I enjoy Seth Godin’s blog. The writing is typically concise and insightful. But for me this week his pithy style led him down the wrong path, in telling readers that “Fifty is the new thirty.”
Here’s what Seth wrote on his blog this past Saturday:
“Baby boomers continue to redefine our culture, because there’s just so many of us, we’re used to being the center of attention.”
I couldn’t agree more. Baby boomers have had an impact on every aspect of US culture – from the workplace to mass marketing to “helicopter” parenting to self-help to lifelong learning to …
Seth continues and I continue to agree with him:
“Add into that the fact that we’re living much longer and careers are becoming more flexible …”
But then he states:
“… and it’s pretty clear that in just about every cultural respect, fifty year olds are living, acting and looking more like thirty year olds every day.”
Sorry, but this is where we part ways.
Baby Boomers are not “acting more like 30 year olds.”
* 30 year olds do not raise grandchildren. Nearly 1 million American kids have their basic needs met exclusively by a grandparent, no parent present. A total of 4.9 million live in households headed by grandparents. As the AARP put it, “Clearly, grandparents are increasingly providing the stability and security of home for their families.”
* 30 year olds aren’t balancing careers, their families and caring for their own aging parents.
* 30 year olds aren’t paying off their kids’ college tuitions while pursuing continuing higher education themselves.
* 30 year olds do not pay for their grown children’s cell phone bills, as do 59% of Baby Boomer women. Or pay for their child’s insurance, rent, cars, computers and more. (Get the full picture of what Boomer moms pay for at VibrantNation.com.)
* And 30 year olds don’t have that ability to be understanding that life satisfaction comes from within. That kind of introspection requires another 20 years or so …
Baby Boomers are clearly not acting like 30 year olds. They’re acting like the best 50 year olds they can be. They’re acting like a new kind of 50 year old.
You might even say they’re not acting at all – they’re just living lives with purpose and vibrancy.
Seth’s blog closes by noting that “most traditional advertisers are stuck in the mindset that thirty is the end of your chance to find a new customer or build a new brand.” It’s a frustration our team frequently voices.
But if your brand wants to tap into the Baby Boomer market, you’ll have to look beyond slogans like “50 is the new 30″ and see them for who they truly are: exciting, challenged, challenging, thoughtful, skeptical and lucrative consumers who absolutely are acting their age.
corporate (nothing with pricing, incentives, etc) but the size of the image provides the perfect canvas for highlighting your greatest asset or component of your unique selling proposition. Coca-Cola’s ® 
4. We’ve written frequently that marketers focused on 50+ consumers shouldn’t overlook 
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How do Baby Boomers Engage on Social Media?
