Two scary words for many Boomers. Possibly a marketing opportunity for you.

While the Great Recession continues to affect almost all consumer categories, one category remains exempt: pets. Annual consumer spending on pets has grown every year since it was first measured in 1996. In 2013, the total number stood at almost $56 billion, and industry experts expect it to approach $60 billion in 2014.

If you are interested in securing a competitive edge for your product in Baby Boomer markets, you will be more successful if you take the time to understand the changing values and motivators of this generation.

When the final chapter on Baby Boomers is written, what will emerge as one of the most important and lasting accomplishments is their impact on ageism, particularly in the marketing arena. Size, wealth and a well-established tendency to create better lives as they age have enabled Baby Boomers to redefine life after 50 as a stage in which possibilities expand rather than retract. In doing so, Baby Boomers are the first generation to make it attractive, acceptable and profitable for brands to target people over 50. Increasingly, we are seeing mainstream marketers doing so; new opportunities continue to arise.