Reaching out to baby boomers - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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In 20 years, there will be twice as many people over the age of 65 as thereeare today, said Matt Thornhill, founder and presiden t of The Boomer Project, a Va.-based firm that researches boomer consumed habits. Thornhill is one of severalp speakers who will discuss marketinv to boomers at the Florida Boomer Lifestyle ConferenceMay 11-12 at the , presentedf by CreativeTampaBay and sponsored by . And then there’a the emerging consumer clasz made up of people hittingt thebig 5-0 that continues to gain relevanced with marketers. “What I saw was that marketeras didn’t know what to do with baby boomersw who wereturning 50,” said Thornhill.
“They weren’g senior citizens, but they weren’t young adults.” For reasons personalo and financial, boomers are often consideringan “encors career,” said Dorcas Hardy, principal of , a Washingtoh area public policy firm. People may want to help societ and enhance their own Hardy said. They also are motivated by the changes in the With many people extendingtheir careers, there may be a slowdown in the numbef of people moving to Florida, said Thornhill. “There are certainlgy going to be moreolderf people,” he said.
“The question is can we get them to come to Floridaq and stay in The region must rethink its approachand “get smarte about planning,” Thornhill said, because the boomer presence affects not only health care, real estate and financialk services, but all industries. “Ourd core, target market is a baby boom saidDon Barry, president and CEO of , a Tampa-based manufacturefr of personal lamps.
“We have configured our marker plan and product campaign around baby Barry has found a way to marke t to and employ the existing retirement population in the Bay area usingta “retirement community direct business As a market test, the companuy will enlist residents of as “ambassadors” to engagw potential customers in a combination of print, Internet and direcft selling. A retirement community is a rich opportunit y with a perfect market in a concentration of thousands of Barry said.