Welcome to the second edition of CIRCUS online.


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n this edition, we start with the ‘Shocking News’ that Nielsen says the Baby Boomers are being ignored by marketers. Barry Graham says that the key lesson


to be learned from recessions is this: it’s not all doom and gloom!


Dick Stroud tells us why he and many other Baby boomers are in love with the new iPad. Then we have a report from a formerly London- based Baby Boomer who’s now re-invented herself in China - and survived the culture shock! We examine the Institute of Directors’ recent assessment that the UK recovery is L shaped.


As usual, we’ve got some fascinating new facts and figures for you from the world of 50+ with a brief review of Age UK’s latest ad campaign, plus news about a new TV channel aimed at the over 50s. And how analysing Google can tell us more about the truth than the tabloids ever will.


Poet and sixties survivor Roger McGough comes under our spotlight and shares his feelings with us in his first poem in Circus. And finally, there’s not one but two new cartoons from David Banks– enjoy!


Reg Starkey Editor


Shock News


Nielsen declares Baby Boomers are being neglected by brand marketers What a surprise - says Millennium MD Kevin Lavery


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hey also said that younger consumers are losing dominance! Losing dominance? They lost it years ago. OK, so Nielsen’s


announcement, which has been seized by the mass media (including NBC) in the USA, is not a St Paul on the road to Damascus moment BUT it’s a sign that the message is going mainstream. Nielsen’s undoubtedly competent researchers lack some historical perspective. Demographers have understood and anticipated the ageing of western countries for at least 30 years, once it became clear that a baby bust followed a baby boom. Remember, population ageing is one of the easiest things to predict.


Perhaps anthropologists have not paid enough attention to the commercial implications of Boomer ageing but for at least 20 years, a few farsighted marketers (and one agency – Millennium) have been writing and speaking about the economic necessity of


focusing on the 50+ consumer. I love this little story from the USA. After escaping from Sing-Sing prison and being on the run for 18 years, notorious bank robber Willy Sutton was arrested in Sunnyside, NY in 1950. After his first court appearance a local reporter asked, “Mr Sutton, why do you rob banks?” Without hesitation Sutton gave what has become a classic answer to a no-brainer question: “That’s where the money is.” So, Nielsen could have saved themselves some time and money. “Why should I be targeting the Baby Boomers?” Because my friend, that’s where the money is!


kevin.lavery@millenniumdirect.co.uk www.millenniumdirect.co.uk


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