While I was waiting for my appointment at the hairdresser recently, I noticed not just one, but two very different magazines with “zoomers” on the cover. Never having seen or heard this term before, I was curious, but my name was called before I got a chance to find out what it meant. When I typed it into Google, just from looking at the results page, I realized that I could be a zoomer! This was confirmed when I clicked on www.50plus.com which describes itself as “the leading Canadian Internet portal for Zoomers — the 14.5 million Canadians who are 45+.”

The term was coined by gerontologist Dr. David J. Demko in 1998 to identify people born between 1946 and 1964 (baby boomers) who are “breaking new ground, re-defining aging and re-inventing retirement.”

Moses Znaimer, the founder of Citytv, Much Music, Fashion Television and other channels targeting Canadian youth, is developing new media so he can continue to serve his audience, now that they are no longer youth. As he says,

“They were the dominant generation then… they remain the dominant generation now. Zoomers are a growing, vibrant and affluent community. They look at the world with optimism; they are engaged and aspire to enrich their lives and the lives of their communities.”

There is a good lesson here for all of us who run businesses, large or small. Once you’ve identified your target market, it’s vital that you stay in tune with their interests and activities if you’re going to continue to serve them well.