Q: Why should I target older consumers in my marketing?
A: Marketers who don’t focus at least some of their advertising efforts on the 64-plus crowd are missing a big chunk of the pie.
There are millions of them in the United States, and they save their money and avoid debt in ways that their younger counterparts only dream of. They still enjoy face-to-face “meetups” (not the kind that take place on Facebook), newspapers and a wide range of television shows. When they receive mail, they don’t automatically toss it into the circular file. Instead, they read through their letters, postcards and other direct advertising carefully before taking action.
Who are these people who sound like excellent targets for direct marketers? They are members of the two oldest generations: the “GI” (or “Greatest”) and the “Silent” generations. Born between 1900 and 1945, these consumers are often overlooked in favor of the 76-million-strong Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), Gen X generation (1965-1981; 51 million) and the up-and-coming Millennials (1982-2001; 75 million). While these three generations use computers and mobile devices more than their older counterparts, those seasoned consumers possess qualities and traits that no marketer can afford to avoid in today’s competitive business environment.
Playing against type, America’s older generations aren’t necessarily “locked in” to certain brands or products, and are willing to try out new items that can help make their lives easier, longer and/or healthier. It’s simple to get caught up in the belief that these generations’ product preferences were locked in at a young age, but that’s not the case anymore.
“Just as there are an increasing number of swing voters in politics, there are a growing number of consumers who are ‘switchers,'” comments Bradley Honan, senior vice president at New York-based public opinion polling and research firm StrategyOne.
Many of those switchers were born between 1900 and 1945, and are much less loyal to specific brands than they were just a few decades ago. That makes both the GI and Silent generations particularly attractive for those marketers who do decide to take aim at them through advertising. This group of Americans gets a lot less marketing spend and focus than the younger population, leaving the door wide open for companies that do take the time to focus on the neglected demographic.
Direct marketers are especially well positioned to reach these older consumers. While the perception is that the GI and Silent generations don’t use technology, the fact is that many of them do surf the Internet, buy products and services online, and talk on mobile phones. They consume much of the same media as anyone else, but they are also doing something their younger cohorts aren’t: reading and watching a high dosage of traditional media, including DRTV.
Those consumers eat out more often, trade in their cars more frequently and watch a lot of television. They also know that they’re being ignored. “If there was an organization that could organize consumer backlash against marketers,” says Lori Bitter, president at San Francisco-based research and consulting firm Continuum Crew, which focuses on consumers aged 40+, “a lot of people would join the parade to protest the fact that advertising and marketing messages are just not relevant to their generations.”
Chico’s is one retailer that is bucking the trend. The women’s clothing retailer’s recent direct-mail campaign and ancillary marketing efforts are a good example of a firm that knows how to target older demographics. Using 66-year-old actress Lauren Hutton as its main model for the campaign, Chico’s sent a clear message out to its customer base: we know who you are, and we want you to wear our clothing. Picking a mature, vibrant woman as a cover model shows that the retailer is “putting a stake in the ground with its target audience,” says Bitter.
Getting those messages right isn’t always easy. The products themselves must be relevant and associated with marketing messages that take older consumers’ skepticism into account. The GI generation, for example, was raised during the Great Depression, and learned at an early age how to save carefully, avoid debt and to buy on value and need. “These are pretty sophisticated consumers who need relevant products that can help them improve their lives,” says Honan.
Other challenges include the advertising itself, which must be accessible and readable, for example, by someone with less-than-perfect eyesight. In fact, there are some pretty simple steps you can take to ensure that your advertising is properly formatted and effective. An infomercial or direct-mail piece that targets the 64+ demographic, for example, should be created with larger fonts to make it easier to read and respond to.
Media strategy is also critical, and should focus on where the GI and Silent generations are, what they’re watching and reading, what they’re buying, and what their wants and needs are.
Reaching them requires a deliberate, targeted approach-not just an afterthought. The good news is that most older consumers are constantly on the lookout for new products and services. The challenge is they want to see clear value propositions before making any purchasing decisions. But with high disposable incomes available for purchasing quality products, it’s time to remember the often “forgotten generations.”
Author of over 175 published articles, Tim Hawthorne is Founder, Chairman and Executive Creative Director of Hawthorne Direct, a full service DRTV and New Media ad agency founded in 1986. Since then Hawthorne has produced or managed over 800 Direct Response TV campaigns for clients such as Apple, Braun, Discover Card, Time-Life, Nissan, Lawn Boy, Nikon, Oreck, Bose, and Heifer International. Tim is a co-founder of the Electronic Retailing Association, has delivered over 100 speeches worldwide and is the author of the definitive DRTV book, The Complete Guide to Infomercial Marketing. A cum laude graduate of Harvard, Tim was honored with the prestigious “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Electronic Retailing Association (ERA) in 2006.
