Advertising to Grandma

By Virginia Prescott on Tuesday, April 28, 2009.

As a rule, advertisers take aim at 18-49 year olds, supposedly the ones with disposable income and the desire to spend. But a new report on the "Grandparent Economy" says that baby boomers are changing everything, again.

As a consumer group, the grandparent population is larger, richer, better educated than ever before. The grandparent demographic now accounts for one-third of the nation’s overall spending and suddenly advertisers are paying attention to a population that’s dispelling old notions about the golden years. New Hampshire demographer Peter Francese prepared the report on the grandparent economy for Grandparents.com.

Report: Power of the Grandparent Economy (PDF)

The New York Times: Advertisers Target Boomers

(Photo by Jason Tester via Flickr/Creative Commons)

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Marketing to old people has always been big business. A lot of people take advantage of old people and overcharge though...which is a really crappy thing to do. Not only that but they usually do a bad job

Submitted by paydayreport on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 03:41.

Idea Smackdown: Round III

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Word of Mouth is all about what's new. Online and on-air, the show looks at our fascinating and ever-changing world, and puts the latest ideas under a microscope. Word of Mouth investigates everything from science and technology, to health and the environment, to new trends in popular culture. The show airs Monday through Thursday at noon and is hosted by Virginia Prescott.