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Archive for the ‘40+’ Category

“Our Future Selves” – A Marketing Tool for Right Now

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

I look at the picture of the News21 team – a group of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism students (and maybe a professor or two) – and: they’re young. Yet this team has taken on a project that can yield great insights for my peers, those marketing to Baby Boomers, seniors, America’s older population.

The News21 team is reporting on aging. The introduction on the Our Future Selves website accurately notes

“Few changes will have as seismic an effect on the United States as the rate at which it’s growing old. The unprecedented proportion of older adults means change in every corner of our lives: our families, our workplaces, our communities.”

And excitingly, News21 is not limiting their inquiries to historic data or current trends. They’re looking at our future. Based on interviews with economists, gerontologists and statisticians, they’ve offered projections – national, state and personal.

The “Our Future Selves” project includes an interactive tool that marketers focused on the 50+ population can use right now: an interactive that offers projections related to health, finances and more for the next 40 years based on who you are now.

A married, white 40-year old woman from Rhode Island? In 2040, I’ll be 70 and 84% of women born the same year as I was will be alive. America’s population will have shifted from 65% white as it is now to 51% white. And Rhode Island’s population will continue to be older than the national average. (I wonder if that’s the year I’ll finally convince the Providence Journal‘s business editor that marketing to 50+ is a newsworthy topic?) I will spend far less on food and transport than an unmarried Hispanic woman my age, but far more on healthcare.

An unmarried, single 22-year old man from Pennsylvania? In 2040, I’ll be 52. Nearly 23% of Pennsylvanians will be over 65. Fortunately, men of my ethnic group have a lower incidence of cancer than the average for all races and sexes. Unfortunately, as an unmarried renter, more of my income is going towards housing and that income is lower than that of the married white guy down the hall.

Take the “Our Future Selves” interactive for a test drive today, and learn more about what the future could hold for your targets.

A full website from the News21 team launches next week, under the banner “Brave Old World.” Looks like it will be a great resource for marketing insights.

Tags: aging, Brave Old World, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, Our Future Selves, research
Posted in 40+, 50+, 60+, Mature Consumers | No Comments »

Messaging, Part II: In the Name of All That is Email

Monday, July 25th, 2011

A week ago my post To Email or Not to Email reviewed recent research and examined different ways to make email work for you when engaging Boomer consumers.

The news at first glance doesn’t appear great for those who target consumers aged 55 and better, as many of these folks are moving away from checking email on the web.

But don’t worry, Chicken Little, the sky isn’t falling – especially for those who target the mature consumer. The same report shows that Boomers and seniors are actually relying more and more on email. This is a trend Creating Results has seen on the rise for a while and even highlighted in a post by one of my colleagues.

You see email really isn’t dead – it’s just our definition of what email is that is changing. I believe that “email” isn’t just a pretty html piece that hits an inbox.

It’s any online or SMS messaging that is sent in an effort to engage and, if you look at your various avenues and messaging in that light, you can apply many of the same email principles to achieve desired results.

The challenge for marketers is to know their target consumers as intimately as possible in order to identify their preferred channels – email, second channel, third channel. Then we must become experts within those channels and modify messaging accordingly.

There are some key channels that are gaining popularity with the mature consumer segment. eMarketer recently reported that 43% of Boomers on Facebook have established themselves as brand advocates by “liking” brands (and that is a pretty significant increase over the course of less than a year). With the ever expanding ways we can message (email) directly through Facebook this stands out as an avenue to test to reach this segment.

One note of caution for those putting all their marketing eggs in the Facebook basket: not every mature consumer is active within social networks (something to keep in mind when looking at your media mix). In fact, during a recent Creating Results study of the web and social marketing preferences of “Social, Silver Surfers,” 68% of respondents who hadn’t tried social media avenues to date indicated they would NEVER venture down that path (a response repeated most regularly among 55-64 year olds and those 75 and better) . And those who are active in online social networks, aren’t jumping over themselves to LIKE your brand.

Percentage of social networkers who want to engage with brands by age

Another avenue that is popular among those 55 and better is blogging. This audience is looking for authentic, informative insights to help drive their purchase habits and preferences and reading insights from contemporaries speaks directly to this desire. Who are your current brand ambassadors? Is it a current home buyer for a senior living community or a family member with a mother who just received excellent rehabilitative care from your health care professional? Encourage them to contribute to your blog or post on your social media sites to help reinforce the value of your brand.

All this is well and good – but consumers have to know where to find your message.

When creating email programs for national restaurant chains during my previous life, I found this to not only be true but to be an important key to driving traffic. By informing consumers of the wide range of avenues through which they can receive messages we were able to expand our reach and drive measurable and immediate results.

Variety is the spice of life and offering a number of online avenues through which you communicate with consumers is especially important, if your marketing goal is to drive traffic and sales. Remember I may not check my various email accounts for a week (evident by the fact that one of my email accounts has 500+ unopened messages – a fail for any brands who have reached out) but I have my cell phone with me at almost all times. If you know that and want me to act, tell me I can receive information that way and make it easy for me to subscribe.

Knowing not only who you are talking to but how you are talking to them is an important piece to your messaging (email) strategy. Not all boomers are created equal when it comes to their avenue of choice but one thing is universal among this cohort – they want us to listen. It’s up to us to demonstrate through our messaging that we are.

Posted in 40+, Boomers, Internet, Marketing, Social Networking, Uncategorized | No Comments »

To Email Boomers or Not to Email …Is that the Question?

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

comScore recently reported that web-based email use among those younger than age 55 is on the decline. In response, many pundits are inferring that email will soon not be viable for engaging consumers. Many B2C marketers are examining online strategies and, in some cases, reducing the frequency of email messages delivered to their database of loyal brand enthusiasts.

As a marketer who has managed email programs for national restaurants, I have to say that I disagree with this new fear and tactic. Email is not dying, it’s just evolving and continues to be especially viable for engaging baby boomers and seniors.

The way people of all ages communicate is changing – not a shocking statement to marketers. Relevancy based purely on preferences of message type used to serve as the primary strategy for moving the open rate needle. Now, a new layer of relevancy is in the mix: the preferred avenue of choice for receiving said message. The new (and ever evolving reality) is that we rely on a variety of mediums to receive and send communications – from smart phones, social media, SMS and more.

So what does this mean for marketing strategies targeting Boomers? Knowing that your target consumer is not using email alone presents some clear areas of opportunity for even further email engagement and opens the door for discovering other technologies and online mediums they prefer.

So how should you discover and then leverage this knowledge? Here are some key questions and related insights:

1. How are you connecting? People respond (and most importantly, take ACTION) to messaging that they can relate to because it is relevant to them. Relevancy in email can’t be stressed enough. First, ask the right questions, including how they want to receive news and alerts. After you capture the preferences of your database, be sure that you respect them. There is no quicker way to alienate a Baby Boomer and lose a potential prospect than to ignore what they want.

2. Message frequency: Traditionally the rule of thumb has been no more than two messages per month. Look at your monthly send rate over the last quarter. Are you sending enough? Are you sending too many? Testing and reviewing open rates is a great way to gain insights. Or, just ask your list. They are loyal and won’t be afraid to let you know what they think.

3. What links are Boomer targets following? The most successful integrated campaigns are those that complement each other in order to engage your target market. Why not leverage social media beyond just encouraging people to share your email? You could instead highlight a special feature, gallery, video or content and drive email recipients to that site to complete the action. The same holds true for links that lead to your website to pull the consumer farther down the purchase funnel. Let your message results be your guide- if they are clicking on it it’s time to highlight it.

The old adage is true: knowing is half the battle. Email is not only a great medium for communicating relevant and timely information to Boomers and Seniors, its ability to present dynamic and engaging information tying to other online avenues makes it a no-brainer. So, if you’re questioning “to email or not to email Boomers.” the answer should be a resounding YES.

Posted in 40+, Boomers, Marketing | 1 Comment »

House Calls for Baby Boomer…Pets?

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

Lately, I’ve been thinking I’m our Vet’s best customer. I’ve taken our little Ebony there 3 times in 5 weeks and haven’t seen any other “repeats” in the waiting room. At our last visit I noticed something new: “House calls available.” My initial reaction was “whoa, my internist doesn’t make house calls and neither does my daughter’s pediatrician.” After giving it some thought I concluded that this was a BRILLIANT move for any veterinarian or service targeting Boomers (a group which includes me) and other older pet owners. Here’s why:

Do you struggle getting your 80-pound lab into the car when he/she knows where that car is headed? Imagine if you were an 80-year-old like my mother-in-law who always had a big black lab up until her death at 82. None of them were that well-behaved and, thinking about it, I still can’t figure out how she managed to get them to her vet. As a senior, she would have truly valued a vet who made house calls. And she would have been a big source of referrals. Heck, I’ve just written an entire blog post about my vet! Talk about great word of mouth marketing.
Ebony, after a grooming (wish the groomers made house calls!)
Do you work during the day? More of us do: 60% of those between 55 and 64 years old are working full time; 30% of those between the ages of 65 and 69 are working. That means our work hours are the same as those of most veterinarians making it tricky to schedule an appointment, particularly if it is an emergency (don’t think of the bill-we’ve all been there). House call vet to the rescue!
What happens when your beloved dog or cat is sick, and so are you? Like most pet lovers, you would even be more anxious to get your dog or cat in for medical attention than taking care of yourself. But the thought of sitting in the vet’s waiting room with a bunch of whimpering dogs when you feel as sick as a dog … Again, house call vet to the rescue!
Does a trip to the veterinarian makes your pet so nervous they vibrate the floor or get physically ill? Your dog or cat would be more relaxed if his or her vet came into their domain. Baby Boomers are most likely to pay for the privilege of a home visit – anything to avoid feeling like a bad Mom or Dad. As the American Veterinary Medical Association put it way back in 2000, “it appears the boomer generation and those generations hence are more willing than ever to spend their money on products and services, including veterinary care.”

So, this really is a brilliant business move by my vet, the Herndon (VA) Animal Medical Center. I’m impressed that she recognized the potential of the older market. And that she understood there were too-busy Boomers and other mature consumers who may have difficulty bringing their pets in. Who doesn’t love the convenience of house calls?

* Come! (Good Baby Boomer) - Lessons from a dog for Baby Boomer Marketing

* Marketing to Boomers, Seniors … and SWELs? - Functional foods are being developed for aging boomers, seniors and pets

Tags: american veterinary medical association, avma, baby boomers, Boomers, pet owners, seniors, veterinarians
Posted in 40+, 50+, 60+, Boomers, Marketing, Mature Consumers, Silent Generation | 2 Comments »

Social Media Grabs Headlines; TV and Print Grab Wallets

Friday, April 1st, 2011

Food for thought: while social media marketing may appear to be the darling of the day, “old fashioned” TV and print continue to grab prospects by the wallet. The effectiveness of television advertising is consistent across all ages – high numbers of Millennials, Baby Boomers and 65+ seniors report that it has an impact on their buying decision. And the impact of magazine ads increases with age.

According to the latest edition of Deloitte Research’s “State of the Media Democracy” survey, 71% of Americans still rate watching TV on any device among their favorite media activities. In addition, 83% of Americans stated that TV advertising still has the most impact on their buying decisions.

This isn’t a surprise to Creating Results – this blog has repeatedly noted that television is still a safe bet with great reach when you are marketing to Baby Boomers and seniors. But it’s timely news this week given Century 21′s decision to return to TV.

Chief Marketing Officer Beverly Thorne told AdAgethat “ it was time to return to TV to raise awareness about agents with young-adult home buyers.” The median age of US primetime TV watchers is 51 (Boomers) and 65+ers (seniors) watch more television than any other age. So Thorne’s ploy to get in front of young adults will put Century 21 in front of the adults who actually do buy new homes: 40+ matures.

The ability of ads on web sites to move traffic to other sites has dropped from 72% to 59% over the past three surveys. Online advertising trails magazines for effectiveness, especially when it comes to older targets. More than 2/3 of matures (defined by Deloitte as 63-75) and half of Baby Boomers (which Deloitte defines as 44-62) say magazine ads are highly motivating to them.

According to the survey, since 2007 a consistent 70% of Americans state that they enjoy reading printed magazines even though they know that they could find most of the same information online. James McDonnell, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP, says “… enthusiasm for printed magazines is consistent across all age groups, a unique result in consumer attitudes across all the media categories, we surveyed…

It may be April 1st but we’re not fools. As Creating Results has noted before, the top monthly magazines rely on older readers and news magazine readers, in particular are older, wealthier and more educated than the average. We feel we can safely predict that print won’t be dead for quite some time.

MediaPost shared the following chart with statistics at a glance – the advertising vehicles that have the most impact on the buying decision, by age:

Advertising With Most Impact On Buying Decision (% of Respondents)
	*All*	*Trailing Millennials*	*Leading Millennials*	*Xers*	*Boomers*	*Matures*
TV	83%	80	82	86	82	80
Magazines	50	44	45	45	53	67
Online	47	55	69	46	41	32
Newspapers	44	20	17	37	59	79
Radio	32	26	22	37	34	27
Billboards/outdoor advertising	13	11	12	14	13	8
In-theater advertising	11	27	19	10	6	3
Source: Deloitte Research, March 2011 (Trailing Millennials: Age 14-20, Leading Millennials: 21-26, Generation X: 27-43, Baby Boomers: 44-62, Matures: 63-75)

What do you think? Share your thoughts on TV, magazines and marketing to Baby Boomers and seniors below.

Tags: AdAge, Century 21, Deloitte Research, MediaPost, television
Posted in 40+, 50+, 60+, Advertising, Boomers, Marketing, Mature Consumers, Millennials/Gen Y, Real Estate Marketing, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

41.6 Percent of Americans Are On Facebook

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

… and 98% of Americans have at least one television set

Kudos to Roy Wells for tackling the misperception that only teenagers and college students are on Facebook. His post for SocialMediatoday.com this week calculated that 41.6% of all Americans have a Facebook account. And, as we’ve reported frequently on this blog, ALL Americans on social networks includes quite a few members of Gen X, Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation.

I most appreciated Wells’ emphasis on – gasp! – understanding your audience and crafting a marketing strategy appropriate to those targets.

If you are a CEO, or someone whose job it is to grow your business, the role that social media will play in your strategy is a function of who comprises your target audience, and where you can find and engage that audience. Clearly, a portion of that audience, regardless of age, are using social media channels.

So, with that in mind Creating Results would like to remind those businesses hoping to drive business with mature Americans – 40 years or older – that TV is a place you can find and engage your audience.

98% of households are TV households, reports Nielsen. 55% of US homes have three or more television sets. The median age of prime time TV watchers is 51 and seniors (65 or older) watch more minutes of “boob tube” than anyone else.

Learn more about how – when it comes to marketing to Baby Boomers and 65+ (seniors) – social media hasn’t yet killed television by reading Nielsen’s statistics or posts from the Ad Contrarian, Chuck Nyren and this blog.

Tags: SocialMediaToday
Posted in 40+, Boomers, Internet, Marketing, Mature Consumers, Silent Generation, Social Networking, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

A Gen Xer, Boomer, Silent and WWII GI Walk onto a Golf Course

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

No, it’s not a joke. It was on the second green when I realized that our group represented four generations. What had caught my eye was watching an 89 year old member of the Greatest Generation bending down to fix the ball mark that the Boomer’s ball had made. The Boomer had walked past it, either oblivious to it, or perhaps thinking he would fix it at some point in the future. The GI took care of it and a few others while he was at it. The Boomer didn’t notice or express appreciation. This happened many more times during the day. At the end of the day, the course was in better condition because a member of the Greatest Generation had played there.

Creating Results studies different generations and segments to help companies connect with mature consumers, but we don’t often get to play with them. As the round continued, I noticed more behaviors that demonstrated typical generational characteristics, but I also saw that we were individuals rather than stereotypes. The Boomer easily regaled us with stories about his successful children and the state of his business and the impact of the recession. He shared a story about when he had come to play with the Silent and GI ten years ago. He had put his bag on a golf cart and planned to ride around the course. The Silent showed up and pulled his bag on a hand cart. The GI, then 79 years old, carried his bag and walked all 18 holes.

The Silent was, for the most part, silent. He asked questions, helped the others find their balls, and offered suggestions on playing the course. A course he had helped to design surrounded by conservation areas he had saved from development, but one would never have known that from his actions. The Silent had organized and funded the entire outing with the only objective being to have a good time with some people he respected and whose company he enjoyed.

The GI was frustrated with the quality of his game and complained at one point, “I need to practice more.” I asked how often he played and he said, “most everyday, but I need to practice more”. Despite his “under performance”, he cleaned our clocks.

For the Greater Good

The GI volunteered little information. But when asked direct questions about his experiences as a member of the 82^nd Airborne in Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge, his life after the war, and his children arranging for him to return to Normandy for the 65^th anniversary commemoration, he somewhat reluctantly shared stories that have stuck with me. Listening to him was humbling. I had no doubt in my mind that I had the honor to be in the presence of a member of the Greatest Generation.

After the war, the GI lived many lives, but through all of them was a theme of public service. He devoted much time to volunteering on town councils, creating affordable housing and assisting a multitude of charitable organizations. For longer than I have lived, he has organized his town’s 4^th of July celebrations. That meant for years I had seen, and yet not seen, him march with the Veterans. I was inspired and yet disappointed when I reflected on my comparatively meager contributions to society.

My golf that day was horrible, but it was the best round I’ve ever had.

Tags: Boomers, Gen X, Generations, Greatest Generation, Silent Generation
Posted in 40+, 50+, 60+, Boomers, Gen X, Generation Jones (trailing edge Boomers), Silent Generation, Volunteering/Service | 2 Comments »

The Age of Social Networks? Mature

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

“In social media, not only do women rule, but it seems that the middle-aged are Social Media’s largest share holders,” writes Brian Solis in a new blog post. Solis shares new data from a Pingdom study of 19 social networks which found the age groups that dominate the social Web are 35-44 (Gen X, 58%), 17 and under (21%) and 45-45 (younger Baby Boomers, aka Gen Jones, 16%).

In the past, we’ve counseled those marketing to Boomers and beyond to go slowly and be choosy. Pingdom’s studycould help marketers make some of those choices. They found that the 35-44 age group “dominates the social media sphere,” representing 25% of the users across 19 sites. This age group is the largest segment on 11 of the 19 social media sites. Those 45-54 are tops on another 3 out of the 19 sites Pingdom reviewed.

Where will you find …

The average user of a social networking site is 37 years old, reports Pingdom. They then calculated an average age for each of the sites they studied.

* Looking for Millennials? Try Bebo – average age 28.4. MySpace and Xanga are close behind.

* For the not-so-Silent Generation, you might have luck with Classmates – 8% are over 65, making Classmates the site with the largest share of this mature cohort.

* Does (Gen) X mark the marketing spot for your organization? 61% of Facebook users, and 64% of Twitter-ers are over 35.

* We were surprised to discover 20% of Friendster users are between the ages of 45 and 54, which makes them trailing edge Baby Boomers (also known as Generation Jones).

* And LinkedIn, as we’ve noted before, appears your best bet for Boomers in general. Average age is 44.3 years old. That’s up three years since we shared our thoughts on LinkedIn as a mature marketing vehicle in September of 2009. More than 35% of are between 45 and 64 years old.

Be sure to read Pingdom’s post for a chart with the average ages for each of the 19 sites under review. Useful information for those preparing their social media marketing strategies.

P.S. Creating Results has been conducting research into the attitudes of 40+ consumers towards social media. We recently opened up our survey to a national audience, putting a 3-minute poll online. Whether you love or hate social networking, we’d love to hear from you! Follow this link: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/233384/40-plus-social-media

Tags: Brian Solis, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pingdom, twitter
Posted in 40+, Boomers, Gen X, Generation Jones (trailing edge Boomers), Marketing, Mature Consumers, Millennials/Gen Y, Social Networking | 1 Comment »

New Findings: Generations and Donations

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported this week on new research into how different generations – from Millennials to Silents – support and interact with charities. The survey claims that Gen X and Millennials/Gen Y now make the majority of potential donors but notes that both younger cohorts “contribute less money and support fewer charities” than Baby Boomers. Convio estimates 79% of matures (defined as born before 1945) give, as do 67% of Boomers, 58% of Gen X and 56% of 18-29 year-olds. The amount given increases signnificantly with age.

Direct Mail Dominates for Boomers, Silent Generation Donors

The report finds that direct mail, long a consistent vehicle for for-profit marketing, continues to be an effective way for not-for-profits to reach members of the Silent and Baby Boom generations.

Direct mail remains the dominant way through which older people give, with 77 percent of donors born in1945 or earlier saying they had given through the mail in the last two years. But among members of Generation X and Generation Y, no single way of giving dominated.

Forty-three percent of Generation X and 26 percent of Generation Y members in the survey said they had given through the mail in the last two years, while 35 percent of Generation X had used a charity’s Web site and and 29 percent of Generation Y had used that approach.

The full report from Convio notes that today’s traditional direct marketing fundraising letter – that long form, friendly piece that feels like it came off a typewriter – grew up with today’s Silent Generation and older. And it still works for them. 35% of people older than 65 first heard about a charity through the mail. Asked how they first learned of their top charity, Millennials did not even register mail as an option.

Convio’s take-away? “Direct mail has a bright future — but it needs to evolve.” It needs to be one part of a multichannel mix, one that includes the web, email, telemarketing and social media.

I had the honor of talking with a group of Northern Virginia charities and government agencies last week, at a lunch sponsored by the Coalition for Human Services. Our topic was another channel in Convio’s desired mix: social marketing. Friday, I’ll share some of the insights from that presentation and the lively discussions that followed.

Tags: charities, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Convio
Posted in 40+, 50+, 60+, Boomers, Gen X, Mature Consumers, Millennials/Gen Y, Silent Generation, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Millennials and Religion, Baby Boomers and Spirituality

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Wrapping up our short takes from new Pew Research Center data, we turn to religion. Pew’s study says that Millennials are not as religious as the four elder cohorts – Gen X, Baby Boom, and generations Silent and Greatest.

Pew points to people’s natural “tendency to place greater emphasis on religion as they age” but notes that – when you look at how the generations felt when they were of similar ages (18-29 years old), Millennials are more like Baby Boomers than Gen X.

“[Y]oung people today look very much like Baby Boomers did at a similar point in their life cycle; in a 1978 Gallup poll, 39% of Boomers said religion was very important to them.”

We are reminded that marketing to Boomers or any other generation for that matter) cannot be based on a cohort’s label alone. It’s what what Dick Stroud once called the “the blindingly obvious – lifestyle and lifestage trumps age.” (more…)

Tags: boomer spirituality, Carol Orsborn, International Mature Marketing Network, Pew Research Center
Posted in 40+, 50+, 60+, Boomers, Gen X, Marketing, Mature Consumers, Millennials/Gen Y, Silent Generation | No Comments »

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Archive for the ‘40+’ Category

“Our Future Selves” – A Marketing Tool for Right Now

To Email Boomers or Not to Email …Is that the Question?

House Calls for Baby Boomer…Pets?

Social Media Grabs Headlines; TV and Print Grab Wallets

A Gen Xer, Boomer, Silent and WWII GI Walk onto a Golf Course

New Findings: Generations and Donations

Direct Mail Dominates for Boomers, Silent Generation Donors

Millennials and Religion, Baby Boomers and Spirituality

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