WFIM Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Obispo County’

by Blaire Kilbey

We all know it’s been tough economically for all sectors of the population.   But what is it like for a teenager, many who have never had a job to spice up a résumé or the opportunity collect glowing letters of recommendation?

Help and plenty of advice is out there. In April 2010, Cuesta College, EDD and the Business and Career One-Stop centers in San Luis Obispo County are hosting three Youth Job and Resource Fairs in San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles and Grover Beach.  The target age is 16-24.

Local employers will be on hand to offer advise on what they expect, how to fill out an application, what is appropriate interviewing attire and behavior (what do you do with that vibrating cell phone?). Other topics useful to youth, and available jobs and careers can also be researched.  Employers will answer questions to inspire, encourage, and build confidence during these competitive and sometimes daunting times.

The first Youth Job and Resource Fair is Wednesday, April 21, 2010 from 5-7 pm at the SLO Business and Career One-Stop on 880 Industrial Way, off of Broad across from the Graduate. (805.903.1434)

The next two are both on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 from 5-7 pm. In South County, the Grover Beach Business and Career One -Stop is at 1800 E. Grand (805.270.3100). In North County, the Paso Robles Business and Career One-Stop is at Cuesta College North Campus, 2800 Buena Vista (805.237.3014).

Youth are invited to learn about the wonderful resources for job seekers at the Business and Career One-Stop centers, get that confidence needed to grab that interview and enjoy light refreshments!  Please call the above numbers for further information and visit Career One-Stop at SLO-ONESTOP.NET.

By Sandy Baer

“Youth is the time of getting, middle age of improving, and old age of spending.”
…Anne Bradstreet – Meditation Divine and Moral (1664)

I am one of those in-the-news Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964. Projected by a recent report of the United States Census Bureau, those of us numbering over 65 by year 2050 will number one in every six people. Such projections equal more than double the growth rate for the general population.

In modern times, traditional, mainstay advertisers have long legitimized targeting the young, beautiful, skinny, sexy and any other number of personas to portray their “brand”; after all, 18-24-year olds are the largest consumer segment.

As Bob Dylan predicted some 40 years or so ago, “The Times Are a’changin’.  Many mainstream businesses, medical and media professionals foresaw the emerging “age wave”, as attested by one of several websites devoted to “ageless marketing”.

What is ageless marketing? Some dub it “development relationship marketing” or DRM. Simply, a marketing plan is developed, often resulting in a “brand” that incorporates evolving needs and lifestyles of our ever-increasing senior population.

Society’s natural inclination, marketing specialists and policy wonks tend to use chronological age to define consumers. That said the 45-64-year age group would balloon to 16 million in this decade!

Historically this has translated into larger marketing budgets targeted at ages 35 and younger, with the 50 and older audience largely ignored. But age-segmentation makes less sense today as slow, in fact decreasing population growth in the 10-14-year-olds and the 40-44-year olds, is undermining the traditional bulk of consumerism. Lagging sales among the 25-44-year olds is inevitable as they are shrinking by 4.3 million people.

Marketing, public relations and advertising professionals are on the one hand faced with the dilemma of appealing to and maintaining their base – younger clientele – while targeting the new customer majority”.
As its name implies, ageless marketing or DRM circumvents this dilemma by promoting values that cross generations. In today’s economy, many companies’ futures lie in their ability to attract clientele from an array of ages.

Today’s milieu of 24/7 news and social networking opportunities including Face Book, Utube, and Twitter, among other more obscure but none the less significant communication niches worldwide, bridges generations but nevertheless, the focal point is still youth.

Our current Baby Boomer population growth skyrockets and coupled with shrinkage in the younger markets as well as with the increasing longevity and lucidity of the elder generations; companies are compelled to reach out to a wide spectrum of ages.

Ageless marketing is just one strategy in these challenging times. DRM, development relationship marketing, relies on research, developmental psychology – and most importantly, a client’s values and views.

My view is not visceral but based on the facts. We are an aging society. San Luis Obispo County has 14.3 percent residents over 65 years old and over as compared to the state’s retirement-age group comprises only 11 percent. Our parents and their parents as well as their peers, let alone the burgeoning Baby Boomers, are more engaged than ever in our day-to-day lives.

It seems to me a catapulting captured audience of elders is ripe to learn of our society’s innovations, ideas-become-reality and inspirations. Tailored, targeted and timely marketing to the “new customer majority” challenges and calls forth our reservoir of creativity!