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Sunday, March 16, 2008

CBS: Count The Baby Boomers



You'll notice the Jericho Countdown to Season 2 Finale widget in the left sidebar. Yes, less than 2 weeks to go and not a peep out of CBS.
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"We are amused when visitors write to us ask what effect the boomers are having on the economy. Folks, in 2008, the economy IS the boomers! We represent the vast majority of the work force. There are 76 million of us; we ARE the economy. (That is not bragging; that is just a statistical reality.) The huge growth in the economy since the 90s was due in no small part to 76 million of us working up to our peak earning and spending years. What are we spending our money on? Other than Metallica CDs and movies aimed at 15 year-olds, whatever is being sold... we are buying it. (And, in fact, we are paying for most of those Metallica CDs and movie tickets, as well.) What kind of cars are we buying? What kind are Detroit and Japan selling? We ARE the upper end of the automobile market. What explains the explosion in the popularity of SUVs? We do. Where do we go on vacation? Everywhere. How do we get there? Every way possible."



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Hey, CBS, there are a lot of baby boomers. We'll soon outnumber the 18-49 crowd so what will the networks want then

You'll be begging us to watch but we'll remember how you didn't want us.



"This age-bias shows no signs of diminishing in Hollywood. But if network programmers were really smart about gearing shows to the 50-plus crowd -- and convincing the Nielsen people and advertisers to follow along -- they'd get themselves busy right now. Baby Boomers -- the first people raised on television -- are about to turn 50, creating the biggest viewing block shift in decades.

Were all those ads marketed to Baby Boomers yesterday's news? The vaunted buying power of this group now just sheer myth? Do they overnight become inconsequential just because they don't fit into the 18-49 demographic? The most product-conscious consumers of all time won't be allowed into the exclusive TV club?

Oh, really?

Television has always been slow to reinvent itself. It hates to change its long-held views, its governing procedures -- everything. So right now, if you're 50, you're powerless. You're undesirable. You're invisible. But hang in there. In the not too distant future, you might be able to revolutionize an old dinosaur."





4 comments:

Carol D. O'Dell said...

I'm a young boomer-1960, but I so hope that television and print ads start balancing out. Just a balance would be nice.

Once again, I'm in between. There are lots of stores for size 00 for all the tweenagers (lots of them with love handles pushing a size 14!)

And there's a slew of Coldwater Creekers--great store, but when I shop there I feel singled out for still having brunette hair (dyed, but they don't know).

Hollywood, Simon Malls, cater to the savvy Boomer and get some tasteful clothing, intelligent movies, entertaining TV, and while you're at it--could you nix the pharmaceutial ads?

I'm starting to see beavers in my sleep.

~Carol D. O'Dell
Author of Mothering Mother: A Daughter's Humorous and Heartbreaking Memoir

available on Amazon
www.mothering-mother.com

Sweet Tea said...

Carol,
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment and for letting me know about your book. I have worked with the elderly for all my working career so I dealt with Alzheimer's on a daily basis. It still fascinates and saddens me.

alpha99wolf said...

Gee, I almost missed this one. Shame on me. Face it folks, boomers do have the jobs and the money - or they left the workforce but still have the money. That's because they saved. I know, it is a novelty these days, but they did. Television is missing out by not appreciating the boomers. If they want the younger folks, especially the 18 year olds who are not in the money book of world records, than the sponsors will not sell their products. Unless, of course, mom and dad or grandma and grandpa boomer buy the products for the kids. hmmmm. Something is wrong here.......

Anonymous said...

Actually, the upper boomers are turning 60! And their kids listen to them! My husband and I LOVE Jericho and so do both of our children (age 23 and 26). I agree, don't discount the impact boomers have on the economy - I bought 3 Jericho Season 1 DVDs for Christmas presents and got new hooked on Jericho fans.