Barbara, the marketing executive, woke up at 5:30 a.m., grabbed a banana, jumped in her new Buick and headed to Curves gym to use light weights and its circuit training. She remembered to stretch before her workout and was happy with herself that she had committed to going to the gym four times per week since their second child headed for college. She paused in thought and realized they are now officially empty-nesters and this is "me" time. She smiled.

Brands who don't look at values may find themselves talking to the "green" people who skip the green product purchase aisles.

With demand for accountability, advertisers will eventually get on the same page as the networks when it comes to catering to Boomers, their appeal and their spending. If it's imperative for marketers to "follow the money," they should look no further than who is turning on the television sets and paying the cable bills.

Characterizing target markets is older than advertising. Way older. The first successful cave-to-cave salesman had an instinct for sizing up potential customers like Ms. Og before she ever rolled back her front boulder for him. He did this by drawing on what he knew about human nature, and creatively applying it on an individual basis, person to person. Might seem primitive, but it's still the most effective way to reach human beings.