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
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
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
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
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
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.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
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
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.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
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
Friday, 10 December 2010
ILC (UK) publish 'Golden Economy' report
A new research project has recently been published by the ILC-UK (International Longevity Centre). The report - ‘The Golden Economy - The Consumer Marketplace in an Ageing Society’ - assesses the market potential of the older consumer and suggests how companies could make more of this population.
The report provides a useful introduction to the subject and is based upon a thorough study of the available sources. For anyone who is familiar with the subject, there is some ‘new news’ – additional sources to support a particular point, for example – but no revelations. And for people new to the subject, it is of course a useful introduction.
However, what is most significant about the report is what it does not, and cannot, say. As the report itself says, ‘There are significant research gaps in relation to the older consumer.’
One of these gaps concerns business and marketing activity relative to older consumers. Many of us are keen to state, for example, that despite the size and value of the ‘older’ market, “some 90% of marketing spend is directed at younger people” (as one commentator recently did). However, the evidence base for this assertion is weak, to say the least (I think it comes from an old Datamonitor report). And to be honest, I am not even sure what methodology one might employ to produce this statistic.
The ‘Golden Economy’ report contains much that is admirable. However, in the key area of marketing activity and spend directed at older people it remains delightfully vague. For example, consider the statement (from the report) that: ‘there remains a strong view that across a wide range of industries, the older consumer continues to be ignored or patronised, despite the size and value of the market’. I agree, but that’s just my opinion, not a research finding. In fact, this statement does not stand up to much analysis at all. What does a ’strong view’ mean? Across which industries? How do you measure concepts such as ‘ignored’ and ‘patronised’? Are these subjective or objective measures? This statement is an informed opinion, but it is a long way from being a definitive research-based ‘fact’.
This is not intended as a criticism of the report, but to highlight a gap in the available research literature. It is up to those of us concerned with providing older people with a better deal to provide much more powerful evidence to support our case. Rhetoric and unsupported assertions are not good enough.
You can find out more about our own comprehensive research report, ‘Marketing and Mature Audiences’ at www.rhcadvantage.co.uk/insight This was written by marketers for marketers, and we are happy to present topline findings to interested parties.
The ‘Golden Economy’ report is written from more of a third sector and public affairs standpoint – not surprising as it was produced in association with Age UK – and is available on the ILC-UK website at: http://www.ilcuk.org.uk/record.jsp?type=publication&ID=80.
The report provides a useful introduction to the subject and is based upon a thorough study of the available sources. For anyone who is familiar with the subject, there is some ‘new news’ – additional sources to support a particular point, for example – but no revelations. And for people new to the subject, it is of course a useful introduction.
However, what is most significant about the report is what it does not, and cannot, say. As the report itself says, ‘There are significant research gaps in relation to the older consumer.’
One of these gaps concerns business and marketing activity relative to older consumers. Many of us are keen to state, for example, that despite the size and value of the ‘older’ market, “some 90% of marketing spend is directed at younger people” (as one commentator recently did). However, the evidence base for this assertion is weak, to say the least (I think it comes from an old Datamonitor report). And to be honest, I am not even sure what methodology one might employ to produce this statistic.
The ‘Golden Economy’ report contains much that is admirable. However, in the key area of marketing activity and spend directed at older people it remains delightfully vague. For example, consider the statement (from the report) that: ‘there remains a strong view that across a wide range of industries, the older consumer continues to be ignored or patronised, despite the size and value of the market’. I agree, but that’s just my opinion, not a research finding. In fact, this statement does not stand up to much analysis at all. What does a ’strong view’ mean? Across which industries? How do you measure concepts such as ‘ignored’ and ‘patronised’? Are these subjective or objective measures? This statement is an informed opinion, but it is a long way from being a definitive research-based ‘fact’.
This is not intended as a criticism of the report, but to highlight a gap in the available research literature. It is up to those of us concerned with providing older people with a better deal to provide much more powerful evidence to support our case. Rhetoric and unsupported assertions are not good enough.
You can find out more about our own comprehensive research report, ‘Marketing and Mature Audiences’ at www.rhcadvantage.co.uk/insight This was written by marketers for marketers, and we are happy to present topline findings to interested parties.
The ‘Golden Economy’ report is written from more of a third sector and public affairs standpoint – not surprising as it was produced in association with Age UK – and is available on the ILC-UK website at: http://www.ilcuk.org.uk/record.jsp?type=publication&ID=80.
Monday, 29 November 2010
The economic challenges of an ageing population: McKinsey join the debate.
McKinsey have just released a report which stresses the importance to the UK of taking radical action to address the challenges of an ageing population.
The report, ‘From Austerity to Prosperity: Seven Priorities for the Long Term in the United Kingdom’, was published on November 22nd. It states that there are good prospects for UK economic growth, provided that there is a step change in action on seven fronts, including innovation, productivity – and generational imbalances.
The report adds further weight to our own position, which is that population ageing is one of the most significant issues for business and society, and requires new thinking and new approaches as a matter of some urgency. With support from the consultancy described as a ‘breeding ground for gurus’ and ‘the world’s most prestigious consulting firm’, we feel we now have powerful allies!
The McKinsey report focuses on two challenges faced by major developed economies like the UK. The first of these is the issue of how to maintain growth in the face of a declining working population; the second is rising health care costs and the funding of long-term care (where demand is estimated to increase by 70% over the next 20 years). While pointing out that the UK is leading the way in Europe with regard to addressing the implications of changing demographic and retirement patterns, further progress is required, says the report.
McKinsey make recommendations in two main areas. First, ‘a radical increase in older working’ is required, which builds on the practices of innovative firms in this area. Second, they recommend that the £1 trillion of unmortgaged housing wealth must be unlocked, via improved policies, practices and products, to enable older people to fund their care and health needs.
The report states that it is ‘intended to challenge existing orthodoxies’, something we support fully. Marketing is – or should be – the leader of change in this area. Too often, however, it is constrained by short-term business thinking and outmoded ageist assumptions. There are some great case histories – but too many businesses fail to recognise and address this inescapable and unprecedented demographic trend.
Here’s three ways we can help you move forwards. As a starting point, our unique research report provides a comprehensive overview on most aspects of Marketing and the Ageing Population. Produced with the input of two University Professors, it draws upon more than 200 sources. To arrange a presentation, or to find out more, visit our website (www.rhcadvantage.co.uk) or contact me (mark (at) rhcadvantage.co.uk).
Secondly, why not book one of our ‘Age Advantage’ workshops? These are intended to kick-start the thinking of your team on how your organisation should address the issue of population ageing. And finally, perhaps you’d just like to have a mature conversation about a specific problem or project.
To move out of an economic downturn requires innovation – and re-aligning your business or brand against demographic change is a very good place to start.
You can contact me, Mark Beasley, at mark (at) rhcadvantage.co.uk
To find out more about rhc advantage, our research report and our marketing services, visit www.rhcadvantage.co.uk
To download the McKinsey report, visit www.mckinsey.com/mgi/publications
The report, ‘From Austerity to Prosperity: Seven Priorities for the Long Term in the United Kingdom’, was published on November 22nd. It states that there are good prospects for UK economic growth, provided that there is a step change in action on seven fronts, including innovation, productivity – and generational imbalances.
The report adds further weight to our own position, which is that population ageing is one of the most significant issues for business and society, and requires new thinking and new approaches as a matter of some urgency. With support from the consultancy described as a ‘breeding ground for gurus’ and ‘the world’s most prestigious consulting firm’, we feel we now have powerful allies!
The McKinsey report focuses on two challenges faced by major developed economies like the UK. The first of these is the issue of how to maintain growth in the face of a declining working population; the second is rising health care costs and the funding of long-term care (where demand is estimated to increase by 70% over the next 20 years). While pointing out that the UK is leading the way in Europe with regard to addressing the implications of changing demographic and retirement patterns, further progress is required, says the report.
McKinsey make recommendations in two main areas. First, ‘a radical increase in older working’ is required, which builds on the practices of innovative firms in this area. Second, they recommend that the £1 trillion of unmortgaged housing wealth must be unlocked, via improved policies, practices and products, to enable older people to fund their care and health needs.
The report states that it is ‘intended to challenge existing orthodoxies’, something we support fully. Marketing is – or should be – the leader of change in this area. Too often, however, it is constrained by short-term business thinking and outmoded ageist assumptions. There are some great case histories – but too many businesses fail to recognise and address this inescapable and unprecedented demographic trend.
Here’s three ways we can help you move forwards. As a starting point, our unique research report provides a comprehensive overview on most aspects of Marketing and the Ageing Population. Produced with the input of two University Professors, it draws upon more than 200 sources. To arrange a presentation, or to find out more, visit our website (www.rhcadvantage.co.uk) or contact me (mark (at) rhcadvantage.co.uk).
Secondly, why not book one of our ‘Age Advantage’ workshops? These are intended to kick-start the thinking of your team on how your organisation should address the issue of population ageing. And finally, perhaps you’d just like to have a mature conversation about a specific problem or project.
To move out of an economic downturn requires innovation – and re-aligning your business or brand against demographic change is a very good place to start.
You can contact me, Mark Beasley, at mark (at) rhcadvantage.co.uk
To find out more about rhc advantage, our research report and our marketing services, visit www.rhcadvantage.co.uk
To download the McKinsey report, visit www.mckinsey.com/mgi/publications
Sunday, 3 October 2010
Press Release, 28th September 2010. rhc advantage highlight the Fact and Fiction of marketing to mature audiences
Press Release
28 September 2010
For immediate release
Research Report Highlights the Facts and Fiction of Marketing To Mature Audiences
A new research report promises to offer an invaluable one-stop source of vital information for marketers targeting today’s older, more mature, audiences. The impact of the UK’s ageing population is increasingly recognised by marketers, yet many lack a consistent and planned approach to targeting this diverse group, concludes the research by specialist agency, rhc advantage.
The agency, which claims to be the UK’s only creative marketing agency to specialise in consultancy and integrated marketing communications for mature audiences, has been strengthened with the appointment of Tom Wright CBE, Chief Executive of Age UK, as non-executive Chairman.
The research report, ‘Marketing and Mature Audiences’, is released on Friday (1 October 2010) and has been produced by rhc advantage. It is based upon the analysis and interpretation of over 200 data and research sources. It provides an authoritative and comprehensive introduction to the UK’s ageing population and its consequences for marketers, and in the process separates fact from fiction. It was produced in collaboration with two University Professors. According to the agency, there is no definitive UK-based text on the subject.
Mark Beasley, managing director of rhc advantage, said: “The UK population is ageing at an unprecedented rate. Traditional concepts of age and ageing are increasingly outmoded and ineffective as a basis for marketing planning. Our report will help marketers by providing information, insight and understanding of this complex and diverse audience, which will in turn drive more informed marketing planning and communications.”
The changes in the UK population structure are dramatic. There are already more adults aged over 45 than there are aged under 45, and the over-65s is the fastest-growing demographic group of all. Despite this, according to the report, only global brands like Coca Cola, Procter & Gamble and Unilever and specialists in older consumers such as Saga and Stannah, appear to have a clear strategy for addressing the realities of the UK’s ageing population.
Commented Wright: “To meet the current and future needs of the UK’s ageing population, it is important that the issues and opportunities associated with older people are communicated on the broadest possible platform. It is particularly important that this is done from a marketing perspective and I believe that many businesses, brands and organisations will benefit from the insight and expertise that rhc advantage brings to the mature market.”
The agency provides both consultancy and marketing communications services. Creative Director Richard Collyer commented: “It is absolutely crucial that not only are we able to help organisations to gain insight and to plan, but that we also able to help them execute. We believe that our creative expertise enable us to deliver exceptional branding, design and integrated marketing communications solutions.”
-Ends-
For more information please contact:
Lindsay Complin or Beccy Whittles at Pilotmax
T: 0208 334 0200
E: pr@pilotmax.co.uk or beccy@pilotmax.co.uk
NOTE TO EDITORS
1. For further information, please visit http://www.rhcadvantage.co.uk or contact Mark Beasley on 020 7193 2361 (direct) or via mark@rhcadvantage.co.uk. Beasley is also available for comment and interview.
2. ‘Marketing and Mature Audiences’ is a comprehensive review of relevant data and research, which draws upon over 200 sources. It is intended as a single-source introduction to the subject of older, more mature, audiences and marketing in the UK - something which does not otherwise exist. It was produced by rhc advantage with direction from Professor David Gilbert, Professor of Marketing at the University of Surrey, and was reviewed by Professor Paul Sweeting, Professor of Actuarial Science at the University of Kent. 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. .
3. rhc advantage is an independent creative marketing agency that provides marketing consultancy (research and planning) and integrated marketing communications services (branding, design, digital, direct and promotion). www.rhcadvantage.co.uk
4. Biographies of Directors:
Mark Beasley - Managing Director
Mark was co-founder of one of the UK’s leading marketing communications agencies, Perspectives, which was acquired by Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP group in 1999. Post-acquisition, he worked for WPP as part of a global communications planning team for a number of years. More recently, he has worked as a consultant for organisations in the UK and abroad.
He 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. His experience covers all types of marketing and communications including advertising, brand & corporate planning, direct marketing, integrated marketing communications, marketing research and planning, new product launch and sales promotion.
He has an MBA (Master of Business Administration) and is a social science graduate. He was admitted to the Marketing Society in 1989, is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (MCIM), and was elected a fellow of the MCCA in 2000.
________________________________________
Richard Collyer - Creative Director
Richard has over 25 years experience in the creative design, brand marketing and communications business, as a creative consultant and creative director. He has worked with numerous private and public sector organisations in both consumer and B2B markets.
His strategic thinking and inherent ability to translate a creative brief quickly are unique attributes for a creative. Richard has the skills and expertise to consistently apply original thinking to develop concepts that engage audiences and deliver tangible commercial results. He combines a passion for detail with an uncanny ability to find simple solutions to previously complex communication issues.
Richard is the founder and creative director of rhc visual strategy, a full service creative agency with a blue chip client list that includes Alamo and National, Fiorano Ferrari, Chelsea Football Club, Carlsberg Tetley, Diageo, Starwood Hotels, InterContinental Hotels Group, Rothschilds, SEGRO, WSP Group and Citibank.
________________________________________
Tom Wright CBE - Chairman
Tom Wright is Group Chief Executive of Age UK and is non-executive director and unpaid Chairman of rhc advantage Limited. In January 2009, he was appointed by Age Concern and Help the Aged to lead the two organisations through a successful merger into Age UK – a charity and social enterprise.
Tom was previously Chief Executive of VisitBritain. Prior to this, he was a Board Director of the Saga Group and Managing Director of Saga Holidays. Tom is a marketer by training, who has worked in marketing roles with organisations including Anchor Foods, Carlsberg-Tetley, United Biscuits and Center Parcs, where he was European Sales and Marketing director.
He is a Trustee of the Imperial War Museum and Chair of their Trading Company. He is also Chair of STAR, the self regulation body for the ticketing industry, and Chair of the British Gas Energy Trust. He also sits on the board of the DEC (Disaster Emergency Committee).
He was awarded his CBE in January 2007 for services to the British tourism industry.
28 September 2010
For immediate release
Research Report Highlights the Facts and Fiction of Marketing To Mature Audiences
A new research report promises to offer an invaluable one-stop source of vital information for marketers targeting today’s older, more mature, audiences. The impact of the UK’s ageing population is increasingly recognised by marketers, yet many lack a consistent and planned approach to targeting this diverse group, concludes the research by specialist agency, rhc advantage.
The agency, which claims to be the UK’s only creative marketing agency to specialise in consultancy and integrated marketing communications for mature audiences, has been strengthened with the appointment of Tom Wright CBE, Chief Executive of Age UK, as non-executive Chairman.
The research report, ‘Marketing and Mature Audiences’, is released on Friday (1 October 2010) and has been produced by rhc advantage. It is based upon the analysis and interpretation of over 200 data and research sources. It provides an authoritative and comprehensive introduction to the UK’s ageing population and its consequences for marketers, and in the process separates fact from fiction. It was produced in collaboration with two University Professors. According to the agency, there is no definitive UK-based text on the subject.
Mark Beasley, managing director of rhc advantage, said: “The UK population is ageing at an unprecedented rate. Traditional concepts of age and ageing are increasingly outmoded and ineffective as a basis for marketing planning. Our report will help marketers by providing information, insight and understanding of this complex and diverse audience, which will in turn drive more informed marketing planning and communications.”
The changes in the UK population structure are dramatic. There are already more adults aged over 45 than there are aged under 45, and the over-65s is the fastest-growing demographic group of all. Despite this, according to the report, only global brands like Coca Cola, Procter & Gamble and Unilever and specialists in older consumers such as Saga and Stannah, appear to have a clear strategy for addressing the realities of the UK’s ageing population.
Commented Wright: “To meet the current and future needs of the UK’s ageing population, it is important that the issues and opportunities associated with older people are communicated on the broadest possible platform. It is particularly important that this is done from a marketing perspective and I believe that many businesses, brands and organisations will benefit from the insight and expertise that rhc advantage brings to the mature market.”
The agency provides both consultancy and marketing communications services. Creative Director Richard Collyer commented: “It is absolutely crucial that not only are we able to help organisations to gain insight and to plan, but that we also able to help them execute. We believe that our creative expertise enable us to deliver exceptional branding, design and integrated marketing communications solutions.”
-Ends-
For more information please contact:
Lindsay Complin or Beccy Whittles at Pilotmax
T: 0208 334 0200
E: pr@pilotmax.co.uk or beccy@pilotmax.co.uk
NOTE TO EDITORS
1. For further information, please visit http://www.rhcadvantage.co.uk or contact Mark Beasley on 020 7193 2361 (direct) or via mark@rhcadvantage.co.uk. Beasley is also available for comment and interview.
2. ‘Marketing and Mature Audiences’ is a comprehensive review of relevant data and research, which draws upon over 200 sources. It is intended as a single-source introduction to the subject of older, more mature, audiences and marketing in the UK - something which does not otherwise exist. It was produced by rhc advantage with direction from Professor David Gilbert, Professor of Marketing at the University of Surrey, and was reviewed by Professor Paul Sweeting, Professor of Actuarial Science at the University of Kent. 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. .
3. rhc advantage is an independent creative marketing agency that provides marketing consultancy (research and planning) and integrated marketing communications services (branding, design, digital, direct and promotion). www.rhcadvantage.co.uk
4. Biographies of Directors:
Mark Beasley - Managing Director
Mark was co-founder of one of the UK’s leading marketing communications agencies, Perspectives, which was acquired by Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP group in 1999. Post-acquisition, he worked for WPP as part of a global communications planning team for a number of years. More recently, he has worked as a consultant for organisations in the UK and abroad.
He 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. His experience covers all types of marketing and communications including advertising, brand & corporate planning, direct marketing, integrated marketing communications, marketing research and planning, new product launch and sales promotion.
He has an MBA (Master of Business Administration) and is a social science graduate. He was admitted to the Marketing Society in 1989, is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (MCIM), and was elected a fellow of the MCCA in 2000.
________________________________________
Richard Collyer - Creative Director
Richard has over 25 years experience in the creative design, brand marketing and communications business, as a creative consultant and creative director. He has worked with numerous private and public sector organisations in both consumer and B2B markets.
His strategic thinking and inherent ability to translate a creative brief quickly are unique attributes for a creative. Richard has the skills and expertise to consistently apply original thinking to develop concepts that engage audiences and deliver tangible commercial results. He combines a passion for detail with an uncanny ability to find simple solutions to previously complex communication issues.
Richard is the founder and creative director of rhc visual strategy, a full service creative agency with a blue chip client list that includes Alamo and National, Fiorano Ferrari, Chelsea Football Club, Carlsberg Tetley, Diageo, Starwood Hotels, InterContinental Hotels Group, Rothschilds, SEGRO, WSP Group and Citibank.
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Tom Wright CBE - Chairman
Tom Wright is Group Chief Executive of Age UK and is non-executive director and unpaid Chairman of rhc advantage Limited. In January 2009, he was appointed by Age Concern and Help the Aged to lead the two organisations through a successful merger into Age UK – a charity and social enterprise.
Tom was previously Chief Executive of VisitBritain. Prior to this, he was a Board Director of the Saga Group and Managing Director of Saga Holidays. Tom is a marketer by training, who has worked in marketing roles with organisations including Anchor Foods, Carlsberg-Tetley, United Biscuits and Center Parcs, where he was European Sales and Marketing director.
He is a Trustee of the Imperial War Museum and Chair of their Trading Company. He is also Chair of STAR, the self regulation body for the ticketing industry, and Chair of the British Gas Energy Trust. He also sits on the board of the DEC (Disaster Emergency Committee).
He was awarded his CBE in January 2007 for services to the British tourism industry.
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Baby Boomers. No-one likes us, we don’t care!
2010 has seen the publication of number of books blaming the so-called ‘Baby Boomer’ generation for a multitude of sins. The general argument is summarised by Robert Colville, writing in the Telegraph (September 1st): “Via demographic accident and bloody-minded selfishness, the Baby Boomers have come to monopolise the country’s wealth, politics and culture…leaving their children nothing but debt.”
This debate started earlier in the year, with launch of ‘The Pinch – How the Baby Boomers Stole their Children’s Future’ by David Willetts – now a Government Minister. This is, overall, a well-argued and interesting economic and social discourse (as you'd expect from someone with the nickname 'Two Brains'). However, the argument gets taken into the realms of inter-generational warfare with a new book called ‘Jilted Generation’, by Ed Howker and Shiv Malik. And it sounds like other books on the subject out around now share a similar theme - ‘What did the Baby Boomers Ever Do For Us’ by Francis Becket, and ‘It’s all their Fault’ by Neil Boorman.
On the face of it, there is a very good case to be made. The facts are, apparently, undeniable. A large number of people (how many, it’s not clear) within a certain age group (i.e. those currently aged 46 – 65) have benefited from educational and social mobility, generous pension schemes, and property inflation. However, these conditions do not now exist to anything like the same extent, meaning that those younger than 46 will not benefit in anything like the same way as we 'Baby Boomers'. Furthermore, the Government has created unprecedented levels of debt which it will take the State many years to pay off. And all the time, like a ticking bomb, the population continues to age, meaning a smaller proportion of the population working away to pay for it all.
And who or what is responsible for all this? The so-called Baby Boomers themselves, according to these writers, that’s who. And that’s where I disagree. It is an undeniable fact that there was a peak in birth rates between 1945 and 1964, creating a so-called ‘baby boom’. It is also the case that, overall, fings ain’t what they used to be for people younger than this. But I disagree with just about everything else. Here is my case:
1. There is no such group as ‘Baby Boomers’ in the UK. Everyone currently aged between 46 and 65 shares a period of time. Period. This group does not share a common set of attitudes, behaviours and lifestyle characteristics. Importantly, it does not have a shared identity: I have never heard anyone in the UK call themselves a ‘Baby Boomer’. People of this age group are as complex and diverse as any other age group, by any criteria you care to apply. The concept of ‘Baby Boomers’ originated in the USA, with a very different economic and social history - and as far as I'm concerned, it stays there.
2. It is undeniable that many people of this age group have benefited disproportionately from an extremely fortunate set of economic and social circumstances. However, to label an entire age group as having done so is to deal in averages, a weak statistical basis for any argument. For example, more than 30% of people aged 50-65 are unemployed. More than 50% of people in this age group are worried about how they will support themselves in retirement. Many are disabled, disadvantaged and poor – as in other age groups. It is true that some people are very wealthy – but so are people in other age groups. There are just more of them aged 46-65.
3. Because there is no such self-defined group as ‘Baby Boomers’, it is illogical to suggest that this ‘group’ acting together against an explicit or implicit agenda was somehow responsible for the set of circumstances we now find ourselves in. Some of the people responsible may fit within this age group (Tony Blair, say) but many others do not – the whole of the massively influential Thatcher Government, for example. And in any case, is the situation we now find ourselves in mainly attributable to UK-based individuals or groups of people? What about globalisation and the massive changes it has exerted on so many of our old assumptions and certainties? And isn’t this as much about attitudes to education, family and social mobility – which are not defined by age.
And if there were any truth in the idea that a whole group of people born at the same time had deliberately disadvantaged the next generation, would I care? Well I’ll tell you – but first, let me change out of my yellow polyester golf slacks, go jogging and cycling along the seafront with my still-very-attractive wife, both smiling inanely and displaying immaculate white teeth. then drive my sports car back home to my gated community, put on some smart leisure clothing, and chuckle genially with my extended family. Then I'll tell you....
This debate started earlier in the year, with launch of ‘The Pinch – How the Baby Boomers Stole their Children’s Future’ by David Willetts – now a Government Minister. This is, overall, a well-argued and interesting economic and social discourse (as you'd expect from someone with the nickname 'Two Brains'). However, the argument gets taken into the realms of inter-generational warfare with a new book called ‘Jilted Generation’, by Ed Howker and Shiv Malik. And it sounds like other books on the subject out around now share a similar theme - ‘What did the Baby Boomers Ever Do For Us’ by Francis Becket, and ‘It’s all their Fault’ by Neil Boorman.
On the face of it, there is a very good case to be made. The facts are, apparently, undeniable. A large number of people (how many, it’s not clear) within a certain age group (i.e. those currently aged 46 – 65) have benefited from educational and social mobility, generous pension schemes, and property inflation. However, these conditions do not now exist to anything like the same extent, meaning that those younger than 46 will not benefit in anything like the same way as we 'Baby Boomers'. Furthermore, the Government has created unprecedented levels of debt which it will take the State many years to pay off. And all the time, like a ticking bomb, the population continues to age, meaning a smaller proportion of the population working away to pay for it all.
And who or what is responsible for all this? The so-called Baby Boomers themselves, according to these writers, that’s who. And that’s where I disagree. It is an undeniable fact that there was a peak in birth rates between 1945 and 1964, creating a so-called ‘baby boom’. It is also the case that, overall, fings ain’t what they used to be for people younger than this. But I disagree with just about everything else. Here is my case:
1. There is no such group as ‘Baby Boomers’ in the UK. Everyone currently aged between 46 and 65 shares a period of time. Period. This group does not share a common set of attitudes, behaviours and lifestyle characteristics. Importantly, it does not have a shared identity: I have never heard anyone in the UK call themselves a ‘Baby Boomer’. People of this age group are as complex and diverse as any other age group, by any criteria you care to apply. The concept of ‘Baby Boomers’ originated in the USA, with a very different economic and social history - and as far as I'm concerned, it stays there.
2. It is undeniable that many people of this age group have benefited disproportionately from an extremely fortunate set of economic and social circumstances. However, to label an entire age group as having done so is to deal in averages, a weak statistical basis for any argument. For example, more than 30% of people aged 50-65 are unemployed. More than 50% of people in this age group are worried about how they will support themselves in retirement. Many are disabled, disadvantaged and poor – as in other age groups. It is true that some people are very wealthy – but so are people in other age groups. There are just more of them aged 46-65.
3. Because there is no such self-defined group as ‘Baby Boomers’, it is illogical to suggest that this ‘group’ acting together against an explicit or implicit agenda was somehow responsible for the set of circumstances we now find ourselves in. Some of the people responsible may fit within this age group (Tony Blair, say) but many others do not – the whole of the massively influential Thatcher Government, for example. And in any case, is the situation we now find ourselves in mainly attributable to UK-based individuals or groups of people? What about globalisation and the massive changes it has exerted on so many of our old assumptions and certainties? And isn’t this as much about attitudes to education, family and social mobility – which are not defined by age.
And if there were any truth in the idea that a whole group of people born at the same time had deliberately disadvantaged the next generation, would I care? Well I’ll tell you – but first, let me change out of my yellow polyester golf slacks, go jogging and cycling along the seafront with my still-very-attractive wife, both smiling inanely and displaying immaculate white teeth. then drive my sports car back home to my gated community, put on some smart leisure clothing, and chuckle genially with my extended family. Then I'll tell you....
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