Connecting

Research indicates that this prejudice is even more pervasive than racism. Succumb to it, and you’re doomed. Not only is it illegal and immoral, it’s just plain stupid. If there’s one thing Boomers won’t stand for, it’s being labeled in moribund ways that suggest they’re anything other than vibrant individuals. Part of our mission is to replace this repellent prejudice with new, uplifting concepts based firmly on aspects of Positive Aging.

How Gerontology Counseling concepts can help you connect with Boomers.

First, you have to consider each person as a “Market Segment Of One.”

To really connect with Boomers, you need to know how to reach each person as a unique individual. In a very real sense, you have to have the depth and breadth of understanding and empathy that a counselor has.

In the business world, that’s rare, indeed. Fortunately, our founder Vince Vassolo has a master’s degree in gerontology counseling, as well as a post-graduate certificate in the same. He also has decades of experience as an advertising copywriter and creative director. Given that unique combination of credentials, it’s no wonder that in 1994, he pioneered Creative GeroMarketing™. He did this by marrying the principles of advertising and marketing communications to those of gerontology counseling. As a result, he knows how to reach, speak to and motivate Boomers in an authentic, effective way.

What’s counseling got to do with advertising and marcom?

During Vince’s professional training in clinical gerontology, he also worked as an advertising agency creative director. Doing advertising during the day and gerontology at night for several years, gave him a unique perspective on how to communicate with aging populations.

He realized that to really reach the Boomers, it pays to act like a counselor. That means listening to their needs, deeply and actively. Genuinely appreciating how they think and feel in order to understand what motivates them to act. Then communicating with them in respectful, insightful ways.

It also helps if you’ve lived through the developmental stages that Boomers have. The sad fact is that younger people simply don’t have the life experiences that allow them to go beyond an intellectual understanding of what the Boomers are all about.

Strange as it may seem, this is the one area of advertising and marketing where gray hair isn’t just necessary, it’s indispensable. When it comes to establishing rapport with an audience, there’s no substitute for shared life experiences. And superficial communications simply won’t fly with sophisticated consumers like the Boomers. The most powerful communication campaigns resonate with identity, authenticity and community—three things Boomers hold sacred.

With Boomers, the branding process gets turned upside down.

Boomers are bright, opinionated and socially connected, so they’ll decide what your brand means rather than having some trendsetter define it for them. As a marketer, your challenge is to craft ways that will encourage Boomers to spread the word to friends and neighbors. That means you’ve got to be a good reporter, as well as an engaging storyteller, and it doesn’t hurt to have a good sense of humor, as well. With the Boomers, the old idea that the customer is always right becomes a literal truth, because, as always, they’ll have it their way, thanks.

You’ve got to really understand the Boomers, to reach them. You need to be as sensitive as a counselor and as dynamic as an advertising creative director. And that’s exactly what we are. Plus a lot more.

Following are some brief indications of how a deep understanding of gerontology counseling issues can help when creating marketing communications that target Boomers.

Ageism

Taking a Holistic Approach

Reframing

Motivational Interviewing

This is a fundamental technique of motivational interviewing, as well as many other counseling paradigms, and it can help change the way that Boomers see your products and services. It’s not easy, but at Vim, Vigor & Vassolo, we’re experts at developing strategies and tactics that redefine concepts in new ways that excite and resonate with Boomers. These include notions of What’s Attractive?, What’s Quality?, What’s Wellness?, and many others.

Boomers are very well educated, thoughtful and sensitive people who see themselves in multiple dimensions, and that’s exactly how we look at them. We’ll assess your products and services in terms of how they might appeal to Boomers in physical, mental, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions.

This counseling paradigm is perfect for conceptualizing advertising and marketing communications. It’s all about moving people from being unaware through ambivalence toward positive action. We know how to choose and use the right principles of this paradigm for each individual product and service.

To find out exactly how concepts and techniques derived from gerontology counseling can help you tap into the growing Boomer market, call us @ (708) 979-2281 now for your free Boomer Strategy Audit.

(708) 979-2281