New Survey Reveals the Surprising Reality of Boomers' Behavior Online

ThirdAge Online Media and Social Networking Research Uncovers the
Current Ins and Outs of Preferences Among Boomers
SAN FRANCISCO--(Business Wire)--
Which online boomer trends are in - and which are out? To find
out, ThirdAge, a leading online destination for the baby boomer and
midlife markets, and JWTBOOM, an integrated marketing agency dedicated
to reaching boomers, surveyed more than 1,800 respondents. The
unexpected results were presented today in San Francisco at JWT
LiveWire: The Summit, a conference dedicated to reaching consumers age
40-plus.

The results of the survey may surprise even the savviest online
marketers looking to capture the attention of the coveted boomer
market. It turns out the audience values word-of-mouth
recommendations, expert opinions, trusted brands and privacy online.
But, they are not yet embracing social networking or blogs, despite
what recent hype would suggest.

The following outlines the current trends of boomers' online
preferences:

In

Word-of-mouth sharing

Experts and credible authorities

Trusted brands

Product research and online shopping

Email

Broadband

Privacy

Health and wellness information

Not Yet

Social networking

Blogs

Podcasts

Downloading and listening to music

Group gaming

-- They "Social Network" Their Own Way:

"The research clearly shows that boomers are not clamoring to
social networking sites the same way younger generations are making
new friends in today's social media playground," said ThirdAge CEO
Sharon Whiteley. "Boomers are using more traditional web communication
tools, such as email, to keep in touch with their existing group of
friends in order to share photos and, more importantly, life
experience. "That said," she added, "Boomers in general are interested
in connecting and interacting with others in their community around
shared interests and common issues. They relate to people sharing a
similar life phase - and they trust those who have walked in their
shoes."

Fifty-three percent of those surveyed had not visited social
networking sites; 47 percent cited concerns over privacy and having
personal information on the web; 39 percent said they are too busy; 32
percent do not see the benefit of spending time social networking.

-- Boomers Embrace Online Marketing...Selectively

"Boomers will participate in online communities to share opinions
about brands and products," said JWT BOOM President Lori Bitter, whose
company specializes in marketing to boomers. "They are also open to
both traditional marketing and emarketing, as long as the message is
coming from a brand they know and trust."

Seventy-five percent of respondents that have received promotional
emails about products and services have clicked through to the site
being promoted. More than 55 percent have purchased a product or
service promoted in an email.

Ninety-three percent of respondents who have read an article about
a Web site in print (newspaper or magazine) have later visited the
site online, reminding marketers that media coverage, as part of an
integrated marketing strategy, remains an important element of boomer
marketing.

-- Trust -But Verify

Respondents were most likely to trust a Web site's content if the
site corresponded to a trusted brand or featured credible expertise.
Consider:

-- 83 percent reported the content needed to be attributed to
experts, authors or authorities with subject matter
credibility

-- 66 percent said they trust sites whose content is sponsored by
a company they know and trust

-- 62 percent said they would trust a site if they had been going
to it for a long time and came to trust its brand

"This data reflects that brands have the ability to connect
directly to their key consumers through targeted online sponsorships,"
said Bitter.

-- They've Got the Power

Boomers alone account for 78 million people and control more than
83 percent of consumer spending. Forty percent of the United States'
population is over 45, with 50 percent market growth projected over
the next 15 years. Boomer spending will increase $800 billion to over
$4.6 trillion by 2015. This is a potent marketplace that can't be
ignored.

"Marketers have the opportunity to build a relationship with this
important audience," said Whiteley. "For example, we have learned that
ThirdAgers are not universally familiar with or receptive to blogs. On
the other hand, they value personal views written by experts and
opinions by authoritative sources. On our redesigned Web site
scheduled to launch in early July, we are featuring 'contributors'
rather than bloggers regardless of the nomenclature popularized by
mainstream social media. We know our audience and want to speak their
language."

-- Additional Noteworthy Findings

Word-of-mouth: Boomers participate in viral or word-of-mouth
marketing as much as or more than younger age groups. Ninety-three
percent of respondents were very or somewhat likely to share product
information or news with friends.

Product research and shopping: Eighty-eight percent of respondents
use the Internet for research before purchasing a product offline, and
78 percent shop online.

Broadband: Eighty percent of respondents use a broadband
connection at home.

Health and Wellness: Ninety-seven percent use the Internet to seek
information on health and wellness.

Gaming: Sixty-two percent had little or no interest in playing
games with others.

ThirdAge Inc. is a leading life stage media, marketing and
consumer insight company exclusively focused on serving today's
dynamic population of boomers and aging mid-lifers online. For the
last decade ThirdAge has built a loyal community interested in
health/wellness, relationships/romance and money/work, while also
serving premiere marketers who want to build a relationship with this
audience. Headquartered in New York the site attracts more than one
million unique visitors per month. www.thirdage.com

JWT BOOM is the premier integrated marketing firm specializing in
reaching consumers over age forty. Providing results-driven strategy
and execution, JWT BOOM excels at helping clients build profitable and
lasting relationships with boomers and mature consumers, the
fastest-growing and most financially powerful segment in the country.
www.jwtboom.com

Note: Additional survey data is available upon request.

for ThirdAge and JWT BOOM
Hilary Allard, 617.337.9524
hallard@thecastlegrp.com
or
Linda Walsh, 617.337.9516
lwalsh@thecastlegrp.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008