Beware of Lumping Boomers with Seniors

For those of us on the marketing team that think the categories by age we see used to segment the market are way to wide and very last century, there is evidence to suggest they may never change. This came to mind when a friend texted me a report by Target Smart on new voters by age in battleground states that segmented age this way:

[18-24], [25-34], [35-44],[45-54],[55-64], and [65 and older]

If you are targeting folks over 55 may I suggest you think 55 to 70 and 71 and older (seniors).

[18-24], [25-34], [35-44],[45-54],[55-70], and [71 and older]

If you are targeting "seniors" - the 71 and older crowd - keep doing what you have been doing if it is working for you, but don't equate boomers with seniors.  

Tailoring remains critical. 

It makes a difference in the imagery you use (don't mix and match to cover every 55-95, your messaging (e.g. listening over hearing), the offers you make, and what stereotypes you employ to describe your target audience such as the five tidbits of advice below and culled from various marketing blogs addressing "seniors." 

• Seniors want easy solutions.  

Well who doesn't, but it's the 70 and under bunch that invented and brought to market some of the most complicated, disruptive technology to include, yes, even social media.  We are alumni of technology companies and played major roles with our employers in adopting information technologies. And we have many other demographics that should be integrated into marketing assumptions such as education, income, number of children, etc. 

• Your marketing message should never make your prospects and customers feel or look stupid and "old". 

This must be hard to do because I see a lot of advertising, particularly TV ads, featuring stupid acting, older looking talent.  No one wants to look stupid and old. No one. And looking old is relative so go for authentic and use age-appropriate talent.

• Stay with print, but add web.

No, I would not give that advice to a client unless they were targeting 71+ seniors and I would think Fox News is your best bet for TV with print coming in third or last. 

Over fifteen years ago in 2005, Susannah Fox of the Pew Research Center wrote:  In ten years, the Baby Boomers will age into the 65+ demographic and change everything about the “wired senior” group. Many boomers are, as usual, embracing new things and not letting go. Their online behavior is more like internet users in their 30s than like users in their 60s. 

• Seniors are more concerned than the average consumer about security, independence, lifestyle, and family relationships.  

I find a considerable number of 45-60 year olds worried about the same things, except for maybe  "independence" unless they are divorcing or tending to the care of parents, many of whom are in their eighties. Also may explain why your aging parent of 65+ is balking at even discussing moving to an assisted living facility.  It's the old 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of the people in assisted living have very little in common with a 65 year old. Inter-generational, affordable housing is more like it as is a car-free lifestyle.  (photo from Brainchild magazine)

Here is the profile of those living in assisted living. "In 2010, 54 percent of assisted living residents are 85 years or older; 27 percent are 75-84 years old; 9 percent of residents are between 65 and 74 years; and 11 percent are younger than 65 years old." Seventy-four percent assisted living residents are female.

• Many seniors have been taught that they should provide for the generations coming after them – in other words, leave something for their kids or grandkids. 

This is a major tenet of the sustainability movement. However, if this remains an attribute of just seniors we are all in big trouble.  "Leave something" not buy everything needs to be the new mantra of organizations advocating sustainability in their product development efforts and of our citizens who have awakened to the effects of global warming. 

And it's not just about leaving money, but rehabilitating our environment and transforming our economic system neither of which are part of the Fox News programming targeted at seniors. Okay I may be picking on Fox, but half of the channel's viewers are older than 68. (This article refers to the majority of their audience as dinosaurs - a term to avoid.)

If marketing teams are diverse in terms of age, gender, race and culture all the better for avoiding insulting and ineffective advertising and marketing programs based on out-dated groupings of age demographics and negative stereotypes with their concomitant assumptions. 

Ruth Ann Barrett, Master Tailor, Digital Savvy, September 1, 2016, Portland, Oregon.