How to Effectively Communicate Your Message to Baby Boomers (Part One)

How to Effectively Communicate Your Message to Baby Boomers (Part One)

Introduction – The Task at Hand

Communication is a wonderful skill. It has allowed us to forge relationships, establish connections, and bond with our fellow humans on a personal and professional level. It takes care, diligence, and, ultimately, trust, to communicate effectively and honestly.

Unfortunately, it has its flaws. It can be used to harm and misinform. It can be weaponized for abhorrent purposes. It can be warped and misshapen to the point where the intended message is unrecognizable to both those who received it and those who created it.

When considering these advantages and disadvantages, it’s of the utmost importance to fully understand the power of communication—especially as a member of the marketing industry. Communicating your brand message to consumers is a pivotal step in creating a relationship with them.

What ultimately makes the consumer base complex are the demographics, and since we work in senior living, our primary demos include baby boomers and members of the Silent Generation. While Silent Generation members make up a substantial portion of the retirement community population, baby boomers are the ones who will begin to think about staying in them. So, it’s key to understand how to properly communicate your branding to baby boomers so they’ll take your communities into consideration (and hopefully choose to stay in them).

1 – Who are the Baby Boomers?

Before we can discuss that, however, we must answer one important question: just who are the baby boomers?

According to the website Investopedia, the baby boomer generation was the cohort of children born in the eighteen-year period of 1946 to 1964. They are the successors of the Silent Generation (1928 – 1945) and the predecessors of Generation “Gen” X (1965 – 1980). They are given their name due to the eponymous “baby boom,” a result of the end of World War II. When the war ended, many were happy that a time of such destruction was finally over, so they celebrated by creating new families.

As of 2023, boomers are the second oldest living generation (the first being the Silent Generation, who would be in their eighties and nineties now). Thanks to this, boomers are either reaching or firmly in retirement age (as USA Today notes), making them the prime candidates for retirement communities!

2 – Boomers and Tech

Let’s just say that baby boomers and technology aren’t…the best of friends. Unlike their younger counterparts in Gens Z and Alpha—and even Millennials / Gen Y—boomers aren’t digitally literate. They have difficulty grasping the latest technological trends, often requiring help in attempting to use newer devices.

This isn’t surprising, as—like Jan Golden of the Huffington Post discusses—boomers grew up in a time when smartphones, social media apps, and the Internet were nonexistent. Back in their heyday (the seventies and the eighties), phones, mail—or “snail mail” due to its delivery speed—and fax machines were the dominant forms of technology. (Sure, the Internet did come around during the eighties, but it was a much different beast compared to the juggernaut that it is now.) Their brains are hardwired to the analog days of old, and because of that, attempting to adapt to a more digitized world is a rather difficult challenge.

However, the challenge is not impossible. Boomers have shown that despite their conflict with digitization, they are willing to work alongside it (perhaps knowing that they’ll have to accept it eventually, as change is inevitable). As the software platform Xeven Solutions touches upon, boomers over the past several years are open to welcoming assistance learning about new technologies. They understand it can benefit them despite how difficult the learning process can be.

Conclusion – To Be Continued

With that, Part One is concluded. We hope this article has helped to give you a better understanding of baby boomers and how their relationship with technology has changed over the years. Part Two will go into more detail regarding how to use this information to communicate your brand messaging to them effectively. Stay tuned!

The details in this blog article comprised information gathered from the sources listed below. I want to give credit where credit is due.

References

Young woman helping senior man with payment on Internet using laptop · Free Stock Photo (pexels.com)

Assisted Living Statistics: Population & Facilities in 2022 | A Place for Mom

Baby Boomer: Definition, Age Range, Characteristics, and Impact (investopedia.com)

Baby boomers: Age range, years and the generation’s impact on society (usatoday.com)

Why do baby boomers don’t understand technology? – XevenSolutions

The Real Reason Baby Boomers Hesitate with Technology | HuffPost Post 50

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It’s my job to discover our client’s goals and then match the best processes to achieve them, within their budgets, of course.  I get to explore traditional, digital and every manner of communication to determine which tactics, whether it is direct mail or TV advertising, a new website or PPC (to name just a few) will efficiently and effectively capture the attention of prospects. 

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It’s true what “they” say, if you love what you do, you won’t work a day of your life!

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IVY was established in 1990 with a basic premise to offer professional, ethical and highly creative marketing, advertising and public relations services. We have successfully maintained our core values and have been part of many amazing projects, client growth and changes in the world of marketing that continue to happen at lightening speed. Most of our clients serve older adults in some capacity so we keep abreast of the opportunities and challenges they face.   Each day, we keep it real and fun and consistently deliver positive results to our clients and their markets.

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As a hybrid graphic and digital designer/web developer with over 17 years of experience, I am always on the lookout for innovative digital and print visual communications. IVY Marketing Group’s broad range of projects keeps my job challenging and rewarding, as each campaign is a new and exciting opportunity to effectively communicate our clients’ messages and help them achieve their goals. It’s my passion!

My body of work encompasses a diverse design style and wide base of clients, ranging from national associations, small businesses and big name brands like Hyatt and LiftMaster. I firmly believe that form follows function and highly value the communicative power of simplicity. 

Areas of professional expertise include Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Word Press, Responsive Design, CSS3, and HTML5. The industries I’ve served include senior living, health care, hospitality and finance.

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All my life, I have loved writing. As a child, I could often be found in my room “writing a book.” While “novelist” is not (yet) on my resume, I am a storyteller. I believe that everyone and everything has a great story, and it is my joy to find that story and share it with the world.

After earning my bachelor’s degree in journalism and completing my master’s studies in the same field, I joined a small advertising agency with powerhouse clients in the hospitality industry, such as Hyatt, Hilton International and Carnival Cruise Lines. I began as a proofreader and achieved the position of senior copy writer within a year.

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For nine years, I was employed as Communications Director for a large faith community, where I managed all aspects of internal and external communications. I was writer, editor, designer, web master, and content manager.

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I joined IVY Marketing Group in 2013, when I began writing client press releases on a freelance basis. I loved the work—and my teammates—so much, I was thrilled when I was invited to come on board in a greater capacity.

I have immensely enjoyed getting to know our valued clients in the senior housing industry, the people they serve, and telling the many wonderful stories that come out of content marketing done right—with the love and care our IVY teams puts into everything we do.

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It all starts with one idea. Working with the Ivy creative team for over two decades has always meant taking one great idea and bringing it to life to help our clients meet their goals. We enjoy the challenges offered with every creative opportunity and try to make the design process itself enjoyable for our clients.

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Making certain that the projects IVY produces are word- and picture-perfect is my specialty. But I also love implementing marketing campaigns and programs that bring our clients success. Details are my thing, so it is a pleasure to have worked with IVY twice now, first after college four years ago and, recently, for the past two years.

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Rock-climbing, training for an 80-floor stair climb event, running a 5K…This is just a tiny peek into what people 20 and even 30 years older than I am, are doing on a fairly regular basis at some of the retirement communities that IVY represents.

I’m of the generation that still has reoccurring nightmares about what the next step looked like when my grandmother could no longer live by herself. The very best option at that time was living at a “facility” and  included eating rubbery chicken and playing an occasional game of BINGO. Period. That’s why my parent’s generation begged us not to ever put them into “one of those places.”

I am so proud that IVY’s clients are at the very forefront of an industry that creates opportunities, challenges, and most of all freedom for seniors, allowing them to explore hobbies, interests, passions…the next chapter of their very full lives.

I feel reassured for my own future. Even more, I feel honored to be able to share the impactful stories about this paradigm shift in the world of senior housing. What we hear and see at our clients’ communities is fascinating and inspiring!

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Keeping up to date on new public relations strategies, online engagement tactics, and promotional tools is my passion.

With my hospitality background in marketing top Chicago restaurants and hotels, I was eager to bring fresh concepts and communication strategies to our clients and have really enjoyed learning various industries.

Our clients have such exciting and unique events and programs, which really makes it motivating for me to make the most of their content.  Results like increased sales leads, website visits and social media connections make everyday rewarding and interesting.

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I oversee, plan and implement projects and processes at IVY.  Often,  I am the conduit between our writers and designers, with printers, and other vendors to fulfill the marketing needs for our clients. I also manage media buys and coordinate production of advertisements.

Working for a flexible and fluid company that is constantly growing, changing and evolving is fun and rewarding. There is always something new to learn.

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My bio has a big blank in the beginning—Mom and Dad rescued me in Wisconsin, and no one really knows my origins. They were probably ruff. What matters though is where I am now, running IVY Marketing Group. There are humans here who think they’re in charge. In truth, they do actually have amazing experience in content marketing and public relations, but I’m super important and the center of attention. I mean, look at this face. Right? And I know I’m the top dog because honestly, I’m the only one allowed to sleep through staff meetings and eat things that people drop on the floor.

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I serve several important purposes at IVY. I always let Mom (and the world) know when the mailman is here. When people come into the office, just one (usually) quick non-invasive (usually) sniff, allows me to determine important characteristics…like if they had anything good for breakfast, own any pets (pet owners are the best!) or if they stepped in anything on the way in. (It’s sort of like me conducting a first job interview.) I generously share my tummy because I know people like to give it a good scratch. I always give kisses, whether one is feeling lonely or not. And I’m always happy to share someone’s meal, especially if they’re trying to lose weight. My pack describes me as being engaging, amusing, and entertaining. (When I hear a siren, I “sing” along and it makes them laugh.) NPR talks about the benefits of having a pet at the workplace. Studies show pets lower stress hormones and improve morale and productivity. I wholeheartedly agree that a dog in the workplace is the best thing since rawhide bones.

As for my pack of people at IVY…they are amazing and always make my tail wag!

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I could not be more thrilled to work alongside the IVY team.

For over 25 years, I have been employed in top executive positions across the Chicago area and have consistently built profitable businesses, generated sales, and developed and launched new product lines.

Strategically positioning companies and commodities for growth is a strong suit I’m eager to bring to ResponderHub™, IVY’s new crisis communications solution. I’m also excited to help expand IVY’s reach in the senior marketing industry.

I believe people are more open than ever to thinking outside the box and looking at new ways to reach their customer base, while at the same time reducing their cost of sale. The senior industry is exploding, and IVY is perfectly positioned to respond to the need for innovative, quality content marketing services and effective crisis communications.

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I love being able to use my skills to help improve other people’s lives, and with a growing elderly population, it’s important to create meaningful and user-friendly digital solutions to aid the senior living industry.I have a wide range of technology and design skills with a deep interest in Human-Computer Interaction– helping IVY provide outstanding web design and print design services. IVY has a long-proven track record of excellence, and I’m proud to be able to help carry on that tradition. 

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