Baby Boomers came of age with rock and roll, the summer of love, classic soul, disco, and early punk and metal. Now in their mid-50s to early 70s, this group 鈥� which includes most of millennials鈥� moms and dads 鈥� are a vital (and overlooked) generation for live music.
We鈥檝e looked at marketing to music-minded millennials and Generation X fans, but what about baby boomer music fans? It may seem natural to focus on younger generations when marketing concerts and music festivals, but baby boomers are not to be discounted.
After all, one of this year鈥檚 top-grossing tours is Jeff Lynne鈥檚 ELO, a group that counts baby boomers as its core audience. 聽If you鈥檝e got a show or a festival lineup featuring acts from the 1960s, 鈥�70s, and even 鈥�80s, baby boomers are your target audience.
Here are four ways to reach baby boomer music fans.
1. Offer VIP prices
Ticket prices may be on the rise, but that鈥檚 not an issue for the baby boom generation. In the U.S., baby boomers control . That means they鈥檙e able and willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for tickets see classic artists from their youth. Just take a look at those for Jeff Lynne鈥檚 ELO.
What you can do:
- Make sure you offer tiered pricing and VIP packages
- Offer enhanced experiences, such as artist meet and greets, and take advantage of the opportunity for food and drink partnerships or sponsorships.
2. Use technology, including social media
It鈥檚 a common misconception that baby boomers don鈥檛 use technology, but that鈥檚 far from the truth. Boomers may not be digital natives like millennials, but just because they grew up with rotary phones instead of mobile phones doesn鈥檛 mean they don鈥檛 use the latest tech.
, the internet is the top source of information for baby boomers, outpacing print and television by a substantial margin. , and 21% are on Instagram.
However, the way they use technology is different from their kids. Boomers are than any other generation, just different content: They鈥檙e more likely to share political content and less likely to share memes.
What you can do:
- Make sure you have a Facebook page for your venue or festival and include a steady stream of sharing-ready content
- Baby boomers love video, especially on YouTube, so make video a key part of your steady content plan
- Baby boomers are more likely to click through to your website or search for more information after seeing a social media post, so make sure you have a ticketing page with all the info they need, while at the same time selling tickets directly on social media
3. Don鈥檛 call them 鈥渟eniors鈥�
鈥� or 鈥渁ged鈥� or 鈥渆lderly.鈥� Baby boomers don鈥檛 need to be reminded of their age, so avoid these anti-buzzwords. They鈥檙e more interested in fulfilling experiences on their 鈥渂ucket list,鈥� which may include seeing their favorite artists and reliving their musical youth. That said, there are still steps you can take to make your marketing more engaging for this audience.
What you can do:
- Don鈥檛 use small fonts that may be hard for boomers to read in your ads, marketing materials, and social media posts
- Slower paced video with lots of information will do better than fast-paced videos with lots of visuals
4. Remember: They鈥檙e still the 鈥渕e鈥� generation
The group once dubbed the 鈥渕e鈥� generation is still as interested in self-fulfillment and self-realization as ever. You can resonate with those ideas by using second-person statements in your marketing and associating your show or festival with dream fulfillment.
Along with this focus on self comes a lack of brand loyalty. are decidedly loyal to brands, but once they find a brand they like, they鈥檒l stick with it. You can use that to your advantage.
What you can do:
- Emphasize the experience they鈥檒l have at your show or festival, helping them imagine themselves there
- Build trust and repeat business with simple messages that showcase the benefits and highlights of your venue or festival
For the latest on marketing across the generations, check out the 2018 Music Marketing Handbook: The Five Essential Elements.
