Boomer Women: Now what?

Tracking their 30-year journey
Freud famously asked (and couldn’t answer) the question: What do women want? Since 1980, we have been answering that question—revealing the mindset, tracking the trends, uncovering the buzz, and predicting the future of Boomer Women. UPDATE:WOMEN™ is the first and most comprehensive quantitative study of this groundbreaking group. We’ve been with them since they stormed the workforce in the late 70’s, we’ve seen them through juggling, balance and stress. And, at the Millennium, we followed them as they emerged confident, individualistic, and ready to go off road.

They hadn’t counted on the economic crunch roadblock, however. There’s nothing like the loss of your retirement fund to put a crimp in the best-laid plans.

Will their confidence hit the skids? Not likely. Boomer women have never defined themselves by their bank accounts or paychecks. It’s their ability to do a job that means the most—it’s never been about the money.

How will they handle the pressure? Boomer women have lived lives with plenty of stress. They learned to juggle, to balance. To handle relationships, families and careers. To stretch between aging parents and ragingly hormonal teenagers. They know the meaning of grace under pressure. Their answer to today’s pressures and uncertainties is going to be creative solutions. Once again, Boomer women will pull out their resourcefulness and let it shine. Boomer women are historically stress winners, not stress victims.

What will they look for in the marketplace? Boomer women are not looking to brands for the answers, they are looking for brands to help them resourcefully get to the solutions. They’ll seek products and services that will provide them with tools. Boomer women are largely off-roaders. They’ll use the tools to cobble their way out of the box—or build a new one. Brands that offer empowerment will be key. In contrast, Gen Y women are used to being in a highly-structured environment and life under tightly-controlled circumstances (parents, schools, sports, jobs). They have been made to feel entitled. Boomers have not had this support system and have forged ahead, creating their own way, no matter what the circumstances, with a great degree of self-reliance. They’ve always been modern pioneers.

What will help them feel better about things? Boomer women find it very important to connect with others in times of stress. No wonder Boomer women are now the fastest-growing group online. Escape will not be to the spa, it will be to embrace social responsibility. If she can’t give money, she’ll donate time. No matter how hard she’s been hit, the Boomer Woman sees her glass as half full, and someone else’s as far more empty.