Music & Boomers

Oct 21, 2014 by Mark Maier

If your property does well with Boomers, Music sales and instruments may be a catagory that you have neglected that you need to refocus on according to Engage: Boomers...

" Marketers in general, stand to gain a lot by serving a 50+ market that increasingly makes music an important part of their lives. Consider that: 

• Album downloads among Boomer and older music lovers are up 101% over the past four years. Last month, Prince, Barbra Streisand, and Tony Bennett (in collaboration with Lady Gaga) all released top 10 albums on iTunes. 

• Over the last 10 years, audio equipment sales among people 50+ have increased by $237 million, while sales among consumers 18-49 have dropped by $1 billion. 

• In July this year, Pollstar reported that more than half of 2014’s highest-grossing tours in North America were by artists over 50, including George Strait, Billy Joel, Cher, Paul Simon & Sting, Elton John and Bruce Springsteen. 

• 50+ are responsible for two-thirds of the growth in satellite radio subscriptions in the last year.

Music continues to play a relevant role in the Boomer journey because it enhances their lives on many levels—as millions of 50+ still commute to work, hit the gym, entertain at home, travel, enjoy vacation homes and live in multi-generational households, where music appeals to and can serve as a connector between generations. 

Music has the potential to play an even more powerful role in Boomers’ lives by providing a broad array of health benefits.USA Today recently reported that listening to music can:

• ease pain
• improve sleep quality
• enhance blood vessel performance
• reduce stress and anxiety
• relieve symptoms of depression
• elevate mood
• increase workout endurance
• improve cognitive performance
• relax patients before surgery

There’s also mounting evidence for the effectiveness of music in managing the devastating effects of dementia. 

“Alive Inside,” an independent documentary that tells the story of social worker Dan Cohen’s efforts to use musical therapy for those suffering from Alzheimer’s and other neurological ailments, scored big at the Sundance Film Festival in January, taking home the audience award for top U.S. documentary. The film provides evidence that music has the ability to engage the part of the brain not affected by dementia. According to neurologist Oliver Sacks, music brings back a sense of identity to dementia patients. Cohen’s musical therapy is now being used in over 600 facilities worldwide. 

Additionally, it has been reported that listening to music can reduce the incidence of behavioral issues in dementia patients, as well as provide a sense of calm and improve the emotional state of dementia patients. Music can not only ease patient suffering, but also help lessen the burden experienced by millions of caretakers and family members.

Nearly all people age 50+ (96%) report that health is a top priority, yet only 33% say they have all they need to achieve optimal health. Music can help fill that gap, but only if Boomers are made aware of the vital role music can play in their lives. 

Smart marketers will see the opportunity that lies before them. They will develop and market audio products specifically for the Boomer market. They will create educational and marketing platforms that speak to the health benefits music can provide to an aging population for whom health maintenance is a daily priority. They will support artists who are creating music that appeals to Boomer tastes. 

In doing so, like Annie Lennox, they will maintain a place of relevance in Boomers’ lives."

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