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.

For this article Can Empty Nesters Still Afford to Splurge? in the current issue of SmartMoney, I spoke with writer Missy Sullivan about the empty nesters’ mentality.

For this article Stores Make Changes for Older Shoppers, in AARP Magazine’s September/October issue, on retailers’ changes for older shoppers, I was asked what trends we at Continuum Crew were tracking. Read what I told Christina where the ‘big shift’ was.

Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Service (OPRS) operates a network of continuing care retirement communities in Ohio. The company offers services through about a dozen senior living communities across the state and serves some 6,000 residents. The centers include skilled nursing, assisted living, and independent living residences. Through its Senior Independence program, the not-for-profit organization also provides independent-living services to about 75,000 seniors in Ohio, including adult day care, home health, hospice, and community health clinics. OPRS was established in 1922. Continuum Crew will help OPRS with its Boomer Task Force.

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 first post, It’s Not Our Parent’s Middle Age, I’ve written about a trend that we have been tracking for the last two years, patterns of independent behavior among boomer couples (that is different from our parents’ generation) and the actions they are taking – some of these may surprise you!

Have you walked through a home that just “felt different” from the previous homes you explored? Do prefer Target to Wal-Mart, or Lowes over Home Depot for your big box shopping, but are not clear why? Will you return to a favorite web site because you can find what you’re looking for, it feels easy to navigate and you can complete a transaction? Have you held an OXO vegetable peeler and wondered why on earth anyone ever used the one in your Grandma’s utensil drawer?

[Read more →]