A new customer majority has emerged. For the first time ever, most adults are 40 or older. This New Customer Majority has radically changed the rules of marketplace engagement because its members see life through a different lens than younger consumers who once determined the rules.

The New Customer Majority is huge! In 2000, it was 45% larger than the 18-39 age group (123 to 85 million), by 2010 it will be 61% larger: 138 to 86 million money-spending consumers.

Growth challenge:Expect no sales growth in this decade among 25-44-year olds because they're shrinking by 4.3 million people.

The marketing sweet spot is aging boomers. They will swell the 45-64-year age group by 16 million in this decade.

The New Customer Majority, the richest market by far. By 2010, adults 45 and older will outspend younger adults by $1 trillion ($2.6 to $1.6 trillion).

Prime strategy for this decade: Compensate for shrinking young adult markets by using ageless marketing to get more sales from every adult age group – marketing based on values that appeal across generational divides.