“IT’S THE ZOOMERS, STUPID!” CARP reveals how to win the election- A Gift from CARP to the Political Parties of Canada

Posted on by CARP

Toronto, September 15, 2008: Attention Political Candidates! Who controls the ballot box? Who comprises Canada’s largest voting population? Who can give you the competitive edge?

The Zoomers! Boomers With Zip! The 14.5 million Canadians 45plus

Consider this statistic:

• In the 2004 election, Zoomers cast approximately 8.9 million votes. All other age groups combined cast approximately 5.3 million votes. So Zoomers represented OVER 62% of all votes cast.

What’s more – Zoomers are active, engaged and open to new ideas:
• 8.5 million Zoomers say they’re excited by new technologies
• 7 million Zoomers personally donated to a charity last year
• 7 million Zoomers use a cellphone
• 3.7 million Zoomers have done volunteer work in the past 2 years
• 3.7 million Zoomers are very concerned about the environment
• 3 million Zoomers like to be informed about new products and services
• 1.5 Zoomers belong to a fitness club
• 1 million Zoomers spend 2 or more hours a day on the internet
• 1 million Zoomers wrote a letter to a public official in the past 2 years

BUT, is that how Canada’s political parties view Zoomers? NOT!

Under the direction of Moses Znaimer, CARP analyzed the websites of the Conservatives, Liberals, NDP, and Green Party. There were no references to Baby Boomers except in the context of retirement. References to “Seniors” spoke only to poverty, vulnerability, decline and helplessness. Yes, these issues are critical, but they are not the only outcomes of aging. The picture painted by the parties is paternalistic, condescending, and vastly incomplete.

Zoomers control the ballot box … No organization in Canada understands this better than CARP. On Wednesday, September 17 at 10:30am, CARP will give the political parties a gift – a primer on how to win the election by appealing to Zoomers. The presentation will include important policy recommendations by CARP VP Advocacy Susan Eng and Executive VP, ZoomerMedia, David Cravit. Media and representatives of all political parties are invited to attend.

CARP PRESENTS “IT’S THE ZOOMERS, STUPID” PRESS CONFERENCE
Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 10:30am CARP National Headquarters, 27 Queen Street East (@ Victoria), 13th Floor

RSVP: Leanne Wright, VP Communications – [email protected] • 416.886.6873
OR 416.367.5353 Ext 200