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The 5 things marketers should know when targeting the over 60s

BySusan

This post introduces you to the five things that marketers should know when targeting the over 60s.

Our corporate and policy clients have started to develop communications and strategies aimed at the older – over 60s, pre-retiree and post-retiree – markets. They want to understand their older customers and users better. They have questions about how this age group uses digital resources, how they decide to retire and how they want to spend their retirement, for example.

As a result, we at Susan Bell Research have enjoyed many great conversations with people in the ‘older’ age group. We have also talked to specialists on ageing, and drawn on insights from psychology about how people age.

All of this has told us that the organisations most likely to engage well with their older customers are those who understand these five things:

  • 1. If you want this market to use technology, be aware that older people vary in how familiar they are with digital resources. Some are highly adept. Others less so. Assume nothing.
  • 2. The best experiences for older people take advantage of their crystallised intelligence. When you communicate to them, refer to what they already know, in the language they use.
  • 3. Remember that the less older people have to keep in short term memory the better they will understand your content. Give them information at the time they need it, not ages beforehand.
  • 4. How people like to see themselves depicted in marketing material changes as they age. Avoid marketing stereotypes.
  • 5. Is your market pre-retirees or post retirees? There are many different ideas about retirement. Some people see retirement as an opportunity to relax and escape. For others, it is a time to reinvent themselves and for others a must-to-avoid

Contact us for more insights into how older people buy and use products and services.

Susan Bell Founder & Lead Consultant
Sue Bell, Founder & Lead Consultant

We would love to hear from you, and are always happy to talk through research methods and options with you, if you are not sure what you need. Why not get in touch for a free, obligation-free, and confidential conversation.

Find out more about Susan Bell Research.

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