Extract from the article

Europe is ‘old’ and getting older, containing nine of the ten oldest countries – only Japan has an older population. There are over 150 million Europeans aged 60-plus.

In the US, Unilever’s research shows that in 2007, Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) will spend 60% of all consumer package goods shopping dollars.

In addition to being numerous and wealthy they are perhaps the most diverse of all generations. There is no such thing as a “50-plus consumer”. They come in all shapes and sizes; the rich the poor, the healthy and the sick and with the same spectrum of buying behaviours as the rest of the population.

There is no simple list of rules that ensures success when marketing to the older consumer, but there are some guidelines that will improve your chances of success and stop you making a disastrous blunder.