Baby boomers are best reached with pictures

In times when brands wish to reach baby boomers, it is useful to know that as we age, we are more likely than ever to be influenced by pictures. The word-oriented left hemisphere of the brain overloads more easily when older, but the right hemisphere’s ability to process visual images holds steady. Emotional, visual, subjective appeals that play to older people’s rich network of long-term memories and associations are truly effective. (from Emotionomics)

Your brand´s image is a key to success. A study where the researcher had used fMRI scanners to discover people´s reactions, presented showed that strong brands activated a network of cortical areas and areas involved in positive emotional processing and associated with self-identification and rewards. In short, when we see a brand we recognize, our brain evokes positive emotions. Brands that people were not as familiar with, started instead a negative brain reaction. Weak brands showed higher levels of activation in areas of working memory and negative emotional response.

This indicates that awareness in itself actually can be of value. Still, high awareness should never be the final goal for a brand. Involvement, engagement and love is what leads to sale. But a great exposed logo and a visual campaign is definitely a first date. Especially around the rich baby boomers.