Getting Better with Age

What the show of hands is demonstrating is the irrational approach to aging that has become the norm for today39s Baby Boomersamp160 They39re replacing the stereotype of age with a spirit of agelessness and optimism for the futureamp160 Welcome to the age of getting better with ageamp160 If Baby Boomers believe that they39re getting better with age then we as marketers need to get better at the way we market to ageamp160 That begins with understanding why this generation envisions improvement with age when medical science has evidence to the contraryThe answer lies in understanding the psychology of aging which is the aspect of aging that matters most to us as marketersamp160 The biology of aging is pretty clear we39re born we grow we decline and then we dieamp160 If you39re in your 20s none of this matters because you have your whole life yet to liveamp160 But if you39re in your 60s you39re starting to come to terms with the finite limitations on lifeamp160 Since the rational part of this agestage is fundamentally unpleasant ie advancing morbidity and the inevitability of mortality we offset it with a more positive scenario that fits our desired view of the futureamp160 This is the emotional irrational side of our brain working overtime to convince us that everything is going to be as wonderful as we want it to beSo if this explains why Boomers are acting irrationally about their age what do we do with itamp160 Simply said we must present our offerings in a way that is consistent with and complementary to their aspirational selfimageMore specificallySee the world the way they see itamp160 There39s a saying that if you want to see how a lion hunts don39t go to the zoo go to the jungleamp160 To see the world the way the aging consumer sees it you need to spend lots of time with them living in their livesamp160 Sure we39re all busy and it39s tempting to take an easy path like reading research reports but that39s akin to a trip to the zoo ie you would be looking for answers in the wrong placeamp160 Marketing fails to get aging right because most of the people creating the messages have yet to live a life of ageamp160 Therein lies the challenge the best marketing to age requires a pithy understanding of someone who most of us can39t relate to and therefore can39t speak toamp160 The eye can only see what the mind is prepared to comprehend so you need to be willing to get out there and see things in a way that you39ve never seen them beforeSpeak their languageamp160 This is an obvious requirement of all communications and it39s as basic as it gets seek first to be understood and then strive to persuadeamp160 While it39s not easy to become fluent in the language of age you can at least master some of the ABCs like avoiding the use of numbers or colorsamp160 Describing a product as a 50 variant is akin to putting a scarlet letter on itamp160 To people of age numbers are stigmatizing labels and obvious signs that you don39t understand themamp160 Ditto for colorsamp160 Don39t talk about the grey hair that you want to fix when you can be talking about how amazing their hair can lookamp160 And don39t use phrases that suggest that they39re old and brokenamp160 A person of age does not want to hear a doctor talk about degenerative loss when it39s much more appealing to be told that you39re dealing with the normal quotwear and tearquot of a life welllivedIn the end every word matters and it can be the difference between success and failureamp160 You must be relentlessly focused on the smallest of details to get it just rightBe authentic in an aspirational wayamp160 Everyone wants simple silver bullet solutions so I39m often asked which thing is the most important thing when it comes to marketing to ageamp160 In a word authenticityamp160 Most of what39s out there is inauthentic because it39s perpetuating a stereotype of age that39s no longer representative of the new age of ageamp160 Take retirement for oneamp160 With more people working longer than ever before the traditional concept of retirement an exitstop stage is no longer relevantamp160 People of age want to see themselves represented authentically but in a way that39s also aspirationalamp160 The clichamp233 a carefree grayhaired couple walking handinhand on an empty Florida beach at sunsetamp160 The reality a lively multigenerational beach cookout on Cape Codamp160 Authenticity alone doesn39t cut it as there39s a risk of portraying too much realityamp160 Deliver too much aspiration without being grounded in authenticity and you risk making promises of dreams that won39t come trueamp160 As with most marketing it39s all about balanceamp160 When you get it right you39ll be seen as a brand that gets people of ageWe live in the age of aging and no other force will do more to profoundly shape our world our people and the policies that sustain our quality of lifeamp160 Yet for all of its power and potential the business vision for global aging is still lagging the trendamp160 Now is the time to get out in front by getting better with ageImage at top courtesy of BoomAgersClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Getting Better with Age

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Peter Hubbell

Tomorrow Will Be Televised: 50 Years of Happy Days/Samsung TV+ Special - By Simon Applebaum

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Getting Better with Age

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Peter Hubbell

Tomorrow Will Be Televised: 50 Years of Happy Days/Samsung TV+ Special - By Simon Applebaum

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