Note To Brands: Don’t Forget Baby Boomers, Who Spend Significant Time With Radio.

They’re considered the wealthiest generation, according to multinational financial services company Allianz, accounting for more than 40% of home purchases and nearly 30% of new car registrations, and show more loyalty to brands in key product categories — even if they’re not as young and trendy as other desirable consumer segments.

They are, of course, baby boomers, those adults born between 1946 and 1964, who, while still making up 15-18% of the current workforce, have considerable spending power. Boomers are also heavy listeners of AM/FM radio, as noted by RAB Senior VP/Insights Annette Malave in the company’s “Radio Matters” blog.

“As a prime target for many categories, the best medium for brands to reach baby boomers is broadcast radio,” Malave says. “When it comes to heavy radio listening, boomers tune into radio nearly twice the amount of time with radio compared to other media or pastime options.”

Indeed, based on an analysis conducted by The Media Audit, boomers who are heavy radio listeners spend 29% of their daily time with AM/FM radio, more than twice the time spent with broadcast TV (12%) or local cable (11%), and far ahead of time spent with the internet (17%) or email (15%).

Citing research showing baby boomers not only accounted for 42% of home purchases between June 2023 and July 2024, but that 51% of older boomers and 40% of younger boomers purchased their homes with cash — while having the second-highest percentage of new car registrations in 2024, behind only Gen X — Malave says, “Baby boomers are a consumer segment that brands want to attract and connect with.”

When it comes to brand loyalty, RAB’s blog notes that compared to other U.S. adults, boomers are much more loyal to brands in the grocery/household goods, beauty and personal care products, electronics, and apparel (including shoes and accessories) categories, according to Morning Consult. Additionally, three-fourths (75%) say they will only shop at their favorite stores because they sell the brands they like and are very supportive of local businesses. As reported by MRI-Simmons, more than half (52%) of boomers prefer local independent retailers to national chains, 58% shop around to get specials or bargains, and nearly six in 10 agree that it is more important to get exactly what they want than the price it may cost.

“While millennials and Gen X are considered the consumer of tomorrow, brands and retailers should not forget today’s most cash-flush consumer,” Malave says. “Unlike other generations, boomers are loyal to the brands they use. As a highly engaged audience, using broadcast radio to reach and connect with them is how brands and retailers can gain and maintain that loyalty.”