July 4th has passed again with lots of celebration of our Independence here in the good old USA. Americans celebrated in a large variety of ways, mostly filled with flags, fireworks, barbecues and family fun.

Marketers celebrated with major sales events as well. It is always interesting to me to see all their ads. They will wave the flag and promote patriotism, but few, if any ads, are aimed at seniors. It's a crying shame too, because patriotic themes resonate very strongly with the senior segment of America.

Gallup surveys tell us that older Americans are much more likely to watch parades - 41% just did so, compared with less than 29% of those under age 50. Fireworks, on the other hand, are more popular with the younger folks with over 31% of those under 50 firing them off compared to less than 18% of those over 50.

These differences should guide marketers in how they construct their ad campaigns. Seniors are more nostalgic and safety-minded than the boomer or Gen X/Y brigades. The younger crowd wants thrilling activities, the older crowd desires heartwarming events.

Holidays certainly hold different meanings for different people. But one thing is for sure: We all like to have a reason to celebrate. So give seniors some really great reasons for celebration by paying attention to them in your advertising. They really love it when you pay special notice to them. Being left out is certainly no fun, so give them reasons to go "Ooooh and Aaaah" when they see or hear your ads. Focusing on seniors is focusing on sales success, so do this and your sales results will get hot as a firecracker too.

Published: July 10, 2002

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