So why is there not more emphasis on reaching the growing baby boomer demo? That's what Nielsen wants to know. The measurement company believes that advertisers are too focused on younger consumers. Nielsen says that by overly focusing on demos such as 18-to-34 and 18-to-49, "advertisers and consumer goods manufacturers are overlooking a group that has tremendous buying power." We're talking about 78 million boomers ranging from 46-to-64 yet it's a virtually untapped demo. Boomers are part of the 35-to-64 demo that gets less than 5% of the overall ad dollar pie. Nielsen executive Pat McDonough says that boomers should be as "desirable" for marketers as millenials and Generation X: As the U.S. continues to age, reaching this group will continue to be critical for advertisers." ...
Younger consumers aren't the only age group spending time in Wi-Fi enabled locales (See: Starbucks) but Nielsen says boomers are more likely to have broadband connections at home. They also make up a third of tweeters and social media users, while they turn to DVRs to time-shift TV more than 18-to-24-year olds. The top 10 most trafficked websites for both boomers and 18-to-34-year-olds is almost identical - 8 are the same (Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia, etc.). About the only difference is the inclusion of Ask.com and Amazon.com for boomers...
Nielsen adds that boomers account for 39% of dollars spent on consumer packaged goods and they spend more in 1,023 of the 1,083 categories in the segment. The argument to include older demos is older than the demo itself. Those opposed to including boomers in time buys are the people at the ad agencies who fall into a younger demo. Radio's argument over the years has been a sound one. Until an older demo is acceptable, we'll continue to program to a demo that is acceptable to the ad agencies. It will take some people with guts at the ad agencies to step out and make boomers a viable demo for advertising. Unless and until agency decision makers include boomers, Nielsen's wish will fall on the deaf ears of the younger demos who call the shots...
10 Timeline Memories:
1.1925] Scoping it out: The "Monkey Trial" ends in Dayton (TN) with John T. Scopes convicted of violating the state law for teaching "Darwin's theory of evolution". The conviction is later overturned. Scopes was heard muttering "that judge is an ape" as he leaves the courtroom...
2.1957] Another 1st: Althea Gibson becomes the 1st black woman to win a major U.S. tennis title when she wins the Women's National Clay Court singles competition...
3.1961] Space Race: Gus Grissom becomes the 2nd American to rocket into a sub-orbital pattern around the Earth on the Liberty Bell 7. Alan Shepard was the 1st...1969] Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin blast off from the moon aboard the lunar module...1998] 74-year old Alan Shepard passes away, a victim of leukemia...
4.1975] Say it ain't so, Joe: As a member of the Mets, Joe Torre bounces into 4 double-plays. Each time he follows a hit by Felix Millan who wishes Torre would become a manager...
5.1976] Outbreak: The 1st outbreak of "Legionnaire's" disease is reported in Philadelphia...
6.1983] Don't let the rain come down: Diana Ross and her fans get drenched in Central Park and an unruly crowd riots in an ugly scene. Over 100 arrests are made... 7.1987] Check out those legs: Mary Hart of "Entertainment Tonight" has her legs insured by Lloyd's of London for $2 million (her liver for $500,000, her kidneys for $250,000 and her earrings for $100,000)...
8.1999] Bodies found: Navy divers find the bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., wife Carolyn and sister-in-law Lauren Bessette in the wreckage of Kennedy's plane in the Atlantic Ocean off the shore of Martha's Vineyard...
9.2000] Innocent: Special Counsel John C. Danforth concludes "with 100% certainty" that the federal government is innocent of any wrongdoing in the Waco siege that killed 80 members of the Branch Davidian sect near Waco (TX) in 1993...
10.2002] Chapter 11: WorldCom Inc. files for bankruptcy protection about a month after disclosing it had inflated profits by nearly $4 billion through deceptive accounting...
Music Memories:
•1970] #1 on this date: "(They Long To Be) Close To You" - Carpenters...1975] "The Hustle" - Van McCoy...1985] "Everytime You Go Away" - Paul Young...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
CC Sabathia (30), Ali Landry (37), Brandi Chastain (42), Robin Williams (59), Cat Stevens aka Yusuf Islam (62),Kenneth Starr (64), Edward Herrmann (67), Janet Reno (72) and Kay Starr (88)...
Timeline Countdown: 3 days until NFL training camps begin opening, 4 days until the MLB HOF induction & 17 days until the NFL HOF induction...
