Top Ten Boomer Trends for 2012

The conference season is coming to a close, with all the experts on Boomers and beyond chiming in with their predictions for the future.  Here’s my take about the top ten Boomer trends of particular interest to the VN community to watch unfold between now and the end of 2012.

As we emerge from Boomer and beyond conference season, from the What’s Next Boomer Summit and American Society of Aging, to Marketing 2 Women and the Silvers Summit, I’m inspired to assess the lay of the land in terms of what lies ahead for our generation of women.

Before I take a look ahead at the year to come, allow me to establish my credentials by sharing a prediction for even further down the road that I can guarantee will come true.  I predict that on January 1, 2046 AD the first Boomer will turn 100, with unprecedented numbers following suit every day for eighteen years.

We don’t have to wait until 2046 to predict that the enormous demographic of individuals born between the years of 1946 and 1964 will not only change the face of aging—but of an aging society that will have no choice other than to deal with their impact.  While the aging of the Boomer population will influence every aspect of life, from healthcare and finances to marketing and consumption patterns, here are my top ten trends to watch.

1.     Elongated life-span
•    Effort to add bonus time not to the end of life, but exerted towards an extended productive middle-age
•    Delayed/postponed retirement
•    Reinvention and multiple midlife crises at milestone years: 65, 70, 75 and so on
•    Forget the vast wasteland of elderhood.  Crisis instigates dynamic growth (or regression) through developmental stages
2.    Multi-tasking products and services
•    The convergence of health, sustainability, spirituality and wellness
•    Technological advances such as wicking and sun-protecting fabrics and improved medical devices
•    Need for a new generation of products/services that facilitate caregiving while working
3.    Simplicity confers status:  luxury redefined
•    Smaller food portions of highest-quality ingredients
•    Economical cars with ergonomic features
•    Style, comfort and value:  the big three
•    Affordable indulgences and intangibles, such as experiences over goods
•    Whatever makes the individual’s life easier trumps trends
4.    Technologically connected
•    First generation of aging population whose networks are expanding rather than declining
•    Fastest-growing segment on Facebook and other social networking sites
•    Surge in assistive devices that enhance functionality
•    Prescriptive music and audio-based spirituality
5.    Inward bound
•    Values increasingly aligned with non-materialistic aspirations formed at an earlier stage of their lives
•    Re-imagining elderhood to be an advanced psycho-spiritual lifestage
•    Pull towardsgenerativity/legacy: i.e. social responsibility and environmental stewardship
•    Quiet, contemplative lifestyles and retreats spiced with nature-based adventure
6.    Marginalization from career mainstream inspires rise in entrepreneurialism
•    Unprecedented numbers going back to school for retraining
•    Surge in health and wellness industry workers both from and serving this population
•    Observing product/service deficits in regards to aging parents and vows to rectify resources in time for Boomer’s later-in-life needs
7.    Shift from anti-aging to aspirational aging
•    Anti vs. Pro-Aging: i.e. the going gray movement
•    An overlay of hipness that caters to Boomers’ sensibilities, i.e. think Starbucks and Beatles piped into doctor’s offices
•    Brain as well as body fitness:  the new definition of wealth
8.    “Reality” tempered by resourcefulness and creativity
•    Unfounded confidence/denial will give way to redefinitions of success
•    Social/political issues mobilize Boomers to flex their muscle
•    Financial planning becomes health/longevity planning
•    Aging in place with families of choice
9.    Increased antipathy between generations
•    The gray ceiling
•    Perception of competition over entitlement resources
•    Parenting theories that have backfired
•    Empty nests refilled with pet-based love
10.    Growing awareness of the importance of women as an influencer
•    “The last consumer standing”
•    In line for triple inheritances
•    Second wind after interrupted life stages
•    Recession’s impact on financial dependence of parents, adult children, grandchildren
•    Women initiating divorce
•    The “girlfriend” phenomenon