“Third-act living”: How marketers should shift their view of Boomers

For years, brands have been chasing Millennials and Gen Z while quietly overlooking a segment with enormous spending power, deep brand loyalty and more time to engage than any other generation. That’s changing.

The data keeps reinforcing one thing: Boomers aren’t aging out of the market — they’re redefining it.

With 70 to 72 million members in the U.S., this generation controls roughly half of all U.S. household wealth, accounts for more than 40% of consumer spending and drives an estimated $7 trillion in annual spending. And they’re growing older differently than any generation before them.

Serving this significant market means understanding how they’re transforming the traditional experience of aging, what their wants and needs are, and how to talk to them. This article will touch on all of these points.

A longer life changes everything

Traditionally, this age group  (Boomers  are currently between 62 and 80 years old) were viewed through a fairly predictable lens: retirement, slowdown, decline. But a recent piece in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance reflects a meaningful shift in how Boomers themselves are thinking. Today’s 65-year-olds can expect another 20 years of life. Many are planning for 30 — thinking actively about life until 95. Better healthcare, nutrition, fitness habits and awareness are helping those in good health routinely beat the actuarial averages by a decade or more.

That changes everything — how Boomers view their finances, their health, and their homes. And it’s changing how marketers view them.

What the brands that get it are doing differently

The brands connecting most effectively with Boomers share some common instincts:

• Messaging centers on  vitality, purpose, and reinvention — not limitation or decline. See: Peloton. It’s You. That Makes Us.
• Visuals show active, stylish, engaged older adults living full lives. See: Dove
• Trust and respect are built purposefully through reviews, testimonials, expert endorsements and thought leadership. See: Airbnb
• Purpose-focused messaging that connects to something larger such as legacy, family, contribution or personal growth consistently outperforms purely transactional approaches. See: Subaru

The brands doing this well have figured out that Boomers aren’t looking to be marketed at. They’re looking to be understood.

What’s on Boomers’ minds that marketers should know

1.) Will I outlive my money?

Even Boomers with substantial portfolios are wondering if their savings will deliver security and income for a 25- or 30-year retirement.

In response, many Boomers are pursuing guaranteed income strategies, while others are re-diversifying investments with an eye toward both income and growth.

Marketer’s insight: For financial services marketers, the opportunity is significant — and so is the bar. Boomers are savvy. They seek credible, trustworthy information from reliable sources, and expect to be treated as a natural and vital part of the mainstream. Gain their respect and you’ll have more than just consumers, you’ll have partners.

2.) Will I outlast my good health?

A longer life is only as valuable as the health that sustains it. Not smoking, staying physically active, eating well, managing weight and limiting alcohol can add 12 to 14 years to a 50-year-old’s life according to research.

Marketer’s insight: For healthcare marketers, the conversation Boomers want to be having includes preventive health, mobility and fitness, brain health and the growing landscape of longevity technology. Content that addresses these topics substantively will find a highly engaged audience.

3.) Should I stay or should I go?

According to HousingWire, Boomers currently represent 42% of home purchases and 55% of home sales, leveraging accumulated equity to purchase again, downsize, relocate for lifestyle reasons, or move closer to family, healthcare or retirement destinations.

For those who stay put (54% according to Angi’s 2024 Home Improvement report), updates, maintenance, expansions, and age-friendly features are all in play. Boomers spent an average of $14,140 on home projects in 2024.

Marketer’s insight: The note for marketers here is that home is where the heart is, and Boomers have both the resources and the intent to invest in what they love. Their years as high-value consumers are far from over.

The shift

Post-retirement life for many Boomers will be longer, richer, and more change-filled than any previous generation experienced — or that most marketers have accounted for. The decisions they’re making — financial, health-related, housing-related, lifestyle-related — are significant, numerous and ongoing.

The brands positioned to serve them well share something beyond good targeting. They lead with connection to family, quality, authenticity, trustworthiness and purpose. And perhaps not coincidentally, those are timeless attributes that resonate across every generation — and make every brand better.