Baby Boomers Revealed

An AARP Services-Focalyst study has exposed a number of myths about the US Baby Boomer market.

“Contrary to many common assumptions, Boomers are making retirement obsolete, are very savvy about advertising and are experimenting with new products,” said Howard Byck, VP corporate development at AARP Services.

Few US Boomers are planning on completely retiring. Only 11% of Boomer respondents say they will stop working entirely when they reach the retirement age of 62.

When it comes to advertising, many Boomers are not always happy with what they see. Two-thirds of Boomers surveyed said that ads have become more crude in recent years and 67% said they are less likely to purchase a product if they find the advertising offensive.

Brand loyalty among Boomers is also overrated. More than 60% of Boomers agreed with the statement, “In today’s marketplace, it doesn’t pay to be loyal to one brand.”

And lastly, it appears that Boomers are not as technologically challenged as once thought. According to the study, 82% use the Internet and they engage in activities such as instant messaging, downloading music or movies, financial transactions and online gaming.