Boomer Grandmas: Involved, But Overlooked

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Boomer Grandmas: Involved, But Overlooked

Who's driving that minivan ahead of you, with three kids in the back seat and a tailgate full of shopping bags containing toys, clothes, and diapers? It may not be who you think. Boomer grandmothers are a lucrative, and largely ignored, market for children's products - including some of the everyday items that are marketed only to young parents. Here are just a few reasons why manufacturers of children's items from baby wipes to clothing should be including Boomer grandmoms in their marketing plans:

They have the cash, and they like to spend it. And they love spending it on their grandchildren.

Grandparents spend an average of $500 on their grandchildren annually, according to AARP. That's a total of more than $34 billion.
Grandparents account for more than a third of sales of children's products, according to Marketing to the 50+ Population.
Ninety-six percent of Boomer grandparents spend money on their grandchildren just because they enjoy buying them things, compared to 92% of other grandparents (AARP).

They are involved in their grandchildren's lives-and in ways that may surprise you.

Nearly eight in 10 (78%) Boomer grandparents see their grandchildren every week or every couple of weeks (AARP).
Sixty-three percent of grandparents who have primary responsibility for their grandchildren's care and upbringing are women (U.S. Census Bureau).
More than half (57%) of Boomer grandparents help pay for their grandchildren's living expenses, compared to 42% of other grandparents (AARP).

Companies wishing to tap into the lucrative Boomer grandmothers' market should take into account how Boomer women shop and how they like to be approached in marketing messages. Key purchasing drivers for Boomers include high product quality and relationship-oriented service.

When marketing children's toys, for example, messaging should highlight quality construction and craftsmanship. When shopping for their grandkids, Boomer women are often drawn to brands from their own childhoods or brands that they bought for their children.

Service is perhaps the most important part of generating sales with Boomer women, and it's often overlooked. Relationships are key with Boomer women-they like to be remembered, and customer relationship efforts that keep track of repeat customers to help enhance service are especially appreciated.

Reprint from February 2006 issue of Clarity eNewsletter by Lucid Marketing. www.lucidmarketing.com

Here's an example of how to put this into action:

A Boomer grandmom comes into a bookstore about once a month to buy books to read with her three-year-old granddaughter, Stephanie. As she's checking out, she typically chats to the salesperson about Stephanie for a minute or two. The salesperson inputs the name of the granddaughter in the store's database, so that when the grandmom comes back and hands over her credit card, the salesperson sees the name in the account and asks whether Stephanie enjoyed reading Where the Wild Things Are. That kind of connection helps keep the Boomer grandmom coming back.

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