Boomers often own assets like property, cars, jewellery, motorcycles, boats etc which are all worth insuring. They also tend to pose a lower fraud risk and prefer to pay annually. For insurers it’s all good, but how do you reach out to the silver surfers? MBA Group has thoughts;
Baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964 and now aged roughly 62 to 80, are online, active and spending, yet many brands are failing to reach them. MBA Group’s new report, The Five Forces Shaping CX, finds that businesses are pouring investment into emerging channels this generation largely ignores, while relying on generational stereotypes that no longer reflect how people actually live.
Digitally active, but selective
The research shows boomers are far from offline. 95% of UK boomers own a smartphone, and in the last month 90% used email, 86% used messaging apps and 65% visited a brand’s website.
But they are choosy about where they engage. Only 5.6% followed a brand on social media in the last month, and just 31% say they feel confident using new technology.
Meanwhile, enterprise channel investment has shifted heavily towards AI chatbots, Rich Communication Services (RCS), augmented reality and wearables. Brands that prioritise these over the channels boomers already trust risk alienating a generation with significant purchasing power, and the gap will widen the longer the trend continues.
A reference point, not a segment
Generational labels can be a useful starting point. They hint at shared experiences and broad habits. The problem comes when brands treat them as a fully formed customer segment and build every communication around an assumption.
Katie Mousley, Head of Marketing at MBA Group, said: “There’s a widespread perception of boomers and their relationship with technology, and too many brands still design their communications around it. Knowing someone’s generation tells you something, but it should be a reference point, never the whole picture.
“Two people of the same age can be in completely different places. One might be surrounded by tech-savvy family and use digital channels every day. Another might live alone with accessibility needs, where a phone call is far more helpful than an app. Rolling out the latest technology to everyone and expecting it to fix communication problems simply doesn’t work.
“We’re seeing businesses scramble to keep up with every new development, and in doing so they’re leaving part of their customer base behind. Meeting people where they are, on the channels they already use and trust, is how brands will win in 2027.”
The cost of getting it wrong
Poor communication has a direct commercial cost. The Five Forces Shaping CX report also found that one in five (20%) consumers worldwide switched service providers in the last 12 months because of a poor communications experience.
Five of the top six reasons customers leave a provider relate to communication content: information that is incorrect, inconsistent, unclear or irrelevant, or delivered in the wrong tone. Tone is often where accessibility falls down, as many businesses settle for basic personalisation instead of understanding a customer’s context.
Sami Aintaoui, CEO of MBA Group, stresses that: “Today’s customers expect personalisation as standard. If adding a first name to an email is the full extent of your tailoring, you’re not doing enough. People’s circumstances and life experiences vary hugely, so communication needs context, not just a name. Accessibility is vital. Many businesses don’t realise how big the commercial impact is when their communication isn’t contextualised to each customer on a personal level. Getting the essentials right, with clear and respectful communication, pays off whatever the size of your business.”
“We understand for brands that getting this right is a challenge, especially when you’re responsible for communicating important information to millions of people. That’s exactly why we’ve built our platform MBA Pulse, which can integrate with an existing tech stack, support multiple channel offerings and highlight preference signals so you can really start to tailor your communications with your customers on a one to one basis.” More information on MBA Pulse can be found here.
Meeting boomers where they are
The message for brands is clear: boomers are reachable, but on their own terms. That means putting the channels they already use and trust first, such as email, websites and messaging apps, with phone support for those who need it, rather than leading with the latest technology. Generational data should be a reference point, not a segment, with life stage, accessibility needs and channel preferences used to tailor communication to each customer, alongside clear reassurance about how their data is used. With one in five consumers switching providers after a poor communications experience, getting this right is no longer a nice-to-have. It is a commercial necessity.
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