"It's About Life Stage, Not Age" is Universal Theme at 2007 Boomer Marketing Summit.

Beyond the Numbers Boomer Summit Unveils Key Opportunities For Marketers to Reach 40+ Consumers Online

SAN FRANCISCO -- In all areas of online marketing and new media, the universal theme coming out of the 6th annual Beyond the Numbers: Boomer Marketing Summit in Las Vegas is that marketers need to address Boomer life stages, not their chronological age.

Boomers 2.0 - Reaching 40+ Consumers Today, was held last week and addressed the impact of the digital age on the boomer lifestyle. The two-day Summit brought together experts who are shaping digital technology and new media to provide marketers with insights and expert information on how to leverage digital technology to better target, reach and sell to this dominant market. Participants in this year's Summit included Chris Shipley, Executive Director at DEMO; Tanya Giles, SVP at TV Land; futurist Marian Salzman, EVP at JWT; Jack Barrette, Category Development Officer at Yahoo!; Brad Knight, President of Retirement Living; Jeff Taylor, CEO at Eons, Inc.; Jeff Ratner, Managing Partner and N.A. Digital Director for MindShare INTERACTION; David Wolfe, co-author of Firms of Endearment; and Sharon Whiteley, President/CEO, ThirdAge.com, among many others.

"Boomers - 78 million strong - are the largest consumer majority in the U.S., and are the fastest growing Internet user segment," says Lori Bitter, Senior Partner for JWT BOOM. "Though some marketers are striving to engage with this important group, many continue to ignore or do an ineffective job of building a trusted relationship with people who are over 40," says Bitter. "The conventional wisdom that Boomers are set in their purchasing habits and resistant to marketing messages is a very costly myth. These generations have grown up in the information age; they seek facts, data and peer input - and then will make up their own minds."

Summit speakers universally agreed that a huge opportunity lies in understanding how to develop and market digital technology and new media to make life better and more rewarding for the 40+ crowd in their key areas of interest: healthcare, travel, financial services and technology. To reach them, marketers must understand that -- contrary to popular belief - Boomers are not brand loyal, and are more than willing to try new products that resonate with them and speak to their life issues.

According to Jeff Ratner, "Boomers are made up of niche audiences - they are not a homogenous group. Some Boomers are taking care of young children, while others are sandwiched between providing assistance to an adult child and taking care of a parent. Marketers can't assume that a single medium will reach and impact the entire Boomer market. They also can't make the mistake of forsaking traditional media. New media should be one part of a 360 degree marketing program that is as much about finding new ways to use traditional media as it is about new media platforms. Boomers love discovery and information - and marketers need to support and enable that quest."

"The myth that Boomers are not online is just that - a myth," continues Jack Barrette. "53% of all Boomers are on Yahoo, and 25% of YouTube members are Boomers. Marketers need to understand that Boomers are tremendously influential, with 96% of them sharing information with their friends and families. Marketers need to show Boomers that they understand the issues that are important to them, and that they are committed to helping make their lives easier."

Sharon Whiteley of ThirdAge.com identified several keys for marketers to build trusted relationships with this group online:

* Don't focus on age - focus on the life stage

* Don't label Boomers - understand and embrace their differences

* Get inside their heads and show that you know their values

* Create products and services that are of value to them

* Use language that resonates with this group

* Be authentic - engage this group and connect emotionally with them

A recent online survey by ThirdAge and JWT BOOM noted that the top three reasons Boomers are online are to seek out information (92%), to stay in touch with friends and family (95%) and to shop (73%). "Online is a critical channel for marketing to Boomers," says Whiteley. "The Internet is the only medium where marketers can build interactive, one-on-one relationships with Boomers, and marketers should be taking advantage of that."

About JWT BOOM

Beyond the Numbers: Boomer Market Summit is presented annually by JWT BOOM: Boomers & Beyond, which specializes in reaching consumers ages 40+, providing results-driven strategy and execution to help clients build profitable and lasting relationships with Boomer and mature consumers. The specialized group is headquartered in the JWT San Francisco office. "Boomers are the largest and most affluent demographic in U.S. history. With this Boomer market focus, backed by the fully integrated agency services of JWT and the entire global WPP family, we are uniquely positioned to help companies effectively reach and grow their market share of today's most powerful demographic segment," says Lori Bitter, Senior Partner for JWT BOOM.