How NOT to advertise to older people
Marketing departments, if you've half an eye on the grey pound you'd best take note. Here's how your advertising to older people is just wrong, wrong, wrong.
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We're ageing? Well, duh.
"Stop reminding us that we are ageing. We know we are."
So stop trying to sell us 'old people stuff'
"...those retirement villages (no way would I ever consider one of those) and those walk-in bath adverts showing a very glamorous older woman sitting in her bath on a seat, wearing her bathing costume. For some reason, I don't identify with either…"
"Why do advertisers assume that we don't want to dress in lovely clothes and generally HAVE FUN?"
News flash - we’re all different
"If you offer us well-designed and well-made goods at reasonable prices we will buy them - but which goods and which marketing will influence us to buy depends entirely on the personality, history, lifestyle and circumstances of the individual. Just treat us as intelligent and experienced human beings."
Human beings ... like you!
"Don't we buy food, cars, clothes, make-up, or any of the other ordinary everyday items bought by every other age group?"
Facebook - we’re talking to you
"For years everytime I logged into Facebook I'd see adverts for anti-wrinkle creams and how to lose weight, but then they started showing me ads on how to make a will and funeral plans. So I changed my date of birth and took off 30 years - so now Facebook 'thinks' I'm 34 years old. The result is that I get adverts that are much more appropriate and appealing! I now have much more cheerful ones for activity holidays and pretty dresses."
And you, The Post Office…
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"My friend's husband was in the Post Office recently and the assistant asked if he had a moment to spare to answer a survey. He agreed and she started to try and sell him a funeral plan! If she tries it on me I will tell her where to shove her stamps."
You’re doing this demographic stuff ALL wrong
"The age group 'over 50' is vast and very misleading. I am over 50. My mum is over 70, but still 'over 50'. My gran is almost 100 but still 'over 50'. Surely advertisers recognise that we can't be lumped together as all the same?
"In short, there is no single way to address your advertising to 'the older generation'. They are not one generation, they are two or three generations. They are individuals. They don't spend all day and all evening watching TV. They LIVE."
At the very least, aim for realism
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"Sick of seeing those implausible grey-haired models in ads. I have never seen people like that in real life - particularly the men!
"We seem to appear in two forms, tall and slim with a luxuriant head of white hair, whitened teeth and tan leaping about (male and female) or crumpled old dear sitting all shrunken in an armchair while improbably young daughter puts arm protectively around us."
Everything’s changed (do keep up)
"Retirement age is now very likely to be 70. These people are working in a stimulating environment -they wear the same clothes and make-up as their under 50 colleagues, they shop in the same supermarkets, read the same books, tend the same gardens. They do the same things in their limited spare time as the under-50s."
"I am late 50s. Youngest DS is only 12. With so many women having children after 40, maybe the adverts should be child-related?!"
We’re still having new experiences
"Since I turned 60, 8 years ago, I've retired from paid work, started two voluntary jobs, made several new friends and - gulp - met the love of my life, got married and am now Grandma to four. So try advertising b****y stair lifts and pension plans to me and you'll get very short shrift!"
"Have the 'older generation' doing things, not just looking on indulgently while everyone else is enjoying themselves. Let them be strong, positive and making the right decisions - not standing patiently behind the youngsters who know best."
We’re not glued to daytime TV
"I don't watch daytime television. In any case the only adverts I watch are the Meercat ones. Good for Oleg: he has two daddies and no mummy - very progressive."
Image credit: dailystar.com
And we’re not all flush with dosh
"Why do they assume that because we are over fifty we have suddenly 'Made It' and are financially secure all of a sudden, as though 50 is the magic number and we can all give up work, set up trusts for our grandkids, go on endless cruises and jollies - oh yes, and have our houses converted to include walk-in baths and wardrobes and garage doors that allow us to drive our (expensive) motorised carts in. I have a feeling my old age won't be half as glitzy as these advert zombies suggest!"
Honestly? Some things should just be private
"Look, I don't want to hear about your highly efficient incontinence pads when I'm about to sit down to my dinner. There are some commodities that you can seek out when you need them - the rest of the time they should keep a butler’s silence."
If in doubt? Take a leaf out of TKMaxx’s book
"I saw a fabulous ad (poster) portraying an older woman in a bathing suit in TK Maxx this morning. Wet hair slicked back, dripping wet, sand-flecked face without a trace of make-up. The picture shone with health and wellbeing. There's an ad agency that knows what it's doing."
So, there you go, marketing departments, a few helpful suggestions. You're welcome.
Read the full thread here.
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