Vibrant Nation: Book Captures Essence of Boomer Women

If there is a single adjective that reflects the spirit of Boomer women, it’s vibrant. Which explains why Stephen Reily incorporated the word into both his web site URL and the title of a revealing new book co-authored with Carol Orsborn. Vibrant Nation: What Boomer Women 50+ Know, Think, Do & Buy is a must-read for any marketer who wants to understand what makes these women tick, who they are, what they care about, how to reach them, and the emotional triggers that will convert interest into purchase.
Margaret Mead coined the term PMZ [post-menopausal zest] to reflect the stage of life where women re-acquire the self-confidence of youth, informed by the wisdom of age. A breezy blend of observation, blogs and community postings, Vibrant Nation serves as a guide to the inner workings of wealthy [average household income of $75+K] and educated [72% are college grads] Boomer women.

Describing the marketing nether region occupied by this age cohort, Reily notes that vibrant women have “learned to navigate in a world that doesn’t speak to her as a consumer – a world that sees her as a senior citizen striving to be 20 again, a world that shrugs off her buying power.”

Playing off Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the book sorts vibrant women into a five level Motivational Marketing Pyramid based on purpose or meaning: value endorsers, simplicity seekers, self-interested spenders, experiential indulgers and other pleasers.

Advice to marketers includes practical suggestions like:

• Sell a product in terms of relationships with the Vibrant Women at the center
• Vibrant women are more than mothers, but are still mothers
• Avoid one-dimensional definitions, especially the deadly caregiver term
• Leverage the world of Mommy bloggers to recommend products to their own mothers
• Select relatable spokespeople, women who might be a friend
• Present products and services as solutions to the refilled nest
• Acknowledge her role as Chief Purchasing Officer for the household