direct marketing | Direct Marketing Observations

A nice surprise occurred over the weekend as the Emerson Direct Blog cracked the top 25 of the top 42 blogs according to Junta 42. Any time we can be recognized for anything we do on behalf of the industy that we work in, it’s a nice feather in the cap.

The Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs list was designed to organize and feature the best blogs on the internet that discuss some aspect of content marketing. Content marketing is all about the creation of great, story-form content (delivered through any channel) that ultimately influences someone to buy your product, take an action, or believe in a cause Here is more detail on the Junta 42 selection process. Thanks Joe Pulizzi

Hey all of you marketing folks out there. Consider the numbers below:

— 62 percent say they live paycheck to paycheck.

— 56 percent have an outstanding credit-card balance of $3,000 or more.

— 62 percent of women say they have not bought any investment products.

— 45 percent of women would buy 30 pairs of shoes before saving $30,000 in retirement assets.

— 65 percent of women and 48 percent of men said they do not know how a mutual fund works.

— Nearly 65 percent did not know that when interest rates go up bond prices typically go down.

— 38 percent of women have not started saving for retirement

If they aren’t investing in their future, then they must be investing in something right? How about themselves? Face it Gen X’ers are saddled with the same thing they were tagged with 10 years ago. That all they cared about was themselves. So what has changed? Nothing and the above numbers prove that out.

So if you’re a direct marketer, an email marketer, or any type of marketer, forget about the Baby Boomers for a minute and consider this audience. They are living for today and tomorrow can wait. How much is that iphone again? and can I get that in leather?

Boomers might kick the tires, but the Gen X’ers will want the tires with the 17 inch rims.