About

Chapter Two Communications

Chapter Two was started in 2004 when Mike Baumayr and a hand-picked group of marketers took the Del Webb account and began life on their own. All were Del Webb veterans, and all had worked on the account for over ten years. They were, and are, the most experienced team in the mature market.

Chapter Two has learned about the 50-plus market from two great teachers. The first was Del Webb, the man, who created the first marketing for older consumers (Sun City, 1960). Webb charted out this new territory, and, as his agency, we were schooled in every aspect of this still burgeoning market.

The second great teacher was David Wolfe. David assembled the first group of mature marketers and authored the first study of the ageing market in his seminal work, “Serving the Ageless Market” (1990) and, more recently, in “Ageless Marketing” (2003).

So, with a great client and a great teacher, we really had no choice. We had to do great advertising. We invite you to evaluate it on your own and welcome your comments.

Mike Baumayr, Founder

I was old before my time. In fact, even when I was young, I was one of the few people I knew who was actually excited about getting older.

Why? Because I have studied this category for almost 20 years, and have grown with it.

First I taught college. There I learned that older people really liked to learn (the shadowy side of the job was that the young people did not).

Then I went into marketing and learned from the Del Webb Corporation that older people are barely related to their younger selves. That they have completely different value systems. And they certainly don’t view advertising the same way they did when they were young.

Del Webb introduced me to David Wolfe (America’s first and foremost thinker of mature marketing), whose brilliance illuminated the dichotomy between old and young. David invited me to join The Society – the first marketing group dedicated to the older consumer.

Along the way, I’ve worked for four of the top ten U.S. agencies (FCB, Y&R, Bozell, McCann-Erickson) in three different cities. Clients include General Foods, Johnson&Johnson, Procter&Gamble, Noxell, Newsweek magazine, Sears, Frito-Lay, Doubletree Hotels, Petsmart, Safeway and Del Webb retirement communities.

In my current community (AZ), I’m privileged to serve ion the Board of Directors for The Wellness Community (for cancer survivors). Previously, I served for ten years on the Board of the Orpheum Theatre, restoring that magnificent venue to its current splendor.

Educationally, I’m a bit more bi-coastal, with a B.A. from the University of Arizona (Tucson) and an M.A. from Columbia University (NYC).

Let’s talk about: Books, books and more books. Anything New York. Animal rights. Politics. American history. Woodstock (I was there, I swear). My beloved Buffalo Bills.