Tell Us Why We Want What You Are Selling

 By Karen and Erica

We, the millions of Boomer women who worked until we retired, are probably the wealthiest cohort in the country. We have worked for decades and have been making purchasing decisions for a long time--for ourselves and our families.

We have different ideas about what we want to do after we retire, but just about all of us are in the mood to look good and have some fun. Makes us sound like a good marketing target, right? Well, you wouldn't know it to look at marketing media. You don't see glamorous women of our vintage buying cars and electronics and apparel--though the data show that we do. Seems like a missed opportunity. So how would a marketer selling goods or services go about getting our attention?

First, we want to look good. If you want to sell us something, show women like us buying. Women of substance, accomplished, energetic, intelligent, enjoying the world and engaged with it. Mentally and physically fit, with lots of life ahead. Well groomed, wearing elegant clothes, in places that are interesting or beautiful or both.

Second, explain why we want what you are selling. How will your product or service make us more attractive, our lives more interesting, our obligations or needs more manageable? How will your designs make us look great? Are your cars both sleek and comfortable? Are you a maitre d' who understands that we will grace your establishment, order champagne and leave a big tip? Does your personal training company want to show us off as we get strong and fit?

Third, we like a good story, so long as we are shown as in the know. We don't want to be depicted as an ignorant foil for a Gen Xer in an ad for a flashy new tech item. We love to be seen learning from young people, but learning from a position of strength, not weakness. We didn't get this far being dense, dumb or ditsy. And we didn't become any of those things after we got here.

And we like our stories to have style. We love the Jaguar It's Good To Be Bad series. We want to be the villains because they are funny and cool and speed off in the race car. And showing us speeding off in the race car makes complete sense. Women drivers outnumber men, and women dominate car buying decisions--especially after fifty.

Whatever you are selling, think about us. And how you can talk us into buying.