Yvonne's Baby Boomer Girl-Talk
April 06, 2006
I'm planning more in-depth Girl-Talk sessions for the future, but today I received notice from my good friend Stephanie Holbrook (who connected me with Fortune last year) that the AARP was making an announcement today - that is totally relevant to everything I write about here.
As of this moment, the announcement has not been made - so I cannot offer a link. As soon as I find out it's gone live, I'll come back and link to it. Meanwhile, my sources have provided me with some "breaking news" about it...(it's live...here it is.)
The story is in reference to a survey on "Findings about Women 45+ and their Finances and Health." I've also written about it over at ThirdAge, for those who want additional information. I'll be quoting different stats here. (and here's a great blog that has more good information, not only about women, but...on the topic of our aging society.)
First, some background. The press release, which will be going out today, notes that "AARP Foundation commissioned a study to gain insight into the issues faced by women who are 45+. The survey report, Looking at Act II of Women's Lives: Thriving and Striving from 45 on, explores the perceptions and realities of issues related to health, finance, and the image of aging." Here are some of the things this survey discovered (much of which I talk about here, on a regular basis)...
-- While the majority of women (62%) say they know they should save part of their monthly paycheck, less than half of them (41%) follow through with their actions. (guilty)
-- Three quarters of women (73%) said they always or sometimes have a few thousand dollars available in case of an emergency, but when asked about obtaining funds, more than one fifth (22%) said they didn't know where they would get the money and 6% said they have "now way of paying the unexpected bill." (not guilty)
-- In looking further down the road, (62%) of women don't have a long-term spending plan for when they retire. (who's retiring...not me!)
This information, and the rest of the stats in the study, are indicative of a whole new perspective on women. A perspective you should be paying attention to. But, I say that all the time. If you're not paying attention by now...well...read on for insight into health issues and the boomer image of aging,
"When it comes to health and lifestyles, a majority of women 45+ were more concerned with caring for others than themselves..." Duh!
-- Boomer women (45-59) are more likely to agree that taking care of others interferes with self care (36%), compared to women 60+ (20%); Hispanic women and Asian-American women are also more likely to agree (43% and 39%, respectively), than African-American women (31%) or women 45+ in general. (whew! lots of stuff in that little sentence - it all boils down to one thing: we're stuck in the middle, taking care of aging parents, teens at home, and even grandchildren; what's a Mom or Grandmom to do for herself? If you can help, we're open to it.)
-- The majority of women 45+ consider themselves to be happier now than they have ever been (65%), thus strongly deflating the myth that the older women become, the less happy they are. (you bet!)
-- 83% of women 45+ are experiencing a greater sense of freedom to be themselves now that they are older. (out the door without make-up - never would have done it ten years ago; today, it's a regular occurence.)
-- 77% of women 45+ consider their older years a time for pursuing dreams and doing things they have always wanted to do. (we ain't getting older, baby, we're getting better!)
These are the ladies I think you need to pay more attention to. Learn more about the things they care about. Get friendly with them - connect! You'll be glad you did. Marketing to women online will only be successful if you recognize the power these women have - but also find a way to serve their changing needs.
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