Sharon Whiteley, President and CEO of ThirdAge, Inc. joined the plethora of talented and engaging speakers that were part of this year's Retailing Smarter Symposium when she shared her thoughts and ideas with regard to "Marketing to Baby Boomers." In her talk, she included myths about baby boomers, the potency of its market, ageless, value-based marketing and Internet strategies to reach this compelling demographic. The company she leads ThirdAge, was inspired by the French phrase Troisieme Age, the lifestage following young adulthood and preceding retirement; a time often characterized by new found freedoms (when kids leaving home), the discovery of new passions and a shift from career building to legacy and giving back.

In contrast to the business potential that this dynamic population holds, baby boomers have been surrounded by debilitating myths that marketers have placed upon them. Some of these myths include: aging baby boomers being seen as "seniors" and "old" - even at a mere 50 years of age; they are inactive and not open to new trends/brands; and that they are "set in their ways" and inadaptable. These perceptions cloud the picture and preclude many marketers from reaching these vital and adventurous baby boomers that proudly hold the title of fastest growing and most powerful consumer market today.

Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 to 1964, today are 78 million strong. They are responsible for 50% of all discretionary power, 80% of personal financial assets and they are the fastest growing market segment online (hardly technophobes, another common myth). In fact, between 2000 and 2004 the growth of the 50 plus crowd online increased by 89% to over 32 million people. An significant part of this market, Ms. Whiteley added, is the ever-growing market of women. They are responsible for the majority of adult consumer spending including home furnishings, health care spending and vacations. And they often hold the title of decision-maker. When marketing to women, Ms. Whiteley reminded us of some general constants to consider: women are time starved and will respond to messages addressing this status; they don't relate to jargon or bloated claims so be authentic and real; and don't forget to use humor where befitting.

Considering the phenomenal growth of boomers' use of the Internet, Ms. Whiteley stressed the importance of increasing text size, using high contrast colors and not using all caps for greater readability. She encouraged sites to be designed with "intuitive navigation" making it simple for visitors to find what they want easily. Trust, she emphasized, is the single most important ingredient when building a relationship with this discriminating constituency. Based upon research conducted on ThirdAge.com the five key factors to building a trusted and profitable relationship with boomers are: Reliability, Assurance, Tangibles, Empathy and Responsiveness. She closed by saying that "good marketing" is "good marketing" regardless of the demographics. It calls for knowing your audience, having relevant and resonant products/services, genuinely being customer focused -- and dispelling the myths about the ThirdAge.