In Our Own Words

Time to move on?

As Boomers become more and more influential, is it time for marketers and media buyers to reconsider their sweet spot of 18-49 as the desired audience? Decades ago that segment made sense — with the growth and popularity of TVs in the home, 18-49 was a smart buying demographic. They were a crucial audience and very influential. But consider that some of that audience is now today’s Boomers who are 47-65 years old this year. And when you grasp that they spend a high amount of time watching TV compared to other segments (170 per month or 5-6 per day according to Nielsen per a report referenced by the WSJ) and they account for half of consumer spending, they are worth following. They use digital devices and watch shows that you would not expect — the average prime-time TV viewer is 51 years old. So next time your agency, media planner or media buyer recommends focusing on an age demo that hasn’t been adjusted in decades, consider where one half of the consumer spending power is and who is really watching TV.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

by Eric Morgan

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