Warmest Christmas wishes from rhc advantage: helping to spread the warmth

This Christmas we’re celebrating our first full year as the UK’s only independent marketing agency to specialise in mature audiences.

It’s been a wonderful 12 months and we would like to thank our clients for helping us make our first year so successful.

But not everyone is so fortunate.

That’s why this Christmas we are supporting Age UK’s ‘Spread the Warmth’ campaign, which is helping to prevent thousands of older people suffering and dying needlessly in winter because of the effects of cold weather.

For further information on the Spread the Warmth campaign, please visit http://www.ageuk.org.uk/get-involved/spread-the-warmth.

There are a number of ways you can also help – for example, you could donate an unwanted warm coat to your nearest Age UK shop or make a donation directly to Age UK.

With warmest wishes for a Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year from all of us at rhc advantage.

rhc advantage – the specialist ‘over 50s’ marketing agency - launches London’s first luxury retirement village

rhc advantage - the specialist marketing agency for mature audiences - has unveiled the launch campaign for Battersea Place, London’s first luxury retirement village.

Battersea Place has been designed to meet the needs of older people living in their own homes in London who want to downsize and plan for their future, but wish to continue living in the city. Located close to Albert Bridge and opposite Battersea Park, it will offer people aged over 60 independent living in stylish, spacious apartments and penthouses, supported by facilities comparable to those of a five-star hotel, including a bar, restaurant, pool and spa. Fully-qualified care staff will be on site 24 hours a day and there will be a nursing home wing.

The company behind Battersea Place is international retirement property specialist, LifeCare Residences. Said Marketing Manager, Amy Baker, “Battersea Place is a unique concept which needs extremely careful positioning. We were looking for an agency who understood today’s complex and sophisticated ageing population and who also had the marketing and creative skills to plan, create and deliver an exceptional campaign. We are delighted with the insight and creativity that rhc advantage has brought to Battersea Place ”

The campaign includes brochures, direct marketing and press advertising. Said rhc advantage director, Mark Beasley: “Battersea Place will be an exceptional development in a fantastic location, and very different to other retirement communities in the UK. The people moving here will be wealthy and sophisticated London residents, with very high expectations. We wanted to avoid the usual clichés and stereotypes that are used when communicating with older people.“

Richard Davis, LifeCare’s CEO, comments: “In the UK we have a rapidly increasing ageing population, and in 20 years’ time one-third of all households will be 65 years and over. Currently this mature market own £1 trillion of the UK’s housing assets. As they get older, they will require extensive ongoing care and support, so there is a genuine need for them to downsize and realise their capital assets. This in turn will free up their sought-after old family accommodation for younger generations to utilise.”

Notes to Editors

1. LifeCare Residences
LifeCare Residences is an internationally experienced retirement village specialist, expert at creating lifestyles and environments to enrich the lives of their residents. http://www.lifecareresidences.com/


2. Battersea Place
Battersea Place will comprise 112 contemporary apartments, with a price guide of £400,000 - £2.45m, and a boutique 30-bed nursing home. Battersea Place will be offering superior amenities including a chef-run restaurant, café/bar, swimming pool and spa, library and cinema room. The apartments, which include several large penthouses, will be comparable to other luxury developments with lifestyle benefits, already in place along the banks of the Thames; the only difference being that LifeCare’s will have 24-hour support from a professional in-house care team. The Marketing Suite was opened in October2011 and the first residents will move in to the development in 2014. http://www.batterseaplace.co.uk/

3. rhc advantage
rhc advantage is the only independent UK marketing agency to specialise in the increasingly mature audiences resulting from the UK’s ageing population. The directors are Mark Beasley (managing), Richard Collyer creative) and Tom Wright CBE (non-executive). http://www.rhcadvantage.co.uk/
Contact: Mark Beasley. 020 7193 2361. e: info@rhcadvantage.co.uk

'RHC ADVANTAGE' LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN FOR CHARITY CROSSROADS CARE

Marketing agency RHC ADVANTAGE has launched a campaign for Crossroads Care Slough, the charity which provides care and care related services for people with care needs and their carers. The campaign – called ‘Caring for Slough’ – is intended to encourage everyone in the community to work together more closely to help people with care needs. It includes a relationship marketing initiative with care and health professionals.

The ‘Caring for Slough’ campaign theme has been developed to position Crossroads as the expert authority on care, for people of all ages and health conditions, in the Slough area. It encompasses activity including: press and bus advertising; direct mail; a new suite of printed collateral, including leaflets, posters and brochures; a new website (www.sloughcrossroads.org.uk) and a new web video.

Commented the charity: “Crossroads Care Slough has now been in Slough for 20 years and is the leading provider of care services in the areas. What we do can make a real difference: not just to our clients, but also to their families – who are often their carers. In some cases, we are able to help people stay at home when they would otherwise be unable to do so – something which is very much in line with Government policy. However, many families with care needs are just not aware that services like this exist. With changes in Government funding, we needed a more professional approach to increasing our presence in the community. We are absolutely delighted with the insight, strategic thinking, creativity and energy that RHC Advantage has brought to us. ”

Commented Mark Beasley of RHC ADVANTAGE: “When we were approached by Crossroads, we were impressed by the great work being done by a committed team of people, in one of the UK’s most diverse communities, helping people of all ages, disabilities and ethnicity. As a Slough boy myself, who moved away from the area many years ago, it is particularly exciting to have the opportunity to get involved with such a worthwhile project.”


Notes for Editors

1. About RHC ADVANTAGE. RHC ADVANTAGE is a marketing agency which specialises in marketing consultancy and communications for age-neutral and mature audiences. The directors are Tom Wright CBE (non-executive Chairman), Mark Beasley (managing director), Richard Collyer (creative) and Tom Wright CBE (non-executive).

2. About Crossroads Care Slough. Crossroads Care Slough is a charity which provides a wide range of care and care-related services for people in Slough and their carers. The services offered are tailored to meet the needs of all ages, disabilities and health conditions. Slough Crossroads employs a team of experienced and well-trained carers, who work with clients, their usual carers and their families. Crossroads Care Slough is an independent part of the national Crossroads Care organisation, Britain’s leading carer support charity. www.sloughcrossroads.org.uk

Situation vacant - Account Manager

Wanted - Account Manager

About Us
Formed last year, RHC Advantage is the UK’s only independent marketing agency to specialise in adult and older audiences. We provide marketing consultancy and marketing communication services to our clients. The founders and directors are: Mark Beasley (managing) - a former WPP group planning director and Surrey MBA; Richard Collyer (creative) - successful designer and creative consultant; and Tom Wright CBE (non-exec) - chief executive of Age UK. Together with a small creative and production team, we are based in attractive offices in Odiham, Hampshire. We are now looking for an Account Manager to help us look after our expanding client list.

For more information about us, please visit www.rhcadvantage.co.uk

About the job

You would be responsible for:

• Project management of ongoing client work


• Managing client relationships, contact and reporting on a day-to-day basis


• Managing internal relationships with studio and suppliers


• Associated administration and absolutely anything else that might need doing!
  

The appointment will be on a three-month trial basis. After that, the position will become permanent and the salary increased.You will report directly to one of the directors - a highly experienced marketing consultant.

The job is based in our offices in Odiham, Hampshire - an attractive converted coaching inn. It's not Covent Garden or Soho, but you will get the chance to work in a professional environment on a variety of consultancy and communications projects.

The salary will be in the range £18,000 - £25,000 and the usual working conditions and so on will apply.

About you
The successful candidate must have:

• Excellent written English and good spoken English


• A positive and lively personality


• At least one year's relevant experience (this could be a placement year) in an advertising, design or marketing communications agency, or a client marketing department


• The ability to travel to and from Odiham (RG29 1LA) easily


• Strong personal and business administrative qualities
  

In addition, you will probably have studied marketing, as part of a first or second degree, or have a CIM diploma.

Please send your CV plus a covering email to: Mark Beasley (mark@rhcadvantage.co.uk). Clsoing date is Friday November 4th. We will make a decision by Friday 18th November and will give feedback to all unsuccessful applicants.

Targeting older people with technical products: the first of an occasional series

I have a confession to make. I’ve just bought a Brennan JB-7, finally succumbing to the ad that has been appearing for some years in Private Eye. A Brennan is a combined CD player and amplifier, the size of a hardback book, which stores up to 5000 CDs digitally. This makes it very easy to find and to play anything from your CD collection, without lots of plastic CD cases lying around.

My assumption is that the Brennan is targeted at people aged over 50, who have some disposable income (it will cost you from £266 to £540) and who love music. They are probably male and have accumulated a lot of unsightly CDs over the past 25 years or so. This is relatively easy to infer from the media schedule, the ads and the website. If you are not familiar with i-tunes, Spotify, music streaming and the like then discovering the Brennan will be like discovering fire, or the wheel.

However, the problem for Brennan, I suspect, is that many of this older audience are very familiar with such things, limiting potential audience size significantly. All the data we have seen tells us that although older people are less likely overall to use technology such as mobile phones and the internet, this is no more than an average. Within the 20-million-plus people over-50, there are some very heavy users and early adopters of technology – the important variables being class, education, income and occupation (not age). Professional middle-class men aged 50-64 are very heavy purchasers and users of ICT, for example. And to many of them, the Brennan is likely to come across as a clunking and outmoded piece of kit – a bit like a brick-size 1980s mobile phone, say.

This brings us to the product. Within the parameters it defines, the Brennan delivers exactly what it promises. It is, as it claims, unique in what it is – but not in the problem it solves. If you still can’t use a VHS player, you will certainly find the Brennan a challenge. However, to the more up-to-date itunes user, the functionality of the Brennan will seem complex, dated and limited to many. And to transfer your itunes library to the Brennan, you will have to find, download and use software of your own choosing in order to convert the files.

When you finally come to play the Brennan, after the tedious uploading process, the sound quality is very good, although the volume is unlikely to disturb the neighbours. It’s easy to find albums and tracks –as long as you remember that they’re there, as there is no ‘library’ to consult. And memory is not something that improves with age, sadly.

There are a number of positives. I am now able to play most of my music collection (itunes aside) in the living room, without fiddling with an ipod and without the clutter of CDs. The press ad provides an absolute master-class in direct response advertising: it made me believe that this was the best solution to a problem I didn’t really know I had – even though it probably isn’t.

However, after-sales service is a mixed bag: excellent support (for example, in answering questions) but a badly devised, written and designed product information booklet which starts with the product in mind, not the user. A constant theme in these reviews, I suspect, will be the poor quality of written product information – something of great value to many of us older people.

There is undoubtedly a market for this product and 10,000 units have already been sold, claim Brennan. However, one can’t help feeling that the Brennan JB7 is a product rooted in the past rather than the future: its primary rationale is to do with storing CDs, a medium which is in steady decline. I await the new-generation internet-enabled Brennan with baited breath – if not the laborious transfer of all my music to it that will be involved.

One of the biggest secrets of ageing is revealed: the Dilnot Report is published today.

One of the biggest secrets of ageing is revealed: the so-called ‘Dilnot Report’ (actual title: Fairer Care Funding) is published today (July 4th). This is the report and recommendations made to the UK Government by the Commission on Funding of Care and Support, a body chaired by Andrew Dilnot, a respected economist, statistician and academic.

The Commission was set up by Government as an independent body to make recommendations on how to achieve an affordable and sustainable funding system for care and support, for all adults in England. The most significant group affected by this is the UK’s growing elderly population.

So far, so pedantic, you might think. But I make no apology for spelling out the boring detail: this report is important, it affects all of us, and yet it will pass most people by. In fact, if you’ve read this far, the chances are that you are professionally or personally involved in this issue.

If the report achieves nothing else, it will have highlighted that not only do most people not think about how they will plan and prepare for an extended old age, they also do not even want to think about it. As with individuals, so with society: age, ageing and death remain cultural taboos in the UK, Europe’s most ageist society. It is now that bit harder to bury your head in the sand: one of the biggest secrets of ageing – what happens when you can no longer care for yourself – has now been revealed to a wider audience.

And what happens is this: you will live in a care home, which will be much more expensive than you expected. You will have to pay for it all yourself – and the cost can easily be £50,000 per annum for the rest of your life – unless or until your total assets are below £23,350. You – and your relatives – will only discover the full reality of this at a time when you have no other options. As the report states, the current system is ‘confusing, unfair and unsustainable’.

The report makes a number of visionary recommendations. The two most significant are probably these:

· Individuals contributions towards their social care costs – potentially unlimited at present – should be capped.
· The means-tested threshold should be increased from £23,250 to £100,000.

We will have to wait and see what actions the Government now takes. The total cost of the recommendations is estimated at £1.7bn and the funding considerations include increased taxation, national insurance schemes and private insurance schemes. None of these are likely to be politically attractive.

But one thing’s for sure: the secret is now out. Can you and your family afford to live longer?

----------------------

To read the report in full, http://www.dilnotcommission.dh.gov.uk/

To discuss how rhc advantage could help your organisation, or to read our research report on ‘marketing and mature audiences’, visit http://www.rhcadvantage.co.uk/

Beautiful Retirement Bungalow for Sale in Surrey

UPDATED OCTOBER 2016
Immaculate retirement bungalow in award-winning development set in semi-rural location on the outskirts of Redhill, Surrey. Countryside views from south-facing patio and conservatory. For sale with immediate possession at £385,000. For further information, please visit this website, where you can download a brochure, view a video and contact the local estate agents. www.surreybungalow.weebly.com
 

Property description
An immaculately presented two bedroom bungalow exclusively for retirement buyers, situated in rural surroundings overlooking farmland and open countryside. The property is set in a prime position on the exclusive and peaceful Linnell Park retirement development. Built by Churchill Retirement Living in 2004, Linnell Park was awarded the Daily Telegraph 'What House' Gold Award for the UK’s best retirement development. The development is set on a former farm and offers peace, quiet and lovely scenery, enhanced by adjacent farmland and a historic barn.

The property benefits from excellent communications. It is within easy reach of the towns of Reigate and Redhill, Gatwick Airport and the M25. Trains from nearby Redhill and Earlswood stations offer frequent direct services to London and Gatwick. Local shops are within walking distance.

For further information or a viewing, please visit www.surreybungalow.com

These particulars have been prepared by the vendor not the estate agent and do not form part of any offer, agreement or contract.

Wendy Wu Tours appoints rhc advantage

Wendy Wu Tours, the specialist tour operator, has appointed mature marketing agency, rhc advantage, as its retained brochure design and marketing agency.

Wendy Wu Tours is the UK’s leading independent specialist tour operator to China and a leading operator to Indochina and India. It has appointed rhc advantage to manage the design and marketing of all its brochures, which include separate brochures for China, India and Indochina.

rhc advantage is the UK’s only creative marketing agency to specialise in older, more mature, audiences. Formed by marketing consultant Mark Beasley and creative director Richard Collyer, the agency has recently been strengthened with the appointment of Tom Wright CBE, Chief Executive of Age UK, as non-executive Chairman.

Manuel Mascarenhas, managing director of Wendy Wu Tours, commented: “Most of our customers are aged over 45 and have the time, money and interest to invest in the fantastic travel experience and great value that only Wendy Wu Tours can provide. It is crucial that our brochures reflect the authentic and unique nature of our brand in a way that really inspires our customers and our travel trade partners. We were genuinely impressed with the customer and brand insight that rhc advantage demonstrated – but what really turned us on was their creative vision for the brand, which will be manifested in some of our most stunning brochures yet.”

The first project that rhc advantage will carry out is a ‘mini-brochure’, promoting selected China holidays for 2011, with a ‘fixed price guarantee’. This will be inserted with a number of national consumer titles, and also distributed via the travel trade.

Richard Collyer, creative director of rhc advantage, commented: “We are thrilled to be working with such a great travel brand as Wendy Wu Tours. Many UK operators claim to offer authentic travel experiences, but only Wendy Wu Tours can claim to be owned by someone born in China, with all the unique local knowledge, contacts and access that this implies. This is a brand which can really deliver on its promise and our work will reflect the inspiration, insight and stunning destinations that Wendy Wu Tours can offer. ”

-Ends-

For more information please contact:
Mark Beasley, managing director, at rhc advantage:
T: 0771 213 7603
E: mark@rhcadvantage.co.uk
W: www.rhcadvantage.co.uk
Available for comment and interview.

Manuel Mascarenhas, managing director, Wendy Wu Tours:
T: 020 7939 9576
E: Manuel.Mascarenhas@wendywutours.co.uk
W: www.wendywutours.co.uk


Note to editors
1. Wendy Wu Tours is the UK’s leading specialist tour operator to China, and a leading specialist tour operator to Indochina and India. The company specialises in fully-inclusive escorted tours, offering proven itineraries to spectacular and well-known tourist attractions, as well as hidden gems in more remote rural areas.

The growth and success of the business have been propelled by the founder, Wendy Wu herself. Wendy grew up in China, moving to Australia where she sent her first group tour to China in 1994 and set up her own company in 1998. The UK office was opened in 2004, growing in size and influence with the recruitment of travel industry professionals like Mascarenhas, and winning a number of industry awards. Further information is at www.wendywutours.co.uk

2. rhc advantage is the UK’s only independent marketing agency specialising in adult, older and more mature audiences. Launched last year, the agency provides marketing consultancy (research and planning) and marketing communications services (branding, design, direct and promotion). The directors are: Mark Beasley (managing), former marketing consultant and planning director of a WPP agency; Richard Collyer (creative), successful creative consultant and designer; and Tom Wright CBE (chairman – non-executive), who is Chief Executive of Age UK. Further information is at www.rhcadvantage.co.uk

3. ‘Marketing and Mature Audiences’ is a research report produced by rhc advantage. It provides a comprehensive review of more than 200 data and research sources, in order to provide an introduction to the subject of the UK’s ageing population and the role of marketing. A presentation of the main findings, together with a copy of the full report document, is currently being offered to interested client companies on a complimentary basis. Further information is at http://www.rhcadvantage.co.uk/insight

Age Myopia. What can we learn from the UK care home crisis?

It has taken a financial crisis at Southern Cross, one of the largest operators, to bring the UK care homes sector to the front pages – which is where it should have been many years ago. At the heart of the media coverage is the alleged ‘unsustainable business model’ of Southern Cross, driven by 'unacceptable' private equity and financial engineering practices. However, perhaps of greater significance is the underlying ‘perfect storm’ affecting the care home industry, which exemplifies a number of massively signficant trends related to the UK's ageing population.

The perfect storm
First of all, I make no apology for spelling out the components of the ‘perfect storm’ surrounding the care home sector. It is clear that for many years, some sort of ‘age myopia’ has ensured that individuals, organisations and society as a whole have been unaware, or chosen to ignore, the following realities.

• Demographics. An increasing number of people will require the services of a care home, as the UK’s population continues to age.
• Who pays? Care and nursing home care is means-tested - the state will only pay if your total assets fall below £23,000. For many individuals, this means the gradual loss of their assets to pay for care.
• How much? When the state does pay, the amount that they will pay care home operators (most of whom are in the private sector) falls below what is required to operate profitably.
• Individual responsibility. It is clear that – as with pensions – most people have failed to make sufficient provision for their old age. However, this argument assumes that (a) most people can afford to save the sums involved, and (b) that they knew it was necessary to do so.

All of this adds up to a situation where demand is increasing, while supply is not. The current mantra has been that most people prefer to stay in their own homes: however, this a little like saying that most people prefer to live forever. We do, but we can’t.

The Southern Cross crisis has increased awareness of these issues, fast. The Government has reacted too, with an independent review into the care system, led by economist, Andrew Dilnot, which is expected to lead to significant legislation later this year. As Paul Burstow, the health minister, has said: ‘Years of sticking plaster solutions have failed to fix social care’.

For social care, read pensions and healthcare.

Age myopia
The main root cause of these problems can be termed ‘age myopia’ – the individual and collective refusal to face up to the realities of age and an ageing population. The UK suffers from it more than most countries: recent research suggested that the UK is the most ageist country in Europe. We also have the highest incidence of family break-up and the lowest level of religious belief. Add to all this a deep-rooted cultural fear of age, ageing and death and, again, you have a perfect storm.

Age Myopia is sometimes manifested as ageism or age discrimination. This is inevitable: when old age is culturally unattractive, youth will be the default option, whether we are employing a TV presenter, hiring a front-desk employee, or selecting models and actresses for advertising work. However, on a more ‘strategic’ level, age myopia means that, individually and collectively, there has been a certain amount denial and inaction regarding age, ageing and what to do about them.

It’s all rather depressing – but it’s not entirely bad news.

Seeing beyond age myopia
Many businesses have yet to adjust to the realities of the ageing population. While no conclusive research exists to prove this broad assertion, my own experience is that all too often, marketing – the GPS of business – continues to be a function carried out by the young, with the young in mind. Yet older people are also consumers and increased alignment by businesses and brands with the needs, wants and preferences of older people would be to the benefit of all involved.

The current median adult age is 45. Taking everyone above that age as being ‘older’, there is a wealth of data (see below) to demonstrate the size and value of the ‘older’ population. This is a complex and diverse group, which requires more sophisticated marketing strategies than are currently used.

Face the Facts
For the facts on the UK’s ageing population, and its implications for marketing, please ask for a copy of our research report. This draws upon more than 200 data sources and is available at no charge to suitable applicants. Further information can be found at www.rhcadvantage.co.uk/insight.

To discuss how your business could improve its alignment with the UK’s ageing population, please contact us for a discussion. Further information and contact details are at www.rhcadvantage.co.uk

News update: all about us, for a change

A client recently pointed out that whenever we met, it was inevitable that we would always talk about the clients’ business, and never our own. This is of course good manners and what consultants are supposed to do. However, she argued, it also means that no-one knows anything much about us. To rectify this damage to our egos, we thought we’d take advantage of the current extended break to bring the world a news update – something about us, for a change. This news update will: remind you who we are; tell you how to get our recently-updated research report, at no charge; and tell you what we’ve been doing lately.

Who did you say you were again? Launched ‘officially’ last September, rhc advantage is the UK’s only independent creative marketing agency to specialise in older, adult, more mature audiences. The directors are: Mark Beasley, marketing consultant and former WPP group agency planner; Richard Collyer, creative and design consultant; and Tom Wright CBE, Chief Executive of Age UK (non-executive Chairman). We’re supported by a small account management, creative, design and production team based in our converted coaching inn in Hampshire.

We’re here to help our clients deal with the implications of the UK’s ageing population. We believe passionately that improved alignment between business and this large and growing group is long overdue and will benefit to everyone. We work in two complementary areas: marketing consultancy (research and planning) and marketing communications (copywriting, design, direct, digital and promotion).

What do we know? Research report available at no charge
There are now more adults aged over 45 than there under 45. People over 50 account for 80% of wealth and 60% of per capita expenditure. They’re particularly important to a number of consumer markets. Yet there is no easily accessible starting-point for anyone wanting to learn more about this complex and diverse group. That’s why we have produced a research report providing a comprehensive introduction to this important subject, in collaboration with two Professors. This regularly-updated report is available for download or presentation to our clients, friends and other interested parties, at no charge. For more information, visit our website (www.rhcadvantage.co.uk/insight) or reply to this email.

What have we been doing?
Adults come in all shapes and sizes! Here are some of our recent projects:
- Educational technology. Research-based proposition development led to campaigns targeted at maths teachers, via direct mail, a website and web video.
- Health clubs. We are researching and planning a new strategy regarding branding and targeting. Not every health club user is young, sleek and photogenic.
- International examinations board. We are using a range of qualitative and quantitative research techniques to help plan and re-define global brand strategy.
- Long-haul tour operator. We are busy designing and writing brochures and mailings. Most long-haul customers are aged over 50 - but reject the Saga stereotype.
- Retirement development. New brand identity, followed by the design, writing and production of a website, a suite of web videos, a brochure and other collateral.

Sponsorship of veteran rock band
We’re pleased to announce our sponsorship of veteran rock band, Route 66. The band performs at the Royal Wedding this Friday (well, a local street party) and further prestigious bookings are lined up. To book the band, please contact us.

Talking ‘bout my generation? Talk to us first…
For more information about us, please visit our website www.rhcadvantage.co.uk, subscribe to our blog http://rhcadvantage.blogspot.com, follow us at twitter (@rhcadvantage) or request our online credentials document.

If you – or anyone you know – would like to discuss a specific marketing problem or project, or to see our research report and presentation, please contact me - Mark Beasley - mark (at) rhcadvantage (co.uk). Unlike most of the UK, I am working this week!

An update on rhc advantage: business is a marathon, not a sprint

Tom Wright CBE completes Virgin London Marathon
First of all, many congratulations are due to Tom Wright CBE, who finished yesterday’s Virgin London Marathon – his first – in a little over 5 hours. In the process, Tom raised £7,500 for Age UK (the organisation of which he is Chief Executive).

rhc advantage – helping you take a more strategic view
rhc advantage is here to help businesses who have - or wish to have - a strategic view of the challenges and opportunities presented by the UK’s ageing population. We are the UK’s only independent creative marketing agency to specialise in today’s older, adult, more mature audiences. The directors are: Mark Beasley, marketing consultant and former WPP group agency planner; Richard Collyer, creative and design consultant; and Tom Wright CBE, Chief Executive of Age UK (our non-executive Chairman). We’re supported by a small creative, design and production team.

Why we’re here
The UK population is ageing. We’re here to help our clients deal with the implications of this dramatic change, working in two complementary areas: marketing consultancy (research and planning) and marketing communications (copywriting, design, direct, digital and promotion).

What do we know? Research report available at no charge
Traditional assumptions about age and ageing are inappropriate and ineffective as the basis for marketing planning. Complexity and diversity rule. As a starting point, we have produced a comprehensive, recently updated, introductory research report which can be presented or supplied to our clients, friends and prospects upon request at no charge. For further details about the report, please visit our website (www.rhcadvantage.co.uk/insight).

How can we help you?
For more information about us, please visit our website (www.rhcadvantage.co.uk) or follow us on Twitter (@rhcadvantage). For a grown-up conversation about a specific marketing problem or project, to see our research report and presentation, or to see our credentials, please contact Mark Beasley (mark@rhcadvantage.co.uk).

Many businesses have already made the strategic change that an ageing population requires, others have not. Whether you are running the Marathon, or still engaged in a series of sprints, we can help.

Tom Wright CBE to run the Virgin London Marathon for Age UK

Tom Wright CBE, Chief Executive of Age UK, is running in the Virgin London Marathon this Sunday (April 17th).

Along with over 100 other runners, the oldest of whom is 72, Tom is raising funds for Age UK, the charity for 'a better later life'.

We are keen to support Tom for two reasons. Mainly, because we are committed to the cause ourselves and endorse the work of Age UK. But also because Tom is our (non-executive and unpaid) Chairman.

We're not sure how Tom has managed to fit in any sort of training schedule, given his relentless schedule of early starts and late finishes. However, we are very confident that he will finish, if not within three hours then certainly the same day. Tom is well on the way to his personal fundraising target of £7,500. To sponsor him, please go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/tomwright1

Why on earth are the elderly so happy?

Over the years, a number of research studies have reported that, contrary to what might be expected, happiness tends to increase with age. Details of some of these are in our research report, currently available upon request(1). The most recent research findings along these lines are contained in a book by Professor Lewis Wolpert of University College, London, called ‘You’re Looking Very Well’. This contains many fascinating and sometimes personal insights (Wolpert is himself an octagenarian) amongst them the finding that “from the mid-forties, people tend to become ever more cheerful and optimistic, perhaps reaching a maximum in their late seventies or eighties.” One is forced to ask: why? Aren’t our expectations of the ageing process associated with financial problems, health worries, loneliness and the increasingly imminent arrival of the grim reaper? Not to mention the dismal way in which the elderly are treated by many business and organisations.

Reasons not to be cheerful. 1,2,3
Just yesterday morning, our local BBC radio station carried an interview with an elderly lady who had apparently spent much of her weekend lying on a trolley in a hospital corridor, awaiting attention. This confirmed the recent findings of Ann Abraham, the Health Service Ombudswoman, (February 2011) who found serious failings in “even the most basic standards of care” for the elderly in our hospitals. She also noted an “attitude – both personal and institutional – which fails to recognise the humanity and individuality of the people concerned.” This will resonate with the personal experience of many of us. Because the ‘attitude’ detected by Ms. Abraham is not unique to hospitals – it is endemic in most organisations, where employment, procurement, marketing and customer service continue to discriminate against older people. Here are not three, but four examples:

1. Unemployment amongst people aged 50-65 is much higher than it is for people under 50 and continues to increase. The chances of re-employment are low – yet organisations as diverse as McKinsey and the OECD state that a longer working life is essential for individuals and society. But why extend the retirement age when most people will have ‘retired’ involuntarily long before it?


2. In January, the Department of Work and Pensions released research pointing out that 10 million Britons now alive (that’s 17% of us) can expect to live to the age of 100. For many, this will mean relying on an inadequate pension for more than 30 years, with the fear of joining the 2.3 million people aged over 65 who (according to Age UK) already live in poverty.


3. And as longevity is increasing faster than disability-free old age, there is a very good chance that more and more of us will need to move into a care or nursing home. If you live in England, you will have to fund this yourself if you have assets of more than £23,250. As care can easily cost between £800 - £1200 per week, your assets will rapidly go into freefall.

Customer service in many organisations fails to make any allowance for the basic ageing process. As ever, the lack of Godliness is in the details. The bank which asks an 88 year old lady who had been admitted to a nursing home on the point of collapse to ‘just pop into your local branch’ to verify her change of address. The call centres which conspire to confuse, with their impenetrable telephone menus and accents. The confusion pricing strategies of energy and telecoms suppliers. Happy? Elderly people have every reason to be furious!

It’s not simply about age

The answer to the conundrum is to be found in the fact that, as our own research report (1)repeatedly finds, age alone is an unreliable variable in just about any aspect of consumer attitude or behaviour. People do not conform to stereotype and resent being defined or targeted by age. In fact, age accelerates the impact of other variables, which are almost certainly in place long before ‘old age’ becomes a fact. The main variables are these: education, income, occupation, social class and disability. It is safe to assume that their impact is at least as powerful as that of age, although the importance of psychological factors should also be noted.

For while the elderly may be happy on average compared with other age groups, that happiness is almost certainly not evenly distributed within each age band, in the same way that (say) wealth and expenditure are not evenly distributed. So it is not too surprising to find that more extensive and thorough research (2)(as opposed to, say, the facile ad hoc surveys used by Financial Services companies to generate media coverage) finds that happiness is closely associated with wealth: itself directly related to education, income, occupation and social class. For example, the ELS (2) reported that, based on tracking 10,000 people since 2002, ‘more affluent individuals have fewer depressive symptoms, greater life satisfaction, better quality of life and lower levels of loneliness.” It is a sobering but not altogether surprising fact that happiness is as much associated with wealth as it is with old age.

Mark Beasley, 7th April 2011
1. ‘Marketing and Mature Audiences’ is a research report published by rhc advantage, with the input of two University Professors, drawing on more than 200 research sources. It provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject of marketing and older people in the UK. The full research report is available upon request to appropriate applicants. Further information is at www.rhcadvantage.co.uk/insight
2. The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing is an interdisciplinary data resource on health, economic position and quality of life as people age. ELSA is the first study in the UK to connect the full range of topics necessary to understand the economic, social, psychological and health elements of the ageing process. The aim of ELSA is to explore the unfolding dynamic relationships between health, functioning, social networks and economic position. It is in effect a study of people's quality of life as they age beyond 50 and of the factors associated with it. Further details are at: www.ifs.org.uk/elsa.

Today’s Budget. WPP to join rhc advantage?

WPP to return to UK?
Martin Sorrell, founder and chief executive of WPP, is widely quoted as saying that today's Budget could pave the way for WPP – the world’s largest marketing, advertising and research group - to return to the UK. WPP relocated its tax base from London to Dublin, Ireland in September 2008, following a hike in the rate of UK corporation tax to become more than double that of Ireland’s.

This is good news all round - not least for Sir Martin, who is surely now destined to become Lord Sorrell.

A great place for your marketing budget
Of course, rhc advantage – possibly the UK’s smallest marketing, advertising and research group – has remained in the UK since we opened our doors last year. And we very much look forward to being able to pay UK corporation tax, as it will mean that we will have declared a profit.

With this laudable objective in mind, may we remind the world that now would be a very good time for potential clients to contact us. More and more people are realising that marketing for an ageing population is something that applies to most businesses, not a few. And we now have an impressive track record of research, insight, creativity and copywriting to support our claims on client budgets!

Ageism in marketing? Not at rhc advantage!
On a separate note, the Institute of Practitioners of Advertising (IPA) also cautiously welcomed today’s Budget. It noted that advertising and media agencies, “being people-based businesses with a high proportion of young staff”, should welcome the easing of the personal tax burden at the junior end, stipulated in the Budget. As their own annual survey shows, around 50% of IPA agency staff are aged under 30, with just 5% over 50. This is somewhat at odds with the realities of an ageing population and this youth-centric approach could help explain why ageism in marketing continues to be an issue.

Prospective clients should note that a more balanced approach to employee age is taken at rhc advantage. With an MD the wrong side of 50, and our first graduate recruit in her early twenties, an age neutral approach rules - exactly as you might expect.

www.rhcadvantage.co.uk

65 over 65. 65 famous people who turn 65 this year

I was recently castigated for saying that ‘If you’re old enough to remember the sixties, the chances are that you’re at least sixty.’

Of course, it’s true that people in their forties and above also remember the sixties. But to have been at the cutting edge of the sixties pop culture of fashion, music and sexual revolution, there’s a good chance that you were at least 16 in 1967 - making you at least 60 this year.

And if you were at the leadership end of that culture, you will almost certainly be older than that.

Even so, I was still more than a little surprised to find that all of the following were born in 1946 – the first year of the post-war ‘baby boom’ - and will therefore celebrate their 65th birthday this year.

I never thought that so many of my heroes, role-models and (dare I say it) pin-ups would be so old. See if a shiver runs down your spine too!

 John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin, more recently ‘Them Crooked Vultures’ and also currently performing at Covent Garden in ‘Anna Nicole)

 Jane Asher
 Julian Barnes
 Marianne Faithful
 Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
 Timothy Dalton (Bond)
 Ray Dorset (long side-burned Mungo Jerry frontman)
 Alan Bleasdale
 Sue Townsend
 Hayley Mills
 Tim Curry (of the Rocky Horror Show)
 Lesley Joseph
 Donovan
 Graham Gouldman (10cc)
 Dave Mason (Traffic)
 Paul Smith (fashion)
 Robert Fripp (King Crimson)
 Lewis Collins (Professionals)
 Noddy Holder
 Maurice Saatchi
 Sue Lawley
 Diane Keaton
 Billy Bonds
 Tony Robinson
 Alison Steadman
 Barry Gibb (BeeGees)
 Dee Dee Wilde (Pans People)
 Felicity Kendall
 Chris Tarrant
 Justin Hayward (Moody Blues)
 Benny Andersson (ABBA)
 Steven Spielberg
 Vikki Hodge (model)
 Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac)
 Jane Birkin (je t’aime)
 Peter Lorimer (Leeds)
 Joanna Lumley
 Roy Wood (Wizzard)
 Lesley Judd (Blue Peter)
 Janet Street-Porter
 Brian Patten (Liverpool poet)
 Robby Krieger (the Doors)
 Tyne Daly (Cagney & Lacy)
 Dolly Parton
 Liza Minelli
 Cher Candice Bergen
 Donald Trump
 George W Bush
 Linda Rondstadt
 Bill Clinton
 Danny Glover
 Jimmy Webb
 Susan Sarandon
 Richard Carpenter (the Carpenters)
 Uri Geller
 Patti Smith
 Mirielle Mathieu
 Ilie Nastase (tennis)
 Debbie Moore (Pineapple)
 Sylvester Stallone
 Tommy Lee Jones
 Ian Lavender (of ‘stupid boy’ fame)
 Alan Rickman
 Elkie Brooks

Thank you to Saga magazine for this information.

The point of publishing this is to remind you of two things. First, that the UK population is ageing; and second, that so-called 'older people' do not confirm to stereotype or prejudice.

If your organisation is interested in marketing to the UK's ageing population, or you would like to see our FREE research report, you'll find further information at www.rhcadvantage.co.uk or contact us at info@rhcadvantage.co.uk

rhc advantage to present at Chartered Institute of Marketing event this week.

If you're in Cambridge on Tuesday evening (February 8th) then we look forward to seeing you at the following event organised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Marketing and older people - Addressing the opportunities and challenges of the UK's ageing population
Speaker: Mark Beasley, managing director of rhc advantage
Date: 08/02/2011
Time: 18:00
CPD Hours: 1.5
Venue: ARM
110 Fulbourn Road
Cherry Hinton
Cambridge
CB1 9NJ
United Kingdom

Description
The ageing UK population is one of the most significant issues that businesses have to address. According to the Economist, 'this is a slow-moving but relentless development that in time will have vast economic, social and political consequences.'

There are already more adults aged over 45 than under 45, and more pensioners than there are children.

Older people are a large, growing and high value segment. Yet businesses continue to waste money by focusing on younger people, or by targeting older people in inappropriate and ineffective ways. This presentation provides information, insight, and clear direction for marketers interested in this complex and diverse segment.

The presentation is based upon an extensive research report carried out by RHC Advantage, directed by one University Professor (Dr David Gilbert, Professor of Marketing at the University of Surrey) and reviewed by another (Dr Paul Sweeting, Professor of Actuarial Science at the University of Kent). The research document upon which the presentation is based draws from more than 200 sources and is the most authoritative report on this subject available in the UK. This will be made available to all attendees.

Mark Beasley BSc MCIM MBA is managing director of RHC Advantage, the creative marketing agency specialising in adult, mature and older audiences. This was launched in September 2010.

Mark has 30 years experience of planning and managing successful marketing and communications programmes, working with more than 100 client companies, in most markets and sectors.

Registration is from 18:00; the event begins at 18:30 and finishes at 20:00.

Price information
Member: £15.00
Studying Member: £15.00
Student: £15.00
Guest: £20.00
Please contact the events team with any special requirements.

Alternative Pay Details: Please book online for this event via www.cim.co.uk. If you cannot do so please call The Chartered Institute of Marketing on +44 (0)1628 427340.


Contact details
Contact: Region and Branch Events
Contact Email: cimevents@cim.co.uk

The World Economic Forum on the ageing population

The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum starts tomorrow (January 26th) in Davos. Once again, my invitation seems to have been lost in the Christmas post. And unlike many politicians, I did actually study economics at University.

However, the world's movers and shakers will be moving and shaking together - in between the skiing and the parties - as they wrestle with some fairly weighty matters. And I don't just mean the wine list.

A report, ‘Global Risks 2011’, has been published ahead of the meeting. This makes the point that the world’s most advanced economies, including the UK, would be insolvent if they accounted properly for the pension and health pledges made to their ageing populations.

We are of course aware of the serious implications that an ageing population has at a macro-economic level. However, to see the issue presented in such stark terms makes for uneasy reading. If you can face more, you can download the report at www.weforum.org/globalrisks2011.

And if you would like to see this put into the context of marketing, why not read our own report - Marketing for an Ageing Population. This draws on more than 200 sources to provide an eminently readable introduction to the subject. It is available at no charge, subject to our approval of your request. More information is at www.rhcadvantage.co.uk/insight

Intern position available at marketing agency, rhc advantage

Whether or not we agree with David Willetts that we baby boomers have stolen our children's future, we do feel that it is no bad thing to offer a helping hand to recent graduates, who - we are told - face challenging times.

Having said that, we posted this position on the Government website, Graduate Talent Pool, over a week ago, and have yet to receive a single reply.

Nevertheless, here is our attempt to reach out across the inter-generational divide. Graduates of any age are of course very welcome!

Marketing Intern

Employer - rhc advantage limited

You would also work with our associate company, rhc visual strategy, based at the same premises.

Job title - Account Executive

Closing date - 14/02/2011

Job categories - Advertising, Design & Marketing

Paid / unpaid - Paid

Salary - £15000 per annum pro rata

Job description - Reporting directly to a director, you will act as an account executive, taking responsibility and providing support for anything that needs doing to keep the agency running.

This could include working on client projects, helping with new business development, liaising with our creative team, partners and suppliers, and working on professional marketing and research projects.

This is a small, friendly company and you would be expected to do your share of whatever is required – including making the tea and answering the phone.

The role is for a fixed period of three months. If the successful candidate impresses, we will consider making this a permanent role.

You will work with experienced professionals, gain insight into how a marketing agency operates, work on some real live marketing projects, and enhance your CV.

Person requirements -
1. A graduate whose course has included marketing.
2. Graduate level literacy, numeracy and IT capabilities (i.e. MS Office suite).
3. Personal qualities - positive, enthusiastic and resourceful.
4. Experience - a demonstrable service ethos.
5. MUST be able to travel to and from our office in Odiham under your own steam.
6. Age is not an issue.
7. An excellent standard of spoken and written English is required, but this need not be your first language.

Degree requirements - An honours degree, which has included marketing.

Location(s) - The position will be based at our attractive offices – a converted coaching inn – located at 113, High Street, Odiham, Hampshire RG29 1LA

Full-time/part-time - Full-time

Start date - Immediate

Duration - 3 months and extendable into a permanent role if successful

About us - Please visit these websites: www.rhcadvantage.co.uk and www.rhc.uk.com

To apply - Please send your CV, together with a covering letter written in your own handwriting explaining why you are interested in this role, to: Mark Beasley, Managing Director, rhc advantage limited, 113 High Street, ODIHAM, Hants RG29 1LA

Has ageism finally come of age?

Former BBC presenter Miriam O'Reilly this week won an employment tribunal against the BBC on the grounds of ageism. Does this so-called 'landmark victory' herald a tipping point in the engrained ageist culture and practices of many organisations – not just the BBC, but business generally?

The 53-year-old claimed she had been unfairly dropped from the ‘Countryfile’ show when it moved to a primetime Sunday evening slot in April 2009. The tribunal heard that O'Reilly had been asked if it was "time for Botox" and was warned to be "careful with those wrinkles when high definition comes in".

This victory is obviously good news for all of us who believe that a continued focus on youth – not just in the media, but in business and marketing – is not just an issue of fairness, but one of poor economic judgement. As the UK population continues to age, the epicentre for almost any business is no longer younger people: in fact, the median age of UK adults is now 45.

Michelle Mitchell, charity director at Age UK, has said the outcome sent out "a powerful signal that even in the youth-worshipping world of showbusiness, age discrimination can be withstood". After all, O’Reilly is only one of a number of female TV presenters who have been sidelined with age – for example, Joan Bakewell and Selina Scott have also challenged the BBC on its attitudes to older women.

But why stop there?

Take advertising, for example. The IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) is due to release its annual agency survey later this month. There is no reason to suppose that this year will be any different to previous years – 50% of agency employees are aged under 30, while just 5% are aged over 50. That this is the result of an ageist culture and practices is undeniable and it can only contribute to an increased schism between many of the larger agencies and the needs of their clients.

In the same week that an 18 year old was jailed for two years for throwing a fire extinguisher off a roof, have we witnessed a tipping point in societal attitudes to age? Probably not, but it’s a significant step in the right direction.

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For the facts on the UK’s ageing population, and what marketers should do about it, ask for a free copy of our comprehensive research report.

www.rhcadvantage.co.uk info@rhcadvantage.co.uk