Baby Boomers make seasoned PRO’s

They were America’s very first mass advertising market and a Public Relations Officer’s dream: nearly 78 million baby boomers who have come of age with radio and television. As children, they were the first consumers of breakfast cereals and baby foods. As adults, they were the biggest trendsetters in the country. But, as they started to outgrow the 18-49 year old age bracket, they are now creating a new frontier as some of the country’s most established and seasoned Public Relations Officer’s (PRO’s).

Yes, there are an estimated 77-78 million baby boomers in the United States today and a majority of these mature citizens are just as ‘gung-ho’ about working and making it big as their younger counterparts. Known as the ‘Me Generation’ for their ceaseless quest for self-fulfillment, most baby boomers pride themselves on their determination and counter cultural values, for having started movements for environmental awareness and social rights and for working and excelling in just about any field as the youth of the nation.

In public relations, customer servicing is hot, loyalty is just as good and Return on Investment (ROI) is sizzling hot! But, junior subordinates in public relations and calling the media are not as hot as they used to be.

Public relations is all about calling the shots and influencing the audiences. When performed skillfully, public relations can be any organization’s dream come true and is one of the most valuable resources for maintaining vitality, establishing credibility and building brand value.

Over the past few years, the public relations industry foundation has been cracked by standards that are less than your archetypal ones or the old school practices. Unfortunately, these old school practices are so deep-rooted in the PR industry’s culture and its antiquated business model that they are difficult to get rid off. So it seems.

But, what if there was a new public relations game? A game as next-generation as the XBOX culture and as stealthy as the Air Force technology? Consider this – baby boomers as seasoned public relations professional that ask journalists and executives what they want and then they deliver! Gone are the days of press release factories and PR sweatshops!

Smart PR firms are now opting to break the age-old PR model of big egos, huge retainers and deep hierarchies. Slick firms are now beginning to comprehend that seasoned professionals with good business backgrounds will storm the PR market. Not only do these respected practitioners treat reporters and editors with the respect that is due them, but they also have the ability to provide them with services in a fast yet professional manner. And, they are fast earning a special place in the eyes of corporate executives by providing them with the appropriate strategic counseling.

It is this ability of the baby boomers to strategize that defines their well-advanced intellectual status, making them one of the best options in the PR industry. With their skillful ability to implement those strategies, they are known to all and sundry as the great PR practitioners. Keep in mind that executives love to have someone alongside them strategizing and managing their organizations so that they come out as winners in the marketplace.

Author's Note:

Do you have any questions about career development or lifestyle changes for Baby Boomers, which you think others, like you, would want to know the answers? Please email your questions to me at Anna@AnnaBanks.com, and maybe I'll feature them in a future article.

Read more articles by Anna D. Banks, GCDF go to: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewByAuthor.asp?authorID=1855.