IMMN Board Member Profile:

Member Blog
BabyBoomerInsights
By: Marilyn T. Mobley

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IMMN Member News:
Continuum Crew President Lori Bitter Selected by The Mature Market Resource Center (MMRC) to Judge the National Mature Media Awards

The Mature Market Resource Center (MMRC) selected Continuum Crew president Lori Bitter to judge the National Mature Media Awards.

The National Mature Media Awards is the nation’s largest awards program that annually recognizes the best marketing, communications, educational materials and programs for adults age 50 and older. The awards program is open to all organizations and individuals that produced materials from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009.

The Mature Market Resource Center (MMRC), is organizer of both the National Mature Media Awards and the New Product & Technology Awards. MMRC is a national clearinghouse for the older adult market.

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Launch of Aging Technology Alliance/AgeTek.

At the What’s Next Boomer Business Summit in Chicago last month, the Aging Technology Alliance (aka AgeTek) was launched, holding their first meeting and announcing their mission and vision statements. The purpose of this consortium is to promote awareness, benefits and value of products and services for the aging society while benefiting members by aiming to evolve into the world’s leading aging–focused technology consortium. They are building a strong membership to shape the future channels for aging technology products and services. An interim website can be seen at agetek.org. (Membership registration not currently available via website). The new Aging Technology Alliance/AgeTek can be followed via twitter: @AgeTek

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Continuum Crew President Lori Bitter Selected by Mary Furlong & Associates to Judge 2010 Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit Business Plan Competition

Mary Furlong & Associates has selected Continuum Crew president Lori Bitter to judge the Business Plan Competition held at the 2010 Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit June 15 and 16 in Santa Clara, CA.

The culmination of the 2010 Boomer Venture Summit, the Business Plan Competition offers a prize to the team with the best business plan for tapping into the burgeoning 45+ market.

Mary Furlong & Associates (MFA) is a strategy, business development, marketing and public relations strategic communications firm headquartered in San Francisco. The firm's strategy, business development, marketing and public relations services are uniquely geared to drive new opportunities for clients in the baby boomer and senior markets.

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Case Study: Integrated Online, Offline Campaign Lifts CCRC Leads by 267%
A multichannel testimonial campaign developed for Westminster at Lake Ridge, a Virginia Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), landed Creating Results on the digital “pages” of MarketingSherpa. The case study looked at an online/offline campaign that boosted leads for the community 267% over the same time window in 2009.

The use of special landing pages combined with more traditional direct mail and print proved that retirees are not the tech illiterates marketers often consider them to be.

Subscribers to MarketingSherpa can read the article here.

Not a MarketingSherpa reader? A version of the case study also can be found in Creating Results’ newsletter.


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Complimentary 2-Week Trial Subscription to Selling to Seniors.
The Selling to Seniors newsletter is designed to help companies find new ways to tap into this market, with practical advice on how others are using the Internet, direct mail, print media, and radio and TV to sell a wide variety of products and services, including: health care, housing, travel, financial services, retail, insurance and hotels. Selling to Seniors contains case studies of successful sales approaches, highlights of research studies, and reports on demographic trends, including ways to effectively segment the mature market in order to increase advertising effectiveness. It is a useful guide to mature consumers' attitudes, spending habits, media preferences, and more

Now Selling to Seniors is offering a complimentary 2 week trial subscription. To acquire this promotional subscription visit http://www.SeniorsNews.net and click on the promotional purple banner in the upper right corner of the site.


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Social Media 101 – Complimentary Download for IMMN Members, Subscribers
Todd Harff, IMMN founding member from Creating Results, shared new research from Convio into how different cohorts – from Millennials to Baby Boomers to the Silent Generation – support and interact with charities on the agency’s blog last month. His post on generations and donations inspired several comments, and contributed to a follow-up post on why “one size does not fit all” when it comes to either mature consumers, organizations or social media.

Convio estimates 79% of matures (defined as born before 1945) give, as do 67% of Boomers, 58% of Gen X and 56% of 18-29 year-olds. The amount given increases significantly with age.

The report finds that direct mail, long a consistent vehicle for for-profit marketing, continues to be an effective way for not-for-profits to reach members of the Silent and Baby Boom generations. But direct mail needs to evolve and become part of a multichannel mix that includes leveraging social media sites and tools.

A copy of Creating Results’ recent presentation on “Social Media: Risk and Rewards,” given to the members of The Coalition for Human Services (CHS) in Prince William County, VA, has been made available through SlideShare. IMMN Members and newsletter subscribers can download it at no charge, by clicking here.

Todd notes that businesses are similar to people – everyone from “social media socialites” to the socially awkward is represented online. To help people understand and sort through various options, Creating Results has created two handouts. One is a Social Media Cheat Sheet that provides descriptions and data on popular Social Media websites. The second is a Social Media Survival Guide that lays out a five step program for becoming socially engaged. If you’d like copies, please email social@creatingresults.com

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ICAA-TV Makes Its Debut
The International Council on Active Aging (ICAA), a professional association that leads, connects and defines the active-aging industry, has launched ICAA-TV.

Among the initial offerings is a video presentation from member Todd Harff of Creating Results, on "Untangling the Web".

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Key Mature Market Meetings, Workshops and Summits

Please send us meetings and conferences you feel others will be interested in!





ASA-NCOA Aging in America Conference and What’s Next Boomer Business Summit
Both of these events were held in Chicago the week of March 15 – 19, with approximately 4,000 and 300 attendees respectively. Several IMMN members participated on the agendas.

At the ASA-NCOA Aging in America Conference:

• Leveraging Meaningful Engagement to Become an Online Influencer With Aging Consumers: David Weigelt defined what meaningful engagement means for the largest and fastest growing group of consumers on the Internet and delved into the specific avenues they are adopting at rapid rates. This session showed attendees their brands can influence online conversations with an engagement model that ensures replicable success.
• Growing a Business With New Media and Traditional Networking: David Weigelt describes how social media is used effectively by businesses and organizations, to take advantage of low-cost, high-impact social media, while not discounting the importance of face-to-face communication. It was demonstrated for attendees the power and effectiveness of social media, and the challenges of converting people from online conversation to becoming a customer, volunteer, or donor, were explored. Attendees were able to breakout into smaller groups and acquire practical ideas to incorporate into their own business.
• Marketing to Older Adults in an Uncertain Economy: In this workshop, Kurt Medina presented ways to be successful in the mature market even in this economy. Attendees learned the varying marketing needs of different mature market segments, how to strategically include the web (if necessary), critical facts and appeals for their mature marketing message.
• The Convergence and Power of Social Media: Lori Bitter shared her latest social media research in this session which addressed the power of the Internet and discussed how new social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and others could help sell products in this space. It covered how to leverage other useful online tools, such as video, write-ups and consumer feedback, and how all of these tools have the potential to influence Boomers. Lori’s research is available for download at: BoomersInTheWild.com
• Well-Connected and Wired: Marketing to Vibrant Boomer Women: With Facebook recently reporting that the fastest growing demographic on their social networking site is women 55+, Stephen Reily helped attendees of this session understand how and why it is that this niche is the first generation of women in history whose social networks are continuing to expand at midlife and beyond. Attendees received access to the latest research on the Boomer woman consumer to find out the factors that influence her expanding social network and how to motivate her on the deepest levels.

At the What’s Next Boomer Business Summit:

• Social Media Boot Camp - Using Social Media to Build Your Boomer Business: Stephen Reily, David Weigelt and Lori Bitter cited the driving factors contributing to the fact that Boomers are now using social media in record numbers. Attendees learned the most effective ways to engage with consumers online, using email newsletters and using mobile, and benefited from the experience of these entrepreneurs in how to integrate social media into business.
• Ask the Analyst: Lori Bitter traced the macro and micro trends driven by and affecting Boomers, that are fueling the zeitgeist of our world.
• Day in the Life of a Boomer: Lori Bitter contributes the profile of the new ‘social media maven’ emerging from her recent Boomer and social media use research.
• Reaching Boomers and Seniors in Media: Stephen Reily contributes to this session with best practices for reaching Boomers and seniors via media.
  

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Marketing to Boomers and Beyond: How to Build
Your Business with the Mature Consumer
May 14, 2010
Manhattan Marriott
New York, NY

More than 15 experts on the Boomer market will share strategies for marketing to Boomers in a workshop at the Manhattan Marriott on May 14. The workshop - "Marketing to Boomers and Beyond: How to Build Your Business with the Mature Consumer" - offers new insights into how to develop new strategies and new relationships in these challenging economic times.

Workshop Details and registration can be found here.

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Virginia Association of Nonprofit Homes
for the Aging (VANHA) Annual Conference
June 6 – 9, 2010
The Homestead
Hot Springs, Virginia
vanha.org

At this event member Todd Harff will share new research regarding the way Baby Boomers and seniors use the Internet to find and move to active adult or continuing care retirement communities. Includes tips and strategies to improve the usability of your website and make it work more effectively. The Virginia Association of Nonprofit Homes for the Aging (VANHA) represents providers of mission-driven, quality-focused housing, healthcare facilities, and community-based services for older Virginians. Annually, VANHA members come together to share, learn and connect with one another at our Annual Conference and Trade Show. The Trade Show features 90 vendors who represent businesses offering programs, products or services that support the work of our communities.

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2010 Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit and
Business Plan Competition
June 15 and 16
Santa Clara University, Recital Hall
Santa Clara, CA
scuboomerventure.com
Meet the crossroads of market opportunity, entrepreneurial talent and leading investors: the power of the 45+ market. At the 2010 Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit and Business Plan Competition, entrepreneurs, the venture community and business leaders in the field of aging will come together to discuss business ideas uniquely focused on the 45+ market. At this two-day event attendees will hear from venture capital portfolio companies and find out where and why venture capitalists are investing heavily in the growing boomer market and discover how key analysts segment the boomer marketplace and evaluate opportunities. The most talented and innovative up-and-coming entrepreneurs in the industry will show the products, trends and services that are about to take the boomer market by storm. The event targets entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, corporate strategists, marketing experts, industry analysts; age beat reporters and boomer-oriented organizations. It gives an inside look at the trends and talent that will become an integral part of the aging marketplace, and provides a great opportunity to connect with other leaders in this field. 

The culmination of the Boomer Venture Summit is the Business Plan Competition, which offers a $10,000 prize to the team with the best business plan for tapping into the burgeoning 45+ market. In addition, there is a $1,000 prize for the entrepreneurs with the best elevator pitch. Since the first Boomer Venture Summit in 2004, this competition has fostered a cutting edge community to explore, share and design products and services that will dominate this market in coming years. The competition provides contestants with a golden opportunity to meet top-tier investors and potential partners, secure resources, and get media exposure to help turn dreams into reality. In the past business plans from entrepreneurs from across the globe, including Brazil, Egypt, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Israel, the Philippines and the United Kingdom have been submitted. Over the past six years, they have awarded almost $100,000 to entrepreneurs for business plans representing many channels within the boomer and senior marketplace, including technology, apparel, travel, sexuality, health and wellness, media and housing.

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