Generation Reinvention Show # 7: Marketing to Boomers, an International Perspective.

On December 14, 2010

In 2010, one-third of the U.S. population passed age 50. When 2020 rolls around, one in five American adults will be over age 65. And the U.S. isn’t the only place to find Boomers. The Boomer “age wave” will also have colossal impact in Europe, which already has 19 of the world’s 20 oldest countries. Half of Holland will be over age 50 in 2012. Over one-fourth of Europeans will be age 65 or older in 2030.

This western “age wave” demands new thinking about marketing, advertising and product development, locally and internationally. Our guest for this show brings unique qualifications to address many of the forthcoming challenges and opportunities between the collision of aging and business in a global marketplace.

Lori Bitter is president of Continuum Crew, an integrated communications firm focused on engaging mature consumers. She is responsible for mature consumer strategy and leadership of the company.

Lori launched Continuum Crew following the closure of JWT BOOM, the nation’s leading mature market advertising and marketing company. As the former president, she was responsible for mature consumer strategy across a number of industries, including packaged goods, housing, pharmaceuticals, health care and many others.

Formerly the Senior Vice President/Director of Client Services for Age Wave Impact (Age Wave), Lori worked for clients such as AOL, Listerine, Sunsweet, AARP, IBM, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield and many more. She has owned two advertising agencies. She has more than 25 years of advertising, public relations and strategic planning experience.

She is also president of a relatively new global marketing association, the International Mature Marketing Network. IMMN is a non-profit consortium of marketers, advertisers, agency execs, manufacturers, publicists, media, academics and researchers focused on the 40+ consumer. IMMN has influential members from the U.S., Europe, Asia Pacific and Australia.