Abstract
Gerontology researchers have been tracking millions of aging baby boomers born 1946 to 1964 in the United States for about two decades (Hilt & Lipschultz, 2005/2012). It has been challenging to move beyond descriptive generalization about generational groups. The first of this group turned 75 during the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of this decade, one in five will be 65 or older.
Cooper, a practitioner and Professor Emerita at Ohio University, and Lim, an associate professor in Texas, took aim at seniors’ disposable income and consumer purchases compared to relatively small marketing campaign budgets targeted at them. Generational research splits this cohort into two subgroups: 1946 to 1955 and 1956 to 1964 (p. 6). This may be problematic for those of us who grew up with older siblings in the first wave. Still, there is no question that health care is a lucrative market, as boomers retire. It is common to hear their concerns about the challenges of remaining active, healthy, and happy.
The nine chapters of SilverComm focus on aging, professional paths, COVID, advertising, public relations, marketing, and current issues. It briefly explores online communication tools, but I was disappointed in its failure to trace Facebook and other social media communication that became very important to this generation.
Ohio University Associate Professor Emerita Bojinka Bishop co-authored Chapter 3 about COVID and crisis communication theory: “The theory focuses on a threat’s type and duration; those two factors determine the threat level, indicating that external threats . . . create more demands than internal ones . . .” (p. 38). The uncertainty when SilverComm went into production made it difficult for the authors to advance ideas about the future.
One study reported in the book described Time advertising 2020 to 2021. The portrayal of older people showed “. . . an overwhelming presence (50.2%) of senior models associated with health products/health care” (p. 61). The book bounces between traditional historic stereotypes of aging and boomer representation. A section about “Post-COVID-19 Generational Marketing” stopped short of drawing conclusions about what comes next” (p. 85).
The final two chapters survey gender, race, sexual orientation, and the future. The market, “. . . a significant consumer group in the digital age, has a large amount of disposable income; with a desire for guidance to live longer, healthier lives, they tend to be open minded to properly delivered marketing messages” (p. 123). From a global strategic communication perspective, the book scratched the surface about gaming, telemedicine apps, virtual fitness, ride-sharing, and other relevant resources for older people. This somewhat scattered approach needed more focus on boomers and the two subgroup generational categories.
Students reading the supplemental book will be able to access a useful, but not comprehensive, set of references. Each chapter offers projects and exercises for instructors to assign. The book is perhaps most useful to a graduate student developing programmatic research in this important area.
