What Retirees Want - by Ken Dychtwald & Robert Morison (Paperback)

About the Book

"The world's population of retirees is increasing dramatically, and the Baby Boom generation is changing everything about this stage of life. Today older Americans hold the largest concentration of personal wealth and spending power, yet marketers tend to have only superficial understanding of their hopes, fears, needs, preferences and dreams. Organizations would be wise to divert some of their focus away from the long-sought-after youth market and turn attention to the already large, rapidly growing, and radically changing customer segment that is today's retirees. This book is the definitive guide to understanding the experiences and ambitions of today and tomorrow's retirees and the products and services that will best meet their needs. The book is for business, non-profits, and other leaders who wish to understand retirees and pre-retirees as customers, clients, workers, and volunteers in order to better engage and serve them."--

Book Synopsis

"Dychtwald and Morison offer a brilliant and convincing perspective: an essential re-think of what 'aging' and 'retirement' mean today and an invitation to help mobilize the best in the tidal wave of Boomer Third Agers."
--Daniel Goleman, PhD, Author, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

Throughout 99 percent of human history, life expectancy at birth was less than 18 years. Few people had a chance to age. Today, thanks to extraordinary medical, demographic, and economic shifts, most of us expect to live long lives. Consequently, the world is witnessing a powerful new version of retirement, driven by the power and needs of the Baby Boomer generation. Consumers over age 50 account for more than half of all spending and control more than 70% of our total net worth - yet are largely ignored by youth-focused marketers. How will work, family, and retirement be transformed to accommodate two billion people over the age of 60 worldwide? In the coming years, we'll see explosive business growth fueled by this unprecedented longevity revolution.

What Retirees Want presents the culmination of 30 years of research by world-famous "Age Wave" expert Ken Dychtwald, Ph.D., and author and consultant Robert Morison. It explains how the aging of the Baby Boomers will forever change our lives, businesses, government programs, and the consumer marketplace. This exciting new stage of life, the "Third Age," poses daunting questions:

• What will "old" look like in the years ahead? With continued advances in longevity, all of the traditional life-stage markers and boundaries will need to be adjusted.
• What new products and services will boom as a result of this coming longevity revolution?
• What unconscious ageist marketing practices are hurting people - and business growth?
• Will the majority of elder boomers outlive their pensions and retirement savings and how can this financial disaster be prevented?
• What incredible new technologies of medicine, life extension, and human enhancement await us in the near future?
• What purposeful new roles can we create for elder boomers so that the aging nations of the Americas, Europe, and Asia capitalize on the upsides of aging?
• Which pioneering organizations and companies worldwide have created marketing strategies and programs that resonate with the quirky and demanding Boomer generation?

In this entertaining, thought-provoking, and wide-ranging book, Dychtwald and Morison explain how individuals, businesses, non-profits, and governments can best prepare for a new era - where the needs and demands of the "Third Age" will set the lifestyle, health, social, marketplace, and political priorities of generations to come.

From the Back Cover

PRAISE FOR WHAT RETIREES WANT

"Dychtwald and Morison have changed the way I view the future. Their analysis of rising longevity and aging demographics is critical for any business, not-for-profit, or government leader who wants to understand the massive changes and new opportunities that will affect every aspect of our lives."

--Peter H. Diamandis, MD, Founder, XPRIZE, and Author, Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think

"Dr. Ken Dychtwald is one of America's foremost experts on aging and longevity. In What Retirees Want, Ken and Robert Morison provide fascinating insights into what a world with a billion people over age 60 will look like--its impact on society, business, politics, healthcare, and the marketplace. Anyone who reads this book will better understand how to capitalize on the new opportunities and challenges brought by the revolutionary age wave."

--Thomas Donohue, Former CEO, United States Chamber of Commerce

"Dychtwald and Morison offer a brilliant and convincing perspective: an essential rethink of what 'aging' and 'retirement' mean today and an invitation to help mobilize the best in the tidal wave of Boomer Third Agers."

--Daniel Goleman, PhD, Author, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

About the Author

KEN DYCHTWALD, PhD, is a psychologist, gerontologist, and bestselling author of 16 books, including Age Wave. He is the Founder and CEO of Age Wave, a firm created to guide companies and government groups in product and service development for Boomers and mature adults. He has served as a fellow of the World Economic Forum and was a featured speaker at two White House Conferences on Aging.

ROBERT MORISON is a researcher, writer, and management consultant who has been leading breakthrough research for 30 years in collaboration with eminent thought leaders and innovators. He currently serves as Senior Advisor with Age Wave and Lead Faculty for the International Institute for Analytics.