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Mature Marketing Tweets of the Week – 2/6/2012

Monday, February 6th, 2012

I live in New England so I’m feeling glum. Time to cheer up with the links that were most shared, clicked on or discussed on Twitter last week!

1. MOST CLICKED: A post on email marketing and baby boomers and a case study that reveals the attitudes towards/challenges of aging in place tied for the most clicks.

To Email Boomers or Not To Email – Is That The Question? encourages marketers to realize – and embrace – the idea that older targets are receiving messages via email AND social media AND smart phones AND … As email expert Beth Rand (@BRAND727) writes,

“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.“

The Maryland AARP (@AARPMaryland) led us to a case study by The Coordinating Center (Baltimore) on the desires for and challenges of aging in place. It’s a terrific read for those in senior living. Interviewees used “stairmasters” as a symbol for the positives of aging in place and “stair lifts” as a symbol for the obstacles. I was struck by how many of the interviews were really more about social wellness than physical wellness, as one strengthens the other.

“I have a membership at the Athletic Club and I go three days a week. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I lift weights at Howard High. We are over 60 and it’s like a family thing. In fact we lost one member a couple of days ago. The coach asked everyone to gather in one little spot and she kind of walked away and she came back and she was full of tears.”

You’ll find the full report at http://www.coordinatingcenter.org/downloads/OFI/OFI_Case_Study_Report.PDF

2. MOST SHARED: Fewer Beds for Men Entering Nursing Homes http://nyti.ms/wzwbbB

Also receiving attention this week:

3. A terrific post on 5 things all email marketers need to know http://t.co/HRDt3djq

4. A campaign from financial services company FiPath tells GenXers they can’t count on Social Security, pushes retirement planning and offers to put $1 to pay off Social Security debt for every new member that signs up. Read about the campaign here – http://t.co/szrgl9KW – and please share your thoughts on this tactic below!

5. New stats show that advertising effectiveness and immediate recall of ads increase with age http://ow.ly/8Ofej

If you’re new to Twitter, please follow @CreatingResults for links to mature marketing resources throughout the week.

Posted in Advertising, Boomers, Email marketing, Gen X, Housing, Marketing | No Comments »

Mature Marketing Tweets of the Week- 12/19/2011

Monday, December 19th, 2011

Tweets from @CreatingResults over the course of the last week that were most shared, discussed and clicked. Happy Tweeting!

By far the most shared post was Gaining Boomer and Senior Marketing Insights from Social Media. Find out what messages/strategies are hitting (or missing) the mark. Todd Harff recaps a number of resources that can be extremely helpful in determining and leveraging boomer and senior social preferences and behaviors, including LinkedIn’s which allows you to see what is generating the most interest segmented by industry or group.

Other Top Tweets:

1. Santa’s Senior Secrets- An infographic chock full of not only holiday cheer but stats on seniors the world over.

2. Baby Boomer social media revolution: More and more boomers flock to sites such as Facebook and Twitter. How will you reach them?

3. Seven reasons direct mail and print remain effective marketing tools.

4. Interesting article via @AllThingsAging examining the rise of Ethnogeriatrics within diverse communities.

Posted in 40+, 50+, 60+, Advertising, Boomers, Generation Jones (trailing edge Boomers), Housing, Internet, Marketing, Mature Consumers, Retirement, Silent Generation, Social Networking | No Comments »

Mature Marketing Tweets of the Week – 12/5/2011

Monday, December 5th, 2011

Before we explore the world of tweets from the previous week we first wanted to express our sympathy in the passing of David B. Wolfe. As a leading expert in marketing to mature consumers, David’s insights changed the way we marketers think about our approach to boomer and beyond marketing (his book Ageless Marketing is a required read at our agency for this reason). Brent Green wrote a very touching tribute that can be found on his blog that sums it all up.

Tweet-Worthiest Tweets from the Previous Week

1. An infographic all about tea drove significant interest last week. Did you know that tea is served with salt and butter in some countries? Learn all about the wide world of tea with this fun trivia.

2. An insightful New York Times piece from last week provides a further glimpse into the graying workforce and retirement options (or lack of) for boomers and the impact on millennials: http://ow.ly/7HrsX

3. Resolve to stand out in the inbox in 2012, explore stats on email use by age and create your own recipe for email success: http://ow.ly/7HrJd

4. Creating new Thanksgiving traditions- a sweet piece from The 70-Something Blog about being thankful for family, health, shelter and peanut butter cups.

Interested In Your Thoughts:

A Q&A about QR codes and Baby Boomers: Do you utilize QR codes for marketing to baby boomers and beyond? What successes have you seen? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Posted in 50+, 60+, Advertising, Boomers, Marketing, Mature Consumers | No Comments »

A Q&A about QR codes and Baby Boomers

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

Have you considered incorporating a QR (Quick Response) code within marketing pieces? The geek in me loves this as another avenue for marketing to baby boomers and seniors because of how easily we can measure responses and pull prospects further through the purchase funnel. But reports of senior usage (or lack of) leave me with two questions: 1) is it a viable application for baby boomers and beyond, and 2) what is the recipe for success for using QR codes to reach them?

During a recent coming together of the marketing minds of Creating Results we discussed the phenomenon of QR codes and their implications in marketing to the mature consumer. We debated the benefits and challenges and explored several opportunities that could be leveraged for this cohort.

Just the facts, ma’am!

According to a recent article on MarketingCharts.com , 72% of consumers could pick a QR code out of a line up and 55% of those aged 55 and better were familiar with the technology (surprisingly a higher percentage than those 45-54). The bad news….30% of the same survey respondents across all age breakdowns didn’t know exactly what it was. Further, comScore reported that those 55-64 and 65+ only make up 7% of overall QR code users.

Media Post’s Online Media Daily also examined usage within advertising avenues noting that use of QR codes in print rose as much as 228% over the last year.

The QR Recipe for Mature Marketing Success

Mature consumers may not be familiar with this code today, but that shouldn’t stop us from leveraging it. Here are a few ideas for how marketers can maximize their efforts and aid in fostering an awareness of QR codes among baby boomers and seniors.

1. Spell out HOW: So many times I see QR codes being utilized in advertising with no messaging that alludes to what to do with them. If your target audience is 55+ consider incorporating directions. It could be as simple as “Scan with your smartphone QR reader.”

2. Create opportunities: If your organization already offers classes and tech experiences to seniors, why not excite those seniors who already have an established smartphone comfort level? This is a great avenue for CCRCs. Retirement community North Hill, a client of Creating Results, is introducing QR code scanners to members of its iPad club (a group of 70+ early adopters).

3. Know where opportunities exist: One of the cardinal rules of marketing is knowing your target market. If you know how Boomers typically access information you can determine marketing avenues that would most benefit and be most effective for QR codes.

According to Vertis, 52% of Boomer women rely on ad insertions and print/online coupons and incentives. Have an upcoming insert scheduled? Why not incorporate a QR code as a way to gauge how your target will respond. And as with every avenue you will want to test, test and test until you ensure the perfect storm of elements to motivate to action.

4. Spell out WHY: Boomers and seniors are concerned about their digital privacy and how their information will be used. We heard that over and over again during our Social Silver Surfers research. And they’re incredibly time-strapped – working, caring for elderly parents and adult children and grandchildren. By spelling out the benefits at the other end of the QR code – the what’s in it for me? – you’ll earn their trust and earn a scan.

5. Make it worth while: As with any new technology there is a comfort curve for seniors, which is a slightly more extensive than their millennial counterparts. Make sure that your QR code usage complements your marketing efforts and doesn’t just lead to a landing page replica of your ad. No one appreciates that and seniors especially will find this inauthentic and unworthy of their time. (And you don’t want to get them there only to lose them).

Following this recipe will ensure that your QR codes get the love they deserve and become effective elements of your marketing plan.

Posted in 50+, 60+, Advertising, Boomers, Marketing, Mature Consumers, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Mature Marketing Tweets of the Week-11/21/2011

Monday, November 21st, 2011

Top Tweets from @CreatingResults that were most shared, clicked and action oriented from the past week:

1. MOST CLICKED: “What if we cherished our elderly as we worshiped youth?” Hi-impact video from Rogerson Communities. Thought provoking look at the value of services and care of #Seniors. Click here to see the full video.

2. MOST SHARED: 27% of Virginia #babyboomers & 19% of VA #seniors say they’re not financially ready for retirement ow.ly/7wGmV. Informative survey into the insights and perceptions of #boomers. Other interesting results include 68% #seniors feel prepared for impact of aging and 42% say their communities are ready to meet the needs of that process. See the full report here: www.olderdominion.org.

Actionable tweets of the week:

1. Blah, blah, blog, #blog: Takeaways from BlogWorld conf from which all can benefit ow.ly/7sDEm

2. Study: radio has positive impact on all stages of purchase funnel ow.ly/7tWPn Chart w/ % lifts ow.ly/7tWSF

3. Understanding paid vs organic search, & why to think LEFT for better results (@tedives) ow.ly/7sEBv

4.Something to think about: Leading retailers commit to paid search, email & SEO in 2012 ow.ly/7sLRG What are your priorities?

5. Shameless plug of the week (and shared case study): Case study on another CCRC website that increased leads from 5/mo to 25/mo after re-design ow.ly/7sAWh

Posted in 40+, 50+, 60+, Advertising, Boomers, Marketing, Mature Consumers, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Top Mature Marketing Tweets of the Week

Monday, November 7th, 2011

Tweet, tweet! Twitter now has more than 100 million active monthly users and Creating Results is one of them. Tweeting under the handle @CreatingResults we’ve tweeted more than 7500 times with links to new research, best practices, tips, insights and articles about marketing to baby boomers and seniors.

We’re honored that nearly 1000 people choose to follow and share our tweets. But, despite the rapid growth of Twitter, we know a lot of people interested in marketing to the mature consumer aren’t yet using this social/micro-blogging platform. Pew Internet & American Life has estimated that 13% of online adults use Twitter while 92% use email.

So, we’re introducing a new blog feature. Every Monday, we’ll bring you those tweets that were most shared/clicked/actionable/discussed during the past week. All with greater detail and delivered straight to your inbox.

Top Tweets This Week:

1. MOST CLICKED: Elderblogger Ronni Bennett (www.TimeGoesBy.net) tells the editors of the New York Times to stop using the word “elderly” and perpetuating ageism. http://bit.ly/sPr98L

2. MOST SHARED: Associated Press & LifeGoesStrong Poll: Baby Boomers prioritize living near adult children or family (73%) over living in a community with people “of your own age” (27%) in retirement. http://prn.to/tlHMtT

3. We love this idea from the LeadingAge 2011 Conference: Elie Wiesel promotes partnerships between children and elders in nursing homes. http://bit.ly/rKZcVl

4. We have @ChuckNyren to thank for this chuckle: 40 things that make old people happy … according to the stock photography so many organizations draw from. http://bit.ly/sRNKNa

(When you’re ready to invest in authentic photography that will move the sales needle, be sure to download our eBook with national “Photo Finish” research.)

5. Using Facebook for social engagement? You need to know that Facebook is showing your brand messages to more people, but fewer times. AdAge: http://bit.ly/s9tgbC

6. A new AARP surveys finds baby boomers and seniors are worried about today and tomorrow – specifically their own financial well being. http://bit.ly/uQ1d80

7. Do you want to reach Gen X and baby boomers? Consider radio advertising between 6a and 9a. Research from Magid Associates gets broken down at http://bit.ly/tTqGB8

Tell us what you think of this new feature! Use the comment section below or … Tweet @CreatingResults. We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Tags: AARP, ageism, Chuck Nyren, Facebook, New York Times, twitter
Posted in 40+, 50+, 60+, Advertising, Boomers, Gen X, Real Estate Marketing, Social Networking | No 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 »

No Need to Bend Marketing Rules When Targeting Baby Boomers

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

USA Today and CBS News have been publishing a series of pieces on Baby Boomers and the headline of a recent article caught my eye: “Big-spending Baby Boomers bend the rules of marketing.” In it, reporter Bruce Horovitz writes that “making mass-market products relevant to Boomers is more like walking a generational minefield.” To help you avoid that minefield Horovitz suggests six ways to bend marketing rules:

1) Make Boomers feel like your product will help them feel good

2) Make them feel “hip”

3) Make them feel smart

4) Show how your products will make them feel slim, sexy and fashionable

5) Sell them on good quality food

6) Help them feel comfortable with technology, so they’ll buy more

To quote Chuck Nyren this is “no news news.”

As experts in marketing to 40+ consumers – including those big-spending Boomers – we are always thrilled to see companies wake up and recognize the potential of the mature market. Especially if it trims the number of patronizing ads that treat older people like shallow cartoons (yes, we’re talking to you, Just for Men.)

Treating customers with respect whatever their age might be … Making people feel that your products will add to their lives …. This is not bending marketing rules – it’s following them.

Tags: CBS News, Chuck Nyren, Just for Men, USA Today
Posted in 50+, 60+, Advertising, Boomers, Marketing, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

TV and Advertising to Baby Boomers, Beyond

Monday, May 24th, 2010

As advertisers fall over themselves to figure out social media marketing, one medium (television) continues to deliver large numbers of attractive consumers with money and time to spend (Baby Boomers and beyond). TV looks like a safe bet with great reach, AdAge noted this week.

“Reaching a broad audience is still important for advertisers of a wide variety of products, including cars, electronics, household products, restaurants and others,” said Jeff McCall, a professor of media studies at DePauw University. “The need for these products reaches across wide demos and broadcast television still brings those. And the older demos likely have a few more bucks to actually spend.”

Facts about Baby Boomers, Seniors and TV

* The median age of prime-time television viewers is now 51.

* Nielsen’s “Three-Screen” report for the fourth quarter of 2009 found that 35-49 year olds watch 35:40 minutes a week of traditional TV. 50-64 year olds (Baby Boomers) watch 42:38 minutes, and “seniors” age 65 or better watch 47:21 minutes.

* The average viewer watches 2,223 minutes of video in a week, and all but 1% of their video viewing is on a traditional television. (AdContrarian) As the Ad Contrarian puts it, “TV viewership is at its highest point ever and continues to grow.”

* Most viewers don’t leave the room or change channels during commercial breaks. (Council for Research Excellence) No reports on how many mute because of the ridiculously loud volume of TV ads …

* A mere 5-6% of ads are being skipped on DVRs. (DVR Research Institute)

* The median age of nightly TV news viewers across the “big three” (ABC, CBS, NBC) was 62.3 years in 2009. The median age of morning news viewers rose to 55.2 last year. (State of the Media)

MedianAgeNightlyNewsViewers2009.StateOfMedia.org

Is advertising on broadcast TV part of your marketing mix? Why/why not?

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Tags: AdAge, AdWeek, TV
Posted in 50+, 60+, Advertising, Boomers, Mature Consumers, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Marketing Outdoor Recreation to Baby Boomers, Silent Generation

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

Yesterday we let a Baby Boomer, a “gap kid” (born just after Generation Jones) and a member of Generation X sound off on whether REI’s first-ever TV ads will motivate Boomers. It was the first-ever Creating Results generational face-off. Today, we address a perhaps bigger question: Old People Don’t Hike or Camp, Do They?

Demographics of Outdoor Recreation

Outdoor recreation such as hiking or camping are indeed popular with mature Americans (Baby Boomers and members of the Silent Generation). The Outdoor Foundation’s Special Report on Camping shows that a full third of participants in camping are over the age of 45 years old. (However, their report shows only one person over age 30, and he’s on page 9.)

The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association has reported that seniors are frequent day hikers; more than 1,524,000 Americans age 55 and older hike at least 15 days a year. 64.9% of American Hiker readers are Baby Boomers or Silent Generation members (50+).

And research completed for the Canadian Tourism Commission in 2003 pointed out that as Baby Boomers age, hikers will get slightly older on average in the coming years, with “almost 3-in-10 hikers/backpackers falling into the 55+ age group.”

For REI specifically, Quantcast estimates that a quarter of the visitors to their website are over 50 years old. The average age of their catalog buyer has been reported as 44. And as Brent Green has commented, 27% of REI’s business comes from Baby Boomers yet REI has rarely incorporated older models before these TV ads appeared.

Brent’s been consistently vocal about how REI’s marketing has missed the mark with Baby Boomers. We’d love to hear if there are any outdoor gear companies out there you feel hit the bullseye. Share their names and/or links below.

Tags: Brent Green, camping, hiking, outdoor recreation, REI
Posted in 40+, 50+, 60+, Advertising, Boomers, Marketing, Mature Consumers, Silent Generation, Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

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Archive for the ‘Advertising’ Category

Mature Marketing Tweets of the Week – 2/6/2012

Mature Marketing Tweets of the Week – 12/5/2011

A Q&A about QR codes and Baby Boomers

Mature Marketing Tweets of the Week-11/21/2011

Social Media Grabs Headlines; TV and Print Grab Wallets

No Need to Bend Marketing Rules When Targeting Baby Boomers

TV and Advertising to Baby Boomers, Beyond

Facts about Baby Boomers, Seniors and TV

Marketing Outdoor Recreation to Baby Boomers, Silent Generation

Demographics of Outdoor Recreation

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