Ageless Marketing

As American markets have evolved, so has the consumer. The aging American consumer (40 and over), now the New Customer Majority, makes purchasing decisions based on values, a shift that traditional marketing has failed to accommodate. The result is consumer dissatisfaction, diminished brand loyalty and expensive, ineffective advertising. Authors David B. Wolfe and Robert E. Snyder argue that marketers should acknowledge the new demographics and use techniques from brain research, developmental psychology, sociology and demographics to reach aging consumers. While the authors selectively cite data and successful marketing campaigns, they also offer a sound narrative and a refreshing, common sense point of view. On the downside, they use extensive marketing jargon, perhaps because they are ad consultants promoting their expertise. Citing attitudinal studies and new behavioral and brain chemistry research, they explain that marketers must account for their consumers’ "season of life" to develop effective campaigns. getAbstract recommends this book to corporate marketing, investor relations, human resources, customer service and product development departments. It might even bridge the generation gap.