Keep It Simple

How to appeal to the boomer demographic

The University of California, Berkeley, recently did an interesting study on the brains of older people, specifically baby boomers. Through brain scans, it was discovered that as people get older, they become less able to filter out distracting information. The research speaks directly to those of us responsible for strategic communications — in an age of constant disruptions. The message? Keep it simple! To that end, a new book by A.K. Pradeep, titled The Buying Brain: Secrets for Selling to the Subconscious Mind, suggests these three techniques for targeting an older demographic:

1. Keep the message obvious. Avoid extraneous information in your marketing. Unnecessary details and wordiness will only distract your target audience from the important facts and ideas you are trying to convey.
2. Streamline your layout. Avoid clutter at all costs — on your website, in your emails, or in your print newsletters. Shy away from having copy and images compete for space because that can be distracting to the reader. Also, allow room for white space so as to help a page of marketing information breathe and make the most important information stand out.
3. Avoid distractions on your website. Unnecessary sounds or visuals or distracting animation will complicate your web page. This is one case where simpler is better. Boomers desire relevant information, not a show.