Presentation 2 Baby Boomers

A big welcome to
the Baby Boomers!
Born 1945 – 1965 Currently 46-68

What is this?
This presentation is one of five presentations outlining our understanding of
Generational perspectives

1. The Theory of Generations

2. Boomers

3. Generation X

4. Generation Y, or Millenials

5. Applying generational perspectives to Marketing


introduction
 Idealism

 Commercialisation

 Permissiveness, liberalisation

 Consciousness

 What are they like now?


Baby boom
Throughout the 1960s there was a sustained ‘baby boom’, with births

rising to a peak of 1,014,700 in 1964. This was followed by a rapid decline in

the numbers of births in the 1970s, reaching a low of 657,000 in 1977

Source: ONS 2006 Population data


A reminder… Prophets
• Boomers, as a generational archetype
• Values driven
• Moralistic
• Self Absorbed
• Crusaders

• Childhood was full of
• Contentment
• Order
• Consensus

• So what happened when they came of age ……?


Idealism
• Boomers were and remain idealists

• They were therefore conscious of how the world was not ideal

• Government untrustworthy
• Religion out of touch
• Racism apparent
• Increasing commercialisation

What was influencing this mood?


Boomers disinterest in religion
Religion represented the institution and traditional values

• Religion has suffered an immense decline since the 1950’s

• 0.6% of the UK now regularly attend church Year Millions
1930 (peak) 3.7
1940 3.4
• There were similar declines in community activities, voting
1950 3.0
1960 2.9
and other signs of civic partnership*
1964 2.7
1970 2.2
1979 1.8
1986 1.7
1996 1.6

*Source: British Birth Cohort Studies


What political issues were top of
mind?
• Cold War – this lead to a general feeling of uncertainty and lack of political

trust

• Korean war, Vietnam War – leading to anti war protests all over the world

• Civil Rights movement – although led in the US, the UK was not far behind.

 In 1968 there were race riots across the US

• Strikes were prolific during the early 70s – miners, dock workers, postal,

train drivers


What was happening in the economy?
• The end of war led to a period of vigorous economic growth that carried on
until the early 70’s

• Rationing ended in the late 50’s
• The government invested heavily in welfare
• European trade increased
• Manufacturing increased
• Scientific and technological advances
 Washing machines, TV’s, radios, refrigerators
UK GDP

Boomers were growing up in a relatively prosperous and secure climate
1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974


Commercialisation

…from the time they were
conceived, Boomers were
dissected, analysed and pitched
to by modern marketers, who
reinforced a sense of
generational distinctiveness…


Commercialisation
• Marketers were becoming more influential and sophisticated

50’s
60’s


Commercialisation


Commercialisation
• Technology was dramatically changing the food we eat


Commercialisation
• But this rapid commercialisation was flying in the face of the national mood
of liberalisation

I live on an apartment on the ninety-ninth
floor of my block
And I sit at home looking out the window
imagining the world has stopped
Then in flies a guy who's all dressed up
just like a Union Jack
And says, I've won five pounds if I have
his kind of detergent pack
(Stones 1967)


Permissiveness was increasingly apparent

• The mods of the 60’s were heavy users of amphetamines

• As a result they were controlled under the Misuse of Drugs

Legislation in 1964

• Pep pills continued as a common form of drugs misuse in the

early 70’s

Boomers created an environment that made illegal drug

use far more acceptable/popular than ever before


Respect for authority diminished
• Levels of crime increased as boomers attitudes changed towards figures of

authority

65
30yrs old in 1958
30 yrs old in 1975
44
38
30 30
23
18
13
8 9
5 4

moved on stopped and let off with a arrested formally guilty by a
questioned warning cautioned court

Type of contact with the police: Men Source: British Birth Cohort Studies


Liberalisation was increasingly apparent
• Boomers were brought up in strong family structures

• Levels of divorce were very low in comparison with current levels

 25,000 pa (peaked at 180,000 pa in 80’s)

Increasingly traditional family structures were challenged

• Marriage was delayed

 1963 - M 26, W 23

 1975 - M 29, W 26

• Divorce reform act in 1970 meant easier to get divorced
Source: Social Trends/The Future Foundation


Family structures shifting
Debates regarding family worth ensued

• Pill was introduced in 1963

• As marriage became delayed, so did childbirth

 Age of childbirth rose sharply from 1969

In this period of liberalisation and permissiveness Boomer youth were

questioning all aspects of traditional family structures


Consciousness
• Boomers were the first generation to experience mass media

TV began in 1949; colour TV in 1967

“TV was the institution that solidified the sense of generational identity more than
any other“
Gillon, Steve (2004) Boomer Nation

• They were therefore

Conscious that youth across the world felt the same


Consciousness
• Media enabled a global musical phenomenon that further strengthened
Boomers consciousness

Rock Music

• Lyrics reflected and strengthened the liberal, permissive, rebellious
national mood

Come mothers and fathers, throughout the land
And don't criticize, what you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters, are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one, if you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin‘
Bob Dylan, 1964


Consciousness
• This generation was experiencing a collectiveness that previous
generations had never felt: they were proud of youth!

• For the first time ever it was, er, cool to be young!


Generational Value
I feel that my generation has had a good impact on the world

1 - Strongly agree 2 3 4 5 - Strongly disagree

Boomers 20 28 24 15 10

Generation X 9 20 37 21 12

Generation Y 8 28 30 23 10

Source: Logistix IQ800 August data


National Mood...


Second Turning: Awakening
Fourth turning: Crisis
Solid public consensus, support
of authority, clampdown on bad
conduct, overprotective child
rearing, optimism

Third Turning: Unravelling First turning: High
Pragmatism, self-reliance, Follows a crisis…Friendly,
poor family structure, indulgent child rearing,
weakening civic habits, low contentment, order and
public trust, pessimism consensus

Second Turning: Awakening
A challenge to highs
Boomers were assumptions, new spiritual
coming of age here agendas, soul over science,
public order deteriorates, crime
rises, families weakening


Awakening
My generation is willing to protest against unjust government policies
1 - Strongly agree 2 3 4 5 - Strongly disagree

Boomers 28 35 15 11 9

Generation X 20 27 35 11 4

Generation Y 22 31 26 16 3

Source: Logistix IQ800 August 2007 data


Embracing and inciting change
Rebelliousness Positivity!

Rejection of what went before At a time when huge leaps were

(Contentment, order, consensus) being made….

Dissatisfaction and distrust In society: liberalisation

Commercialisation In technology: manufacturing

In culture: freedom of expression

Even in Space!

In a word…

Reformist!


What’s a Boomer look like now?
• Oldest is 68 (1946 – 1964)
• Boomers are 29% of the total population
• In 2009 UK Baby Boomers held 82% of the countries wealth…although
concentrated in the top SG’s
• In the UK there are 15 Million Boomers (450M worldwide)
 AB: 22% (22% UK norm)
 C1: 26% (30%)
 C2: 16% (15%)
 D: 19% (17%)
 E: 16% (16%)
• They outnumber those under 16 for the first time in history! Source: ONS 2006 Population data


Famous Boomers


What are their current circumstances?

• Younger boomers (born 1956-1964) spend most of their
money on their children and the mortgage
• 37% still have (Generation Y) kids living at home

• Older boomers (born 1946-1955), many of whom are empty
nesters, put their money into upgrading their homes and going
on holiday

• They are the sandwich generation
• 43% of Boomers still have living parents and dependent
kids


What are their current circumstances?

• Boomers connect with their kids more than their parents

• Cosmopolitan attitudes mean they love to travel

• And do as much as they can before they die

• One in ten Britons aged 55-64 and five per cent of over 65s
now attend a gym regularly while many more keep fit by other
means


Presentation 2 Baby Boomers

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