by Scott Howard | Feb 15, 2018 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard
I came across some research that backs up something I tell people in person about WOWO radio and Baby Boomer women that I need to share with you.
First off, a couple of quotes from Mediapost:
Today, every fifth adult in the United States is a female over 50. They are the healthiest, wealthiest and most active generation of women in history who control half of the country’s discretionary income and 75% of the country’s wealth. That’s a lot of spending power for one generation of women.
and:
Boomers are much more tech savvy than given credit for, actually spending more online than millennials—up to $7 billion annually.
one more:
In today’s world, our economy is heavily influenced by Boomer women. Marketers need to recognize that these consumers are not stuck in the “good old days” and that they don’t prioritize buying the brands with which they grew up. Take the time to build a relationship with these consumers. Make it clear that they’re important to you, and they’ll reward you with the $3.2 trillion they spend each year.
I’m a Baby Boomer who is married to one of these Boomer women, and yes, she doesn’t fit the old person stereotype that we used to give to previous generations that reached this age in life.
Now the WOWO Radio connection.
For years I have run into scores of women who tell me they listen to my radio station, WOWO in Fort Wayne. One of the ways you should use radio to target your ads is to pick a radio station that has listeners that are your target demographic. 
I looked up the latest data to determine which radio stations had the most Baby Boomer women listening and used the demographic females age 50+ and included all the commercial radio stations.
At any given time of the day or night, 24/7, WOWO has more than double the number of Baby Boomer women compared to any other Fort Wayne radio station. More than the music stations that are programmed to get Boomer women to listen.
So to tie this all together for your company this year, Baby Boomer Women control 75% of the household spending and in Fort Wayne, WOWO radio is your best option to connect with them and invite them to spend those dollars with you.
Connect with me and I’ll help.
by Scott Howard | Nov 7, 2017 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, ScLoHo's Fort Wayne, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard
Women and WOWO radio, a topic that I’ve talked about for nearly 15 years. Today, I have some insight that business owners, especially retailers need to know.
When I started in the radio advertising business in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2003, I worked for a competing company, not WOWO radio. I spent over 9 years trying to convince people not to advertise with WOWO.
It was this radio station for old white guys was my usual argument, and you want to reach people who have money to spend, right?
A few years ago, I wised up. In November 2013, I started the process to join WOWO and it has been fantastic for multiple reasons but the one I’m going to focus on right now is about the audience of WOWO.
Is it really a bunch of old white guys that listen to WOWO?
Well, yes and no. There are a significant number of men age 50+ who listen and they are important people to reach with your advertising messages. However, the number of women who actively listen is impressive too.
The Women of WOWO are likely to be Baby Boomer age and I’ve got a couple of reasons why that is important that I read in an article from Mediapost. This article emphasizes why you should invite Baby Boomer Women during the holiday season, but it’s appropriate year round. 
Here’s a couple of quotes from the story:
Today, every fifth adult in the United States is a female over 50. They are the healthiest, wealthiest and most active generation of women in history who control half of the country’s discretionary income and 75% of the country’s wealth.
Okay, think about that for a second. 75% of the country’s wealth is in the hands of 20% of the adults in this country. And these are not the grandmas of the past, these women are the healthiest, wealthiest and most active generation of women in history who control half of the country’s discretionary income. 
Wow, that sounds like the perfect group of consumers to aim my advertising and marketing to, right? Problem is most retailers are not inviting these Boomer women to spend money with them.
Instead, they spend less than 10% of their holiday marketing budgets targeting Boomers.
Retailers should devote somewhere between 50 and 75% of their marketing budgets to reach Baby Boomers!
One reason marketers and retailers ignore Boomer women is the belief that they’re not tech savvy enough to keep up with the changing retail environment. With so many businesses moving to online models, the focus is on younger audiences, particularly millennials. But Boomers are much more tech savvy than given credit for, actually spending more online than millennials. Many may prefer the experience of shopping in a store, but they’re perfectly comfy with e-commerce.
The Mediapost article gives some impressive numbers regarding the online habits of Baby Boomer Women. One that really caught my eye was the number who use their smartphone daily for shopping. 
Let’s address another ageism myth and that is that by a certain age, we become blindly brand-loyal. Not true. If you take them for granted and don’t continue to invite them to be your customer, they are ripe for the picking.
Being ignored for years has resulted in many Boomer women abandoning brands to which they’ve been loyal for decades. And now those brands are in the position of having to figure out how to win these consumers back. An excellent first step for brands and retailers wanting to reclaim their loyalty is to take the time to understand what drives Boomers to make a purchase. What are their needs, and the emotional triggers that prompt a purchase? Believe it or not, their needs are similar to those of other generations. They want convenience, an emotional connection to the brand, and to hear a great story that resonates with their lives. And a loyalty program that offers real benefits and lets them know you appreciate their business.
There’s more you need to know:
Sure, Baby Boomers are tech-savvy and often purchase online, but many still prioritize good old-fashioned service above all else. Marketers and retailers can provide that service by sending follow-up emails that provide the opportunity for Boomers to give feedback and make their voices heard. They need to set aside their preconceptions and stop looking at Boomer women through dated stereotypes. Most importantly, they need to recognize that these women are not one homogenous group. All Boomer women are not grandmas or caregivers. Engage them, and let them know you want to build an ongoing relationship with them. 
In today’s world, our economy is heavily influenced by Boomer women. Marketers need to recognize that these consumers are not stuck in the “good old days” and that they don’t prioritize buying the brands with which they grew up. Take the time to build a relationship with these consumers. Make it clear that they’re important to you, and they’ll reward you.
And now let me circle back to the Women of WOWO radio. I took a look at the latest radio rating information I have access to and asked how many women in the Fort Wayne area that are Baby Boomers listen to WOWO and all the other radio station in the survey.
27 radio stations were in the list. I bet you didn’t realize there are that many radio stations in the Fort Wayne area, and actually there are more than that, but the others didn’t have enough Baby Boomer listeners to qualify to be on the list.
WOWO radio is at the top, with over 30,000 Baby Boomer Women listening every week. Number two on the list only has around 20,000. Everyone of those other radio stations have just a fraction of what WOWO has. I can share this list with you privately if you want to see it. 
So to wrap this up, Baby Boomer Women control 75% of the wealth in the United States, even though they only make up 20% of the population. Locally the very best way for retailers to invite them to spend their money with you is with WOWO radio.
I can help you with that. Just ask.
(By the way, the women’s pictures in this article are from my Facebook friends, some of whom I’ve know since we went to high school together 40 years ago, all are Baby Boomers, and one is my bride.)
by Scott Howard | Aug 2, 2017 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard
Today, I’m going to talk to you from my generational perspective and I have one question for you:
Do You Want Our Money?
I am a young Baby Boomer. I am also a WOWO Radio Listener.
And I work for WOWO in the advertising sales department. That means I am the dude you can talk to about buying advertising for your company on WOWO. You can email me directly at my work email. It’s Scott@WOWO.com
But the rest of this piece is about me and my generation, the Baby Boomers. I just read an article from Mediapost that says that too many businesses are losing out because they are ignoring the Baby Boomer Generation with their advertising.
As a member of that age group and one that also deals with requests from advertising agencies, I totally agree.
First of all, let me set the stage with some facts from the Mediapost article and elsewhere. 
The Boomer markets (those between 53 and 71 years of age) are comprised of approximately 78 million customers.
That is the biggest demographic group (age wise) in this country. It’s also the group that is spending the big bucks that younger generations wish they had to spend.
According to a Pew survey, Boomers are outspending every other affluent category by $1 trillion per year. It was predicted that annual spending would exceed $4.6 trillion per year by 2015, and it has. The aging Boomer customer is today’s target population and, even more so, tomorrow’s.
The Mediapost article talks about the digital disconnect:
Seventy percent of all Baby Boomers surf online. It’s estimated that those 50 and up spend more than $7 billion every year in online purchases. Several media surveys discovered that approximately 17% of all those surveyed in the 45 and over age groups believe that online advertising is intended for them.
Look at those numbers for a second. 70% of all of us Baby Boomers surf online. That includes the retired ones, by the way. But less than 20%, the number I quoted is only 17% of Boomers believe online advertising is intended for them. 
This is a wake up call to anyone under the age of 50 who is responsible for advertising and marketing. I don’t care if you run your own business, your parents business or work for an advertising agency… you need to pay attention and understand there are a whole helluva lot of people over 50 that can make you successful if you simply invite them to spend money with you instead of ignoring us.
A few more quotes from the Mediapost article:
Be willing to change your frame of reference (paradigm shift). Don’t let “Boomer customer myopia” interfere with an intelligent approach to improving Boomer customer satisfaction.
In other words, the first step is recognizing the opportunity that I’m talking about and be willing to adjust your marketing tactics to invite Baby Boomers to spend their money with you. 
Avoid using the age of target markets as the determining factor… Use your knowledge of life stage changes to determine your approach to service and marketing communications improvement.
I’m going to share with you what they mean regarding Life Stages in a second. But first a couple of words on how I can help you.
In the digital world, I have been advising companies for the past dozen years on how to improve their ability to be found with some basic Search Engine Optimization practices that remain relevant. I even stepped away from the radio world a couple of times to work full time in the web and social media worlds.
Today, along with connecting you with Baby Boomers via WOWO radio, I also have some proven digital marketing solutions that I can offer through the Federated Digital Solutions division of Federated Media. I saw proven because I have the data to show the results and we can talk about how to create a custom digital solution for your company if that is appropriate.
And then there is the mighty 1190 WOWO radio. Now over 90 years old as an AM radio station with one of the biggest audiences in Northeast Indiana including Fort Wayne, Allen County and surrounding counties for miles and miles, stretching into Ohio and Michigan.
Listeners can also listen to WOWO locally on 107.5 FM and online via their favorite apps or the WOWO.com website.
But here’s what you need to know about connecting your business with Baby Boomers via WOWO radio.
It’s a no-brainer. Ever since I started with WOWO in 2013, the weekly total local audience according to the ratings service has been over 100,000 listeners.
There are a couple other stations in town that have over 100,000 weekly listeners but they have a significant number of kids that make that total add up to 100,000.
WOWO’s listenership according to the ratings is 99% grown-ups. Adults age 25 and older who buy stuff.
Half of those adults are Baby Boomers like me. 
By comparison, 2nd most listened to radio station by Baby Boomers less than half the number of listeners. If you want to know why this is important, take a look or listen to last week’s advertising nugget about reach and frequency. WOWO actually reaches more Baby Boomers than any other Fort Wayne radio station, by an over 2 to 1 margin.
Just recently I was negotiating with a media buyer that wants to buy advertising that will reach 25 to 54 year olds. That is a popular sweet spot in a lot of advertising agency mindsets. And sure that may have been the correct sweet spot to target a couple decades ago when Baby Boomers were that age, it’s very limiting thinking now as I have just demonstrated.
Before I wrap this up, I want to expand on why companies need to consider Lifestyles not just age demographics.
I’m 57. 
A good friend of mine, Kelly is also 57. His daughter is heading off to her 1st year of college right this very moment.
My wife and I have 5 kids from our previous marriages and 9 grandkids. While Kelly’s daughter is starting her college days at Indiana University, our oldest grandkid is starting his college days at Purdue University. Our youngest kid is 29 with three boys.
Yes, Kelley and his wife and me and my wife are all Baby Boomers but with very different lifestyles going on.
I also tend to have a wide spread of ages in my friendship circle. The oldest is 18 years older than me. I also hang out with those that are 30 years younger than me.
It’s not just the age, but the lifestyle that you need to pay attention to when planning your advertising.
I’ve done enough talking, I want to hear from you as I ask once again on behalf of myself and the other 78 million Baby Boomers, “Do you want our money?”
by Scott Howard | Jul 5, 2017 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo
Last month a couple of research articles about marketing to different generations hit my inbox. One was talking about generational differences and the other was talking about similarities.
So the title of this update, Everyone Needs A Little Love is based on what I read along with what I’ve learned and observed in my 57 years and how to apply it to your marketing.
I admit that I could write volumes about this but I’ll just hit a couple of highlights right now.
I’m also going to share some personal stuff too.
Can you count the 4 generations?
I belong to the generation known as Baby Boomers. That’s the classification of people born between 1946 and 1964 when the population exploded after World War 2 and the Korean Conflict. Our parent’s celebrated by having sex which led to having kids. Birth control was more limited back then.
The next generation is known as Generation X which is currently age 38 to 52 or so. This includes kids of the oldest Baby Boomers.
Then you’ve got the children of the younger Baby Boomers, known as Millennials. All of my kids and step-kids are in this group aged 22 to 37.
Now we have a name for the youngest generation, Centennials (consumers under the age of 21).
My grandkids are Centennials ranging in age from 18 years to 6 months. The youngest isn’t making purchasing decisions yet but he’s a consumer who is an influencer of his parents!
As a business owner or marketing person, you need to tailor your advertising to appeal to the people you want to invite to spend money with you. This includes both the message and the delivery vehicle.
Before I dig into some of the differences, let’s talk about what all generations have in common.
Everyone, no matter how young or how old, want to trust.
They want to trust that the money they spend will give them what ever it is that you are promoting.
If you are selling gluten-free food, they want to trust that your food is free of gluten.
If you are selling stylish clothing online, they want to trust that when their order arrives, it will be exactly as you said online.
If you are, well you can fill in the blank… Trust is a must for all of us. When I married my wife we both made that commitment because we trusted each other. My 6 month old grandson lets me rock him to sleep in my arms because he trusts me.
No matter what, be trustworthy. Got it? Cool.
Now here’s a couple of noteworthy items from one of the research papers I read from Mediapost:
- CENTENNIALS: The Experience GenerationThis youngest group of shoppers wants authentic brand experiences across all channels, and values quality over price or convenience. As digital natives, Centennials (consumers under the age of 21) don’t engage in the traditional customer service channels (such as phone or email), but they still expect personalized interactions with brands that understand their needs.
- MILLENNIALS: Brand LoyalistsMillennials (ages 22 to 37) stick with the companies they know and trust, demonstrating the most brand loyalty of all the generations. This means they are most open to marketing messages – assuming their interactions are personalized, brands stay true to their promises and their customer loyalty is rewarded.
- GENERATION X: Bargain HuntersOften considered the forgotten generation, Generation X (ages 38 to 52) is full of deal seekers. They want good buys on quality products, and they expect a convenient path to purchase. This group of consumers is most likely to be influenced by price and cares less about brand loyalty than other generations.
- BABY BOOMERS: Price-Savvy ShoppersPrefer brands that offer wide selections at discounted prices. Not motivated by loyalty programs or unique brand experiences, this generation wants to see a variety of well-priced products that meet their immediate needs.
There are other insights in the article that you can read at this link.
But before we wrap this up, I’m going to share with you some insight that either contradicts or complements the Mediapost article.
I’m a young Baby Boomer. I have lived through each of these life stages. A lot of the descriptions about the habits of the generations I just mentioned aren’t really characteristics of the generations. They are really descriptions of the habits nearly everyone goes through as they progress from one stage of life to the next.
So those consumers under age 21, every generation in their youth was looking for authentic experiences. You wanted to be part of the cool crowd, have friends, find love and experience real life.
Next comes life after college, reality hits, relationships become families and you want to find good and services, sometimes known as brands that you trusted and you developed your own loyalties to those things.
As the kids become teenagers and the family finances are pulled in all different directions, we really started looking for good bargains so we could afford it all. Instead of bragging about how much we paid for something when we were teens, we now bragged about how little we paid and the deal we got.
Now as we become empty nesters, different circumstances influence our shopping habits. Some have extra money to spend, some are on limited incomes. Some are supporting their kids or grandkids, while others have money tucked away in retirement accounts. The term Mediapost used, Price-Savy doesn’t mean cheap. It means experienced and hopefully not gullible.
And one last time the key to all these people of all generations and life stages is trust. Not a manufactured trust, but a genuine and earned trust. Are you and your business up for that?
I wrote this article and recorded the podcast version last week and since then, this article about generational myth busting was published on Medium.com: Worried that your Millennial employees are Going to Quit on You? Read this. http://bit.ly/2u24TNk
Want help and guidance on how to apply these to your business? Contact me.
by Scott Howard | May 25, 2017 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard
I was reading an article from Mediapost that mentioned that baby boomers who are becoming senior citizens are not what you might expect. To illustrate their point they pointed out that at age 63, Christie Brinkley could be considered a “senior”.
She is a Baby Boomer and she was featured along with her two daughters in the 2017 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.
Since a big chunk of the WOWO radio listening audience is the Baby Boomer generation, I ask this question:
Does Christie Brinkley Listen to WOWO Radio?
My answer is defiantly not. Well maybe, but not likely.
Since she doesn’t hang out in the midwest and I’ve never heard her call the Pat Miller Program to express her views on, well anything, if she listens, we are not aware that Christie Brinkley is a WOWO Radio listener.
However, over the years I have found many women who will confess to me that they are a WOWO Radio listener and they think that they are a out-numbered.
On one hand, yes, there are more guys than gals that listen to WOWO’s news talk radio format, but not by much. If you were to take 10 typical WOWO listeners and put them in a room, and these 10 represented the WOWO audience, you would have 6 men and 4 women.
I was doing some research recently and from the data I have access to, more women age 40 and older in the Fort Wayne area listen to WOWO than any other radio station. When I look at Baby Boomer women, WOWO has twice as many Christie Brinkley types compared to the other Fort Wayne radio stations.
Let’s circle back to that Mediapost article that mentioned Christie Brinkley.
Quoting here:
Christie Brinkley, who at 63 appeared in this year’s 2017 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue rocking a bikini alongside her daughters—all the proof you need that 60 can be confident, sexy and in the spotlight.
Brinkley said, “In a country that’s very ageist, people love to put you in little boxes. Women feel very limited by their numbers. On a personal level, I thought, if I can pull this off, I think it will help redefine those numbers and remove some of the fear of aging.”
At 60 and beyond, Boomers continue to be a dynamic and powerful consumer segment. They may not be considered young, but their youthful energy has them constantly on the lookout for new and improved products and services that help them achieve the active, full lives after 60 that previous generations could only have imagined.
Here’s a couple of take-aways from the Mediapost article that you can apply to the women and perhaps men who listen to WOWO radio:
1. They represent a large and growing consumer market
At 37 million and growing, Americans in their 60’s have been the fastest-growing age group since the turn of the century.
2. They have big spending power
The average net worth for 60-somethings is significantly greater than it is for Americans in their 20s (by 99%), 30s (+67%), 40s (+27%), and 50s (+13%).
Nearly half (40%) of today’s 60-somethings are still working.
On top of that, many 60-somethings are choosing to forego leaving a large inheritance and instead are opting to spend on experiences they can share with their children and grandchildren in the moment.
3. They’re not slowing down
Today’s 60-somethings know they’ve still got it. Their mindset is characterized by a steadfast belief in their abilities, a desire to learn and try new things, and wanting to raise the bar on what’s possible at this life stage.
They understand the need to care for their health differently than when they were younger, so they pay more attention to their diets, stay informed about advances in healthcare, use supplements and prescription drugs when needed, and take fitness seriously.
4. They embrace technology that matters
80% of 60 – 69 year olds are online, and nearly 8 in 10 of those online use smartphones.
They are leading the charge for devices and services that make their homes more secure and efficient. Next up is technology that will help them monitor and manage their health.
5. They’re a big influence on their adult children.
More than previous generations, Boomers and their adult children like, trust, and go to each other for advice.
When I listen to WOWO radio, I hear ads for home improvement, luxury automobiles, financial products and other big buck items that Baby Boomers are spending their money on.
Want to know more about how to invite WOWO listeners to spend money with you? Contact me.
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