What to call female Boomers? A vote for “Vibrant Women”

At several recent conferences I heard from women who run Senior Centers and Councils on Aging across the country (why is it always women who run Senior Centers?), complaining about the handicap their labels pose. No one under 80 wants to identify herself with words like senior and aging, even if Senior Centers and Aging Councils offer programs she would like to use. Think free or low-cost t’ai chi and yoga classes, financial advice, and book clubs. The devoted women who run these programs are usually in the same demographic, so they understand the stereotypes associates with senior and aging themselves–and are desperate to overcome it.

What can we do to help them? First and foremost: we need a better way to refer to this generation of women 50+. And then, taking on an even more ambitious task, we can propose a new name that encompasses the men, as well. Here are my thoughts on the less-than-ideal options in our current bag of tools:

• Boomer. I have argued before that no one identifies herself in a meaningful way as a “Boomer.” As Jerry Shereshewsky, CEO of grandparents.com told me recently, “No one would ever wear a button that said, “Kiss Me, I’m A Boomer!” Boomers know that they are part of a demographic generation, but that identity ranks very, very low on a list of ways they would describe themselves.
• “Retirement” is another term with limited use for consumers. Aside from a recession that is quickly making the term irrelevant (who can afford to retire?), the term strikes many women as an insult (or something close), aligned with the increasingly arcane stereotype of aging women as sedentary and passive. If they want to remain relevant with the next generation of consumers, Retirement Centers should be rapidly reconsidering their names.
• 50+. We use this term at VibrantNation.com, and believe that it stands for a transitional stage in life recognized by many women. But as shorthand for a lifestage it has its limitations, because it keeps the age issue front and center.
• Mature. Just Google “mature woman” and you’ll discover at least one of the reasons this term should be left behind. (Hint: it’s more often Googled by men.)
• Fabulous. Or its cousin, Savvy. These are among a select family of adjectives that frequently appear in Boomer publications and websites. While these words convey energy and an upbeat attitude, they strike many of the women in our qualitative research circles as either goofy or easy to disrespect (“Isn’t it cute that I’m a little bit crazy, fashionable, smart, etc.!”) or defensive (“I am too still active!”). While they may accurately describe an individual’s perspective, they don’t quite embrace the entire generation, and often align more with an older generation’s sense of standing up for themselves as feisty old ladies (think “Golden Girls” or Red Hat Society).

The term we’re looking for as an alternative would convey that people 50+ are doing all the things that people under 50 are doing, deferring to their added years–but minus diminishment or defense.

Here are three possibilities:

• Living/Life. These terms offer many benefits. My colleague Carol Orsborn helped the Santa Monica Public Library rename its senior program “The Living Room,” a great example of how these terms work best in combination with other words. But each term brings some baggage as well. Living often implies its opposite–”we’re still living” isn’t so far from “we won’t be living for long.” And while life-driven is a great concept, “life” itself is a tricky word to use without getting entangled in the choice/abortion issue.
• Vitality. Vitality is a lot like living, although it works well in both an impersonal and personal sense. A “Vitality Center” would convey health & wellness, and I think most people would understand its likely application to older consumers. Unlike “living,” vitality is a word that can apply to both a thing and a person, yet calling someone a “vital” person does not mean much, and it could apply just as easily to a young person as an older person (a “vital, inspiring kindergarten teacher” could be 23 or 60). Hospitals are using this term to communicate wellness and engage with a younger generation of consumers they will be seeing more of as they age.
• Vibrant. Finally, my case for “vibrant,” which applies to both people and things, conveys forward-focused energy, AND is a term that is almost universally (but tacitly) reserved for older consumers, because it conveys the positive side of aging without sounding defensive. If someone says, “She’s a vibrant 60-year old” you know exactly what they mean, and for that reason you almost never hear someone say, “She’s a vibrant 30-year old.” It is flattering, realistic, and conveys to a small degree the respect for aging that is otherwise lacking in our culture. In this scenario, instead of referring to Boomer Women, we’d refer to Vibrant Women. Instead of talking about the Boomer Generation, we’d replace it with the Vibrant Generation.

It’s not surprising that I like the word “vibrant” for this generation. After much thought, research, and inspiration, I used it to name my website. I’m attached to it as I am attached to my children’s names. But that doesn’t mean I’m right, so let me know what you think and let’s find the right terms for a generation that deserves the best – and the companies, volunteers and brands who want to give it to them.

P.S. If all of the Senior Centers of America want to rename themselves “Vibrant Nation Centers” I’ll be delighted to start a VibrantNation.com for men!