Top 10 misconceptions that sabotage marketing to mature audiences – #10

May 19th, 2009 by Robbie Magee

It is generally acknowledged that the mature audience is a complex and dynamic group. And yet, it seems that older adults are largely mischaracterized—even by marketers. Businesses that understand that there are several segments within this multifaceted group—and master the tricky challenge of communicating with them—stand to gain from their efforts.

If you’re looking to embark on a campaign to this market, or to improve the effectiveness of ongoing efforts, it’s important to be mindful of the gray areas that can sabotage marketing to mature audiences. In almost 20 years of marketing to this diverse group, I’ve observed 10 misconceptions that I’ll be sharing with you in the coming weeks, starting with number 10:

#10: Older adults are technophobes who don’t understand the Internet.

Au contraire: more than 80% of the older adult audience is already online.

More and more, older adults are embracing the Internet as a means to enhance their lives—whether it’s to sift through health information, stay in touch with family and friends, or research products or services to buy.

Contrary to common belief, older Americans spend more time on the Web than teenagers. Research shows that 17.7 million Internet users are age 62 and over—and nearly 75% of people age 64 and over use email.

Another activity that has seen a tremendous surge is the use of social media. A recent report cites that 60% of baby boomers consume social media—up from about 40% a year ago. This should come as no surprise to those of us who are familiar with the key values of older audiences—staying connected being at the top of this list.

Social networks, in particular, enable mature adults to foster friendships and connect with people they might not otherwise, due to diminishing mobility and, sadly, the loss of friends and relatives nearby. Ironically, Facebook’s fastest-growing demographic is not the college and post-college crowd the site originally intended to serve; but rather, it’s women 55 and over—up 175% since September 2008.

Older adults are a tech-savvy bunch whose online presence should not be taken lightly. In fact, these “silver surfers” spend more than $7 billion annually via the Internet.

Stay tuned for the remaining nine misconceptions about marketing to mature audiences…

–Robbie Magee

This entry was posted by Robbie Magee on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 and is filed under MF, Marketing, Senior Marketing, Social Media, Social Networking, Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.