Press
Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
Woman Around Town: Mechele Flaum—
Making a Case for Boomers
by Charlene Giannetti on Woman Around Town
Ever since they burst onto the scene following World War II, the Baby Boomers, that pig in a python generation, have made history. On January 1, 2011, headlines trumpeted another milestone event: for the next 17 years, 10,000 Baby Boomers each day will turn 65, the age traditionally linked with retirement. The manner in which the stories were reported made it seem as if all the Boomers were turning 65 at the same time.
Mechele Flaum, marketer extraordinaire, finds several flaws in such generalizations. The cohort tagged as Baby Boomers actually takes in those from 47 to 65, an age span characterized by vast differences in lifestyle, family composition, and buying patterns. And Baby Boomers turning 65 years old are not ready to retire. “Two-thirds are doing something called mid-flighting,” she said. “They are taking off again at 30,000 feet. They are in a job, or they’re in a career, and they are saying, ‘what else would make me happy?’”
Presentations
- UJA/Federation of New York, April 6
- UJA/Federation of New York, May 4
- The Ohio State University School of Business, May 13
Kudos
“Very smart. Companies planning to succeed in the future must understand the Boomer market.”
~ Faith Popcorn, Faith Popcorn’s BrainReserve
“What a great wake-up call for marketers. Boomers have all the money and marketers’ obsession with youth is pure foolishness. They don't have the spending power to justify the marketing dollars thrown their way. I think we're going to see a generation of people who reinvent themselves beyond 60.”
~ Jonathan Lidz, Paragraph 3 llc
“A strong, well-researched mother lode of data. In addition to being outright interesting and provocative, it made me feel proud to be a ‘you-know-what.’”
~ David Bloom, Philosophy IB
"Wonderful presentation and fascinating information! "
~ Andy Gurd, Vice President, Membership and Business Development Strategies at The Ohio State University Alumni Association
"Many thanks for your presentations at both our agency events. Your comments were right on!"
~ Margie Stern, UJA-Federation, New York
