Problem Solvers

Compression and Baby Boomers

Living longer, staying active and wanting to look good, boomers tap into compression garments.

• By Joseph Duffy
• Sep 01, 2012

Baby boomers continue to redefine what it means to be senior by living longer, being active and educating themselves about wellness products and services. According to Richie Griffin, vice president of provider Griffin Home Health Care, Inc., more awareness of venous problems and the availability of attractive and comfortable compression garments have enticed boomers to seek out compression products. “Boomers are what I call involved and active, whether going to the beach, playing golf or going to dinner and dancing,” says Tom Musone, director of marketing for Juzo. “This involves wanting healthy and healthy looking legs. With advances in technology, procedures for treating varicose veins and spider veins are minimal. Treatment of legs could be medical, or cosmetic. A recent report has treatment for vein procedures tripling in the next five years, and that is being driven by the boomer market.”

Susan Callison, Founder and CEO of LSC Distribution, the U.S. partner for Solidea Compression Garment, is a breast cancer survivor who developed lymphedema, which requires daily compression to keep her condition under control.

“Compression is becoming an everyday need for baby boomers because of improved medical care and the fact people are living longer,” she says. “Chronic ailments, such as arthritis, venous insufficiency, post-surgical and medical treatment side effects, lymphedema, diabetes, and heart conditions are just a few health issues that benefit from compression and are now affecting this generation in large numbers.”

Know your customers

Callison says that baby boomers do not think of themselves as “older.” They are active members of their communities, and many are still focused on style and their careers (The Atlantic reports that the number of employed baby boomers will soon surpass workers aged 25 to 34). To boomers, the finer things in life matter. So when marketing to this generation, Callison says providers should focus on two key points:

First, understand the health benefits of wearing compression to decrease symptoms and curtail the progression of a condition. Early invention is extremely important when dealing with conditions that require compression. If individuals address their condition when it is more manageable, they have many options when it comes to the garments they will need to wear. If they wait and do not participate in self-care activities, as the condition progresses the options decrease significantly.

Second and just as important: focus on how radically different today’s compression garments are from their predecessors. In the past, compression garments were very uncomfortable and unsightly, leading to extensive noncompliance. As a result, the progression of conditions was commonplace, which usually led to the deterioration of an individual’s quality of life. Advancements in today’s technology has led to the fabrication of better off-the-shelf circular knit garments with advanced yarns and weaving processes that allow for easier donning, a more comfortable feel and the ability to be discrete by looking like socks, hosiery, leggings or athletic wear. Manufacturers even offer gender specific lines that keep the wants and needs of women and men in mind. All these attributes make compression garments much more appealing to wear, in turn, improving compliance and patient outcome.

Griffin says baby boomers very often want what other compression hosiery users want: product knowledge, the right fit, comfort and style.

“Appearance is an important touch point when marketing to the baby boomer generation,” says Musone. “When working through the purchase funnel the decision process starts with a need or recommendation from a medical professional. At this point, boomers are heavy educators, whether through online or peer-to-peer research. We help train our dealers to win at this level when messaging to boomer audience. Some keys to wining are excellent service, a nice retail store, and when positioning compression, offer a variety of styles and colors.”

Musone says that Juzo offers seasonal colors (fall/winter and spring/summer) and has seen a lot of growth in both upper and lower extremity products. These colors are targeting boomers who are involved and active, and their wardrobe reflects their life.

“Once a boomer sees that medical compression is like normal hosiery in the way it looks and feels and has a tremendous amount of choices, it’s an easy sale,” he says. “Our colored leggings have been a huge hit with women boomers. They offer therapeutic compression, body shaping and a multitude of color choices, and leggings are a current popular fashion style right now.”

According to Callison, who cites a Dunn and Bradstreet report (September 2009), “The US compression therapy market will reach $1.16 Billion in 2015. From their research, one can extrapolate that the spending potential of the baby boomers in this market is vast. According to the report, ‘Growing health awareness among consumers has spurred the demand for early diagnosis and preventive approaches.’ This leads to the conclusion that this generation, because they tend to be proactive and self-educated about health issues, will definitely be more interested in trying and wearing compression garments than previous generations.”

In today’s marketing environment, competition is fierce, so be creative and think outside the box, she says, offering these ideas to drive business:

• Look at your online competitors and educate yourself on the most current advertising campaigns for compression.
• Visit local healthcare professionals and educate them about the choices your business offers their patients.
• Go to community events and set up a booth.
• Host an educational seminar for healthcare providers and their patients in your area.
• Leave brochures and flyers at doctor’s offices whose patient will need compression.
• Focus on the comfort, ease of wearing and style of today’s compression garments and their ability to improve the appearance and provide relief from chronic conditions.

This article originally appeared in the September 2012 issue of HME Business.