The name Baby Boomer comes from the massive increase in births following the Second World War. During this “baby boom,” birth rates skyrocketed, and 76 million babies were born in the US alone.¹ Entering the post-war, post-depression world, Baby Boomers were born into an era of optimism and growth. The G.I. Bill of 1944 gave military personnel returning from the war the opportunity to buy affordable homes outside of the city, and suburbs were born. Boomers primarily grew up with the idealistic nuclear family. The husband was the provider, the mother was the stay-at-home housekeeper, and their 2.5 kids were well behaved and independent.²
59% of Gen Z from 18 to 20 years old are pursuing college
48% of Gen Z from ages 6 to 12 years old are racial or ethinic minorities
25% of Gen Z from 6 to 12 years old are hispanic
43% of Gen Z from 6 to 17 years old are more likely than millenials to live with a college educated parent
The belief that they could achieve anything has driven Boomers to change the world in many ways. They have lived through pivotal points in US history like the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and the Moon landing. They remember where they were when they heard President Kennedy was shot and how they felt when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. They rebelled against the nuclear family, partied at Woodstock, became hippies and yuppies, and then went to work. They strived for the American Dream and worked very hard to achieve it, often at the expense of their own families (which created that latchkey Gen X generation!). Boomer women entered the workforce more than any generation before them, paving the way for younger generations to do the same.³ Now, Boomers are the second-largest generation in the US, having lost their No. 1 position to Millennials in 2019. The Boomer population will start to decline substantially over the next
Why Are They Important?
Our Take
Baby Boomers are the most economically significant generation in history. While they may lose their status in population size, their influence will continue to drive marketing decisions for decades. Products that support healthy aging and promote functional benefits will be crucial for Boomers as they enter their retirement years. And speaking of retirement, this gorup is ready to enjoy life and spend some time doing what they love, so having a little
Key Areas of Focus
Seniority Rules
Put the Fun in Functional
Healthy Indulgence? Yes, Please
Baby Boomers are entering retirement, and they want to enjoy their golden years. They’re a more active group
than generations before them, and they want to continue their on-the-go lifestyle. To satisfy this, they must
continue to take care of themselves both mentally and physically. The good news is, Baby Boomers seem to be
embracing their aging process and approaching it in a positive way. They respond to “pro-aging” messages more
than “anti-aging” messages and want to be proactive in managing their health. Finding ingredients that focus
on healthy aging and address their general health concerns will resonate with this group and show them how
functional foods and beverages can assist them in their pro-aging journey.
Boomers are definitely seeking products with functional benefits like healthy aging, protein content, general
health, energy, immunity, and the list goes on. They’re open to getting functional benefits from their foods and
beverages, with 34% of consumers aged 50+ stating they prefer to receive these functional benefits in ready-todrink formats. In short, Baby Boomers are focused on getting the most nutritional benefits out of their foods and drinks as possible, and they’re eager to find new, delicious ways to get those ingredients.
Baby Boomers aren’t afraid of having a tasty snack to satisfy their sweet tooth, but with their focus on health
and wellness, they’re spending less than other generations on sweets (looking at you Gen Xers and Millennials).
We hate to see Baby Boomers depriving themselves of getting pleasure out of their foods and indulging once in
a while, so what if that indulgence had some nutritional, functional benefits? Would that finally give those Baby
Boomers some much-needed comfort food that they won’t feel guilty about eating? We think so, so we’ve put
some work into it.
Functional Benefits
Healthy Aging
Healthy Indulgence
Immune-Support Sweet Orange Tea
Glanbia Nutritionals Ingredients
• All N™ Off-the-Shelf Immunity Premix: This Off-the-Shelf premix has been pre-formulated with active ingredients, ready to use as a base for new product formulations. Our Immunity Premix delivers a source of scientifically supported ingredients to help support immunity.
• CuroWhite®: A white curcumin* with milder taste and smell than traditional curcumin making it ideal for many applications such as tablets, capsules, ready-to-mix powders, and functional foods.
• Curcumin: The orange-yellow component of turmeric (Curcuma longa). Traditionally used for Ayurvedic practices and has been demonstrated to be a potent immunomodulatory agent. Modulates the activation of T cells, B cells, macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells.1
Immune-Support Cranberry Orange Bar
Glanbia Nutritionals Ingredients
• All N™ Off-the-Shelf Immunity Premix: This Off-the-Shelf premix has been pre-formulated with active ingredients, ready to use as a base for new product formulations. Our Immunity Premix delivers a source of scientifically supported ingredients to help support immunity.
• BarPro® 288: A dairy protein blend with unique properties, including improved texture, shelf life, and mouthfeel. BarPro® 288 can be used as the sole source of protein in making nutrition bars.
• Crunchie™ Milk Protein Crisps: High protein crisps made with milk protein and rice starch to deliver superior texture and flavor for enhancing texture and crunch in food applications.
Pro-Aging
Ready-to-Mix Shake
Glanbia Nutritionals Ingredients
• AdvanPro™: A unique low-protein solution containing leucine-enriched milk protein and peptides, optimized to deliver 24% leucine for ready-to-mix and ready-to-drink beverage applications.
Click Here for more information on our Boomer concepts,
ingredient solutions, and insights.
The Boomers in The Labor Force Are More Educated Than Those Their Age Who Are Not
Among Baby Boomers who were in the U.S. labor force/not in the labor force in 2018, % who were...
In labor force
Not in labor force
Living in a
metropolitan area
Non-Hispanic
White
College
Educated
38
27
72
70
86
83
About 5,900 Boomers are leaving the US labor force daily
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of 1998-2018 Current Population Survey basic monthly files (IPUMS). PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Baby Boomers are participating in the labor force more than prior generations
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of 2018 Current Population Survey basic
monthly files (IPUMS).
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Note: Annual estimates shown. The labor force consists of people working
or looking for work. Baby Boomers are those born between 1946 and 1964.
College educated consists of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of 2018 Current Population Survey basic
monthly files (IPUMS).
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Healthy Aging: Section 1 Overview
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20-30 years, with Pew Research Center estimating their population will decrease to 16. million by 2050. While this population decline will undoubtedly have massive implications for multiple industries, planning for the shift in population will help ensure those changes aren’t devastating. On a more positive note for Boomers, they are still No. 1 when it comes to income. According to Bloomberg, Boomers hold 53.2% ($59.96 trillion) of the US wealth compared to the meager 4.6% ($5.19 trillion) Millennials hold. Gen X holds about $28.5 trillion of the pie (don’t worry, we didn’t forget about you, Gen Xers!). This is a stark wealth gap between generations that will likely need to sort itself out, but for this book, we’ll just make the point that while Boomers are entering their retirement years, they’re retiring later than generations before them4 and they still have a lot of spending power as a generation.
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indulgence along with their healthy food is never a bad idea. Boomers have never been scared of shaking things up a bit and have been the catalysts of many changes throughout history. If we can say one thing for sure, it’s that they’ll approach retirement in an entirely different way than generations before them.
Boomers were born into an era of expansion—not just in population size but other areas such as the economy, medicine, manufacturing, and agriculture. They are a generation told they could do anything, and they believe it!