_This alert may sound more like a rant – OK, it is more like a rant – but it is an alert, too, because what I’m about to share is really annoying behavior that is either exhibited far too often by my fellow Boomers (so we’re setting a poor example), or impacts us more than younger generations.
Here is my list of the top 5 most annoying things people do:

_ ....Gleaned from The Boomer Project, run by bestselling authors and Boomer Marketing Experts Matt Thornhill & John Martin. They believe, as do I, that Boomers have been and will continue to be a major society-transforming force.  In that light, these are their predictions, with some thoughts of my own mixed in, for how the changes we are making for our own well-being, will change the meaning and activities of aging, throughout the coming year, and well into the future:

1.  Remaining At The Head of the Table much longer
Boomers head more households than any other generation. So for 2012 and beyond, Boomers will remain the epicenter of most household decisions, unlike the generations before them at this age.
2.  Embracing City Living In Retirement
An increasing number of Boomers are attracted to the variety of activities, energy, and hassle-free lifestyle advantages offered by the center city and new urban villages, like walkability to all needed stores/services, and lots of public transport.
3.  More Boomers Will Get Religion
This prediction comes from the fact that the median age in America increases every year as Boomers grow older, and older people are more likely to attend church than younger folks.
4.  Becoming Ever More Wired as We Grow Older
Almost half of Internet users aged 50-64 use social media now, an 88 percent growth from 2009.
In 2012, as more Boomers experience the value of social networking, use of these tools will start to permeate every aspect of life, changing forever the notion that aging means being out of touch with the use of technology.
5.  Health and Well-care Will Be Everywhere
Boomers' spending on health, wellness, fitness, and physical appearance will increase in 2012, and continue to increase in the years to come. So look for health systems rather than shopping malls, becoming the center of communities; exercise services will thrive; and pharmacies and food markets will become more wellness oriented.
6. Boomers Will Make Volunteering Cool Again
Over the next ten years, Boomers are projected to swell the ranks of volunteering by almost 50%. Our deep-seated motivation and available time will benefit all organizations that rely on volunteers.
7. Boomers Will Drive Green Innovations That Matter
In our research, 80% of all consumers told us they think or act "green," or in an "environmentally responsible" fashion.  Leading the way are Boomers who rate themselves greener than the other generations, no surprise to me since we Boomers started the environmental movement!
8. Boomers Will Lead the Age of Responsible Consumerism
Mass consumerism fueled by Boomers has peaked. The Great Recession, timed with the green movement, volatility of retirement accounts, and anticipated governmental cuts ahead, has helped usher in Responsible Consumerism.
9. Boomers Will Create the "Longevity Economy"
We are not only living longer, we are living more active, productive lives well into our seventies and beyond. As a by-product, a growing portion of our economy will be based on the behaviors, needs and desires of the 50+ market.
10. Boomers Will Support a Thoughtful Plan for America's Future
Boomers are transformational. Throughout their lives, Boomers have led or supported many societal shifts – from civil rights to women's rights.  We believe Boomers, the cohort with a lifetime of rejecting the status quo, will ultimately support a thoughtful path forward.

For more detail and to see the full list, go to The Boomer Project.

You have been officially alerted…

_(re-air of an earlier show)
Ageism is alive and well in product manufacturing circles.  I’ll explain.

If we believe what we see in their advertisements, we Boomers barely exist. Which is absurd even on its face: the mere size of our generation alone makes us hard to ignore.  But when it comes to major advertisers, ignore us they do unless they’re marketing any item for the aged. 

Why is this a problem, you may be thinking?  Because if marketers think we don’t count, that means the product and service sectors they represent also think we don’t count…which is why you see most products geared to young people…not us.

And you know, given the statistics, you’d think every product on the planet would be trying to get our business…after all:

• Boomers spend a whopping $2.3 trillion annually on goods and services; that’s $400 Billion more than any other age group
• We hold 65% of all disposable income

Sadly, however, the vast majority of products & services are glorifying youth while peripheralizing us….in fact, according to most product manufacturers and the 30 y.o. marketing geniuses they hire, we Boomers’ lives boil down to the following three things…

1. Taking Lots of Pills: …apparently the main things we need or use in life are medications…. Don’t get me wrong… I too want to see the complete eradication of erectile dysfunction in our lifetime – and keeping our arteries unclogged is a noble calling!  But our sperm and cholesterol counts are not all that make up our lives…  Oh, and if your idea of relaxation is sitting in two separate bathtubs on a mountainside, what a waste of a good dose of Cialis…
2. Sitting around all day thinking about Life Insurance: Apparently we’re all about to die, so we better get that insurance policy really soon or our offspring will disown us…
3. Slathering on wrinkle reducers & gray hair cover-ups: First of all, I like my laugh lines, and don’t want to eradicate them likes rats in the subway…and who knew that a few gray hairs would put even the most famous of football stars in the old-age home (remember that one???)  But, you know what’s really pathetic?  Even the wrinkle reducing creams, although clearly meant for us, are not marketed to us! The majority of models used in these commercials look to be the ripe old age of 22…How silly is that?

And, what’s not marketed to us?  What products are advertised directly to, and therefore designed to meet the needs of those ages 18-39?

• Most cars (other than the Toyota Venza)
• Most clothing (other than Ann Taylor)
• Almost all cosmetics
• Vacation destinations
• Fitness Clubs
• Electronics
• Jewelry

My fellow Boomers, you are being given the shaft by the very products we need and use…which as a result are being designed to meet the needs of a younger consumer, from packaging print that requires a microscope to read, to hotels designed to look quite hip at the expense of comfort – great for kids, bad for us…  Ageism.

Here’s what to do about it; it’s simple and easy.  Use your considerable purchasing power to buy the products, and use the services of those companies smart enough to market directly to us – because by doing so they have proven their dedication to us and our specific needs, and deserve our dollars.

A good place to start is with these four businesses that have on-going campaigns targeted directly to us: Dove, Hardrock Hotel & Casino, and the aforementioned Toyota & Ann Taylor.

You have been officially alerted.