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If you’re one of the 77 million baby boomers out there, there’s a good chance you’ve been feeling neglected by marketers during the past several years. It’s difficult to skim through a magazine or watch TV commercials without being inundated with images of young twentysomething models with glowing faces and hard bodies.

Marketers have been eternally fixated on designing and marketing products for young people. But, there is hope in sight. Businesses have realized the error of their ways and are starting to change ad campaigns to appeal to people in their 40s, 50s and 60s.

The annual spending power of boomers is estimated to be more than $2 trillion, so this gives businesses some incentive. In her article “Love Those Boomers,” Louise Lee gives numerous examples of businesses that are working hard to get some of that money.

It might seem like common sense that marketers would go after boomers, but it has been common practice to ignore consumers after they turn 50. This is when consumers are labeled “undesirables.” The assumption was that at this point in life, people had developed inflexible buying habits. Though this is generally true of the war generation, this is not true for baby boomers.

Boomers are open to new experiences and products. This week, it could be Gillette razors, Dove soap and electric cars. Next week, they might decide Schick, Ivory and trucks are better choices. Boomers are just as likely as the rest of the population to switch brands and shake things up.

After doing some research, marketers discovered a thing or two about how better to reach baby boomers. Boomers don’t want products and services designed for 20-year-olds. Sure, Gap tried to appeal to boomers with ad campaigns featuring older actors such as Sissy Spacek and Bill Paxton. But, the company didn’t change its clothes to reflect the styles boomers like to wear. Neon-colored shirts that exposed navels and low-riding jeans that exposed other areas just didn’t work for the older generation. In response to this lapse, Gap launched Forth & Towne, which sells casual and career clothes designed for baby boomers.

When Vespa realized that the motor scooters they designed for 20-year-olds were being bought by boomers, the company initially was caught off guard. But the trend made perfect sense. Boomers passionately seek out active and fun lifestyles. The only things missing from the scooters were high-quality leather seats and chrome accessories, boomers said. Vespa quickly obliged and predicts that with the right marketing, boomers soon will account for a third of its market.

In the past, marketers created ads based on the assumption that boomers were obsessed with youth. You might remember TV commercials Mitsubishi ran a few years ago featuring twentysomething actors bopping to indie rock music in their cars . To say the least, baby boomers didn’t connect with this image and let the automaker know it. Although Mitsubishi attracted a few more buyers in their twenties, it lost the target market the company desired most. Boomers have the most money and the highest credit rating of any generation, which means they’re able to buy the most expensive cars. Mitsubishi quickly changed its ways and cast fortysomething actors in the company’s campaigns.

When Revlon got the message that older women wanted to look at advertisements they could relate to, the company featured 62-year-old actress Susan Sarandon in its campaigns, while L’Oreal continued to use actress Andie McDowell, who is older than 50. Fifteen years ago, these women would not have been considered.

Dove soap also broke away from using flawless teenage models in its advertising.

After switching to a campaign flaunting ordinary women, including baby boomers, Dove saw a significant increase in sales. This is huge for the stagnant soap industry.

More impressive, however, was the 48 percent increase in sales for Kellogg’s Smart Start cereal during one year after the company blatantly focused its marketing strategy on healthy aging. Sure, baby boomers wouldn’t mind looking youthful, but they don’t want to be 21 again. And they resent marketers assuming that they do.

Marketers are getting the message that baby boomers want products specifically designed for them and advertised by models they can relate to. They want marketing to enforce their beliefs that at 50 you can be beautiful, begin a whole new career, have a successful second or third marriage and travel to exotic destinations.

Baby boomers grew up believing that life’s possibilities were endless and they could change the world. And they certainly are changing how the world perceives them.

Melissa Brown is an associate professor of applied business at the University of Alaska Tanana Valley Campus. She can be reached at ffmcb@uaf.edu. This column is provided as a public service by the TVC Applied Business Department.