New Survey Reveals the Surprising Reality of Boomers' Behavior Online

New Survey Reveals the Surprising Reality of Boomers' Behavior Online
Monday June 2, 12:00 pm ET

ThirdAge Online Media and Social Networking Research Uncovers the
Current Ins and Outs of Preferences Among Boomers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Which online boomer trends are in - and
which are out? To find out, ThirdAge, a leading online destination for
the baby boomer and midlife markets, and JWTBOOM, an integrated
marketing agency dedicated to reaching boomers, surveyed more than 1,800
respondents. The unexpected results were presented today in San
Francisco at JWT LiveWire: The Summit, a conference dedicated to
reaching consumers age 40-plus.

The results of the survey may surprise even the savviest online
marketers looking to capture the attention of the coveted boomer market.
It turns out the audience values word-of-mouth recommendations, expert
opinions, trusted brands and privacy online. But, they are not yet
embracing social networking or blogs, despite what recent hype would
suggest.

The following outlines the current trends of boomers' online
preferences:

In

* Word-of-mouth sharing

* Experts and credible authorities

* Trusted brands

* Product research and online shopping

* Email

* Broadband

* Privacy

* Health and wellness information

Not Yet

* Social networking

* Blogs

* Podcasts

* Downloading and listening to music

* Group gaming

* They "Social Network" Their Own Way:

"The research clearly shows that boomers are not clamoring to social
networking sites the same way younger generations are making new friends
in today's social media playground," said ThirdAge CEO Sharon Whiteley.
"Boomers are using more traditional web communication tools, such as
email, to keep in touch with their existing group of friends in order to
share photos and, more importantly, life experience. "That said," she
added, "Boomers in general are interested in connecting and interacting
with others in their community around shared interests and common
issues. They relate to people sharing a similar life phase - and they
trust those who have walked in their shoes."

Fifty-three percent of those surveyed had not visited social networking
sites; 47 percent cited concerns over privacy and having personal
information on the web; 39 percent said they are too busy; 32 percent do
not see the benefit of spending time social networking.

* Boomers Embrace Online Marketing...Selectively

"Boomers will participate in online communities to share opinions about
brands and products," said JWT BOOM President Lori Bitter, whose company
specializes in marketing to boomers. "They are also open to both
traditional marketing and emarketing, as long as the message is coming
from a brand they know and trust."

Seventy-five percent of respondents that have received promotional
emails about products and services have clicked through to the site
being promoted. More than 55 percent have purchased a product or service
promoted in an email.

Ninety-three percent of respondents who have read an article about a Web
site in print (newspaper or magazine) have later visited the site
online, reminding marketers that media coverage, as part of an
integrated marketing strategy, remains an important element of boomer
marketing.

* Trust -But Verify

Respondents were most likely to trust a Web site's content if the site
corresponded to a trusted brand or featured credible expertise.
Consider:

* 83 percent reported the content needed to be attributed to
experts, authors or authorities with subject matter credibility
* 66 percent said they trust sites whose content is sponsored by a
company they know and trust
* 62 percent said they would trust a site if they had been going
to it for a long time and came to trust its brand

"This data reflects that brands have the ability to connect directly to
their key consumers through targeted online sponsorships," said Bitter.

* They've Got the Power

Boomers alone account for 78 million people and control more than 83
percent of consumer spending. Forty percent of the United States'
population is over 45, with 50 percent market growth projected over the
next 15 years. Boomer spending will increase $800 billion to over $4.6
trillion by 2015. This is a potent marketplace that can't be ignored.

"Marketers have the opportunity to build a relationship with this
important audience," said Whiteley. "For example, we have learned that
ThirdAgers are not universally familiar with or receptive to blogs. On
the other hand, they value personal views written by experts and
opinions by authoritative sources. On our redesigned Web site scheduled
to launch in early July, we are featuring 'contributors' rather than
bloggers regardless of the nomenclature popularized by mainstream social
media. We know our audience and want to speak their language."

* Additional Noteworthy Findings

Word-of-mouth: Boomers participate in viral or word-of-mouth marketing
as much as or more than younger age groups. Ninety-three percent of
respondents were very or somewhat likely to share product information or
news with friends.

Product research and shopping: Eighty-eight percent of respondents use
the Internet for research before purchasing a product offline, and 78
percent shop online.

Broadband: Eighty percent of respondents use a broadband connection at
home.

Health and Wellness: Ninety-seven percent use the Internet to seek
information on health and wellness.

Gaming: Sixty-two percent had little or no interest in playing games
with others.

ThirdAge Inc. is a leading life stage media, marketing and consumer
insight company exclusively focused on serving today's dynamic
population of boomers and aging mid-lifers online. For the last decade
ThirdAge has built a loyal community interested in health/wellness,
relationships/romance and money/work, while also serving premiere
marketers who want to build a relationship with this audience.
Headquartered in New York the site attracts more than one million unique
visitors per month. www.thirdage.com

JWT BOOM is the premier integrated marketing firm specializing in
reaching consumers over age forty. Providing results-driven strategy and
execution, JWT BOOM excels at helping clients build profitable and
lasting relationships with boomers and mature consumers, the
fastest-growing and most financially powerful segment in the country.
www.jwtboom.com