What Baby Boomers Want
by Mary Ellen Kuhn
Want to develop products that will appeal to the 26% of American consumers who are Baby Boomers? Mintel new product experts Lynn Dornblaser and David Jago offered some guidance on how to go about it in an informative session on Sunday, July 18, at the Mintel Global New Products Database Pavilion (Booth 6524).
Well, first and foremost, don’t make them feel old, the new product gurus counseled. That means avoiding positioning products in a way that suggests that they are designed specifically for consumers over a certain age. Boomers realize that they are getting older and probably don’t want to be reminded of it.
Explicit benefit claims like “heart health” or “joint health” that reference issues of importance to Baby Boomers tend to work well, at least partly because they also appeal to consumers of any age. Dornblaser cited the example of Joint Juice, a fitness water, which is well positioned to benefit Boomers with age-related aches, but might also be appropriate for younger “weekend warriors,” among others.
While older consumers in the United States are resistant to products with a specific age-related positioning, that is not the case in some other markets, Jago said. In Asia, for example, it is not uncommon for products to tout “anti-aging” benefits. And in Spain, Densia yogurt, positioned to promote bone health in women over the age of 40, has been very successful, the speakers reported.
Baby Boomers have a high level of interest in both health and value (an interest that is linked to the impact of the economic downturn on personal finances), but they also still like the idea of having a little fun with the products they purchase. “Sometimes it’s not about health or practicality,” said Dornblaser.
For this reason, products with a “retro” positioning tend to resonate well with Boomers. Dornblaser cited the example of Pepsi Throwback, a limited edition offering formulated with sugar like the original Pepsi product was, which racked up sales of $35 million in 62 weeks.
Here’s the schedule of Mintel programs for the remaining days of the Food Expo.
Baby Boomers: A Generation in Search of New Products
11 a.m. Monday, July 19, and Tuesday, July 20
Satiety: The Next Big Thing in Weight Management
1 p.m. Monday, July 19, and Tuesday, July 20
Simple Ingredient Statements: Clear Language for Confused Consumers
3 p.m. Monday, July 19, and Tuesday, July 20