These days, doctors don't pronounce you dead, Marketers do

This line appears in an advertisement from AARP to convince US marketers to pay attention to the 50+ and more particularly buy advertising in AARP’s magazine (circulation 22 million Americans households).

The AARP campaign argues that focused, attentive marketing to older Americans is more important than before. Jim Fishman, group publisher at AARP Publications in New York, believes "The time is right" – if anybody needs convincing remember that 4 million Americans turn 50 each year.

Andrew Donchin, director for national broadcast at Carat USA, part of the Aegis Group, which buys advertisements for clients including Club Med, Intel and Adidas had a novel explanation for why so much money is spent on advertising to the young. He says: "The big concern hasn't been reaching the older audience; it's been reaching the younger audience, because they're not just sitting there in front of their televisions. Even though seniors are increasingly physically active, they are also watching more television and remain far easier to reach than the young. In a lot of cases, we feel we're reaching them de facto."

Run this past me again. The young are harder to reach and hence cost more to target; so let’s spend a disproportional amount on them and the bonus is the old will see the ads anyway. I must use this explanation in my next presentation!

Dychtwald, of Age Wave fame, made an insightful comment; "AARP is in an interesting paradox because they have built a lot of their character and political clout based on the proposition that older adults were frail and needed protection because they were powerless." The implication being that this is a contradiction with the new message that they are an active and wealthy group that should be targeted. Age Concern, who is creating an AARP look-alike, should pay attention to these developments.

This is only the first phase of AARP’s campaign to raise the marketing profile of the 50+. Just before Xmas I gave them an interview that will be published in a book being distributed to the CEOs of the top Fortune companies during the Q1 2004.