Q&A: Reaching and Engaging with Baby Boomers

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We recently caught up with Rudly Raphael, President at qSample, to talk about the benefits and challenges of surveying Baby Boomers. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 76.4 million Baby Boomers living in the United States. Although the term "Baby Boomer" is now used in a cultural context, it technically includes all people born between 1946 and 1964. Boomers aren't just unique in their upbringing and lifestyle, they pose an incredible opportunity in the marketplace for researchers. And surprisingly enough, they aren't as hard to reach as you might have thought. They're becoming more tech-savvy; owning smartphones and computers is not uncommon for them. Keep reading to hear some of Rudly's insights on keeping Boomers active and engaged in his research panel. 

Q1: Are Baby Boomers more or less likely to respond to surveys than say, Millennials or other age groups?

Rudly: Ironically, when it comes to online research, Boomers tend to be highly responsive. Since we target panel members based on topic of interest, Boomers have shown us that they care a lot about issues that affect their generation, and in essence, we see it in their high survey participation rate. 

Q2: What types of incentives typically work when asking Boomer's to complete surveys?

Rudly: We use a combination of a point system and high end drawings which seem to work well for Boomers.

Q3: What is the best channel to reach Boomers on for completing surveys? Online? Apps? Social Media?

Rudly: For the most part, it is easier to target Boomers via online surveys. However, since some Boomers can fall on the low end of the age scale (46), that group is easily accessible via mobile apps and social media as well.

Q4: What are some best practices for keeping ongoing engagement with Boomers?

Rudly: Ensure there are gaps between survey invitations. Boomers do not like to be bombarded with the survey invitation or reminders overkill approach. Invite them to participate in surveys that fit their lifestyle - savings, investment, retirement, social and light politics or travel.

Q5: Tell us some information about your Boomer's panel, what types of projects and research on this group are most commonly requested by businesses?

Rudly: Businesses that use our Boomer panel tend to want to understand their saving habits, where they put their nest egg or places they plan to travel. Occasionally, there are some businesses that are interested in understanding how Boomers view their generation in comparison to other generations. For example, Boomers vs. Millennials.

Q6: Are there any other interesting insights you have on Boomers that you'd like to share? Spending habits, social media stats, etc?

Rudly: It is believed that over half of the Baby Boomers will be celebrating their 100th birthday and beyond. Boomers are a generation that we will need to keep an eye on for many reasons. This is also why their views are more important for research.

Q7: Are there any privacy concerns of this age group you have run into when collecting their information?

Rudly: Not a whole lot, except when it comes to health or medical related survey questions. Depending on how the question is framed, some may find it a little too intrusive.


If you are interested in accessing a speciality panel or purchasing a sample from qSample on Baby Boomers, then look no further. We can connect you with the sample necessary to reach your target audience and meet your research goals!

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