Nostalgia was the highlight of the evening. I heard songs I remembered from when I was a kid, and I'm sure the concert brought back as many memories for the rest of the audience as it did for me. I went home singing one of my favorites, "Earth Angel" by The Penguins.
The audience was composed mainly of people from my generation, known as the Baby Boomers -- though now I've noticed the label "aging" is often attached to the term.
My generation is not a minority in Florida, as most marketers know. As a bellwether state, trends often begin here and spread throughout the country. One demographic trend is that as affluent Baby Boomers age, many of them move to Florida. They bring with them their disposable incomes, along with their needs, their desires, and, of course, their sense of nostalgia.
And that's where a good businessperson like Richard Nader steps in.
Richard has been marketing specialized concerts to this same age since the late '60s, when he realized that the music he'd grown up with had been eclipsed by the British Invasion and the Motown influence. Richard saw a demand and decided to supply it.
The first concert Richard produced was at Madison Square Garden. It was sold out and helped launch the rock 'n' roll revival movement -- and Richard's career. (One of his subsequent, record-setting concerts at Madison Square Garden was immortalized in the song "Garden Party" by Ricky Nelson.)
Today Richard produces up to 80 concerts a year nationwide from his home and headquarters in Clearwater.
Richard only recently moved to Florida. "I'm just staying with my audience," he tells me. "They are in Florida now, and upscale performing
arts centers are catering to them by inviting groups from the '50s and '60s to perform."
According to Lance deHaven-Smith, associate director of the Florida Institute of Government at Florida State University, Richard's marketing insight is accurate.
"Almost one in five Florida residents is 65 and older," says deHaven-Smith, "and that will increase to one in four over the next 20 years. Also, Florida seniors tend to live together, so not only do we have large numbers of seniors, but we have large numbers in small geographical areas. That makes them an easy-to-reach market, one that's huge, concentrated and in a buying mode."
Richard attributes his success to respect: "Respect for my audience, for the artists and for the music. The audience deserves the original sound, by as many of the original artists as are still living. The artists deserve to be treated with dignity. And the music is what helps us all relive memories of being carefree teen-agers again, even if for just one night."
It sounds to me as if Richard knows his market as well as he does his product. And I'd say this knowledge is the key to business success, no matter what your business.
Rock on, Richard. Rock on.