What Retirees Want: A Holistic View of Life's Third Age - Hardcover

Dychtwald, Ken, Ph.D.; Morison, Robert

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1119648084 ISBN 13: 9781119648086

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2020

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.

About this title

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.

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

"The authors challenge the age-related myths and prejudices that are pervasive in modern marketing. It's time to reframe how we think about, portray, and treat the growing cohort of retirees, and this thoughtful and important book shows us both why and how."
—Stephanie Fischer, President and CEO, Global Retail Marketing Association

"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

"What Retirees Want provides fascinating insights into what a world with a billion people over age 60 will look like—its impact on society, business, politics, health care, 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, CEO, United States Chamber of Commerce

"What Retirees Want is a dazzling must read! Every aspect of our lives will adjust to make room for what Dychtwald and Morison call the Third Age. And with women outliving men, this book offers a fresh and needed perspective on a wide range of hopeful action steps to improve both women's and men's life journeys."
—Maria Shriver, Journalist, Author and Activist, Former First Lady of California

"For more than 20 years, Ken Dychtwald's groundbreaking thinking has greatly influenced my own, especially with regard to developing new ways of providing retirement plans and investment strategies to tens of millions of investors. As someone just starting this phase of life, I found this breakthrough book to be both insightful and incredibly inspirational!"
—William McNabb, CEO, Vanguard Group (ret)

From the Inside Flap

In past decades, marketers and entrepreneurs have focused on younger generations, mostly ignoring retirees. Retirement was often viewed as a time of gradual decline and financial contraction. But thanks to increased lifespans and better health care, today's retirees—particularly Baby Boomers—are experiencing a distinct and rewarding phase of life, ready to explore new activities, new meanings, and new opportunities. Given that this demographic also controls the largest concentration of personal wealth, businesses are missing out if they continue to ignore this large and growing market.

What Retirees Want: A Holistic View of Life's Third Age represents the culmination of a long collaboration between authors Ken Dychtwald and Robert Morison, who have conducted award-winning research, based on national and international surveys, into the evolution of retirement in the 21st century. In this book, they provide readers with unparalleled insights into the minds and hearts of the retired (and nearly retired) population, answering questions like:

• What is the business case for reframing aging and marketing to retirees?
• How can businesses serve the needs of "time affluent" Baby Boomers?
• What are retirees' key values, dreams, and ambitions, and where does family fit in?
• What innovations are needed to connect retirees to better health, stronger community, and a renewed sense of purpose?

This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to provide the retirees of today and tomorrow with informed, innovative, and valuable products and services. The opportunities to serve this demographic are massive. Organizations of all kinds can help retirees fulfill the aspirations of their "Third Age."

Edition details

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1119648084
• ISBN 13: 9781119648086
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 303