Marketers may finally be acknowledging that boomers — now age 46 to 64 — are a desirable demographic. After all, their purchases constitute half of all U.S. consumer spending.

But that doesn’t mean the same sort of advertising that works to attract 18- to 35-year-olds will click with the 76 million boomers. Effective advertising must be “more informational,” according to Brent Bouchez, co-founder of Agency Five-O, a marketing company that focuses on consumers over 50.

From infant formula to college tuition, grandparent spending on items for children increased dramatically between 1999 and 2009, according to a recent report by the MetLife Mature Market Institute.

In 2009, households with residents 55 or older spent $7.6 billion on infant food, equipment and clothing, along with toys, games and tricycles — a 70 percent increase from 2009.

If your product or service is, or can be, attractive to older generations, your company needs to come to terms with the fact that what you have to do to capture a more seasoned customer is often not the same as what you do to entice younger populations. Here are some important points to keep in mind:

If you are interested in securing a competitive edge for your product in baby boomer and older consumer markets, you will be more successful in your efforts if you understand your market.

Consumer research company Nielsen wants to know why so few advertisements focus on baby boomers. Media companies typically focus on reaching consumers who are in the coveted 18 to 34 or 18 to 49 demographic. But Nielsen says that “advertisers and consumer goods manufacturers are overlooking a group that has tremendous buying power.”

The challenges of baby boomers reaching old age, combined with a growing, more diverse population, will drive major changes, challenges and decisions in U.S. families, workplaces and communities, according to a new report by the Stanford Center on Longevity.

The report, “New Realities of an Older America: Challenges, Changes and Questions,” brings together the latest statistics from a range of sources, including academic research and government statistics. Key findings include:

The Beacon newspapers has launched an all-new, interactive website at www.theBeaconNewspapers.com — geared to people over 50 and those who love them.