Research tells us that mature consumers place a high value on product trials, and on referrals.

Vaseline’s new campaign tracking lotion recommendations in an Alaskan town demonstrates the power of one plugged-in 40+ consumer. As Stephanie Clifford notes in the New York Times:

“Rather than creating an online social network, [Vaseline] is aiming to map the social network of a small town in Alaska …Vaseline representatives began mapping who was suggesting the lotion to whom. It was not curiosity that drove them, but commercialism. They were trying to find a plugged-in Kodiak resident who had widely recommended the lotion, to be featured in commercials.

They found her in Petal Ruch, a voice coach and 40-year-old mother of four.”

The campaign reminds us that – especially with older consumers – “social” and “network” have meanings beyond the buzz.