"Increasingly savvy baby boomers--who are 100 million strong in the U.S. and control billions in disposable income--could be the target for tech marketers during the next few years, according to a joint study by TNS Compete and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)."
This opening quote from an article called "Tech Marketers Target Savvy Boomers" from MediaPost caught my attention as one of several articles recently about this key demographic. Some of the other highlights....
"Boomer consumers ages 50 and older are as likely to own, or plan to purchase, an HDTV as those ages 49 and younger. And 80% of 60-somethings used a cell phone in the past week--a rate that is similar to those ages 18 to 34. About 71% of 60-somethings and 52% of 70-somethings used a search engine in the past week, compared with 77% of those ages 18-34.
"Boomers also have become more comfortable researching information through search engines and making purchasing online. While the Internet has become a more important part of everyday life, the study reveals that older Americans still more frequently turn toward people in stores for help. In fact, 63% said they asked a salesperson for information, compared with 47% of those ages 18-49.
The study reveals that 80% of consumers ages 35-49 heavily integrate search engines into daily life, compared with 77% for those ages 18-34 and 50-59. Search engines are also popular for those in their 60s and 70s, with 71% and 52% using search to research information on products and services, respectively. "
To me the study says that this key demographic cannot be ignored by your clients selling tech goods, it also reinforces the need for knowledgable sales people that can put consumers at ease and describe how the products work and demonstrate ease of operation.