In “The New Consumer Behavior Paradigm: Permanent or Fleeting?” PriceWaterhouseCoopers gives us a look at the world of U.S. shopping after the current recession. The report also gives publishers and broadcasters several tips about who and how to target as prospective advertisers and audience.

Perhaps the most important point that was made throughout the study was that Baby Boomers, unlike prior recessions, are not going to be the merchant saviors this time around. Despite their numbers, this age group got burned financially by the downturn in the economy at a time when losing money no longer meant giving up toys. Now boomers are struggling to save for their impending retirement and toys are the last things on their mind. Insightful as well was the fact that Generation Y (ages 10-28) is actually a larger group of U.S. residents than are boomers, and these are the folks PriceWaterhouseCoopers is projecting will lead the U.S. out of the recession.

Knowing that, we have a word of advice for broadcasters and professionals: games. We’ve mentioned the power and draw of games before, and right now we’ll segue a little from the report to point out those insights of our own, and posts about gaming products and vendors: MySpace and social games,  What the New York Times can learn from the online gaming industry, Scion playing games with its Facebook fans, DFW BlastOff Network launches, Consumers will spend $1.6 billion on virtual goods in 2010, and Playing Games with your publication?

While games probably aren’t going to be an ad-supported revenue-producing darling for publishers and broadcasters, they do lure the audience that’s projected to spend the most with the merchants that do the advertising on your offline and online pages and in your broadcast commercials.

In the PWC report 72 percent of the surveyed shoppers said they have significantly changed their shopping habits, with purchases going forward “deliberate and purposeful – conspicuous consumption will give way to more conscious or practical consumerism. Rampant deal-seeking will be replaced by more purchase selectivity and the use of shopping techniques and tools discovered during the recession.”

In other words, if your media group isn’t engaging your local consumers online and via mobile with coupons, special deals, and savings resources you’re sending these savvy, cautious consumers eleswhere.

Here’s what PriceWaterhouseCoopers says are the tools that U.S. consumers learned about, grew comfortable with, realized gave them great ROI, and will be using extensively from now on:

• list-making and meal-planning tools
• online and mobile coupons
• opt-in e-mails
• comparison shopping sites
• stepped-up loyalty and rewards programs.

The report emphasizes the increasing interest in search-engine shopping – i.e., shopping with specific products in mind rather than browsing to see what’s out there. This habit, says PWC, potentially reduces the chances of specific retailers and manufacturers being considered, and makes upselling, impulse selling and cross selling more difficult as fewer consumers take part in less targeted searches. What’s crucial, here, says the report, is that retailers and manufacturers optimize their search engines and paid search vehicles decisions. AIM Group suggests, then, that media groups focus on helping them do just that.

Boomers will lead the way down the path of buying fewer things and shopping less often. And, rather than increasing the market for lower-priced, lower-quality non-brand items, this recession has increased all shoppers’ interests in buying quality products that hold their value longer. Green products have an increasingly larger audience as well, and consumers will pay a premium for them. This is especially true in areas where they can directly benefit, such as energy-saving appliances and light bulbs.

Some other important points:

* Not yet at the point of frugal fatigue, shoppers are beginning to grow weary of sacrificing. Ways to combat the sacrifices are do-it-yourself alternatives

* There are 82 million Baby Boomers, making up 37 percent of all households

* Gen X, ages 29-45, is in a big “spending life stage.”

* There are 85 million Gen Y’ers but they only account for 6 percent of all households and 4 percent of all household spending, though this will change. Right now, it’s simply that most of this generation is not heading a household yet. They are also demanding and expecting of a tech lifestyle. Technology is a need, not a want, for this group.

Media groups should absorb this entire report and work to offer retailers and merchants not only the tools to reach these consumers the way they want to be reached, but the insight about what these U.S. consumers want – and demand.