Baby Boomers are still a lucrative market for brands according to the latest Global Advertising Trends report from WARC Media, Baby Boomers’ big digital shift. It’s still the world’s wealthiest generation, but the report says brands are failing to keep up with Boomers’ increasing digital media habits.

The media preferences of Boomers are evolving quickly as they spend more time with online media, including digital components of traditional channels such as connected TV, digital audio and online press. In 2013, media consumption by those aged 45 to 54 was 49.8% offline and 30.3% online. More than ten years later, that same cohort spends 45.6% of their media time offline and more than half (54.4%) online.

North American consumption for 55- to 64-year-olds on social media is up 43.1% compared to TV streaming, up 195%. Baby Boomers are building digital media experiences distinct from younger audiences. While Baby Boomers are spending a little more time on social platforms, it remains a small part of their overall media habits.

By next year, 55- to 64-year-olds in the U.S. are predicted to spend 93 daily average minutes with social media. That’s an increase of 43.1% on the 65 minutes of consumption recorded among 45 to 54s in 2015. Boomer’s other areas of digital consumption are growing much faster. Online TV streaming is up 195% with Baby Boomers switching to Netflix and YouTube on their TV screens.

Facebook continues to be the preferred social networks of older consumers, with Baby Boomers accounting for the largest chunk (29%) of weekly Facebook users in the U.S., compared to just 9% accessing TikTok each week. In the UK, social media consumption has largely plateaued among the 55-plus audience, with average daily minutes falling from 58.3 in 2015 to 52.2 last year.

Baby Boomers are not fans of advertising. The research found that the demo has the lowest average levels of ad receptivity in a cross-generation comparison with only 12% globally feeling positive about advertising, significantly below the 47% benchmark for all consumers. So, it’s no surprise that only 4.5% of Baby Boomers have downgraded to the ad-supported subscription video on demand (SVOD) tier on services like Netflix and Disney+, compared to more than a quarter (28.4%) of Gen Z respondents. The rising advertising loads on TV have frustrated older audiences, but they appear more positive about newer social and video platforms, with TikTok ranked as their preferred option.

The information in the report is from WARC’s Global Advertising Trends database. For the report, WARC Media compared media consumption behaviour among 45-54s a decade ago with today’s 55-64s – representing those born between 1959 and 1970.