Have you heard this, or seen this on t-shirts and bumper stickers?  It’s true.  I’m turning 50 this summer, so I’m inspired to write a blog about what this really means.  People flatter me all the time by saying I don’t look my age.  But I’m not the only one.  Turning 50, for many, have made it possible to live an active, healthy, productive lifestyle.  This is a game changer for many businesses that have been stuck with their 18-49 target planning.  And here’s why….

In my 2012 trend predictions blog, I noted that with baby boomers staying younger and more fit, expect to see a higher % of ad dollars for them.  There is more…… 

Boomers 50+ have unique life stage milestones that provide them with the means to splurge more on bigger-ticket items—changing jobs, starting a new business (yes, thank you very much), children going off to college or getting married, adopting a healthier lifestyle, changing homes,  developing new hobbies, discovering new habits, taking more trips, joining the digital/mobile way of living, enrolling in weight loss programs, becoming care givers to parents or even a spouse.  This is more than just going through a mid-life crisis of ditching the spouse and buying a motorcycle/sports car, or jumping out of an airplane.

Maybe it’s just about forgetting to get and feel older.  For women, in particular, it’s about saying good bye to invisibility and getting traded in for the younger.  I think 35 to 60 is where it all comes together for women with elegant maturity, spiritual wisdom and a balanced outlook on inner and outer beauty.

This mid-life transition, once a very exhausting and confusing life stage, is now a midpoint to another adult life that can easily last 30 to 40 years more, thanks to medical science coupled with holistic herbal approach, greener/healthier forms and diet, active lifestyle, and living a more meaningful life in pursue of happiness beyond a paycheck and financial planning.  These are rapid cultural shifts with a completely different set of needs and values.  Our pop culture, from actresses and TV personalities to business leaders and writers, is already redefining 50.

Companies who understand the dynamics of this new milestone and negate existing stereotypes will be able to intelligently develop products and services that allow this new 50+ target maximize the upside of their lives, and will win in the New World Marketplace.

So to all friends:  let’s celebrate the new 50 and start redefining our culture.