Who Boomers Are Today – and How You Can Reach Them

You can always count on Boomers to break the mold.

As agents of social change, Boomers have redefined expectations at every life stage. First welcomed into the world when American G.I.s returned home from World War II and began starting families, the “Baby Boom” generation would grow up in a time of economic prosperity and possibility. It was the dawn of the Information Age – the first true multimedia era: magazines and newspapers were surging, radio was everywhere, and an exciting new medium, television – captured the public imagination.

Many Boomers would go on to be the first in their families to attend college, and they never looked back. This all helped define their sense of determination to realize their potential.

Of course, their formative years influenced their identity and mindset as consumers as well. Brands courted Boomers from the start, and competed hard to meet their needs. As their incomes grew, Boomers became a market force that thrives to this day: a dominant, discerning consumer demographic with massive spending power and the ability to shape trends and lift categories.

To put it simply, Boomers have always refused to be overlooked, and it’s a mistake for marketers to do so now.

In aggregate, Boomers have $36.4+ billion in gross net worth – $14.7 billion more than Gen Xers, and $8.6 billion more than Millennials, according to MRI-Simmons Fall 2023. Boomers also generate $7.1+ billion in income annually, far more than younger adults.

Today, Boomers are dominating the conversation – they’re leading the C-suite, headlining marquee events, sweeping awards shows, and starring in the year’s most talked about TV shows like The Golden Bachelor and the upcoming Golden Bachelorette.

Boomers have a bullhorn on a national stage to speak to one another and to younger generations. Here are a few insights on how Boomers live today, and why no marketing strategy is complete without this critical consumer demo.

Boomers will always be stars

Having spent their lives in the spotlight, Boomers relish the opportunity to be seen and make a difference.

Think about Cher performing a song from her new album at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade last year. Or this year’s Grammys, which featured standout performances by Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman and Billy Joel, as well as memorable award presentations by Meryl Streep and Celine Dion. The Rolling Stones are going back on the road, 60 years after their first tour, and are still making new hits and landing on Billboard’s charts.

To put it simply, 50+ performers are everywhere—and they’re stealing the show.

While not every Boomer is a beloved celebrity, they are rockstars for marketers—so, it’s critical to think about the ways your brand sees, celebrates and connects with them – and how your relationship with this consumer powerhouse can take your business to new heights.

Present them in an aspirational light

Boomers are celebratory and even revelatory of their place in life. Fans raved about Dolly Parton’s halftime show at the Dallas Cowboys football game. The fact that the Queen of Country was dressed in a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader outfit was merely icing on the cake; as fans pointed out, Parton’s energy, vocals and star power far eclipsed that of another halftime performer, Jack Harlow, who is a third her age.

It used to be that brands wanted to avoid appearing to “age” themselves by using people 50+ in their advertising. Now that Boomers have changed what it means to be older, and society is embracing that view, brands have more freedom to ride Boomers’ spending power to increase their bottom lines and build brand image.

Follow their lead – purposefully

Today’s Boomers have reached a life stage where reflecting and giving back are of greater importance. Increasingly, we’re seeing that modeled in popular culture and on screen, with older actors adding dimension and storytelling possibilities to multigenerational casts.

In a new piece on the 2024 AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, Tim Appelo reflects on this shift, noting that “30 years ago, only three Oscar acting nominees were over 60, and the oldest was 64; in the latest Oscars, six were over 60, and the oldest was 87.”

For marketers seeking to “do well by doing good,” Boomers’ deep commitment to community makes them not only an essential audience, but an ideal partner in purpose. As 63-year-old singer, Amy Grant, poignantly reflects in her song Trees We’ll Never See, Boomers trying to “make it matter” now and in the future.

Reach them online

Boomers are online more than ever. They are quite at home in the digital space for a wide range of activities, including shopping for and making purchases. Today, 115 million adults 50+ are online, up 27% since the pandemic and 66% in the last decade according to MRI-Simmons and GfK MRI. In all, 96% of adults 50+ are online in any given month, and 76% are shopping and/or making purchases online, and 74% use social media.

The lesson for marketers is simple: don’t assume Boomers are uncomfortable with tech—and don’t overlook them in your social strategy.

Bottom line

Boomers remain the agents of social change and consumer superstars that they’ve always been. Celebrate them, help them pursue their dreams, facilitate their desire to give back, and take advantage of their tech-savvy ways to reach them in environments they trust and prefer. Your investment will strengthen your relationship with, and grow your sales among, a powerful demo that, as The Golden Bachelor reminds us, only gets better with age.

This article originally appeared in Advertising Week.