Selling Services to the Baby
Boomer Generation
Learning Aid Page 213 Q.1
MGS 3040-03
GROUP 3
Justin Bornstein Dagmara Galik
Svitlana Panasik Ulascan Senger
Innovation in Practice
• Larry Jones
– Won a scholarship from Cisco Corporation and learned
about setting up LAN.
– Setup LAN in his fraternity house, helping him make
networking connections
– Started setting up LAN in other fraternities and sororities
on campus.
– Began offering support for an extra charge
– Started a partnership with several other students
What is the Baby Boom generation?
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According to Wikipedia, Baby Boom Generation is “a term describing individuals
born during the middle part of 20th century”. There are 78 million Baby Boomers
born between 1946 and 1964
Represent about 29 percent of the population
In Canada, they are known as "Boomies” (six million reside there) and in Britain,
known as "the bulge."
Most important demographic segment
Pursued since they were adolescents
The last generation to force great changes on society
Grew up in relative prosperity and safety
Came of age in the optimistic sixties and seventies and believe in growth, change
and expansion
Tend to pursue promotion by working long hours and demonstrating loyalty
Baby Boomer turning 50 every seven seconds
Baby Boomer Characteristics
• Two groups make up two different target markets of
Boomers. The two groups differ substantially by
characteristics. To market effectively to Boomers, you must
understand how these Baby Boomer characteristics differ
between the two groups:
• The Vietnam War group members and the later younger
members.
• They share characteristics like higher rates of participation in
higher education than previous generations and an
assumption of lifelong prosperity and entitlement developed
during their childhood in the 1950s.
Baby Boomer Characteristics
• Vietnam group members, the
oldest group, were classified as
Hippies during their youth. They
fought against the Vietnam war
and for civil and women rights.
• The younger group, were
classified as Yuppies in their
youth. They grew up without
war in a time of economic
prosperity, and most prospered
as young professionals.
• The characteristics of these two
market segments differ enough
that you need to market
differently for each. If you
market to them the same, your
marketing message may fall on
deaf ears, wasting your
marketing resources!
Characteristics Continued
• Baby boomers learned computers in their middle years. They
did not grow up with the Internet thus they do not possess
many information technology skills (for example they do not
know how to buy and sell on eBay because they do not have
the knowledge about secure communication over the
Internet)
• A big mistake is that technology companies don’t have much
consideration for Baby Boomers and don’t focus on products
that would best meet their needs
• Baby Boomers have an enormous buying power, and an
exceptionally high interest in technology
Baby Boomers and Technology
• A recent study conducted by TV Land revealed that 78 million
adults who are labeled “baby boomers” are compelled to
embrace technology, and entertainment is their primary
reason for doing so.
• The four C’s—choice, control, clarity and community are what
matter most.
• there are standing misconceptions that boomers are tech
phobic, as 65% have tried out new technology in the last
three years.
Baby Boomers and the Internet
• they comprise nearly 30 percent of the online
population.
• The number who use the Internet at least
once a month will grow by more than 4 million
• Rising from 59.4 million in 2007 to 63.7 million
in 2011.
Baby Boomers and Networking Sites
• The NPD Group, reports that 41 percent of baby boomers
have visited social networks such as Facebook, MySpace or
LinkedIn.
• 61 percent have been to Web sites that offer streaming or
downloadable video.
• It’s typical for younger users to interact through comments
and online conversations
• while older users are more comfortable using it to seek
information rather than create content.
Team Skills
• Team skills we possess that Baby Boomers would
like:
• Knowledge of technology such as:
– Computers (including online shopping,
downloading music)
– Phones
• Educated using the latest technology such as
– Office
– Internet
Interview
• Interview with Baby Boomers:
– The most frustrating part of technology is the
learning curve
– Unnecessary features that hinder the main
function of the technology
– Not enough interaction with people when getting
information or service for a product.
Selling Products and Services to the Baby
Boomers
• Almost all of the technology
based products and services
should have extraordinary
customer service and video
tutorials helping the boomers to
understand them step by step.
• Marketing and sales strategies
can be easily extended by
promoting new services/products
as shown aside.
• These services will also
encourage baby boomers to look
into the technology based
support and devices.
• A) Athletic Exercise
Equipment
• B) Health and Beauty
Aids
• C) Financial Services
Gadgets help Baby Boomers navigate
old age
Product
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What it does
A computer chip on a card that would
contain and update its owner's medical
data
A computer aid that would help older
shoppers pick foods based on their
medical history
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A laptop that you can talk to instead of
typing
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Sensors in the wall and floor
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DVD that talks about protocol HTTPS , SSLSecure Socket Layer, and TLS –Transport
Layer Security
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Any doctor, pharmacist or other health
care provider would have instant access
to critical health information
Tiny radio transmitters in food
packages would broadcast ingredients
to the device, which would offer advice
to the shopper
Say your request or touch the screen
for the next task
Track the movements of residents; if
someone falls or fails to keep to his or
her regular schedule, the system asks
whether he or she is all right; if there is
a problem, a message is sent to family
and caregivers
Use of SSL/TLS makes it safe to send
sensitive data such as credit card
numbers and bank balances
Services helpful for Baby Boomers
Service
• Phone service
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Computer classes
What it offers
– Talk to people who help with
any questions about
technology
– Classes at senior centers that
teach about computers and
latest technology, providing
materials and knowledgeable
stuff
Advertising
• Since they do not use new technology as
much
• Newspaper
• Radio
• TV
• Word of mouth
Can we make money on it?
• Even though they might work for the majority
of Baby Boomers, some of them
may find computer chips and computer aids
too expensive or still too complicated