

Challenges

Boomers face both predictable and startling hurdles today and tomorrow

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BOOMERS

ACTIVE DESPITE AGING: Boomers don’t want to live longer and better as old people; they know that influence and impact belong to those in the middle, so they want to live endlessly as middle-aged people. Age-related challenges will merely be speed bumps—not road blocks—to remaining as active, involved and important as they’ve always been, despite their age.

of Boomers feel younger than their actual age, up from 55% in 2009

(2011 U.S. Health & Wellness MONITOR)

60%

BACK

Challenges

Boomers face both predictable and startling hurdles today and tomorrow

of Boomers say they regularly “stay mentally active by challenging yourself with puzzles, books, hobbies or interesting work”

71%

Forever young Staying sharp

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BOOMERSBACK

Challenges

Boomers face both predictable and startling hurdles today and tomorrow

SPECTER OF LATER YEARS: For many Boomers, retirement is synonymous with stepping aside, ceding influence and control—so they are going to stay in the workforce longer by choice. In other cases, working longer is less a lifestyle choice and more a necessity due to economic realities.

of Boomers working full/part-time agree: “If I choose to I will be physically and mentally capable of working into my 70s and 80s”

(2011 U.S. Yankelovich MONITOR)

68%

of Boomers say they’ve done a “significant amount of planning for their financial situation in retirement”

(2013 U.S. Health & Wellness MONITOR)

38%

of Boomers say “I cannot possibly save as much money each year as the retirement planning tools say I will need to invest in order to have a comfortable retirement”

67%

BACK

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A roadmap for developing strategies related to Boomer lifestyles

NowWhat?

WHAT’S AN UNTAPPED BOOMER OPPORTUNITY?

WILL BOOMERS EVER BE READY TO BE OLD?

WHAT’S YOUR ISSUE?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN BOOMERS FINALLY RETIRE?

BOOMERS

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Help! Boomers seem well understood—are there still any underserved ones?

1 32THINK

FEMALETHINK

FUTURETHINK

FAMILIAR

More than one-third of Boomers are single, divorced, widowed or never married, a disproportionate share of whom are women. The single Boomer female is a growing segment for which little, if any, appropriate marketing and messaging has surfaced thus far.

These women face an uncertain future and are doing so without the family structures of their coupled peers. They need out-of-the box thinking from marketers about life and lifestyle solutions that will help them age on their own terms without the support—or demands—of traditional family structure.

Though they may be an emerging, attractive consumer segment, they are still Boomers seeking independence, youth, vitality and relevance. In your effort to reach them and serve their differing need states, make sure not to overlook tried-and-true Boomer motivators.

BACK

A roadmap for developing strategies related to Boomer lifestyles

NowWhat?

BOOMERS

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Help! Is refusal to “grow old’’ an opportunity or threat for my brand?

1 32AUDIT AUGMENT ALLEVIATE

ANXIETY

If yours is a lifestyle (as opposed to a purely lifestage) brand, the extended middle age of Boomers is a boon. But Boomers will eventually have to change their behaviors and strategies for spending and saving as the realities of retirement set in, and your brand needs to help them transition.

Brands should augment Boomer cravings such as control, self-sufficiency and sense of personal relevance. Seek also to augment the choices Boomers have in retirement, especially in the face of tough economic realities brought on by their present-orientation.

The changes ahead for Boomers are inevitably going to raise anxiety as the physical, emotional and financial realities of growing older run up against their core generational values. Empathy and a helping hand will be in great demand for Boomers navigating their later lifestages.

BACK

A roadmap for developing strategies related to Boomer lifestyles

NowWhat?

BOOMERS

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Help! What do I need to know to connect with Boomers when they do retire?

1 32RELATE REFRAME RETHINK

Aging Boomers are going to stay in the workforce longer; they are not yet ready to give up their influence and impact, and they do not anticipate ever being willing to do so. When the do retire, they are bound to need emotional and material help transitioning into—and celebrating—retirement.

What ever the status of Boomers with respect to work, their attitudes will never be consistent with the traditional idea of retirement. They won’t decelerate or withdraw to the sidelines. Instead, their attitudes will continue to reflect a sense of involvement and possibility.

Since retiring from work won’t mean retiring from an active, engaged life, your notion of the retiree needs a complete re-envisioning. Many Boomers will want retirement to look and feel a lot like their halcyon days of peak earnings. How can you help them stretch their lifestage and lifestyle?

BACK

A roadmap for developing strategies related to Boomer lifestyles

NowWhat?

BOOMERS

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AARP: Anticipating the desires of retiring Boomers, AARP offers many new lifestyle-focused discounts. Among today's cardholders discounts are 33 percent off membership at auto-sharing site Zipcar; three concert tickets at Live Nation and get a fourth for free; 45 percent off a new membership at local business review site Angie's List; and 15 percent off on HP computers. [LEARN MORE]

AMERIPRISE: Amerprise Financial has moved on from acknowledging how Boomer dreams have taken a beating in tough times. In a new “Real Questions, Real Answers” campaign, actor and Boomer Tommy Lee Jones poses uncomfortable, scary questions such as “Will you outlive your money?” [VIEW AD]

Care Innovations: This service offering brings all the various tasks and responsibilities of caregiving, from medication regimens to vitals monitoring to doctor’s visit coordination together in one place to simplify the increasingly complex burden of caregiving facing more and more Boomers who have ailing or aging parents, spouses, and other family. The collaboration between Intel and GE is a good example of a brand understanding that the Boomer’s health burden is increasing and they need a helping hand to manage it. [LEARN MORE]

Brands &Marketing

Brands and campaigns that resonate with the values and lifestyles of Boomers

BOOMERS

One Day University: This adult education program geared toward older learners offers one-day sessions consisting of several lectures by some of the country’s leading professors and subject matter experts. The program appeals to Boomers’ appetite for new experiences, a youthful vitality and the idea of lifelong learning. Continuing education has become a $12 billion industry, in part due to the influx of Boomer learners thirsting for knowledge. [LEARN MORE]

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Quotes of Note

Useful snippets of relevant content about Boomers to add color to these insights

BOOMERS“All Boomers didn’t spread a blanket in the rain and mud to get high and listen to music at Woodstock, but the tenor of life for all Boomers has been deeply affected by that spirit of self-expression.” (Generation Ageless, J. Walker Smith and Ann Clurman, The Futures Company)

“Resistant to being called anything that makes them sound old, Baby Boomer grandparents have taken to accepting toddlers’ neologisms and ethnic variations or better yet, naming themselves.” (“Who Are You Calling Grandma,” The New York Times) “… the truth is, if we hadn’t decided to be young forever, we’d be old.” (The Boomer Bust,” P.J. O’Rourke, The Wall Street Journal)

“By remaking what it means to be old, Boomers will add their numbers to yet another revolution of social values. Boomer numbers will make it difficult if not impossible to treat old people as before.” (Generation Ageless, J. Walker Smith and Ann Clurman, The Futures Company)

“There’s strong demand for expedition gear from summit-seeking Baby Boomers, who continue to cause bottlenecks on Everest, and also on Denali, Rainier, Mont Blanc, Kilimanjaro and the rest.” (“High Jinks,” The New York Times)

“Boomers will insist on more than basic care from the (healthcare) system…they will demand fixes to revitalize themselves and to rev up their ability to keep going… they will view this kind of health care as a right.” (Generation Ageless, J. Walker Smith and Ann Clurman, The Futures Company)

“The only downside of turning 50 in California: everyone assumed I would take up skydiving.” (Sandra Tsing Loh, AARP Bulletin, April 2014)

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Future Perspectives Six Faces of the Global Consumer Quickening the Pace: Age-Appropriate (pgs. 41-42)

MONITOR Brief A Snapshot of Baby Boomers

MONITOR LIVE Spotlights March 2011: Spotlight on Office Politics January 2011: Spotlight on Boomer Women

MONITOR Minute Old Habits Die Hard Baby Boomers Get Real The Grandparents Opportunity Meet the Parents … of Millennials in Crisis

Futures 5 SHIFT: Aging America SHIFT: From Young to Older BUCKING A TREND: Boomers and Divorce

OtherResources

Links to additional content on Boomers

Other Sources

Rocking the Ages: The Yankelovich Report on Generational Marketing, J. Walker Smith and Ann Clurman

Generation Ageless: How Baby Boomers Are Changing the Way We Live Today . . . And They're Just Getting Started, J. Walker Smith and Ann Clurman

Boom!: Talking About the Sixties: What Happened, How It Shaped Today, Lessons for Tomorrow, Tom Brokaw

CNBC: Tom Brokaw Reports BOOMER$!

Ad Age Insights White Paper, “50 and Over: What’s Next?”

Pew Research Center

BOOMERS

© 2013 The Futures Company | 26

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BOOMERS

All data are from the 2013 U.S. Yankelovich MONITOR,

unless otherwise noted