Blame It on the Boomers

Blame It On The Boomers
September 13, 2011

Matt Thornhill of The Boomer Project is one of my favorite marketing pundits on my generation.

In Blame The Boomers (Again) on the blog Engage:Boomers he takes on those who say the Boomers are to blame for America’s decline — e.g., the theory of NY Times columnist Tom Friedman.

Since we’ll all be trying to raise money from Boomers for the next few decades (the youngest Boomer is 47 years old), it’s useful to compare theories on what these rascals are all about.

Says Thornhill:

“… more than any other generation today, Boomers are waging an economic revolution that will slowly but steadily shift societal views of economic success from what’s happening on Wall Street back to what’s happening on our streets.

Signs of this change are already showing up in the personal finances of Boomers and how they are consuming goods and services.

For example, Boomers are now hoarding their nuts rather than displaying them for all to see. How? The old-fashioned way, by prioritizing their needs over their wants and living on a budget.”

He continues:

“We know it’s easy to blame Boomers for, well, everything. But maybe it’s the Boomer generation’s ultimate legacy to shape a new ethos for our society — responsible consumerism.

It seems the message of Depression-Era parents has finally taken root in the Boomer brain: save money and live within your means. Boomers account for only one in four Americans, but they are responsible for over two-thirds of consumer spending. If they consume in a more responsible manner, so too will others.”

If Thornhill is right, where does charitable giving fit into the Boomer mindset of ‘responsible consumerism’?

Less impulse giving? More demand for evidence of results and performance? More loyalty once they’ve found a charity that ‘works’?

What do you think?

Tom