In This Issue:

• LETTER FROM MARY
• WHAT'S NEXT PREVIEW
• INTERVIEW: MICHELLE KREBS
• THE GRANDPARENT ECONOMY
• AGING IN PLACE TECH WATCH
• SHORT TAKES
• SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
• MARKET FINDINGS
• NEWSWIRE

LETTER FROM MARY

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

It was an exciting start to 2010 for entrepreneurs, brand managers, venture investors and others who are building businesses keyed to the boomer and beyond marketplace. The lineup of talent at our four boot camps and the What's Next Boomer Business Summit (www.boomersummit.com) is quite extraordinary. We have a record number of sponsors as well. What may be most important is that we believe that the events will be able to give you a blueprint to design and refine your business plan for today's marketplace.

Each week in my Entrepreneurship #144 class at SCU, we analyze how to build a business: identifying the pain point for the customer, the total available market opportunity, the specs for the products and services, the sales and distribution strategy, the partnerships and finally the exit strategy.

According to Laurie Orlov, Aging in Place Technology Watch analyst and founder, "Today's market of products and services for boomers and seniors too often lacks the context of vision -- what is the problem and overall solution to the problem. Then products, services and most important, partnerships start to make sense."

We have brought together the most incredible forum of talent that knits these themes together. We have eight analysts in areas ranging from health care to automobiles, to the grandparent economy, to caregiving, aging in place, consumer health care and Internet, mobile and media. All participants in the What's Next event will be able to get a copy of the data shared by the analysts.

Then we move on feature three keynotes: Kevin Donnellan, executive vice president and chief communications officer (CCO) for AARP; Mark Graham, senior vice president of iVillage Inc. and Dr. Stan Humphries, chief economist at Zillow.com.

In addition, we have a wonderful array of panels that explore "riches in niches" and show the wide range of opportunities that exist in meeting the needs of boomers and seniors. These panels will include such topics as: Health and Caregiving, Chronic Disease Monitoring, Entrepreneur Elevator Pitches and How to Raise Money for your Boomer and Senior Marketing Idea. You can read a list of panels and panelists here.

We also explore what is working today for businesses when it comes to distribution. I am fascinated about the types of deals that are being struck today. These include many alternate distribution paths from catalog and franchise companies, to niche portals, to mobile marketing. We have examples of all of these as well as presentations from some of the most innovative companies including Google and Hipcricket.

So -- do try to come and also tell your colleagues and friends. With 200 already signed up, the remaining spaces will sell out quickly so it's important that you register now if you plan to attend. We have a special 20 percent discount for those who pre-register and use the code FOM1. To register go here.

Other news notes: The CES Silvers Summit and Digital Health Conference was a smash hit! Susan Walker and Mike Sarfatti did a wonderful job. The quality of the program and sessions was first rate. The Digital Health event was standing room only with over 400 people. Don Jones of Qualcomm gave an excellent presentation. I had a chance to moderate the panel of Boomers and Beyond in Media. We explored topics including the very wide reach of firstSTREET in print media, the Grandparent economy, the woman's economy with Vibrant Nation and the caregiver portal with Caring.com. The slides are available on the Silvers Summit webpage.

I got a chance to work in the Wellcore booth as they launched their new fall-detection device. It was fun to don the green and black sweaters and explain the product to the people who passed by. We were overwhelmed with interest from all sectors: In particular, I enjoyed the enthusiastic response of the "men in black," the older guys who had been coming to CES for over 25 years and now have parents with caregiving needs. They still wear black, love to explore the latest gadgets and have a dash of silver in their hair now. Jake Sigel of Myine Electronics had a great booth as well. He has a new blog that is tracking "gadgets for parents."

Last week my class had a field trip to Google. It was great to learn more about their strategy and focus to "bring the world's information to all of us." They inspire with the energy of the teams and the desire to listen, focus and execute. Every boomer business needs to have a search strategy. Google is helping all of us to understand how to integrate local into our strategy. One of the key reasons enrollments are up for What's Next is because of the search optimized strategy with Google. I really enjoyed Ken Auletta's new book, Googled: The End of the World as We Know It. It is well written and useful for all.

I received a note from Myrna Blyth, friend, colleague and founding editor of More. Sadly, Myrna lost her brother in January. Her story was so real and inspiring that she sent it to wowOwow. I also asked her if we could share it with all of you. Caregiving was once a topic I thought of as "caring for parents." There are 44 million + across the U.S. and more around the world. Increasingly, we will be caring for siblings and other extended family members as well. I hope you will take a moment to read her story here.

On the high note of the week, it was Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, and Fat Tuesday. It was also the weekend of the America's Cup trials. About seven years ago, I joined the Golden Gate Yacht Club, a wonderful place right on the tip of San Francisco bay. It has the world's best view of the Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay Bridge. I joined so that we could host events for our clients and friends when they visit. (Look for book parties for Gail Sheehy and Mark Miller in the summer and fall). Well, amazingly, Larry Ellison is also a member of this club and it was our boat that sailed in the America's Cup and won! We are all ecstatic. They are building a case to host the trophy. More news to come about this. Every now and then you know to "double down on an idea". Trust your intuition.

All best,
Mary

PS: Laurie Orlov alerted me to this interesting article, "Boomer Technology is Booming Business." It's well worth a look.

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WHAT'S NEXT PREVIEW -- MARK WILLAMAN

Mark Willaman, founder and president of Fisher Vista LLC, the owner of HRmarketer.com, SeniorCareMarketer.com, HRVendors.com, and ShirleyBOARD.com. Willaman has nearly 20 years' experience in the human resource and healthcare industries and is one of the many experts who will be sharing their knowledge at the What's Next Boomer Business Summit in Chicago on March 19. In a recent interview, he gave us some insights concerning SeniorCareMarketer.com and previewed some of the topics he will be addressing at What's Next.

Q. The theme of the What's Next conference is "Effective Go To Market Strategies, Serving the Boomer Market and Beyond." What do you see as the key factors in marketing to boomers?
One key factor is education. As a marketer you need to educate yourself about this demographic group and forget all your assumptions because they are likely wrong. Hint - a significant number of aging boomers will not consider themselves "old," are affluent, and will live very active lifestyles. When it comes to marketing to an older demographic group, strategies that may have worked in the past will not work with aging boomers. This is new territory for a lot of companies because historically people over the age of 50 have not been highly targeted by marketers because their spending power was minimal. But aging boomers will have double the spending power of today’s 60-70 years olds. And many studies have been done that confirm boomers are more resistant to absolute propositions and more open to marketing that paints a picture of how the product will benefit their life.

SeniorCareMarketer.com is most relevant to companies that are marketing products and services that relate to the "care" of aging adults. And a key factor for these companies is understanding the importance of building visibility with a number of different purchase influencers -- not just the boomer. Another key factor is understanding the importance of having a strong Internet presence because increasingly that is how sales prospects will find you.
Continue reading this intervew...

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INTERVIEW: MICHELLE KREBS

Michelle Krebs, senior analyst at automotive-centered website Edmunds.com, is another of the noted experts who will be speaking at the What's Next conference in March. We spoke to her recently to get her take on automotive trends and find out what she will be covering when she addresses the conference in Chicago next month.

Q. What takes up the bulk of your time at Edmunds.com?
I have two roles, as I am senior analyst. I comment on things happening in the industry to the media. So if it is a big news week, I spend a lot of time doing that. My other role is as editor in large in charge of Auto Observer, which is our business website, and my job is to oversee the filling of the content of that. And we do a lot of analysis. We have a lot of data at our company because we know a lot about the consumer. So we spend a lot of time analyzing the data, putting together stories and media alerts of trends that we see.

Q. What car models are most popular with boomers today?
First, I think that boomers shouldn't be considered a monolith because they are varied. Certainly luxury cars have been popular with some segments of the boomer population. BMW was largely built on the boomer population. Large SUVs were also popular with boomers, especially those with very active lifestyles -- skiing and towing boats and that kind of thing. And then with female boomers, it's a wide array. We've actually seen vehicles that were initially aimed at the youth market popular with the boomers. Because they think young and they've downsized their homes or become empty nesters and so they downsize the vehicle that they're driving. It's all over the map.

Q. What do boomers look for in a car? Which options/features do they like most?
One of the trends we are seeing is more technology. It's beginning to be that the automakers are the stars of the Consumer Electronics Show. Ford, for example, has been very active in terms of electronics in vehicles -- music, the Sync that they've done with Microsoft is a huge new technology and we're just seeing the beginning of all that. Basically boomers want the comforts of their home in their cars. And even when they downsize to smaller cars, they still want all those comforts. So there's a huge trend we will see in the future. For example, Ford is coming out with a new Ford Focus and an even smaller car, the Ford Fiesta, but nobody wants to give up the amenities so they still want all the music features, all the comfort features but in a smaller package.
Continue reading this interview...

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THE GRANDPARENT ECONOMY

We haven't spent much time on the Grandparent Economy here at the Senior Market Report lately, but we're about to make up for that this month as it's too big and too important not to pay attention to. Basically, at 70 million strong, the current generation of grandparents is one of the largest, fastest-growing, and most economically powerful segments of the U.S. population. The accompanying slide gives an idea of its size. You can see the entire slide show here.

To find out more about this important market segment, the 2009 study commissioned by Grandparents.com is essential reading. You can find that study here.

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AGING IN PLACE TECH WATCH

What's Laurie Orlov discussing this month at her blog? Glad you asked. First, she weighs in on how to let others know how hour business is doing, pointing out what to look for on a website to find indicators of a company's wealth. A key indicator? How fresh is the content? She also has some thoughts on the just-announced iPad, looking at the implications of the new Apple device for boomers and seniors, noting that it just may be a great new platform for applications boomers will be particularly drawn to. You can read that post here.

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SHORT TAKES

Looking to start an exercise program in the new year? How about some Boomercize, described as low-impact aerobics for people who predate Jamie Lee Curtis in "Perfect"? Because '60s tunes are involved, it sounds a lot like Richard Simmons' "Sweatin' to the Oldies" routine to us, but you can read more about it here.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Time to pre-register for What's Next
Here's a reminder that you can still get a special discount by pre-registering early for the Seventh Annual What's Next Boomer Business Summit coming up March 19 in Chicago. Newsletter subscribers who sign up now will receive 20 percent off on their registration by registering now and using the promo code FOM1. To register, simply visit www.boomersummit.com.

Save the Date! 2nd Annual Florida Boomer Lifestyle Conference
The second annual Florida Boomer Lifestyle Conference will take place April 15, 2010 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Fla. The organizers report that the 2009 event generated great feedback and that this year's conference will further explore how the economic upheaval of the past two years has affected boomer consumers' buying behavior and which messages and approaches resonate most with them today. Registration is under way at: www.floridaboomerlifestyle.com. For more information, contact Michelle Bauer at michelle@common-language.com or 727-510-2524.

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MARKET FINDINGS

Internet usage soars
The number of Americans who use the Internet has surged through the heart of the Great Recession over the past two years, with older adults, women, minority groups and unemployed people now roving the Web in unprecedented numbers, according to new federal data. Older Americans continue to stream online, with the number of Internet-connected people age 65 or older up about 24 percent since 2007. Many are older baby boomers, "a pretty wired group," who are "aging into that age bracket, and bringing their connectivity with them." Read more.

Startup pins hopes on pulsing knee brace
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The single-room office of OrthoCor Medical has the distinct aura of a young start-up company – mismatched furniture, disheveled desktops and maze of boxes shoved here and there. Located in the University Enterprise Laboratories business incubator in St. Paul, the tiny three-person firm is on the cusp of rolling out its core (and so far, its only) product – a unique knee brace that, according to the company, provides temporary relief of joint pain and arthritis and, longer term, reduces swelling and pain. The potential $370 million market is huge and fractured – aging baby boomers with their telltale deteriorating joints. Another potential market: the elderly who are fearful of knee replacement surgery and in need of temporary pain relief. Read more.

Can blueberry juice boost your memory?
It's hard to find fresh blueberries this time of year, but you might consider buying blueberry juice, particularly if you're having chronic trouble remembering where you put the car keys. According to a small new study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, drinking blueberry juice can actually improve your memory. Read more.

Baby boomers will create a joint replacement boom
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, more than 700,000 primary total hip and knee replacements are performed in the United States each year, "and demand for the surgery is expected to double in the next 10 years." Read more.

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NEWSWIRE

Thousand Oaks plans for doubling of senior population
The Thousand Oaks Council on Aging has begun implementing what it says is one of the most ambitious programs of its kind in the nation: a comprehensive plan to accommodate the projected doubling of the city’s senior population in coming years. The Senior Adult Master Plan states its mission is to "encourage continual development of a healthy, senior adult-friendly community through outreach, advocacy and partnering." The plan aims to accomplish that by improving and increasing health, housing, recreation, transportation and volunteer services to meet the needs of the burgeoning senior population.

Gen X workers may turn out to be leaders, after all
Those born between 1960 and 1981 may become known as the "lost generation" in the workplace. Labeled Gen X, this age group was expected to claim positions of authority and run the business world when the baby boom generation headed for the exits. Didn’t happen. At least not yet.

Venture capital investment up in fourth quarter, down for all of '09
The venture capital market in California slumped through a rough 2009 before showing signs of life in the last quarter, according to a report. The weak period mirrored a down year nationally for such investments. Venture capitalists doled out $10.4 billion for 1,033 California deals last year, compared with $15.6 billion for 1,246 deals in 2008. The one-third drop in value for California investing was slightly worse than the 31% drop nationally, to $21.4 billion for 2,489 deals.

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