The New Paradigm for Old

This was all well and good when the boomers were in the prime of their life but now that they39re older they39re transitioning into a phase of life traditionally characterized as one of decline If you39re a marketer you will need to understand how boomers are going to react to the potential for compromised quality of life especially since most of what we market fundamentally exists to improve people39s livesHere39s what we can anticipateThey39ll Create a New Paradigm for quotOldquotWe live in a country that covets youth and prefers that which is new to that which is old Ironically the boomers are as responsible as anyone for creating and perpetuating the deeply entrenched stereotypes that have stigmatized age But now that quotold agequot is happening to them they don39t like it one bit So the generation that has railed against any cultural norm that did not meet with their acceptance is now intent to change the way our culture views age amp8212 and why notAs a result of the many improvements in healthcare diet and personal fitness more people are living longer and better lives Because people of a certain age are now doing things never thought possible for that age age itself is being redefined beginning with a reluctance to think of it as a number Instead age is seen as a spirit and for many boomers that39s about feeling ageless with an optimistic outlook for a future of continued growth Welcome to the age of getting better with ageThey39re Getting Better With AgeHaving convinced themselves that old age isn39t what it used to be many boomers believe that they39re actually living the best years of their life right here right now Many more are now taking that ageless spirit one step further with their widely held outlook that life is actually going to get better with age Although medical science has evidence to the contrary boomers are being influenced by their own irrational psychology Since the rational prospect of aging is unpleasant think advancing morbidity and the inevitability of mortality they39re replacing it with a more positive scenario that fits their desired view of the futureThis is the emotional irrational side of their brain working overtime to convince them that everything is going to be as wonderful as they want it to be In their zeal for sustained improvements in quality of life boomers are acting irrationally amp8212 but so be it Marketers need to accept this new view of age for what it is by presenting their offerings in a way that39s consistent with and complementary to boomers39 aspirational selfimageQuality of Life Is Becoming Quality of LongevityBoomers are confident that they39re going to live longer than the generation before them but longevity alone isn39t enough Instead their previous focus on quality of life is now giving way to a commitment to quality of longevity amp8212 a longer life with more better years This new outlook reflects the new math of aging As boomers live longer they don39t see that incrementality as tacking on more years to old age they see it as an expansion of their prime years In this way they39re ignoring the prospect of decline by pushing it even further into the future They39re living in the moment and they expect to stay physically fit by exercising stay active and grow emotionally and spiritually by remaining optimisticThe quotover the hillquot metaphor of aging suggests that life is a pleasant journey upwards from youth to a known and visible summit On getting to the top of the hill one then goes quotover the hillquot and disappears from view ever hear an older person say they feel invisible beginning life39s descent as they head the only direction they can downAfter years of climbing through life most boomers have finally reached their originally conceived summit old age 60 and not surprisingly they didn39t like the view So naturally they chose to declare age 60 to be a false summit and promptly continued their climb rising in life toward a still more glorious peak in a life they see as limitlessOnce again they have shown a penchant for inventing new ways to rationalize the realities of aging to create a more positive scenario that fits their optimistic outlook for the future For marketers to thrive by prioritizing aging they will need to put the realities of aging aside in favor of the idealistic notions that have aging boomers acting like they39re agelessDon39t stop now Stay in the know on marketing to age with more from Peter HubbellClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT | BECOME A THOUGHT LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTOR

The New Paradigm for Old

Author

Publish date

Channel

Peter Hubbell

Don’t’ Back Down; Double Down on DEI Investments - By Jack Myers

More Videos:

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT | BECOME A THOUGHT LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTOR

The New Paradigm for Old

Enjoying This Commentary? There's More to Love

Peter Hubbell

Stay in the know with more from MediaVillage

Don’t’ Back Down; Double Down on DEI Investments - By Jack Myers

Cookies