Marketing for grown-ups

rhc Advantage is a UK-based independent marketing agency which specialises in marketing communications for adult, mature and older audiences. We call this 'Marketing for grown-ups'.

We are an experienced team with the expertise, maturity and insight to help our clients understand, plan and communicate more effectively with adult, mature and older consumers.


Our mission is to offer a grown-up alternative to your usual agency – one which can help your business take advantage of demographic change, rather than ignore it. We believe that by paying more attention to the ageing population, marketing can drive business growth. 

Our services include advertising, brand and communications planning, design and copy-writing, direct marketing, PR and promotional marketing. We also offer an insight presentation and workshop, for conferences, training and planning. 

The UK's population is ageing: there are now more adults and people aged over 50 than ever before. The fastest-growing group of all is people aged over 65. This group of people is too large to ignore, too diverse to stereotype and too complex to second-guess. We have an insight report - The Mature Marketing Report - to help our clients get to grips with this important long-term trend.

 For a grown-up conversation about your business, please contact us today. For more information, visit  www.rhcadvantage.co.uk                  

Cosmetics, Radio, Television, Headphones and the House of Lords

This blog has been falling behind and would like to apologise to its small but loyal band of readers. All blog posts are posted on our main blog site:  www.rhcadvantage.co.uk/news

Here are recent posts that you may have missed:

• Cosmetics: the Marketing Challenges of an Ageing Population. Join the discussion here (14.02.13)
• Radio for Grown-Ups: advertising, promotional and sponsorship opportunities with The Wireless (06.03.13)
• Do you turn up the Television a little more than you used to? Television headphones for the over-50s from our client, Sennheiser (13.03.13)
• House of Lords publishes report on the Ageing Population today. But what is your business doing? (14.03.13)
• Cosmetics and Mature Consumers:  our presentation at the in-cosmetics conference in Paris, April 2013 (20.03.13)

All the above can be viewed in their full glory at www.rhcadvantage.co.uk/news

Where are we now? David Bowie and mature audiences...

If you want to know about the beauty industry, there is no finer place to go than Imogen Matthews Associates - www.imogenmatthews.co.uk 

 

Imogen Matthews is a respected consultant, journalist and researcher with unique insight into the Beauty Industry. For the past 20 years, she has provided marketers, retailers and consultants with expert commentary and analysis.

 

IMA's recent report, Older Women: the Forgotten Demographic, highlights an unexploited opportunity for an ageing population that wants to stay younger for longer and is prepared to spend money on beauty treatments and solutions, especially at the premium end. But, Imogen asked, is the beauty industry really doing enough to maximise this growth demographic?

 

I was asked to write an article for the IMA blog, reproduced below. I set myself the task of linking David Bowie and marketing to mature audiences. Here's my article - I think I got away with it....

 

10 Golden Rules for Marketing to the UK’s Most Affluent Demographic

 

David Bowie has been in the news lately, after an absence of 11 years. His new single –‘Where are we now? – was released on his 66^th birthday. This has astonished the world of media, which seems surprised that the “poor old chap” is still alive, let alone able to croak out a few words of song,

According to Robert McCrum, writing in the Guardian: ‘At 66, Bowie also defies gravity’, going on to assert that ‘most poets and songwriters do their best work before the age of 40’, citing Byon, Keats, Shakespeare and Shelley.

This sort of casual ageism continues to underpin the attitudes of many of us working in marketing. In fact, Byron, Keats and Shelly never even made the age of 40 – this was not unusual in the 19^th century. However, life expectancy has moved on significantly since then. Most of us can expect to live well into our 80s and if you’re born this year, you have a one-in-three chance of living to 100 and beyond.

Already, more than 50% of adults in the UK are aged over 40. So what are we to make of the ageing population that comes with increased life expectancy? As David Bowie’s single enters the top ten, here are my top ten soundbites for marketing to more mature consumers.

1. Think of individuals, not groups. Do not categorise older people as a single, homogenous segment. There are too many of us for that and we are not all the same!
2. Do not overtly target ‘older people’. We know how old we are, you don’t need to remind us. If you are more subtle and convince us that you meet our needs, we might be interested.
3. Think differently. Traditional stereotypes of age and ageing no longer apply. In popular music, artists older than Bowie continue to survive and prosper – Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones, for example.
4. Following the money? The over-50s account for 80% of the UK’s wealth and disproportionately high levels of expenditure. However, this is not evenly distributed and will not be replicated to the same extent by younger age cohorts.
5. Let’s get physical. Physical and cognitive decline are part of the normal ageing process. Make sure you have an inclusive approach to all aspects of the marketing mix, not just marketing communications.
6. Age is relative. Our own age dictates our perceptions of old age and the attributes associated with old age. Make sure that your marketing is consumer-driven and not at the mercy of well-meaning younger marketers or agency staff.
7. Don’t target by generation. In the UK, terms such as ‘Baby boomer’ and ‘Generation X’ provide little consumer insight. Members of such groups share little other than the period in which they were born.
8. Think across age groups. Few products and services are consumed and purchased only by older people. There will often be more than one generation involved. Also, the audience for many brands is likely to span different generations, as consumer needs and interests are seldom shaped by age alone.
9. Walk the talk. If you care about older people so much, why not employ some? Few people over 50 work in marketing. This no longer makes sense, if indeed it ever did.
10. There are no ‘golden bullets’. This is a large, diverse and complex group of people – not a small niche group. Please do not expect ‘off-the-shelf’ guidelines – despite this article!
To conclude as we started – with David Bowie, who wrote back in 1971 in the song Changes: ‘Pretty soon you’re gonna get a little older.’ The biggest danger of marketing for older people, I think, is the tendency to think of older people as ‘them’. In fact, it’s not them, it’s us: if not now, then later. If we’re lucky.

These ten soundbites were distilled from rhc advantage’s 180 page research report which is available via its website, www.rhcadvantage.co.uk

To find out about 'Older Women: the Forgotten Demographic' or Imogen's other work on the Premium Beauty Market, visit www.imogenmatthews.co.uk

 

Good news and bad news for older people online (aka 'Silver Surfers' )

Much as I dislike the term ‘Silver Surfer’,   it is one that is still in common use and is used to signify ‘older people who are online’. Today, it has been used by both the Express and Telegraph:

-          The Telegraph has announced the closure of Saga Zone

-          The Express covered a new business for ‘silver surfers, and has a used a few quotes from an expert source aka me!

This co-incides with the imminent launch of our online consumer discussion forum (info@agepanel.co.uk)

1.      Saga Zone to close

Saga Zone – the online social networking forum for people over 50 run by Saga – has been closed.  An announcement on the website states that it will close on February 26^th. The reason given is the amount of ‘controversial and offensive’ content posted on the site by members, which is seen as a threat to the Saga brand.

In the Telegraph today, more specific reasons are given and a spokesperson for Saga is quoted as referring to ‘racist, homophobic and anti-semitic or anti-arab’ comments. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ianmcowie/100022685/racist-jibes-prompt-saga-to-scrap-its-social-network-facebook-for-the-over-50s/

Seen by some as a rival to FaceBook, but for older people, Saga Zone is claimed to have had ‘many thousands’ of registered viewers but only ‘low hundreds’ of regular contributors. This ‘conversion ratio’ is what one might expect – but given the massive popularity of FaceBook the absolute number of users seems surprisingly low.

Data released by FaceBook last month claimed 27 million users in the UK,  30% of whom are over aged over 50. So why such low numbers for Saga Zone? One of the reasons for this could be that most people prefer to do their social networking on an ‘age neutral’ basis. ‘I think I’ll talk to someone my own age’ is rarely high on our agendas, while ‘I’d like to talk with someone with similar interests’ probably is.

As to whether or not older people are any more or less less politically correct than any other age group - let's leave that subject for another day!

2.      ‘Striking gold with Britain’s silver surfers’

In the Daily Express today, Maisha Frost looks at a new IT business servicing ‘older’ IT users, putting this in the context of  a ‘mature market’ which is large, growing and under-served.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/375809/Striking-gold-with-Britain-s-silver-surfers

She includes wise remarks and comments from a ‘specialist in marketing to mature customers’ – someone called Mark Beasley, of marketing agency rhc advantage.
 

3.       New marketing research online community for older people about to launch

rhc advantage is about to launch Age Panel, an online community for ‘expert’ consumers aged 45 and upwards. This is intended to provide a forum for experienced consumers to share their opinions with each other and with sponsoring brands and businesses. Please contact info@agepanel.co.uk for more information.

For more information on marketing and mature audiences, please contact Mark Beasley – mark@rhcadvantage.co.uk or visit www.rhcadvantage.co.uk

‘Marketing to the Ageing Consumer’ - a Book Review

Mark Beasley, of rhc advantage, the mature marketing agency, reviews ‘Marketing to the Ageing Consumer - the Secrets to Building an Age Friendly Business’ by Dick Stroud and Kim Walker (Palgrave & MacMillan).

1. Introducing the book: the first to cover an important subject

To get straight to the point: the ‘secrets to building an age friendly business’ revealed in this book depend upon understanding how the ageing of consumers’ minds, bodies and senses determine the products they purchase. This book is important because, claim the publishers, this subject has not previously been examined in any detail. In fact, it is stated that it is the ‘first and most comprehensive’ account of this subject – but let me stop right there. Because if it is the first, then by definition it will surely also be the most comprehensive! Unfortunately, clumsy stylistic errors of this sort throughout the book tend to get in the way of what is otherwise an authoritative text.

That said, it is almost impossible to review this book in anything other than positive terms. The broad subject area – that of marketing and the ageing population – is an important one, to which my business (rhcadvantage.co.uk) has a shared interest and commitment. We are therefore pre-disposed towards supporting anything which promotes it. What’s more, this book breaks new ground by focusing on the need for businesses to focus on the unique physical needs of older people. The subject of marketing communications for ‘older people’ has received some attention over the years, but as Stroud and Walker point out, there are many more important factors to be considered first.

The reviewers task is also hampered by the long list of the Great and Good (featured in the first two pages of the book), all of whom endorse the book. What’s more, the authors themselves are experienced and highly-respected authorities on this subject. ‘Critic beware’ is the message!

So, all of this makes it almost impossible to review this book in anything other than positive terms.

Despite that, I concluded that inside this 240 page book, a concise and much better-written article is waiting to get out. Either that, or the breadth and depth of the subject matter (and the obvious research and knowledge of the authors) deserve a much longer and more substantial book. In other words, the main limitation of the book is the format: perhaps the market or the publishers dictate the length.

To support my case, I would argue that the context which gives the subject matter of the book such significance – ageing populations and the failure of business to address the challenges and opportunities that they present – is given insufficient weight. Perhaps the authors feel that everyone already knows this: an assumption with which I disagree. By contrast, too much attention is given to unnecessary ‘scientific’ detail. It is important to know about the physiological aspects of ageing and what the business implications are, but do we really need to know quite so much of the medical background ? The authors state that they have aimed to focus ‘on the business rather than the science of ageing’ but I believe they might want to address this balance.

2. Aims and key concepts

So what exactly is the book setting out to do? This is best explained by the sub-title shown above (‘the secrets to building an age-friendly business’). The best statement of the authors’ intentions that I can otherwise find is the less than inspiring statement that they aim to provide ‘knowledge and techniques to help marketers benefit from a new dimension of change that will progressively affect all areas of their work’. In other words, their aim is to help marketers address, and benefit from, continued population ageing. This is certainly a laudable objective. However, should the audience be confined to marketers, who seldom control or even influence all aspects of a business?

In doing this, the book depends upon three important concepts. The first is that population ageing is of crucial significance to business. In fact, the authors claim that “this is a phenomenon which will soon equal sustainability as a global trend that the corporate world must understand and devise policies to embrace”. I do not think that this important concept is sufficiently developed or substantiated – yet the significance of everything that follows depends upon it.

Second, it is assumed that it is possible and indeed desirable to attain a position of what the authors call ‘age friendliness’, a concept which is defined as ‘an environment in which the unique physical needs of older people are satisfied in a way that is natural and beneficial for all ages.’ If you’re looking for specific definition and measurement of this rather nebulous concept, you’re in the right place. Fortuitously, the authors’ consulting business (which this book is presumably intended to promote) does just this, some of which is explained in the book.

The final concept is that the key to age friendliness is greater understanding of physical (or physiological – both terms are used) ageing and how this affects all customer touchpoints. This subject has been neglected, claim the authors, and is the key to reaching the nirvana of age friendliness.

3. Structure and content

Part one: the discipline of marketing to older people
The book can be divided into four parts, although this is not made as clear as it might be. The first part gives a very brief overview of the history and scope of the ‘discipline’ of marketing to older people, although how, where and to what extent this ‘discipline’ is codified or indeed practised is not explained. The authors, understandably, are keen to get to the point of the book, but the result of this brevity is that some important subject matter is compressed a little too much. Most people in business do not know this stuff, I would suggest, but the significance of the rest of the book depends upon it.

This brevity also means that some fundamental points are reduced to un-substantiated assertions. To take one example, it is stated that the starting point is ‘to address the paradox of why a large group of wealthy people attracts so little attention from the marketing community’ – a significant point, which to some extent underpins the very existence of this book. However, no evidence is given to support it (possibly because there isn’t any: much as we might like there to be).

Part two: physiological ageing
The second section of the book examines the intricacies of physiological ageing and the business opportunities they present. This section accounts for 50% (120 pages) of the book and it is no small achievement to bring all of this information together. Looking at mind, body and senses, one is reminded of just how much there is to go wrong!

A lot of secondary research was clearly carried out by the authors and it is well-structured and explained. However, the book does provide rather too much detailed scientific data for this reader. In fact, it often seems more like a biology textbook than a marketing text, with diagrams of skeletons, tables of medical data and impenetrable sentences such as: ‘the somasensory systems affect all of those touchpoints that are reliant, for their successful operation, on the body’s sensitivity to threshold levels of vibration, pressure or temperature.’ The point is made: the authors have done their homework – but do we need to have our noses rubbed in it quite so often?

This ‘science bit’ seems to be at the expense of examining attitudes and behaviour regarding physiological ageing. These do matter, I would suggest: I like to turn up the TV; you have the TV on too loud; he has hearing impairment. Despite this niggle, this section of the book is full of information and insights unlikely to be found in any other marketing text and the underlying point is well made.

Part three: age-friendliness - what it is and how to get some
The third section of the book explains the concept of age-friendliness and how it is measured. This provides some interesting topics – for example, the surprising age-friendliness of Apple, which suggests that the default setting for good business and good product design is age neutral. A process for developing an age-friendly strategy is considered and the reasons why this has not yet been embraced by many companies are given. While these all ring true, this perhaps has as much to do with the well-documented problems associated with planning and executing any sort of long-term strategic change.

This section of the book goes on to introduce a methodology for strategy development – the authors’ own AF (Age-Friendly) Audit toolset. This is claimed to be a thorough evaluation based upon an age-friendly model of 24 physiological effects of ageing across over 200 customer touchpoints. I do not propose to attempt a critique of this – in fact, I would love to know more. However, I am aware that such approaches work in other areas and respect the capabilities and experience of the authors.

Part four: implementing an age-friendly strategy
The final – and quite short – part of the book examines why companies should adopt an age-friendly strategy and what the broader business and societal implications are. Chapter 10 (creating an age-friendly strategy) is particularly well-written and well-argued and stands in its own right as being worthy of wider dissemination at board-level. If you read one chapter, read this one. Finally, the last chapter stresses that the ageing population is a ‘mega-trend’ that must be addressed, and examines the future of age-friendliness. This part of the book would form the basis of an excellent article for the Harvard Business Review.

4. To what extent does the book achieve its aims?

As stated earlier, we support any book which raises the important issues that this book does. The book represents a new direction in the (limited) literature on this subject and – like any book - has strengths and weaknesses. I would like to have seen more of the high level argument in the closing chapters and a lot less of the ‘A level biology text book’ detail. However, the main weakness is the format: I am guessing that this book had to be of a certain size dictated by the publishers. This means, as I have said, that it is too long to be a hard-hitting polemic (as suggested by the final chapters), yet also too short to set out the full business case for considering this subject in the first place. Imperfect perhaps, but it introduces new subject matter and makes some important points.

Mark Beasley
31st January 2013

rhc advantage is a marketing agency which specialises in the mature (50+) market. We help our clients to gain better insights, plan more effective strategies and create more engaging brand communications

http://www.rhcadvantage.co.uk

Spread the Warmth this Christmas, with rhc advantage and Age UK

It’s Christmas, as Noddy Holder has been shouting so memorably for the past 39 years.

That means it’s time for us to extend our warmest wishes to all our associates, clients, colleagues and friends.

Merry Christmas, everybody.

This year, we’re celebrating our second full year as the UK’s only mature (50+) marketing agency.

It’s been hard work, but we remain committed to the belief that older people deserve a better deal from business and marketers.

Above all, we’ve really enjoyed working with our clients, meeting new clients and producing work we’re all proud of. Thank you for sharing our vision.

But not everyone is so lucky. Many older people will spend Christmas cold, hungry and alone.

That’s why we’re supporting Age UK’s ‘Spread the Warmth’ campaign, which is helping many thousands of older people to celebrate Christmas the way it should be celebrated. Amongst friends, in the warmth, with a hot meal.

We would like to send you our warmest wishes for Christmas and the New Year. We hope that your yuletide is merry and your celebrations are everything you hope for.

For more information about how you could help spread the warmth to others, please read on.

What is Spread the Warmth?

Here is what Age UK has to say.
 
Spread the Warmth is an Age UK campaign to stop older people suffering and dying needlessly in winter. Every year, more than 26,000 people die needlessly during winter because of the cold weather.Older people are more vulnerable to effects of cold weather - out of the 26,000 winter deaths every year, 9 in 10 are older people. Over a third of people in the UK aged 65+ say they are dreading the cold weather in winter.

As we get older, our bodies respond differently to the cold – increasing the likelihood of a heart attack, stroke, or pneumonia. Cold weather also makes it more difficult for people to get around – which can lead to depression, loneliness, and isolation. Over 500,000 older people spend Christmas Day alone. Cold weather also adds to the financial worries of older people - 36% of people aged 60 or over in Great Britain stay or live in just one heated room of their home to save money. 30% say they avoid heating rooms like the bedroom, bathroom or living room because they are worried about the cost.

During Spread the Warmth, Age UK and the majority of our network of local partners will:

• Distribute essential items like clothes, heaters and electric blankets – to keep people warm
• Provide benefit checks to ease financial worries
• Offer snow clearance services, shopping support and befriending visits – so those with mobility issues can get what they need
• Run Christmas parties, theatre trips, and Christmas shopping trips - to help fight isolation
• Distribute information guides, including tips on how to stay warm in your home
• Distribute thermometers – so older people know when to turn on their heating
• Put pressure on MPs and local councils to make cold-related winter deaths a public health priority

Your donations are a crucial part of this support – it is through your generosity that Age UKs and local partners are able to provide these services. Thousands of older people die every year, because of the cold. Just £5 can make a difference and help to save a life today. To donate, click here.
To find out more about rhc advantage, visit www.rhcadvantage.co.uk

50% discount on ‘Mature (50+) Market’ Research Report

50% discount now available on new edition of ‘Mature Market’ Research Report

Last month, specialist 50+ marketing agency, rhc advantage, released a substantially updated and revised edition of its research report, ‘Marketing for Mature Audiences’.  This is now available at a 50% discount until November 16th.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the subject of marketing and older people in the UK, drawing upon more than 250 data and research sources. It provides a wealth of information, insight and interpretation to marketers and anyone else interested in building relationships with this important group.

Said rhc advantage director, Mark Beasley: “The report has been extensively revised and updated and now has 20% more content and two entirely new sections. As far as we know, there is nothing else available with the breadth and depth offered by this report.”

The report, which is 180 A4 pages in length, was produced with the input of two University Professors. It covers the following subjects: demographic trends; economic, social, political and legal trends and issues; the income, wealth and expenditure of older people; the attitudes of older people to life, business and marketing; segmentation and generational marketing; a review of marketing practice and marketing communications, including guidelines; digital and the internet; and a European overview.

The report is now available from rhc advantage in hard copy format. The cover price of the report - reduced with this offer from £995 to £497 - also includes a personal presentation of the main findings and, as a final statement of confidence, there is a money-back guarantee. For more information and a free executive summary, please contact Mark Beasley at mark@rhcadvantage.co.uk or 020 7193 2361, or visit www.rhcadvantage.co.uk

Notes

rhc advantage limited is a marketing agency which specialises in the 50+ market. We help our clients to gain deeper insight, plan more effective strategies and create more engaging brand communications for this important audience. The directors are Mark Beasley (marketing), Richard Collyer (creative) and Tom Wright CBE (non-executive). www.rhcadvantage.co.uk

New edition of ‘Mature Market’ Research Report released today by 50+ marketing agency, rhc advantage

Specialist 50+ marketing agency,  rhc advantage, has today released a substantially updated and revised edition of its research report, ‘Marketing for Mature Audiences’.  

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the subject of marketing and older people in the UK, drawing upon more than 250 data and research sources.  It provides a wealth of information, insight and interpretation to marketers and anyone else interested in building relationships with this important group.

Said rhc advantage director, Mark Beasley: “The report has been extensively revised and updated and now has 20% more content and two entirely new sections.  As far as we know, there is nothing else available with the breadth and depth offered by this report.”  

The report, which is 180 A4 pages in length, was produced with the input of two University Professors.  It covers the following subjects:  demographic trends; economic, social, political and legal trends and issues; the income, wealth and expenditure of older people; the attitudes of older people to life, business and marketing; segmentation and generational marketing; a review of marketing practice and marketing communications,  including guidelines; digital and the internet; and a European overview. 

The report is now available from rhc advantage in hard copy format. The cover price of the report also includes a personal presentation of the main findings and, as a  final statement of confidence, there is a money-back guarantee.  For more information and a free executive summary,  please contact Mark Beasley at mark@rhcadvantage.co.uk or 020 7193 2361, or visit www.rhcadvantage.co.uk

 

Notes

rhc advantage limited is a marketing agency which specialises in the 50+ market. We help our clients to gain insight, plan more effective strategies and create more engaging brand communications for this important audience. The directors are Mark Beasley (marketing), Richard Collyer (creative) and Tom Wright CBE (non-executive). www.rhcadvantage.co.uk

 

The 50+ Show: Middle England comes to Olympia

If,  like me, you’re involved in marketing for older people,   you are likely to say things like ‘the over 50s should not be treated as a homogenous group’ on a regular basis.  As we all know, this is a large, complex and diverse group of discerning consumers.  One size does not fit all.  So what common ground could an exhibition called ‘The 50+ Show’   cover that would appeal to this group? To find out, I went to Olympia, London, on Friday July 13^th.

First impressions
I have to admit that my pencil was sharpened in anticipation of an extremely unpleasant and depressing experience:  queues, crowds and inadequate toilet  facilities, for example.   In fact,  when I arrived at 10.00 a.m.  check-in was quick and efficient  (if not particularly welcoming) and  I was seated inside with a coffee within minutes.  This enabled me to relax, plan my route, people-watch and admire the beautiful Morgan three-wheeler mysteriously parked in front of me.

Sipping my coffee, I took stock. Perhaps my ‘first experience’ of the show could have been improved.  Could there have been some friendly older people to meet and greet us all, instead of the usual jobsworths?  What about a Help and Information Desk as you walk in, staffed by more of the same? And most importantly, what happens when you take a corner at speed in that Morgan?   A visit to the loo was achieved without delay or incident and I was free to start my tour, relaxed and crowd-free.

Sense and sensibility
The crowds took some time to arrive.  Perhaps my 50+ colleagues travel some distance to the show from their homes in leafy suburbia, and may quite sensibly choose to avoid the rush-hour and take advantage of cheap-day return fares.  By lunchtime, the show had filled up significantly, making it much more of a scrum to walk around - in fact, the organisers claim that the show achieved a record attendance this year.  Good news for exhibitors,  a number of whom told me that they were very satisfied with the traffic on their stand.

This also meant that the facilities came under a certain amount of pressure later in the day. One female visitor told me that there was only one set of ladies toilets, representing a lengthy hike for less sprightly visitors finding themselves in the wrong part of the hall at the wrong time,  and a permanent  queue when you got there.   ‘Not at all pleasant for we ladies in their 60s’, as she put it.

Lunchtime was not quite what one might have expected. Many visitors had chosen to bring their own sandwiches, which they proceeded to eat anywhere they could. It was rather like one large picnic, but minus anything (other than food) that might make a picnic enjoyable. Could space be made available for this next year, perhaps? A Picnic Zone, sponsored by Hovis, perhaps.  

Power to the people
And what about my fellow 50+ visitors?  Overall, my impression was of a much more diverse group than I had expected.   But although a lot of boxes were ticked, my  sense was that the dominant group consisted of  couples in their  sixties, many of  whom had  ‘Middle England’,  sensible shoes  and ‘Marks and Spencer leisurewear’ written all over them.   This is perhaps not too surprising given that the show was until recently called the Retirement Show and this is the age group most likely to be interested in retirement-related matters. The over-50s is a powerful group, in terms of both size and spending power:  was its full diversity represented at this show?  It would be interesting to see the visitor profile – and it I were a potential exhibitor, I would be even more interested.  

Excuse me,  your roots are showing
The roots of the show as the Retirement Show are clearly visible and reflected by the fact that Prudential are the main sponsors.  And the concept of retirement goes some way to explaining what a group of otherwise diverse people might have in common beyond their age:  a major life event, with changing financial and personal circumstances to consider. 

Not surprisingly, the nature of the exhibitors reflect this. The usual suspects were there in force  – heathcare, retirement property and travel, for example. But with more than 150 exhibitors in all, there was a much wider range than you might expect:  did you even know that there is such a phenomenon as  health tourism,  let alone a company specialising in dental holidays?  A number of areas seemed under-represented,  not least  financial services companies – although this may be explained by the fact that Prudential are the main sponsor.

Activities for life
An impressive feature of the show is the wide range of activities, demonstrations.  presentations and seminars on offer. This included an activity zone, cookery demonstration, a climbing wall, a dance floor, a fashion show, live music, show homes and much more. Together, these offered a choice of information and entertainment from 10.00 in the morning to 4.30 in the afternoon.  If I had one criticism it would be that there was too much going on in the space available – with the ‘noise clutter’ making it hard to concentrate on any one thing.    I have to admit that the presentation called   ‘Sex can last a Lifetime’  caught my attention. Impressive but ultimately frustrating, I would imagine.

Promotion
One area where I would suggest improvement is in the promotional activity for the show itself, which simply does not do the show or the audience justice. Just because it’s for older people does not mean that basic standards of creativity or production values should be ignored. A more focused proposition would help to convey the depth and breadth of the show, rather than depending upon an apparently random ‘shopping list’.   

Walk the talk
In conclusion, my main point would be that the show needs to convince potential visitors that is more than a device to lure us into a single space where people can sell us things.   Why not  create more of a sense of  empathy by having  older people to meet and greet visitors,  to provide general advice and  information,  and perhaps even work on the stands. One obvious area of dissonance is the stand personnel  employed  by some exhibitors.  Too many stands seemed to be staffed by temporary staff, many of whom were quite young,   who seemed to lack  any obvious interest in the subject or empathy with older people.  Come on exhibitors – walk the talk! 

The stands with staff of a more varied age profile stood out and maybe it was no co-incidence that they also captured the crowds.  For example, on the   ‘We are Better Together’  stand,  the founder, Dr Meredith Belbin , was very much in evidence,  belying his 85 years of age. 

The management  of  another  stand had the interesting (if not very PC)  idea of employing  a number of young women in short skirts, high heels, red lipstick and glasses (‘secretaries’) to attract customers and encourage them to speak with a smaller number of men in suits (‘bosses’).    Even this ploy was  not quite in the same league as I  saw at an exhibition in Barcelona recently, where a Russian telecoms firm had a team of scantily-clad  ‘pole dancers’ performing on their stand. This was supported by a free draw to win a night in a dacha with one of them, for  a  ‘business  discussion’.  Now there’s an idea for the next show.  Or like me,  would you rather win that Morgan three-wheeler? 

Mark Beasley

Managing Director, RHC Advantage Limited

The 50+ marketing agency

www.rhcadvantage.co.uk

mark@rhcadvantage.co.uk

Retirement: an impressive campaign

One of the most important aspects of blogging is topicality, so I apologise that you may have already read about this elsewhere. However, if you haven't - please do read on.

Last month,  Prudential  and their agency, DROGA5 New York, won an award at the Cannes  Advertising jamboree  for their ‘Day One’ campaign, which tackled the subject of retirement. 

Whatever you may think of advertising industry awards, the campaign is  impressive.  I love the way it addresses the clichés and stereotypes surrounding retirement, as well as the challenges and problems that people face as they retire.   In fact, the only two negatives are: once again, the USA is ahead of the game; and I had no involvement in this campaign whatsoever.   You can watch the video here:

http://www.canneslions.com/work/2012/integrated/entry.cfm?entryid=34240&award=2

Here’s what they said:

“While the rest of the retirement category has promised shallow hopes of vineyards and yachts, we seized reality and captured what it felt like to wake up on a person's first day of retirement in 2011. We collected and documented personal experiences from across the country and launched 'Day One Stories', an integrated campaign encouraging people to start the conversation around retirement and to pro-actively plan for their own.”

 “In 2011, the biggest generation in U.S. history began to retire during the worst recession in a century. So instead of the false promises and intimidation that define the retirement category, we concentrated on one moment that everyone shares: Day One. We asked thousands of people to document their first day of retirement. We received over 5,000 Day One photographs, and they became the faces of a nationwide television and OOH campaign. Next we sent camera crews across America, and created a documentary series about people on their Day One. We put their stories online at www.dayonestories.com and invited others to join the conversation. We even took over NYC’s most prominent billboards and turned them into radio stations that broadcasted stories of New York’s newest retirees. Since it launched, Day One has reached tens of millions of people and touched nearly every medium.”

“Day One has redefined Prudential’s role in the category and has begun to change the national conversation about retirement. More than 250 retirees participated in the campaign, and more than 6,800 photos were submitted. More than eight million people have viewed the three-minute documentaries, and more than one million unique visitors have used the Day One site. In less than a year, Prudential has become exponentially more recognizable and connected to those who need its services most. And hopefully, the millions of people who have been touched by Day One have begun to think more about planning for their own.”

 It is also worth noting that Pfizer has recently launched a major US social media campaign to help it learn more about how Americans of all ages are tackling the issue.  The 'Get Old' site raises  “a simple, but profound question” – How do you feel about getting old? The site allows users to share and view stories, photos and videos about getting old, and even vote on how they feel about ageing.

Even if the result of all this is more and better financial services products (Prudential) and new and better drugs (Pfizer), that has to be a good thing. Doesn't it?

10 Rules of Marketing for Older Audiences

These ten rules are distilled from our research report, ‘Marketing for Mature Audiences’, which  is available upon request  (see below). They are not intended to be definitive and your comments and suggestions will be welcomed.

1.    There are no rules!  This is a group of people that is too large to ignore, too diverse to stereotype and too complex to second-guess. Make sure your marketing is based upon proprietary consumer insight, not received wisdom.

2.    Think of individuals, not groups.  Mass marketing is an outmoded concept: so why think of ‘older people’ or ‘the over-50s’ as a single homogenous group?

3.    It’s about ageing, not age. This isn’t just about old people, it is about population ageing. This has implications for every business, as your customer profile continues to age.   

4.    Do not overtly target ‘older people’. We know how old we are, you don’t need to remind us. If you are more subtle and convince us that you meet our needs, we might be interested.

5.    Think differently. Old assumptions may no longer apply. For example, while household income declines quite steeply after the age of 50,  wealth and expenditure are at their peak for the 50-64 age group.  

6.    Be more inclusive and less ageist. Many guidelines on marketing for older people assume that physical or mental decline are inevitable.  In fact, these are issues which apply to people of all ages and should be addressed by an inclusive approach to all aspects of the marketing mix.  Furthermore, many older people are mentally and physically active into their 90s and beyond.

7.    Age is relative. Our own age dictates not just when we think ‘youth ends’ and  ‘old age begins’  but also  our perceptions of the attributes associated with old age. Make sure that your marketing is consumer-driven and not at the mercy of 25 year old marketers or agency staff.

8.    Don’t target by generation. Treat ‘generational marketing’ definitions with caution.  In the UK, terms such as ‘Baby boomers’ and ‘Generation X’ provide no useful consumer insight and members of such groups share little other than the period in which they were born.

9.    Think across age groups. There is almost always more than one age group involved in any purchasing process. An obvious example  is the involvement of adult children in the purchase of retirement housing and care homes. The audience for many brands is likely to span different generations, as consumer attitudes, need and interests are seldom shaped by age alone.

10. Walk the talk. If you care about older people so much, why not employ some? And please, think about all aspects of the customer experience, not just your communications

These ‘rules’ run the  inevitable  risk of seeming facile and self-contradictory. We welcome your views and would love to discuss any aspect of this subject with you. Better still, if you’re a client company, why not let us apply our ‘rules’ to your business?

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About our research
‘Marketing and Mature Audiences’ is a research report which provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject of marketing and older, more mature, audiences in the UK . It provides an interpretative summary of more than 250 data and research sources. The report was written by Mark Beasley of RHC Advantage, with the input of two University Professors. The  full  report  document  is available upon request.  The main findings of the report form the basis of a 45 minute presentation which we really enjoy making.

About RHC AdvantageRHC Advantage is the UK’s only independent marketing agency specialising in adult, older, more mature audiences.  The directors are:  Mark Beasley, an experienced marketing consultant and planner, formerly a WPP group agency planning director;  Richard Collyer,  a successful creative and design consultant; and Tom Wright CBE (non-executive), who is Chief Executive of Age UK,  the UK’s largest age-based charity.  The agency provides consultancy and creative services to its clients. www.rhcadvantage.co.uk

Retirement? You ain't see nothing yet...

Thinking of retiring?  Good for you  - especially if you are one of the increasingly small group of salary-men with a nice fat company pension, or a civil servant (much the same thing).  For all of us, the nature of  retirement has changed, and will continue to change, as we live longer – and very different – lives to those of our parents.    That’s the theme of four apparently unrelated events that have taken placed over the past few weeks, which I have attempted to weave skilfully and seamlessly into one meaningful article.

The first is a think-piece called ‘Retirement in Flux’, published by the International Longevity Centre – UK (ILC-UK). This argues – as have others before - that retirement should be a process, not an event, and that older people should expect to work longer and draw upon property wealth to help fund care costs.  Pointing out that the concept of work and retirement as we have known them is no longer economically and socially sustainable, David Sinclair of ILC-UK states that:  "We need to abandon the idea that people make contributions in their working life in return for support in retirement.’ 

Meanwhile, a new social enterprise has been launched to help men adjust to life after retirement. Called the After Work Club, this has been launched by that impressive social entrepreneur, Deborah Szebeko. The thinking seems to be that many men, especially professionals,   are unprepared for  life after full-time employment.  In fact, so burned out are these professionals that they apparently need the help of  an organisation founded and run entirely by young women....

 Two ladies who seem to have made the most of their retirement are Betty Smith (90) and Beryl Renwick (86), who recently won a Sony Gold Award for their BBC Radio Humberside Show.  Having won against Frank Skinner on Absolute Radio and Adam and Joe on 6 Music, this is no mean feat.

Meanwhile, Age UK have launched their own radio station, The Wireless. We do not yet know whether Age UK have plans to poach Betty and Beryl – watch this space. However, it seems that older radio DJs and presenters are not that uncommon: the star presenter of The Wireless is David Hamilton, a youthful 73, while Tony Blackburn (69), Bob Harris (66) and Terry Wogan (71) continue to be on top of their game on Radio 2. David Jacobs, presenting until very recently, is one of a number of presenters working well into their 80s. 

As the UK’s population continues to age, perhaps ageism -  like the statutory retirement age and final salary pensions - will become a thing of the past,  as many more older people continue to do what they’re good at well into their later life.  Cue the favourite track of Harry Enfield’s legendary DJ creations, Smashy and Nicey – you ain’t seen nothing yet.

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The UK is facing unprecedented population change, meaning that older audiences are increasingly important to business and marketers. This is a group of people that is too large to ignore, too diverse to stereotype and too complex to second-guess.  RHC Advantage is the UK’s only independent marketing agency specialising in older audiences:  we help our clients to gain deeper insight, plan more effective marketing strategies and create more relevant communications. www.rhcadvantage.co.uk  

Complimentary ‘marketing and mature audiences’ seminar offer, from rhc advantage – the UK’s only independent 50+ marketing agency

The UK’s ageing population  brings  marketers many challenges and opportunities.  There are now more adults and older people than ever before:   a group of people that is too large to ignore, too diverse to stereotype and too complex to second-guess.    To help businesses and brands understand what this means for them,  rhc advantage is offering a number of two-hour seminars, at no charge.

The first part of the seminar presents a comprehensive overview of the changing marketing environment created by an ageing population, using a wide range of data and research sources. This is based upon the extensive ‘Marketing and Mature Audiences’   research project, carried out by RHC Advantage.  The second part of the seminar is   a  facilitated discussion  relating the research findings to specific  aspects of the ’host’  business or brand.

The seminar can be held at the RHC Advantage  offices in London or Hampshire, or at client offices  provided that they are within 100 miles of London.  To qualify for the ‘complimentary’ offer,  seminars must be booked by 30^th May 2012.

Talking ‘bout my generation?  Talk to us first
RHC Advantage is the UK’s only independent marketing agency to specialise in the fifty-plus  market.   The directors are Mark Beasley (planning),  Richard Collyer (creative) and Tom Wright CBE (non-executive), who is  Chief Executive of Age UK.   If you are talking to older  audiences ,  we can help you to gain insight, plan more effective marketing strategies, and create more relevant marketing communications.

For further information,  including a document  outlining  the seminar, please contact RHC Advantage at info@ rhcadvantage.co.uk or visit www.rhcadvantage.co.uk

                                                                                                                  

Marketing to the over-50s? Three FREE ways we can help!

Let’s face it, we’re all growing older. In fact, there are now more adults and older people than ever before. This is a group of people that is too large to ignore, too diverse to stereotype and too complex to second-guess.

That’s why we formed rhc advantage - the UK’s only independent marketing agency to specialise in the 50+ market. If you’re talking to the over-50s, make sure you talk to us first. We can help you to gain insight, plan more effective marketing strategies, and create more relevant marketing communications.

While we've been happily working with our clients, we've been ignoring everybody else. In an attempt to rectify this, we've worked out three ways you can check us out for free. But hurry - like all good things, this offer has a closing date.

1. Free Research Presentation
Face the facts, with a complimentary presentation and copy of our research report: Marketing and Mature Audiences. Produced with two University Professors, this unique report draws upon more than 200 data and research sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the changing marketing environment. Ask for the executive summary first, as a taster.

2. Marketing Planning Workshop.
Where should you be going and how will you get there? Book a free three-hour planning workshop to explore your options. A summary of how this would operate is readily available.

3. Brand Communications Workshop
If you’re looking for more appropriate, more relevant and more effective creativity for today’s more mature audiences, why not book one of our Brand Communications Workshops? This three hour workshop will help you refine your brand communications strategy. Further information on this and all our services is available upon request.

If you’re interested in talking to the UK’s fastest-growing consumer group, please talk to us first. Contact Mark Beasley or Katie Leonard-Smith on 020 7193 2361 or info@ rhcadvantage.co.uk.

Terms and Conditions
1. All presentations and workshops must be booked by May 30th 2012 and held before July 30th 2012.
2. They can be held at our offices in London or Hampshire, or within a 100 mile radius of London.

rhc advantage / the 50+ marketing agency / www.rhcadvantage.co.uk
Directors: Mark Beasley, Richard Collyer, Tom Wright CBE (non-executive)
town: garden studios 71-75 shelton street covent garden london WC2H 6JQ
t: 020 7193 2361
country: 113 high street odiham hampshire RG29 1LA
t: 01256 70 40 70