James Dean: the Original Viral Marketer

His secret Appealing to 80 million baby boomers a cohort so massive that its size amplified the impact of its choices By definition viral marketing is about strength in numbers and the largest generation that business had ever seen suddenly had the power to make brands go viral big time As the boomers began to flex their muscles as consumers they embraced those things that appealed to their values and elevated them to iconic statusThe impact of this generation39s choices didn39t stop with a mere purchase Blue jeans were more than just another article of clothing They now had social power think social media in 1955 as a symbol that signified solidarity with working people and offered up quiet criticism of more formal society Societal institutions such as schools clubs stores and churches that didn39t necessarily approve of the informality of jeans had no choice but to loosen their dress codes if they wanted Boomers to show up As the wave grew the wearing of jeans was no longer simply the choice of boomer outliers it had become the decision of all vital groups of societyTo understand how the blue jeans trend started requires understanding the needs that were motivating young baby boomers They were simultaneously searching for their selfidentity while also looking to demonstrate their independence This manifested itself as rebellion and wearing jeans was the expression of nonconformity they were looking forIf our goal as marketers is to identify the next trend that39s as massive and enduring as denim then where do we look We can start by looking at the boomers of today and understanding their contemporary needs For this cohort there is no need as rich as the requirements associated with age and aging Here are some territories to considerAging in Place No discussion about boomers and age is complete without touching on Aging in Place amp8212 ie their determination to grow older in the comfort of their own home assisted by technologically driven care Within that space the focus is almost always on aging and less so on the quotplacequot which is still rife with opportunity Go beyond the physical need orientation of aging at home and think about their desires such as comfort pleasure and socialization Aging in place means that boomers will be more homecentric now than at any other time of their lives so it will also be a good time to modify their living space to enhance their new lifestyle As they look to make their house a home that39s perfect for their new life stage look for opportunities to help them furnish their new space with home products and services that help them get better with ageMobility When mobility and aging are mentioned in the same sentence peoples39 minds go to things like scooters walkers wheelchairs and ramps amp8212 solutions for people who have mobility issues But as people live better healthier longer lives they39re going to expect better versions of their current mobility experiences An example of this is the rearview camera available in some cars that eases the task of craning your neck to see what39s behind you Boomers need more of this genius in their lives Then there39s all of the attention being given to a future of driverless cars but none of that buzz is focused on how autonomous technology can help people of age have easier and safer enhanced driving experiences particularly at night or on congested streets And of course airport and plane experiences have endless opportunity to improve boomers39 mobility experiencePerformance Fashion As part of their determination to get better with age boomers are more active than ever in an effort to outperform expectations for their age personal performance is the new bar by which they39re measuring their vitality While they39re feeling great they also want to look great That starts with embracing styles that defy the norm for what quotoldquot people are supposed to wear while also signaling to others that they still have great taste amp8212 and always will amp160Merge these insights and you39ve got an interesting space performance fashion If millennials can wear Lululemon yoga pants all day long what39s the boomer analogClothes are an essential part of our daily existence and that doesn39t change with age What can change is a commitment to cater to the preferences of people of age by designing fashionable clothes for them Imagine thatJames Dean39s jeans could not have gone viral if it wasn39t for the boomers39 strength in numbers They were the 39mass39 in mass marketing and as they searched for the meaning of life Madison Avenue found meaning in their magnitudeNow that they39re older there39s a false assumption that there39s not enough of them to matter anymore or that they don39t buy what marketers are selling Guess what They still want what they want and there39s still 77 million of them who believe that they matter even more today than they did when they watched icons like James Dean wearing blue dungarees on blackandwhite TVs If you39re a marketer it39s time to write them back into the script and get ready for the cool things they will doPhoto courtesy of BoomAgersClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers amp160

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James Dean: the Original Viral Marketer

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Peter Hubbell

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James Dean: the Original Viral Marketer

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