Boomer Plus, Aging Boomer, 50 Plusser, Young Senior

In the marketing and media worlds, there is a clear distinction between aging Boomers and Seniors. Boomers, born between 1946 and 1965 and now, at the end of 2005, range in age from about 41 to 59 years old. Boomers are a nice, chunky, easily defined group that is gaining momentum every day.

Our Gen Plus audience and members, are between 50 and 65, and so don't fit neatly into the classifications that are generally understood in the marketplace. Some of you are older than 65, but the majority are, in fact, Boomers. Those of you older than 59, from 60 - 65, are technically not Boomers. You are all 50 plussers but span two distinct, generally accepted, market segments -- Boomers and Seniors.

And therein lies the rub. The greatest challenge right now, in America, is in defining this niche. President Bush is convening a Conference on Aging as we speak, to help address some of the issues that Boomers are about to face. Yet at the same time, this small niche -- of 60 - 65 year old seniors are still marketable, interested in working, and largely ignored. I know how it feels -- being in the gray zone of 50 - 65. I'm a mid-range Boomer and my own mother, a Senior, is still working at just shy of 70. While the bulk of Gen Plus members are Boomers, our young Seniors will not and cannot be ignored. Being smaller in numbers doesn't equate to offering less to the world. Boomers over 50 and young Seniors are horses of a different color...but to my mind, they are both stallions ready to burst back onto the job scene if given the chance.