LOS ANGELES, Apr 30, 2007/ --- The largest consumer majority in the U.S., the baby boomers numbering 78 million is the faster growing Internet user segment,’ says JWT Boom, a premier integrated marketing firm specializing in reaching consumers ages 40 and older.

This statement was made during the 2007 Boomer Marketing Summit: Beyond the Numbers Boomer Summit held last week in Las Vegas.

And during a different conference, at the 3rd Annual Marketing to Women Conference (M2W), held April 25 – 26 in Chicago, JWT Boomer and ThirdAge released a study saying that ‘women boomers are spending over 15 hours a week on the Internet.’

“The stereotype that [women boomers] are not aggressive Internet users or online shoppers is definitely proving to be incorrect,” commented Lori Bitter, Senior Partner at JWT BOOM

“Our study shows that they’re increasingly using the Internet in a variety of ways, from staying in contact with family and friends, to researching products before purchasing offline and actually making purchases online. Surprising to some, the older they are, the longer they are staying online,” added Bitter.

According to JWT BOOM, “The conventional wisdom that Boomers [both men and women] are set in their purchasing habits and resistant to marketing messages is a very costly myth. These generations have grown up in the information age; they seek facts, data and peer input - and then will make up their own minds.”

So, what are the experts saying about boomers?

“Though some marketers are striving to engage with this important group, many continue to ignore or do an ineffective job of building a trusted relationship with people who are over 40,” says Bitter.

According to Jeff Ratner, Jeff Ratner, Managing Partner and N.A. Digital Director for MindShare INTERACTION, “Boomers are made up of niche audiences - they are not a homogenous group. Marketers can’t assume that a single medium will reach and impact the entire Boomer market. New media should be one part of a 360 degree marketing program. Boomers love discovery and information – and marketers need to support and enable that quest.”

“The myth that Boomers are not online is just that – a myth,” commented Jack Barrette, Category Development Officer at Yahoo!;. “53% of all Boomers are on Yahoo, and 25% of YouTube members are Boomers. Marketers need to understand that Boomers are tremendously influential, with 96% of them sharing information with their friends and families. Marketers need to show Boomers that they understand the issues that are important to them, and that they are committed to helping make their lives easier.”

Sharon Whiteley of ThirdAge.com identified several keys for marketers to build trusted relationships with this group online:

A recent online survey by ThirdAge and JWT BOOM noted that the top three reasons Boomers are online are to seek out information (92%), to stay in touch with friends and family (95%) and to shop (73%).

“Online is a critical channel for marketing to Boomers,” said Whiteley. “The Internet is the only medium where marketers can build interactive, one-on-one relationships with Boomers, and marketers should be taking advantage of that.”