Mature Market Experts

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It’s a world of laughter
- A world of tears
It’s a world of hopes
- And a world of fears
There’s so much that we share
- That it’s time we’re aware
It’s a small world after all …
-Written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman

BMI (body mass index): A ratio of weight to height (weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) BMI = kg/m2

The other day I was working with a gastroenterologist (GI doctor) who was sporting a smart looking Mickey Mouse watch. She had acquired it on a recent family vacation to Disneyland. This sparked some conversation about the land of enchantment and some of the rides they experienced. Of course I had to ask about the Small World ride.

The line: It’s a small world after all (sorry now that it’s stuck in a circular loop in your head), has been the subject of many jokes and comments throughout the years; but what followed was a new twist to me. Seems the ride had been out of commission for repairs and the reason…

Well, there is some controversy surrounding the reason the ride was shut down in 2008. The ride has been around some 45 years and the original flume and fleet of boats made their maiden voyage during the 1964-65 New York World’s fair. The sturdy little pastel boats have been doing yeoman’s work ever since. No doubt that kind of run would even cause Cal Ripken to pit stop for some refurbishments.

According to MiceAge the Imagineers of the 1960’s designed the ride to accommodate the average man (175lb) and woman (135lb) of the era; not the adult of today who can often weigh more than 200lbs. The boats ride lower in the water and tend to “bottom out,” causing the whole contraption to stop in its tracks. The solution (prior to redesign) was to limit passengers or escort embarrassed patrons off the ride.

Several stories including one in the New York Times call on readers to draw their own conclusions. The subject is somewhat taboo and Disney denies any connection between redesign and weight of the riders.

Whether the connection is valid or not the fact remains Americans are getting heavier on average. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, approximately two-thirds of adults age 20 or older are overweight or obese with BMIs greater than 25, and nearly one-third have BMIs greater than 30. Less than one-third are at a healthy weight with a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9.

In my own experience as a nurse I’ve witnessed hospitals having to equip ceilings with steel I-beams to support mechanical lift systems to get obese patients in/out of bed. A recent staff development in many care settings are the “Lift teams.” These are designated staff whose sole job is working the lifts and turning patients—in order to save nurses from back injuries.

Kaiser Permanente purchased a fleet of love-seat sized wheel chairs years ago to accommodate the increased girth of its members. I once took one of these devices to a presentation at Nike World Head Quarters…they couldn’t believe their eyes as I rolled it in the room.

At issue are not just the obvious effects of BMI on health and longevity but control of one’s own experience and for this discussion that means aging in place.

It’s About Control (but not what you might think)

In an article from Newsweek (Feb/23/2009): Stress Could Save Your Life, author Mary Carmichael writes about the connection between control and stress. Carmichael notes a classic study where scientists put two rats in a cage, each locked to a running wheel. The first rat could exercise whenever he liked. The second was yoked to the first and forced to run when his cage-mate did.

The exercise that usually decreases stress and encourages neuron growth in the brain did just the opposite in the second rat—the reason…control. Psychologists know that one of the biggest factors in how we process stressful events is how much control we have over our lives. A body rendered un-available due to high BMI can place limits on personal control (mobility and independence). Much of the appeal of aging in place is about choice—to make the issue relevant is to frame it as matter of control.

Research has shown that by avoiding a further increase from 28 kg/m² to 32 kg/m², a typical person in early middle age would gain about 2 years of life expectancy. Two years of extra life down the road might not sound all that compelling to some, but the issue is really more one of extending health—not extending life.

Inactivity doesn’t necessarily shorten the life-span…it most definitely shortens the health-span. –Dr. Rosenburg, Tufts University

Extending the health-span can equate to maintaining mobility and independence; ultimately leading to a higher degree of control (& decreased stress) over one’s life experience. And that’s what aging in place is all about.

See:

Calculate: Your BMI
Research on life expectancy
Middle aged women and stroke
It’s a small world video

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(CHARLOTTE, NC) Retirement Lifestyles magazine has been named the second best United States magazine for 50+ readers by the judges of the 2009 19^th Annual National Mature Media Awards.

“It almost seems inconceivable that our small 11-year-old magazine could compete favorably with AARP, but we do and that’s a testimony to our fabulous staff,” said Publisher/Executive Editor Dan Owens. “We hate to get beaten by AARP, but we take comfort in the fact that they have enormous national resources and their parent organization receives millions of dollars in support each year from the federal government. AARP should be better than everybody else,” he said.

Owens founded Retirement Lifestyles as an annual North Carolina tabloid newspaper in 1999. It is now a quarterly national slick magazine. “We write colorful articles that help our 50+ subscribers learn more about their lifestyle options,” Owens said, adding that a common theme is that you can relocate in a less expensive spot and put a nest egg in the bank.

The magazine was judged one of the top seven U.S. 50+ magazines in 1999, 2005, 2007 and 2008 among magazines and organizations of any size in any location in America. The 2009 Mature Media Award is the highest recognition Retirement Lifestyles has received.

“The first of 78 million baby boomers will turn 65 next year, officially kicking off the massive ‘age wave’ in this country,” said Owens. “Retirement Lifestyles fills part of a large vacuum of information in the marketplace for these aging consumers.”

The founder of the National Active Retirement Association (NARA), Owens said awareness of the aging of America is increasing.  “People were awestruck when James Taylor and Carole King packed concert venues around the country recently when other concerts were being cancelled. People are also amazed that Fox News’ conservative morning show leads all morning ratings. Aging boomers can be a powerful market,” he said. 

For a free sample copy of Retirement Lifestyles, call (888)742-7362 or go to www.retiresouth.com. For a complete list of Mature Media Award winners, go to www.seniorawards.com.

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Heritage of Green Hills Serves As Prototype For Super Noggin

Over the next 18 years the baby boomer tidal wave will reach the shores of retirement.  Add to that the fact that people over 85 are now the fastest-growing segment of the population, and the result is that by 2050, the number of Americans 85 years and older will quadruple.

Total healthcare costs are more than three times higher for people with Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias than for other people age 65 and older, according to the 2010 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, published by the Alzheimer’s Association.

According the Facts and Figures report, in 2006:

• Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes plus Alzheimer’s or another dementia had 64 percent more hospital stays than those with diabetes and no Alzheimer’s, and their average per person Medicare costs were $20,655 compared to $12,979 for beneficiaries with diabetes but no Alzheimer’s or dementia.

• Medicare beneficiaries with coronary heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia had 42 percent more hospital stays than those with coronary heart disease and no Alzheimer’s or dementia, and their average per person Medicare costs were $20,780 compared to $14,640 for beneficiaries with coronary heart disease but no Alzheimer’s or dementia.

• With family members providing care at home for about 70 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease, the ripple effects of the disease can be felt throughout the entire family. According to Facts and Figures, in 2008, nearly 10 million Alzheimer caregivers in the U.S. provided 8.5 billion hours of unpaid care valued at $94 billion. In addition to the unpaid care families contribute, the report also reveals that Alzheimer’s creates high out-of-pocket health and long-term care expenses for families.

• Out-of-pocket costs that are not covered by Medicare, Medicaid or other sources of insurance are 28 percent higher for Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s than those without. Individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementia living in nursing homes or assisted living facilities incurred the highest out-of-pocket costs – an average of $16,689 a year.
 
Growing prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia 

• There are 5.3 million Americans living with the disease and every 70 seconds someone in America develops Alzheimer’s Disease. By mid-century someone will develop Alzheimer’s every 33 seconds. By 2050 there will be nearly a million new cases per year.

• Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the country, surpassing diabetes; it is the fifth leading cause of death among individuals 65 and older.
From 2000 to 2006, while deaths from other major diseases dropped -

> heart disease (-11.5 percent),
> breast cancer (-.6 percent),
> prostate cancer (-14.3 percent) and
> stroke (-18.1 percent) -
deaths from Alzheimer’s disease rose 47.1 percent.
 
Two innovative organizations fight back 

The Heritage of Green Hills, a stunning full-service retirement community for retirees 55 and up, has made a name for itself by pushing preventive health care, rather than reactive health care. “Our residents are some of the most active, independent people you will ever meet. We aim to keep it that way! ” says The Heritage’s Executive Director, Chris Romick. “Currently, we are a country that reacts to health care problems rather than practicing preventive health care. As part of our Well By Design program we’ve teamed up with the not-for-profit LEAF Ltd. Foundation. LEAF has developed an innovative new program called Super Noggin.”

The Heritage of Green Hills.

Super Noggin is a brain fitness program for those who want to stay mentally sharp throughout life.  It is designed to maintain and even improve brain fitness, but following the program also contributes to good physical health – a bonus! It’s the first cognitive fitness program to integrate live classes, advice on computer programs, and behavioral changes (namely sleep and diet) to promote healthier brain fitness.
 
The components of the program promote cognitive challenges, physical exercise, good nutrition, social interaction, stress reduction, and personal reflection.  Super Noggin is compatible with the wellness model of the ICAA (International Council on Active Aging).
 
“We’re honored to be the first retirement community in the country offering Super Noggin,” exclaims Chris, “we know it will make a huge difference in the quality of the lives of our residents. Our Well By Design staff members are among the first in the nation to be Certified … and now they can lead groups in maximizing their brain fitness throughout the year. That’s exciting! ”

Super Noggin Class An Overwhelming Success

On July 1st  the Super Noggin team led a packed room of more than 70 Heritage residents, ages 55 to 88, in a Super Noggin class titled, “Ten Steps To Brain Fitness.” But Super Noggin is more than just classes; it’s about making lifestyle changes that can dramatically improve life.
 
Super Noggin is a comprehensive brain fitness program offering a multi-pronged approach to LEARN and PRACTICE brain-healthy habits and to TRACK progress.
Super Noggin includes:
 
• educational and motivational workshops
• brain exercises to stimulate cognitive functions
• a year-long schedule of individual and group activities to keep your brain fit individual tracking of progress toward a healthier lifestyle

Registered Nurse and resident of The Heritage, Bonnie Ebling likes what she sees in Super Noggin, “We keep active physically. We need to keep active mentally too! When you go to a Super Noggin session, it reinforces things you already knew but you also tend to have a lot of ‘Ah ha’ moments.”  Executive Director Chris Romick agrees, “At The Heritage, our residents believe in prevention through a healthy lifestyle… rather than reactive health care. Our residents want to STAY healthy! Which is why Super Noggin was such a perfect fit for our community. I can tell you this much, people have told us that one of the attractions for moving to The Heritage was the availability of Super Noggin.” 
  

Full Disclosure: Both The Heritage of Green Hills and Super Noggin are clients of TR Mann Consulting.

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Line up to learn your longevity likelihood.  Aren’t you just loving the opportunity we will soon have to download that free genetic marker test kit, the one that with 77% accuracy will tell whether we will live past 100? Boston University scientists have ‘no plans to profit’ from the results, but they will make the kit available later this summer. (Warning: analysis of the results will be costly.) I am so struck by how the law of unintended consequences could play out, especially in areas of insurance — as with a home test kit for Alzheimer’s, people might be more likely to purchase long-term care insurance. With a longevity test on the market, how long will the term need to be in term insurance? Taking it a step further, should insurance companies offer free kits as a marketing device? Should your doctor know that you’ve taken such a test? Should a health insurer know? What happens to rates, deductibles and lifetime caps? What kind of housing and support systems would we want if we knew we could live to 100 or more (or if we knew we would suffer from Alzheimer’s)? What would our families do with that information?

Which brings me to home care — what we want. So let’s just imagine that many more of us are going to make it to 100, that we fear nursing homes and obsessively want to stay in our own dangerous-but-familiar houses. Of course, we will want to be there all alone in our later years, visited only by home health or companion aides from the growing home care industry (hopefully they won’t visit us too often, though, and draw attention from the SEC). Hopefully the aides are background-vetted, well-paid, well-trained, dedicated and conversational, and are the low-turnover folks. Hopefully they will take us out to events and social activities, make sure that we are well-monitored and Skype-connected to our far-flung relatives, if not in the home then by driving us to places like this just-opening and Skype-enabled Clearwater Aging Well Center.  Hmm. Do you believe this?

We have the time to craft a better experience. Let’s face it, the lonely boomer at home at 100 is unlikely: our mis-managed bodies may not permit it — even if the above scenario was realistic. That doesn’t mean we aren’t going to live far beyond ye olde expectations. If we knew how long we might live, we also need to imagine and advocate for lower-cost, longevity-friendly housing for those ‘middle’ decades of the 70′s and 80′s, but that will house us when we’re 95 and low on money. We need a rethink of nursing homes, blending them into services for seniors in a community — so that they move past the current shrinking anathema status. That might mean more consolidation, along with blending of skilled services first into communities, and then those services into group housing that will match our budgets and interest profiles. 

Care we want — can we get it? Where we’ll be living, the aides are kind to us: they form friendships and support each other and are well-supported by management. They enable us to find friends and continue to do activities we like — with others, not alone. Where we’ll be living, monitoring our well-being will be welcome and standard; enabling our tech-connectedness will be understood and supported by management and staff. When we move in, we won’t need to take our tech gadgetry with us — they’ll be part of the residence, with Kindles and Nooks in the library, wireless in our home, and appropriate use of video. Maybe useful and friendly robots (not just Paro-fluffy-friendly) will free up the repetitive and low-skilled labor, doing so at a low cost, freeing up staff to focus on higher-skilled tasks. This has happened in every single other industry in the past 50 years — why not this one?

We are in a crisis of mistaken expectation — thus tech opportunity.  In today’s economically challenged world, we suffer from a lack of product and service marketer realism (see Tom Mann’s Mature Market blog about senior housing developers) all along the continuum of care to the consumer. Everyone wants things the way they were (as in the above senior housing example) or they don’t know what they want but are shocked at what they actually get, whether it is with the doctor, the hospital, or the home care agency. Those who are creating and selling tech-enabled products and services have an opportunity to sell into the gap — whether it is in cost-reduction, family expectation management, or enabling standardized back office consolidations for service providers — who want to enable a better longevity experience at a lower cost.

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Mature Market Experts: Selling to Boomers, Seniors, and the Mature Market: Marketing to Baby Boomers, Seniors and the Mature Market - By Tom Mann, TR Mann Consulting: My partners at TR Mann Consulting and I regularly receive emails and phone calls from reporters, bloggers, advertising agencies, marketing firms, and consumer good manufactures asking us what the secret is to selling to Baby Boomers, seniors, and the Mature Market. I would argue that there are no secrets to selling to these different age groups, just refined techniques. Here are some baby boomer, senior and mature market marketing basics:

How is marketing to baby boomers different from marketing to seniors, the mature market or the public in general?

For decades now, marketers have been selling their clients on demographic breakouts. They tell you that the baby boomer generation (the 76 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964) represent unlimited herd-like opportunities. On top of the 76 million American Boomer goldmine is another six to eight million immigrant boomers.

The magic demographic breakout? People born between 1946 and 1955 are called leading-edge boomers by these marketers. Those born between 1956 to 1964 are commonly referred to as late- or trailing-edge boomers.

These lazy marketers will tell you that these are two sociologically distinct target audiences . . . the “leading-edge boomers” grew up during the Vietnam War era. They will tell you that they were shaped by the “cultural revolution,” modern feminism (remember Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs?), the Beatles, the assassinations of JFK and Martin Luther King, and the civil rights.

And yes, these events did influence some of their decisions but unfortunately for marketers, it’s much more complex than that. Boomers and the mature market (like all humans) are driven more by their personal needs (remember Maslow’s pyramid?) and the stage of life they are currently in.

In short, marketers need to understand that it’s about “stage” . . . not age. In other words, where is that individual in their personal journey? Just because we are from the same generation doesn’t mean were in the same stage.

David Wolfe, one of my favorite bloggers and a true expert on aging states on his blog Ageless Marketing:

“Needs drive our behavior. Our need to be physically and mentally comfortable, whole, safe and secure does not change from one generation to the next. In Maslow’s hierarchy, that bundle of needs is the most basic of all needs. Then, our need for love and to be loved never changes from one generation to the next. The same holds true of our need for self-esteem and the esteem of others.

What does change from generation to generation are the ways in which we strive to meet our needs.”

By approaching consumer’s with a “stage mentality” new targeting opportunities arise. My favorite example of this is one of my clients, GRAND Magazine. GRAND doesn’t address the readers’ age; it addresses the stage of life this group (Grandparents) has just entered. By recognizing the importance of this role, the grandparent role, GRAND and its advertisers, connect with their audience on a much deeper level. Think about it this way, there are over 72 million grandparents in America, and according to Age Wave Communications they’ll spend over 30 billion this year on their grandchildren. And I would say that $30 Billion is low, I’ve seen estimates of over $75 billion a year!

Because we believe it’s about stage, NOT age, at TR Mann Consulting we have created a different set of lens for looking at the sales process called the Maslow-Mann Brand Match. The great thing about this approach is that unlike the traditional marketing approach it’s inclusive, rather than “cutting out” market segments . . . so your market opportunities are bigger, not smaller. For example, did you know that the average age of a grandparent in the U.S. is 48? If you applied a traditional approach to reaching grandparents (a presumed age) you would miss much of the market.

Why are so many people and companies talking about boomers and the mature market now? How much buying power do boomers and matures have?

You have to remember, every eight seconds, another boomer turns 50. Over 50% of the households in the U.S. are now headed up by a baby boomer. And the mature market continues to grow at an incredible rate; by 2010 one-third of the U.S. population will be over 50. By 2020, one in five Americans will be over 65.

More importantly, they control the bulk of the nation’s wealth . . . and they shop! According to a recent study by Nielsen and Hallmark Channels, households with baby boomer members account for nearly $230 billion in sales of consumer packaged goods and represent 55% of total consumer packaged goods sales.

Those numbers get even bigger when you include all the mature market, the 78 million American seniors who were 50 or older as of 2001 controlled $28 trillion, or 67% of the country’s wealth.

The mature market controls 70 to 79% of all the financial assets, 80% of all the savings accounts; 62% of all large Wall Street asset accounts; and 66% of all the money invested in the stock market.

Boomer women in particular will control the bulk of the mature market’s wealth. By 2010, women are expected to control 60% of all wealth in the U.S., according to a study from Allianz Life Insurance Company.

If you want to see more of these amazing numbers on mature women, click here.

What is the best way to market to boomers and the mature market?

Boomers and seniors are at completely different stages of their lives. It’s important to identify which stages most closely align with your product or service.

· Do they have kids at home? Young or returned to the nest?

· Do they have parents at home?

· Are they healthy? What ailments do they have?

· Are they retired?

· Are they active?

The point is, that by acknowledging that marketing is a whole lot harder than just selling to a “herd” of boomers you’ll start to position your product more carefully.

Aside from physical ailments and illnesses, as we age and mature, we tend to proceed further up Maslow’s pyramid with our needs becoming less materialistic and more emotional/spiritual. Creating advertising that connects emotionally and logically is essential. This is one of the reasons TR Mann Consulting likes to use testimonials for our clients. Testimonials tell stories, they connect emotionally and logically. Plus, they maximize the principals of authority and social proof (The principles of influence: Consistency, Likability, Authority, Social Proof, Scarcity, and Reciprocity — as taught by researcher, Dr. Robert Cialdini).

Next, you have to take in consideration the visual and psychological differences between the different stages. One stage might be “elderly with declining health.” For the 65+ audience your ads should look dramatically different than if you were targeting younger boomers exclusively. Why? Because vision becomes an issue for print and TV, as do fast cuts in TV commercials. Although, in my opinion, all your ads should include these inclusive visual techniques . . . after all, why cut out potential customers? (If you’re interested in learning more about the mature market and vision, click here, then go to the bottom of the page and select “Vision and Aging.”)

Want to learn more about Baby Boomers, Seniors, and the Mature Market?

Of course, an article this short can’t possibly cover a topic this complex and do it justice. But hopefully, it does stop you from buying the traditional “herd-mentality” marketing approach being sold by most marketers for reaching the Boomers. If you’d like to learn more to improve your chances for marketing success with the mature market, give TR Mann Consulting a call at 410-292-4333.

Note: this blog was orginaly published December 23, 2008. For some reason, when our blog was rolled over to our current URL this blog didn’t follow. Therefore, we have reposted.

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I always find it inspiring when busy people go out of their way to do good things. Mike Rowe is one of those guys.

Mike Rowe has had more jobs than you. In fact, Mike has had more jobs than anyone.

As the creator and executive producer of Discovery Channel’s Emmy-nominated series Dirty Jobs With Mike Rowe, Mike has spent years traveling the country, working as an apprentice on more than 200 jobs that most people would go out of their way to avoid. From coal mining to roustabouting, maggot farming to sheep castrating, Mike has worked in just about every industry and filmed the show in almost every state, celebrating the hard-working Americans who make civilized life possible for the rest of us.

No one is better suited to the role of good-natured guinea pig than Mike — mainly because it’s not a role. Dirty Jobs is entirely unscripted, and Mike doesn’t cheat; he actually does the work, with a sense of humor rarely portrayed in such professions. In fact, the notion of depicting hard work as noble and fun is central to his personal mission. On Labor Day 2008, Mike launched a Web site called mikeroweWORKS.com, where skilled labor and hard work are celebrated in the hope of calling attention to the steady decline in the trades and bolstering enrollment in trade schools and technical colleges. Mike is also the voice of one of my favorite shows, Deadliest Catch.

Despite all of this, Mike still finds the time to do the important stuff … like serving as the voiceover for a series of public service announcements for Believe in Tomorrow.

So the next time you see Mike, give him a big hug and say, “Thanks.” Or better yet, donate to one of the charities Mike cares deeply about … The Believe In Tomorrow Children’s Foundation.

PS       I’ve served on the board of Believe In Tomorrow for over 15 years, so I can tell you personally that this organization is incredibly efficient (93% of every dollar goes to supporting the programs). They’ve served thousands of kids with amazingly important hospital housing like The Children’s House at Johns Hopkins and The Children’s House at St. Casimir, just to name a few. Here’s how you can help.

PPS    Now, if only we could get Mike to be a GNA for a day.

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If you sell to or serve seniors or the mature market, then you know about The American Assocation of Homes and Services For The Aging (AAHSA). Well, AAHSA recently put together a wonderfully entertaining video to promote their 2010 Conference:

I don’t know if I’ll be able to attend, but I’d like to congradulate the team on pushing beyond the standard promotion.

Cheers,

Tom

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Mature Market Experts: more boomer, senior and mature market news and stats you can use, more often: AARP Responds To Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter- AARP’s updated website (www.aarp.org) reflects its 276,000-member online community’s growing appetite for social networking. More than 27% of American boomers already are using sites such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter. The importance of online social networking among its target audience prompted AARP to ensure that its website can share content between the various online sites. Improved navigation and search capabilities have also been incorporated. Within the next month consumers will be able to access online content with hand held devices, such as smart phones, mobile phones and e-readers. This premier senior organization is responding to the hurdles some elderly experience when using computer technology. See our blog from June 15th, 2010,  Mature Market Experts Stat of The Day: Mature Market Frustration with Technology. Apple Are You Listening? If you want to effectively reach the 50+ audience, take heed.
To read more click here.

PS  I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Mature Market Experts has added Twitter and StumbleUpon widgets in the upper left hand corner of our site.

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Mature Market Experts: more mature market news and stats more often – Mature Market Frustration with Technology – Despite the fact that over 50% of the households in the US are now headed up by someone over 50, tech companies just don’t seem to be thinking about the details that should imply. A perfect example, it requires super human skills to read the serial number on the back of my IPOD. Think about it, if you are going to ask me for a number so that I can register, make it so that I can actually read it. Steve Jobs . . . are you listening? Trust me, this won’t offend your younger audience. (I should note, that I’m a huge fan of Apple’s designs skills, even the best sometimes stumble.)

Advertising Age recently noted a study by the Consumer Electronics Association and TNS Compete of 3,135 adults in November of 2008: “Older consumers also reported a higher level of frustration with the complexity of technology. Sixty percent of consumers 50 or older identified feature-laden products as a main source of frustration with technology, compared with 39% of consumers 18 to 49.”

Personally, I don’t think most of the fixes require huge technical advances but rather a little empathy. So how about you, do you have any examples of STUFF that drives you crazy?

Originally published 1/12/09 – Republished when dropped from site

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Mature Market Experts: stats and news you can use on boomers, seniors and the mature market – Google Analytics and Analyzing Internet Data – Internet technology has become a tool that businesses selling to seniors can not afford to ignore. As boomers, seniors, and the mature market rely on it for everything from social networking and entertainment to price comparisons and online purchases, a side benefit is that enormous amounts of information becomes available for collection and analysis. Businesses and advertisers marketing to the baby boomer consumer could design their product and message based on these statistics. Last week’s 27th annual symposium of the University of Maryland’s Human-Computer Interaction Lab brought government researchers, business financial analysts and computer scientists together to debate how to organize and display this gold mine of information in a beneficial way. To learn more about how this endeavor may help your future business click here.

At a minimum, you owe it to yourself to look at your Google Analytics to see if you are focusing your website’s keywords on the right terms (this assumes that you’ve been paying for Google Adwords …. if you haven’t been, it is worth doing just to see what valuable information you can glean). And while you’re at it, plug your website’s url into www.websitegrader.comfor an eye-opening view of your website’s flaws.

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