On stands now is the print edition of Forbes magazine (December 2011, Investment Guide). It features the story Boomers: Reinventing the Next Chapter, by Deborah L. Jacobs. Lori was interviewed for this article about her success in building a business that helps others to understand the needs and wants of the Baby Boomer and Senior consumers, and effectively reach them.

We are pleased to announce that we have been selected as the marketing agency of record by Aging Technology Alliance™ (AgeTek™), a trade group of companies that develop and/or market technology-based products designed for the senior market.

AgeTek represents companies and organizations dedicated to promoting the awareness, benefits and value of products and services for our aging society. Their members’ products and services allow seniors to remain independent and age in place at home, as well as empower many seniors to enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle while securing their mobility. AgeTek is focused on bringing greater awareness to their industry, products, and to its select group of companies that are working together (and independently) to develop better-designed, less expensive and better-tested products for the senior consumer.

Continuum Crew will counsel AgeTek on thought leadership activities and member engagement activities. We will also develop and implement an advertising and media plan, with interactive media services (including the execution of email campaigns and search engine optimization), marketing collateral production, public relations and social media activities.

“As we seek to gain the attention of public policy makers, regulators, lawmakers, advocacy groups, mass media and the general public about the benefits of technology appropriately designed for seniors, we know aligning ourselves with Continuum Crew is the perfect choice,” said Peter Radsliff, Board Chairman, AgeTek. “Led by Lori Bitter, she and her team have a strong presence in this space and an outstanding reputation. They know how to most effectively reach these audiences. We look forward to what this partnership will yield as we grow our organization.”

To read more about this announcement click here.

Lori’s latest blog post for MediaPost Communications Engage Boomer blog, discusses the drumbeat of the ‘Move Beyond Age’ movement has grown louder throughout this year, with conversations ranging from how to “re-tool” senior products for Boomers, to how to appeal to the largest demographic in today’s marketplace. Friends and partners are shining a light on human-centered design and the aging population.

Read Lori’s MediaPost Communications Engage Boomer blog post Move Beyond Age – Let’s Talk Better Design here.

In A Brutal Economy, Boomers Rewrite The Next Chapter

11/16/2011
(This story appears in the Dec. 5, 2011 issue of Forbes.)

In the short time since we acquired Eons we have been busy with two main priorities: the planned ‘refresh’ elements to the site, which are based on the members’ feedback, as well as another priority which was a concern for both me and many Eons members, and that was getting a better quality of advertisers on the site.

It is the first show of our second season! For it we spoke with guest Jeffrey DeMure, an architect and founder of Jeffrey DeMure & Associates (J D + A).

For more than 20 years, he has been focused on residential and mixed use architecture and land planning throughout the United States. He and his team are responsible for some of the most forward-thinking planning and designs for housing the aging population.

Listen to the show →

I’m looking forward to seeing you all at LeadingAge annual meeting this month in Washington, D.C. As you prepare your schedules, consider joining me by registering for my session – an Twitter-enabled interactive one for all attendees this year! Here are the details:

Leveraging Social Media and Internet Marketing (159-G)

October 19, 2011
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Track: Marketing, Philanthropy & Public Relations
Speaker: Lori Bitter

• Discover ways you can maximize the use of social media and internet marketing tools to reach your consumers.
• Learn to incorporate these tools into your traditional marketing plan to strike the right marketing mix.
• Realize how to measure the effectiveness of different marketing tools and their return on investment.

From the latest issue of the Journal on Active Aging, is the article Tackling Graywashing: What Drives It, How to  Recognize and Avoid It

The recent release of “The MetLife Report on American Grandparents,” by Peter Francese with MetLife Mature Market Institute, reveals the changing face of grandparents in the United States. It also provides a roadmap for companies with products and services for children. Increasingly, grandparents are helping young families financially navigate in this tough economic climate, paying for items essential to day-to-day life, and also looking forward to big-ticket items like tuition, cars, and college.

In 2010, there were an estimated 65 million grandparents in the United States alone; households headed by someone over the age of 45 accounts for 60% of the nation’s income. One in four adults in this country is a grandparent.

Today, a grandparent is the head of almost one in ten households and has a grandchild in residence. In spite of recent economic events, consumer spending in households 55+ has risen faster than any other age category, outpacing inflation. By 2020, projections reveal an increase to 80 million grandparents, one in three adults in the U.S.

Booming Grands: Younger, hipper more diverse grandparents

The majority of today’s grandparents are from the Baby Boomer generation; they appear more youthful, vital and active than grandparents of previous generations. In reality…

[Read more →]

I’m pleased to have been asked by Allstate, one of the nation’s largest auto, home and life insurers also known for their “You’re in good hands” slogan, to be a guest blogger on their Allstate Blog.

In my second post, Midlife Crisis or Living the Dream? I’ve written about the reported return of America’s muscle car mania, with baby boomers who lusted after these cars in their teens and early twenties clearly being the marketing target.

According to Jesse Toprak, vice president of trends and analysis at TrueCar.com.“Many Baby Boomers are experiencing another phase in their life, the nest is empty and because they have reached a heightened income level giving them both time and financial freedom, they chose vehicles that provide them with a luxurious, safe feel and youthful, sporty drive,”

To hear about the dreams of the Boomers, why automakers should rejoice and the top cars among the baby boomer generation, read the full post here.

Which is your favorite on the list?