In their book “Boom: Marketing to the Ultimate Power Consumer-The Baby Boomer Woman”, Mary Brown and Carol Orsborn claim that female baby-boomers are expected to spend more than a trillion US dollars next year on goods and services.

Highly acclaimed actress Meryl Streep epitomises the ultimate power consumer: the female baby boomer.

LG's Scarlet TV, the outside is designed for women while the inside it aimed at men.

When women enter a consumer electronics store to make their next technology purchase, they can now be confident that they represent the most powerful force in the marketplace. This is especially true of female baby-boomers, according to research conducted by the authors of a book that examines the buying power and influence of this group.

In their book “Boom: Marketing to the Ultimate Power Consumer-The Baby Boomer Woman” Mary Brown and Carol Orsborn claim that female baby-boomers (born between 1945 and 1964) are expected to spend more than a trillion US dollars next year on goods and services. They also debunk the myth that it is the younger demographics or male buyers who should be the focus of future marketing activities.

Brown and Orsborn state that by 2010, “adults 45 and over, the majority of whom are women, will be outspending younger adults by US$1.6 to US$2.6 trillion”.

Yet despite these statistics it still appears that some consumer electronics companies are still challenged when it comes to marketing specifically to this large and affluent group. One company which appears caught within a cultural bind is South Korean manufacturer LG Electronics. LG Electronics Australia’s TV category marketing manager, Warren Kim, recently told www.connectedwomen.net.au that attitudes in its Korean factories impacted on the way the company marketed its television products to Australian women.

“Traditionally  the management of our factories has operated under the belief  that women are only interested in what the product looks like on the outside while men are interested in the technology. They actually have a saying ‘outside of the TV for women, inside for men’,” he acknowledged.

No one is arguing that in the past, this belief may have had some validity. However, many ConnectedWomen who had this position explained to them, were shocked.

Cosmetic approach to marketing to women

This approach gave Kim some challenges when he recently launched  the Scarlet TV series. This range of LCD TVs features a red back and a woman’s name to appeal cosmetically to women while the promotion of the technology was aimed at men.

However, Brown and Carlson claim that such a black and white approach to the market may limit a product’s promotional effectiveness. The book goes further to suggest that such strategies may even backfire with the baby-boomer woman, citing that they are less loyal to brands than other demographics.

In general, the authors say that this market is looking for value and customisation. More importantly, they value authenticity highly. “This group is more likely to do business with brands committed to corporate citizenship and good causes that are aligned with her values,” they wrote.

Women’s Network Australia founder and CEO Lynette Palmen AM has been working with the female baby boomer for more than two decades. Her business reaches 45,000 through its national networking functions, quarterly magazine, weekly e-noticeboard and interactive website. This understanding and influence with professional women has seen her business double in the past two years.

Palmen agrees that women, particularly professionals, are now more likely to discuss the values that a company holds with their friends before making a purchasing decision.
“Women want to know that the company has integrity in all areas that it operates within and they expect to be marketed to with all the facts,” she said.

And her advice for companies such as LG which grapple with translating traditional attitudes from head office into contemporary marketing strategies for Australian women?

“Try listening to what they want, rather than assuming that you have all the answers,” she replied. "Otherwise, lose their business."

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