Hottest Sales Demographic of 2008?

Your children aren’t listening.

If you’re a parent of 14-24 year olds, you already know that.

But I mean listening to RADIO.

Paragon Media Strategies’ recent study of Youth Radio and new media habits polled 14-24s.

From the results:

• 73% say a majority of their music TSL is to sources-other-than-radio (CDs, MP3s, iPods, streaming, satellite radio, etc).
• 71% own iPods; half of them listen less to radio. More than 75% listen to their own mix CDs; 32% of them use radio less.

Face it, Baby Boomers’ children are radio’s lost generation. Don’t even bother.

Instead, dance with the girls who’ll dance: Boomers themselves. They grew-up listening to radio, and thought radio was cool. Baby Boomers comprise more people, and control more wealth, than any other generation in American history.

And now comes a new inheritance as their parents pass away, new freedom as their children (FINALLY) empty the nest, and retirement plans that AREN’T Your Father’s Oldsmobile.

“Over the next 10 years, the number of 50+ consumers will increase at a rate of 9 times faster than the growth of their children's and grandchildren's generations.”
Dick Stroud, in “The 50-Plus Market.”

Guess who just turned 50. The AARP itself!

In 2008, the very notion of 25-54 will begin to seem laughably quaint.

Do the math: In the USA, between 2002 and 2010:

• The number of people between 18 and 44 will decline 1%.
• The number of people 55 years of age and older will increase 21%.
• The number of people between 55 and 64 will increase 47%.

Source: HIGHLY-recommended reading: “Trends: Recognize, Analyze, Capitalize,” by Tom Peters & Martha Barletta.

Households headed by someone 55-64 have a median net worth 15 times that of households headed by people under 35. No wonder Dennis Hopper is cackling in those TV commercials.