After seeing Brokaw’s special on Baby Boomers I have more questions than I do answers. It’s a tease not a well-delivered package. I love the fact that he started and ended with Boomers in the middle of the country – Michigan. It grounded some of his perspective. He failed to acknowledge that this is a 20-year cohort, so the “duck and cover” reference means nothing to the Generation Jones segment of the Boomer cohort. The approach was blanket—no subtlety, insight or drill down.

While well produced, there was no acknowledgement of the sheer buying power—through every life stage—of this cohort. Entire industries and institutions were transformed by this birth boom. Think about baby formula; school districts; cars (the station wagon, then mini-van, then SUVs); housing—the creation of the suburbs, then retirement communities; and so much more! Often too much emphasis on the angst and not on the contributions.

Tom Brokaw loves the “Greatest Generation”. He is a member of the so-called “Silent Generation” – forever sandwiched in between two incredible generational cohorts. While we call them silent, they spawned JFK, Martin Luther King and many of the other icons of the early boomer movement.

At the end of this very shallow review, we need to remember some important points. First a huge generation of young people found their voice and expressed themselves—regardless of where or how they served. This was a first for the country, and because we were raised by depression-era parents we were given the gift—NOT THE EXPECTATION—of optimism. They told us we lived in the greatest country on earth—they fought for it—and we believed it. If we were spoiled, this was the spoiling!

This generation dealt with the rise of women, racial equality and sexual emancipation. This was dealt with by 20 somethings. We made mistakes. We made progress. We learned. Bill Clinton typified it, “I like rock and roll, I had long hair, was liberal, and opposed to the war…We were raised by the WWII generation; how could they be the worst parents and still the greatest generation?”

At the end of the day I believe the Boomer generation is, as Brokaw elicited, “unrealized.” The oldest of us are in our 60s and the youngest in our 40s. If we live to be 85-100—as longevity studies suggest we might—we have a lot of time to tell the world what our contribution and legacy will be. Stay tuned.

If you missed it: TOM BROKAW REPORTS: BOOMER$! will re-air on CNBC on Saturday, March 6th at 7PM ET/4PM PT, Sunday, March 7th at 9PM ET/6PM PT and Monday, March 8th at 8PM ET/5 PM PT.

These extras were posted to the CNBC site. Enjoy!

Slideshow: Growing Up Boomer: A Generation’s Joy and Angst

Quiz: 1960s Boomer Culture

Video Extras:Tom Brokaw Reports: Boomer$!

Tom Brokaw Reports: Boomer$! is a two-hour documentary in which Tom Brokaw tells the story of history’s wealthiest and most influential generation. Brokaw chronicles the extraordinary impact 78 million baby boomers have had on American society over the past six decades, and explores the challenges they face as they begin to approach the age of retirement. The program airs tonight, Thursday, March 4 at 9:00 p.m. ET on CNBC. I will be tweeting during the program, and would love to hear from you as the program airs.

As part of CNBC’s lead up to the program, CNBC reached out to Boomer thought leaders to post a guest blog. I was very honored to be asked; it is an opportunity to share Continuum Crew’s recent research findings about the new Social Media Maven. See what you think here.

This is acknowledged quite nicely by an article posted today by Jim Goldman, CNBC’s Silicon Valley Bureau Chief, in his article: Boomer Technology is Booming Business. So often the expectation is that innovation in the form of new technologies is most quickly adopted by our youngest generations. But with older consumers poised to out-spend younger shoppers (by an estimated $1 trillion this year), technology companies ignoring the Boomer consumer are losing out—but this is changing.

Goldman points out that in fact large companies including Intel, Microsoft and Apple are racing to capture market share. The Boomer market, with its disposable income and increasing eagerness to embrace easier-to-use technologies, is growing.

In our next series of research we will be looking at Boomer’s adoption of technology, and what it will mean for consumer electronics makers. Goldman does not just talk about toys, but real tools specifically geared to this market that could make life easier and healthier. With this value-added approach, success awaits for the tech companies trying to tap the lucrative Boomer market.

To read Jim Goldman’s article, Boomer Technology is Booming Business, visit: cnbc.com.

The countdown is on—2 weeks to go: Be sure to watch (or at least set the DVR!) “Tom Brokaw Reports: Boomer$!”, Thursday, March 4 at 9pm ET on CNBC. The program will also air Saturday, March 6 at 7pm ET; Sunday, March 7th at 9pm ET; and Monday, March 8th at 8pm ET.

Ageism kept creeping into the Super Bowl spots tonight. I counted three older adults on motorized scooters/wheelchairs—one of them a former Chicago Bear who is also a boomer. I continue to wonder why men want to be portrayed as:

1. Immature buffoons
2. Hen-pecked men
3. Men in prison or getting dumped

I don’t think agency planners are giving creatives the actual brief on the Super Bowl audience. (Hint: It’s not just men! And the men who are watching aren’t all 24!) And really, GoDaddy, Denny’s and Skechers spent money on time, but not creative. Go big or stay home.

Google’s French spot was the highlight for me. To reference David Wolfe, it was “ageless.” We all understand the power of the tool and they did an amazing job of storytelling in 30 seconds. Loved it.

I think Kia’s Sock Monkey spot was very funny and unexpected (loved the tattoo!), as was KGB. It’s hard to make tech engaging; KGB did; Intel missed. Etrade revived an old direction, but upped their game a bit with the girl babies and the airplane spot. It was cute but derivative. Audi did a great job with “Green Police” although it will likely hit a nerve with some consumers (at least on our coast).

The advertising was very uneven this year; makes me wonder if we put too much emphasis on this event as a benchmark for great advertising. Perhaps Pepsi had the right idea – taking it to the streets! This is one year the game was WAY better than the creative – go Saints. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

The first half of the Super Bowl is complete and the ads are in. This might be the first year I enjoyed the football more than the advertising. Tru TV and FLO TV stood out for me as smart and interesting spots. And I’m talking about FLO TV’s My Generation spot which had wonderful storytelling qualities, a great anthem and had intergenerational energy and values. And I’ll give a nod to Honda for consumer generated content and an idea that represented the brand.

I think the network did a horrible job of pairing ads in the breaks. Did we really see two spots back to back with men in no pants? Seriously? And neither very good. And back as a theme – hen-pecked men/bad men: Teleflora, FLO TV and the Dodge Charger. It all makes me want to stuff Doritos and finish my Bud.

Just about to embark on a plane in Las Vegas, returning from the NAHB’s 50+ Lifestyle event at IBS. Just learned that my first article “Defining Ageless Marketing” has appeared on Canvas8 website. They approached me to write a series of articles on strategies for marketing to mature consumers. In the first article I reference David B. Wolfe’s term ‘ageless market’ and examine a values-based approach that will resonate with the older market.

Canvas8 is a global trends service that draws from myriad people from many disciplinary backgrounds to offer insight into attitudes and behavior. They encourage a deeper understanding of people so brands can more effectively engage with their audience. Their research is always in the context of how it affects people and, consequently, brands. They aim to have this research foster the creation of engaging brand strategies that will resonate with your target audience.

If you are a member of Canvas8 you can see the entire article at: http://www.canvas8.com. The next will appear mid-February.

Thursday January 21 at 10:30 a.m.

The International Builders’ Show is the largest annual building industry tradeshow in the country, and the National Association of Home Builders is holding the 50+ Lifestyle Central Suite at IBS. This is a new addition to the 50+ HC offerings at IBS in intended to be a way to engage with the leaders and influencers in the Active Adult Builder community including the associate members of the industry. The 50+ Lifestyle Central should be the hub of activity for IBS attendees that are actively involved in the 50+ Housing Segment of the market. I am looking forward to seeing how this new format works.

If you’ll be at IBS next week, come participate in our panel “Networking Using Facebook, Blogs and New Media to Market Your 50+ Communities Panel”: Social media is gaining a foothold in the housing industry – find out how to make it work for your business. Social media, like signage to your active adult community, steers prospects to your web site and builds awareness and credibility. In this interactive session, find out how to use these new tools and technologies to connect to potential 50+ buyers, get them talking about your community and build your sales. We will be sharing our research on how different mature consumers are using social media.

The Anxiety Index has shifted! Based on our original research in December of 2008 with Boomers, GenXers and Ikes, the biggest concern then was collapse of the economy; 45% of Boomers were “very nervous”. Fast-forward to 2009 and Boomers biggest concerns have shifted from the state of the economy to the cost of health care and the political debate surrounding this issue (46%). Hear more about the impact of the headlines.

Most interesting in the recent study is a shift in media consumption. The only media activity that rose dramatically was time on the Internet. No doubt social media has made a significant dent in the time generally reserved for traditional media. Learn what media channels are being crowded out.

Meet the new Boomer Social Maven and discover the influence of their connectedness on their circle. Hear more about who they are and how they can impact ROI for your campaigns.

You can sign up by going to www.immn.org. Hope to hear you there!

When I started managing the Boomer Summit for JWT BOOM, one of my first aging heroes was Dr. Gene Cohen. I read The Mature Mind and his bio. He was a thought leader in the aging of the brain. I don’t know what I expected when I met him the first time as he was keynoting our event. Perhaps an Ivy League scientist; a quasi politician / aging activist; an author selling a book. At any rate, he was not who I expected. He was so much more. With all due respect he was a cross between a brilliant scientist and Puck; smart, impish and impossibly hard to ignore. His body of knowledge on how the brain ages and what is possible in later life has been a rallying cry for seniors, business and technology.

I saw Harry (Rick) Moody’s presentation on creativity late in life at a presentation at Willow Valley Retirement Community and had long been fascinated with this notion of artistic self–actualization. I was able to review Gene’s book on late life creativity not long after this. I shared with Gene at our last conference that my Grandmother, now 96, began to draw in earnest in her 80’s. She entered her first art show and won the coveted Blue Ribbon in her late 80’s. He was delighted by her story.

What impresses me now, at his passing, is that Dr. Cohen lived his story. He was incredibly productive late in life—though his life was far too short. And, asserting his belief in “use it or lose it”, he started a company that created board games for people as they age. It defines his perspective and beliefs. Visit: www.genco-games.com.

The field of aging needs more heroes like Gene Cohen.

Exploritas is the new name chosen for the very successful Elderhostel program. The program offers nearly 8,000 educational tours in every state and over 90 countries. The Elderhostel program has been the not-for-profit leader in educational travel since 1975, and has effectively targeted seniors who value in-depth, engaging travel experiences. Read more from President James Moses.

We have learned over many years of experience that naming is a tricky business. First, it is hard to find a great name that isn’t already in use, with intrinsic meaning, that is memorable to the target consumer. And like any creative endeavor, naming is subjective. Like many organizations (AARP included) Elderhostel had the challenge of moving away from a name that means “old” to something that will resonate with the large Boomer demographic.

The new name has great brand connotations – it is smart, vibrant and says more about the program than “elderhostel” did. But change is hard. Older consumers have very few premium quality product and service offerings that are targeted directly to them. And so there has been backlash – not about the name per se, but what it might mean to program. Older consumers are concerned that programs once dedicated to their style and pace of travel and learning will be overrun by younger consumers who will change the brand experience. Clearly Elderhostel has done an excellent job of defining their brand experience.

James Moses has used the new web site to address these concerns upfront. “Elderhostel has been, and Exploritas will continue to be, a program created for and attractive to older, primarily retired adults. . . Before 1975, older adults had very few organized ways to learn, grow, and experience adventure. When Elderhostel was founded, it was exclusively an organization for adults 60 and over. It was something special, almost a rite of passage, because it provided opportunities that weren’t previously available. Later the age limit was changed to 55, and this change had no impact on the average age of participants. When we launched Road Scholar in 2004, those programs had no age limit (other than the requirement of being legally an adult), yet the average age of participants was still over 60. For years we’ve allowed, even encouraged, people over 55 to bring along their younger spouse or partner, or for that matter, their adult children. . . we all need to remember and remind others that there is a huge difference between “actively seeking” and “not turning away.” Our goal as we relax the 55 age limit is not to change the atmosphere of our programs, but to adopt an open, welcoming posture. We don’t want to turn away any adult who has a genuine thirst for learning, affiliation and meaning, and I believe that anyone who looks beyond the sound bite will agree that this is our proper position and the right decision.”

Very well said, and certainly in the spirit of ageless marketing. Read more at: www.exploritas.org.