Marketing to the 65-plus

AdWeek has a long article about marketing to the Boomer’s parents. The format is a handful of gurus talking about different aspects of the advertising. I have to say that a couple of the gurus were new to me.

• The subjects covered:
• Chronological versus perceived age.
• The importance of their grand parenting role
• Need for connectedness
• Length of copy
• Effect of the recession

This is a long rambling article that could benefit from some serious editing.

The commentators talk good sense. The single thread that comes through in all of the answers is to make the ads ‘real’ and not contrived. Hordes of smiling faces and couples on beaches running along hand in hand or with grandpa balancing on a bike, really don’t cut it.

Nor do you want to portray the far from pleasant reality that is the life for many of the 65-plus.

It is all about good advertising. Getting into the head of the consumer and seeing the world through their eyes. Not difficult for a 65 year old. Extremely hard for a 25 year old creative. Dick Stroud