Positive Aging and Brain Fitness

The New Ageism?

For the past few months, I have been debating myself about the impact of all the focus on Baby Boomers. On January 1, 2010, we entered what will be two decades where old consumers will outnumber those under 18 for the first time in history…not just those born between 1946 and 1964, but all age 50 plus adults. This is the moment many of us, who have been advocating for ageless marketing for the last 20 years, have been waiting to arrive. We were convinced the demographic reality would finally gain the attention of the main stream media, business magazines and policy makers.

Sadly this is not happening. Major media outlets, ad agencies, marketing strategists, and businesses continue to ignore the aging market to focus their attention almost exclusively on baby boomers as
if they were not aging at all but are some type of anomaly. This myopic fascination with boomers is probably not surprising since they have been the primary focus of business and advertising, directly or indirectly for over half a century.

This myopic focus on aging “Boomers” ignores the evidence that they are now embracing later life values rather than the materialistic, ego centered values that dominate life’s first two stages. Sure baby boomers shared some unique events and life challenges, as did every previous generation. The sheer size is what made baby boomers seem unique as this “pig in the python” demographic impacted each life stage as they aged. As a result, our sales and marketing strategies have all been designed to communicate with the 18 to 39 year old demographic that has driven advertising for over 30 years.

When Landon James coined the term Baby Boomer in his book, Great Expectations: America and Baby Boom in 1980, he was referring to a demographic phenomenon and how it would impact the country. I doubt he intended his use of the term baby boomer to be a life time label for 76 million people born over 18 years. Others such as Yankelovich Inc. in the 1960’s and author Sylvia Porter in 1951 had also used the term to describe this explosion. Unfortunately, the term baby boomer was popularized over the last couple of decades by the media, a few authors and self appointed “Baby Boom experts” as
totally different from all previous generations of older adults.

These experts have come up with some memorable slogans or positioning lines such as AARP’s 60 is the new 30 or This is not your father’s Oldsmobile. These campaigns failed as did the attempt by Ameriprise to evoke 60’s music and images to attract maturing investors. Like the AARP and Oldsmobile campaigns, Amerprise’s approach was a failure. As author and mature consumer behavioral specialist David B. Wolfe has stated on many occasions, “Either legions of researchers in adult development psychology have created a large body of bogus findings or nearly all of those who craft messages for older minds are hopelessly out of sync with the realities of maturation.” In other words, to succeed in an aging market place, companies would be well advised to learn about later life values, as should the agencies that serve them. Instead, it seems the current approach is to claim the Baby Boomers are just an extension of the youth culture; because that is what they know.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that baby boomers will not all become older consumers at the same time or in the same way. Few were at Woodstock, lived in communes and protested the Viet Nam war. No doubt a like number listened to country music, went to church every Sunday and served in the military. This is not to imply that generational marketing or life stage
marketing focusing on either leading edge or trailing edge boomers does not work…depending on the product. The question is, “Why are we not embracing aging?” By focusing primarily on Boomers, we continue to ignore the older consumer as a powerful consumer group. In fact, it is the only demographic that will grow phenomenally in the next two decades...currently 10,000 adults turn
age 65 every day.

I have come to the conclusion that Boomer Marketing myopia is more than just a distraction; it is the latest form of ageism. “Experts” dodge the question with statements like; “Boomers are reinventing retirement” rather than admitting that “retirement,” as currently perceived, is an outdated concept…a holdover from the industrial age. There is no room for “retirement” in this maturing market where people can remain productive well into their 80’s and beyond. Since the media know, or think they know, how to market to boomers, they choose to simply ignore the reality of an aging market place. However, until we fully embrace both the challenges and the potential of an aging marketplace, we will not develop the new paradigms to guide future success in every sector. Clearly, this is not your Father’s market.

The worldviews, values and behavior of middle age and older adults reflect ebbing materialistic influences that dominate the aspirations of the young and that set the directions of commerce and culture for the last 50 years. Today, our culture is beginning to reflect the qualities of behavior Abraham Maslow made famous with the term self-actualization as people begin depending less on
materialistic sources for life satisfaction and more on experiential sources. Today’s older adult majority will not only change the rules of successful marketplace engagement, but will likely drive a transformation in business enterprises and government policy as well.

Battling ageism in every form should become a priority in the next two decades. We have made tremendous strides in the battles against sexism and racism, but continue to tolerate ageism in
multiple forms. As someone observed recently, “Telling a joke about minorities is called racist. Demeaning women is called sexist. Making fun of older people is called situation comedy.” Boomers will age much like the members of the Silent Generation and we need the combined numbers of all adults over age 50 to win the war against ageism. However, we can’t declare war on ageism until the
baby boom is viewed as a part of the aging of America rather than some aging anachronism.

Freedom to Choose

I just finished reading an article in AARP’s newsletter about diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease. As I anticipated, the meat of the article did not live up to the headline. Oh, there has been
progress in a doctor’s ability to identify if the brain has “plaques and tangles.” For years, it was hypnotized that these plaques and tangles were the cause of Alzheimer’s; however, science has yet to explain why others with plaques and tangles had no noticeable symptoms. As Dr. Peter Whitehouse points out in the Myth of Alzheimer’s, it is more than one thing and brain aging playsa role.

Of course, the drug companies hope they will eventually find the cure, or a preventative, in the form of a new drug. Big Pharma is cheered on by consumers who have come to look for magic
bullets to solve all their problems. Perhaps, if we focused as much time andmoney on non- pharmaceutical interventions and more time promoting whole body wellness, we could significantly improve the overall quality of life, and maybe improve cognitive well being for millions. For several decades, we have been replacing purpose with pills, which has resulted in an increasingly medicated older population while encouraging learned helplessness. In fact, all too often, interaction between drugs (both prescription and nonprescription) can produce
symptoms mistaken for Alzheimer’s or other problems.

As a proponent of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I learned that the ultimate human freedom is our freedom to choose. We can choose to be reactive or proactive; but it is up to us to make the choices. While we know that optimistic people outlive pessimists by over 7 years, this is seldom factored in when evaluating quality of life. We are too quick to blame others when in fact the only person controlling our feelings is us.

While it would be great if there were a pill that could prevent or delay the onset of dementia, there is an ever growing body of anecdotal evidence, much of which is supported by science, that a variety of activities and habits may delay the onset of dementia, improve processing speed and enhance one’s memory. We now know that what is good for the heart is good for the brain; but that is seldom mentioned in articles about the search for the cure.

Maybe we can’t prevent Alzheimer’s disease any more than we can prevent aging. However, like aging, there is a lot we can do to improve our quality of life and battle future memory loss just as we can battle diabetes, heart disease and lung problems with lifestyle changes. At NeoCORTA (www.neocorta.com), we have developed self-evaluation tools to help users identify and understand their risk factor and provide customized plans to improve cognitive well being, but a person must want to take charge of their future to benefit from those plans and
change their behavior accordingly.

I have come to believe that positive aging is well within everyone’s reach…Believe you can; believe you can’t and you are likely to be correct – your choice. Both attitudes can become a
self-fulfilling prophecy once you understand and respect the mind body connection…aging is just a series of many beginnings and we control the starting points for each pathway.

Still Learning & Shrinking

Well, six weeks down and three to go in the “Greatest Loser” completion. I am pleased to announce that our team is currently in the lead with the greatest percentage of loss. The competition is not about total pounds lost but percentage of body weight lost. The program is something more middle age and older adults would participate in if it were configured for older adults.

At 65, I am clearly the oldest person in the program, which attracts mostly women in their 30s and 40s. While the program is not too strenuous and trainers encourage participants to modify exercises as needed, it is not designed for the older body and mind. The nutritional classes are also excellent and I continue to learn. What is doesn’t focus on is the various exercises that are critical to maintaining lifelong independence. I hope to advocate for such a program in the future as I not only think it would be beneficial, but it could be a cash cow for fitness centers wise enough to specialize in this exploding demographic.

I had allowed my knees to becoming very week and found it increasingly difficult to squat without support. While my knees still let me know they have been neglected, I am becoming steadily stronger and more flexible. My breathing is improving as is my upper body strength as my waistline shrinks. More in a week.

Beginning a New Chapter

Waking up on my 65^th Birthday was very special. As I have addressed, my gift to myself was joining a greatest loser competition at our Wellness Center…and our team is currently in the lead. As of this morning, my team contribution is a loss of 18 pounds in four weeks. Physically, I feel a little stronger every week and slowly rebuilding my stamina. In spite of sore muscles where I did not remember even having muscles, I feel better than I have in years.

I am clearly the elder of my team of losers/winners, and see an incredible potential in the fitness industry for those operations wise enough to address the aging of the marketplace. The staff at the Wellness Center which is coaching us is fantastic and supportive. However, my observation is that they lack an understanding of what motivates older consumers. While there are numerous exceptions, most of us do not want to become marathon runners, extreme sports enthusiasts or hard bodies. In fact, I view my membership and class tuitions as a very affordable form of insurance policy.

My second gift to myself was returning to the world of being a self-employed entrepreneur. I have proven without question that security is something you create for yourself. We left SD over 10 years ago to seek the security of a paid executive position with benefits etc. I discovered the definition of security was being downsized twice and having a third position eliminated after a corporate buy out. Last June, we decided to return to our roots in SD and have had absolutely no regrets. Just before leaving Florida, I joined the “virtual team” of a startup brain fitness company called NeoCORTA, which has been an educational and rewarding experience…the entrepreneurial fire was rekindled. I have also recently landed a couple of consulting jobs that have been incredibly rewarding.

At 65, I honestly feel no different than I did at 30, 40 or 50. Hopefully a little wiser; but I certainly do not feel “old;” whatever that is supposed to feel like. I am excited about the next chapter and looking forward to what is not so much an encore career as it returning to my professional roots.  

Signs of the Times

While growing numbers of us are advocating for successful aging and battling aging stereotypes, there are new frustrations regularly that set back the movement. The latest entries are “Senior Crossing” signs. That’s correct…like children playing, pedestrians (seniors evidently don’t qualify), and deer crossing, motorist evidently need to be warned that there may be slow moving creatures in the area. This raises both stupidity and insensitivity to a new level.

During an online dialogue on LinkedIn, a member of the ICAA group commented that in Toronto workers are busy installing yellow caution road signs that read "Seniors" outside shopping malls, medical facilities, restaurants (especially McDonald's) and on the streets near retirement homes, aand the trend seems to be international. "Elderly Crossing" signs appear in the U.K., complete with a picture of two bent-over figures, one with a cane; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1046975/Beware-elderly-people-getting-crosser-OAPs-demand-revamp-insulting-crossing-sign.html. California uses a single bent-over figure with a cane; http://claycord.blogspot.com/2010/01/senior-crossing-in-concord-funny-sign.html.

Rather than wasting the taxpayer’s money on signage that is both offensive and unnecessary, why not spend some of that money on aging awareness training.

GM Is Without a Clue

“Misunderstanding” was the perfect designation for the tasteless, ageist, stereotype riddled Super Bowl ad for the Chevy Cruze Eco (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWsWIbnPIeA&NR=1). In 30 seconds, the company clearly communicated that it neither understood the older consumer or the demographic realities of the market place. If the ad had used racial/ethnic, gay or sexist stereotypes, the media would have gone ballistic.

By 2020, 1 in every 5 adult consumers will be over age 60. Since the baby boom has been moving steadily toward the magic age for over six decades, this should come as no surprise to either major corporations or the advertising agencies that do their bidding. Still, someone at General Motors approved a campaign that older adults (20% of the market) and anyone working in the senior living industry would find offensive. This fact was validated by a Datamonitor report, which documented that 71% of adults over age 55 felt that advertising did not reflect their current lifestyle and were turned off by the marketing messages that targeted them.

As the Boomers start turning 65 this year, conventional ideas of what it means to be 65 are increasingly untrue worldwide. What we generally hear from the media and politicians is that 65-year-olds will become a burden on the healthcare system and society. However, many 65-year-olds are contributing to the success of society and enjoying good health. Furthermore, American Boomers and their parents have $2.1 trillion in their pockets, according to the Met Life Mature Market Institute. If there is any justice, not one nickel of it should go to General Motors until they issue an apology to mature consumers.

Let the Paradigm Shift Begin

On January 1, the shift from a youth dominated market to one dominated by middle age and older people began in earnest. For the next 18 years, someone will turn age 65 approximately every 8 minutes. Why this seems to have come as a surprise to our elected leaders, business leaders and educators boggle the imagination. However, all three have pretty much failed miserably in planning for the greatest demographic shift in history.

Politically, we debate fixing a Social Security System that is grossly out of date from an actuarial perspective and generally unfunded. Medicare obligations will grow exponentially and the Medicaid outlays at the state level threaten budget solvency in many states and will get progressively worse in the next two decades. Still, few are emphasizing the importance of or providing incentives for preventive health and well being programs. Likewise advances in brain fitness programs that could delay the onset of memory loss receive little attention.

When it comes to business, there has been minimal attention to the reality that older consumers’ process information differently, and have physiological changes that affect their hearing and vision. Simplily stated, it is way past time to reconsider sales, marketing, and merchandising materials as well as how they train and educate their employees. The majority of business collateral materials utilize type is too small, improper fonts, paper that is too glossy, ineffective copy, and colors that may make it difficult to even see the message.

Finally, few educational institutions offer courses on communicating with an aging market, how life stages impact decision making or the benefits successful aging strategies that should begin early in life. There is more than enough information on how to succeed in an aging marketing; but few are yet to pursue that knowledge. Regardless of the sector you serve, there is still an excellent window of opportunity to gain a competitive advantage. However, a new paradigm will be required in order to bring the potential into focus.

 

How Pervasive Is Ageism?

I am coming to believe that age bias is much more pervasive than any of us realize. This does not mean that we consciously discriminate against older adults; however, at the subconscious level we may carry a bias much more in favor of youth. The first step in fighting ageism is for those in the field of aging to determine if they are biased.

A recent email from my mentor, David B. Wolfe reminded me that more people should be encouraged to use Harvard University's no cost assessment. In the email David stated, "most people claiming to be innocent of any charge of ageism who take the Harvard Implicit Association Test discover that in fact they do harbor ageist biases at unconscious levels of their minds. Other research supports the conclusion that ageism (like racism and other "isms") is far more pervasive than most of us realize or want to admit." Take a few minutes and see whether or not you may have an unconcious bias.

 The step is to eliminate all stereotypical terms and age references from our own publications, promotional materials and messaging. We must also be conscious of using only photos that show the resilience, wisdom and experience of older consumers. If we can not first become self-aware and make our organizations bias free, we are not likely to succeed in our effort to dramatically reduce ageism in the general media.

Zoomers or Peter Pan Syndrome?

It would seem the media in this country will go to any lengths to deny the aging of our culture. On October 18, the Huffington Post related “Tips for Staying Younger, Longer” to detail some “facts” about Zoomers – or Boomer narcissists in my view.

The article opened with the Warning: What you are about to read could very well extend your life by several years. According to the article Zoomers are “a growing segment of the baby boomer population who despite their advancing years are refusing to get old.”  

In reality, the article is about a growing fitness and wellness movement among older adults age 60 and over, which included both the Greatest and Eisenhower generations. Generally speaking, older adults have always been open to new experiences; this characteristic was not created by any fringe group of boomers.

 The author goes on to state that, “Zoomers … know true wisdom lies in the fact that learning is an elixir of youth. And who better to learn about being young, than from people who are young.” I offer a counter reality, “Old people know way more about being young than the young know about being old.” The explosive growth of Elderhostel and lifelong learning programs primarily populated by those age 70 and older blows a big hole in this theory.

Next is the claim that, “Zoomers have found a purpose that is greater than themselves.”  So Mother Teresa, Einstein, et al were slackers? Well, developmental psychologists have long documented that we tend to become more altruistic in later life. Likewise, Maslow felt self-actualization was most often found in later life. The late Dr. Gene Cohen was definitely not a Zoomer, but he most definitely pioneered the later life creativity movement with youthful exuberance.

Not surprisingly, the author missed a major factor in longevity – a positive aging self image. While all the other Zoomer “facts” play a role (exercise, diet, socialization, seeking purpose, and brain fitness) to deny one’s aging in pursuit of fading youth is the stuff of Peter Pan. Rather than holding on to the myth that you “can refuse to grow old,” let’s just redefine what aging is really all about.

The Many Dimensions of Brain Fitness

Just as physical fitness is about more than the strength of your biceps, brain fitness is much more than just the strength of your memory. To help in the definition of personal performance targets, we need to develop a better vocabulary for describing the full breadth of key brain functions. In fact, understanding this breadth is a critical piece of the brain fitness puzzle.

“Cognition” describes our “thinking” abilities- it’s about processing, coordinating, strategizing and responding to information. This includes a range of critical brain functions such as the ability to remember, pay attention, and make decisions. While there are many ways to categorize the key areas of cognition, one useful approach is to focus on the following four areas:

1. Recall measures the strength of your memory. It includes the ability to remember specific information (e.g., facts, ideas, experiences, etc.) as well as how to perform tasks (e.g., opening a door, tying your shoes, etc.).
2. Attention measures your ability to focus or concentrate while ignoring distractions and irrelevant information. Attention is a fundamental brain process that enables you to perform a wide range of activities (e.g., driving a car). Many activities require a person to divide attention among many things, while others require a shift of attention quickly from one task to another.
3. Processing Speed measures the time it takes for your brain to process information and/or respond to it. An increase in processing speed can make you feel more alert and better able to react. A decline in processing speed can make you misunderstand what people are saying, or make it difficult to follow instructions.
4. Executive Function measures high-level thinking skills such as planning, making decisions, solving problems, and reasoning. Executive function skills are required for everyday activities such as setting goals, organizing events, and playing games.

Meanwhile, “emotional well-being” describes how you “feel”. Emotional well-being allows you to calmly handle day-to-day challenges, maintain a positive outlook, adapt to change, and understand and care for others. One way to make sense of emotional well-being is to break it into five key areas:

1. Anxiety is a feeling of fear or apprehension involving physical and/or mental experiences. Anxiety appears in the form of physical symptoms (e.g., sweating) or as a feeling of increased nervous energy. Moderate, short-term anxiety is a normal part of life, but it can cause physical and psychological problems if it’s chronic.
2. Stress is a response to demands or changes in one’s environment. It involves emotional, mental, and physical components that each serve to help meet challenges. Moderate stress can be positive; for example, it enhances alertness and motivation, which increases abilities. On the other hand, longer-term or high levels of stress can weaken emotional, mental, and physical capabilities.
3. Mood can be described as a predisposition, attitude, or state of mind. It can include positive emotions like happiness or enthusiasm for everyday life. It also includes more negative states such as sadness.
4. Emotional Control includes the ability to evaluate your feelings, manage negative emotions, and handle conflict.
5. Emotional Recognition enables you to pinpoint feelings (in yourself and others) and to understand the ways in which your behavior may affect the emotions of others. This skill helps you to connect with others and better engage in social interactions.

The brain fitness movement is still in its early stages. If we want to pursue and achieve truly meaningful improvements in our capabilities over time, we need to adopt a perspective that enables us to understand, discuss, and track the full range of important brain functions.

Key to Reversing Aging???

A member of the LinkedIn Changing Aging group asked me to comment on an August 23, 2010 article entitled, “Listening for the Key to Reverse Aging” by Jessica Hilo of Miller-McCune. The article is a perfect example of how the media dismisses positive news about aging – in this case by using analogies to sitcoms and condescension. Since the article demonstrates both the progress in brain research and the pervasiveness of ageism, I decided to post it here as well...

While the Neuroplasticity of the brain is now a generally accepted fact, it is not the key to "reversing aging;" nor is anything else. Aging is a biological process whereby an organism moves from a simple to a highly complex state. Physical and brain aging declines are both a part of this process; but not everyone ages the same. The problem is that way too many people age prematurely due to self inflicted physical deterioration, disease or the ravages of the "self-fulfilling prophecies" of aging that occur when adults accept and live out aging stereotypes.

My problem with the article is not with the content but the headline and conclusion. I am very familiar with the efficacy studies of the auditory cortex discussed. I did considerable research before investing in a computer program for an upscale community for older adults. We ultimately purchased the Posit Science program, which I have loaded on my personal computer and used. While we cannot reverse "aging," it appears we can reverse or delay cognitive loss by building a cognitive reserve and also increase the brain's processing speed. Posit’s research documents that use of their products can reverse the affects of cognitive decline by as much as ten years. Likewise, their programs that exercise the visual cortex have produced some impressive results. Like the body, you get the most from your brain by exercising it.

Just as it is improbable that we can "reverse aging," we can most definitely mitigate the impact of both physical and mental declines with fitness and wellness programs. I joined NeoCORTA because the company offered an affordable brain fitness assessment vehicle with which adults could evaluate their own brain fitness, identify risk factors that research indicates can result in cognitive decline and offer a holistic action plan to achieve comprehensive brain fitness. Whether or not it can be cured, wouldn't it be great if it could be delayed for 25 or 30 years? What would happen if we spent as much time and money on prevention as we did curing those things that are preventable?

The author of the article uses the analogy that this type of research is like the quest for the Fountain of Youth and so far has only benefited the "beloved aging lab rats." How sad that is the conclusion that can be drawn from such exciting research. Instead of celebrating advances in neurological research and memory, the media so long enamored with the youth culture tends to minimize the advances. Twenty years ago, the scientific and medical communities generally accepted that mental decline and memory loss was a "natural" part of the aging process. Just imagine what we may learn in the next twenty years now that we have data that dementia is not a "natural" part of brain aging.

Is Brain Fitness Bad for You?

There are times when I am convinced the media go out of their way to perpetuate aging myths and misconceptions of the aging process. Today a friend sent me a CNN article entitled, “Brain exercises delay, speed up dementia? The article related the results of a study of more than 1,100 participants aged 65 and older, none of whom had dementia when the research began.

The article reported that, “people who regularly engage in mentally stimulating activities such as reading, doing puzzles, and going to museums may stave off the onset of dementia longer than people who don't. This has been shown in several other studies in the past. But here's the flip side: Those who are cognitively active also decline more rapidly when they do develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, the new study in the journal Neurology found.”

So, is that a bad thing? Wouldn’t it be better to delay dementia for 20 years and be impacted for a few months or have dementia for 20 years? Seems like a no brainer.

All the research I have seen states that NEW learning and challenging activities are necessary for an effective brain fitness program. Numerous studies, such as the Nun’s Study, have documented that in fact there are numerous positive benefits from challenging the brain and having a positive aging self esteem, which this article totally ignored.

Generally, things like learning a new language, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, travelling, reading and attending classes are examples of being cognitively active. However for this study, "cognitively active" activities included going to a museum, watching television, listening to radio, reading newspapers, reading magazines, reading books, and playing games. Watching television? Listening to the radio? I’m not convinced that years of soap operas and game shows may not actually cause dementia.

Further, the article went on to report that “The researchers did not ask participants about whether they continued to be cognitively active after the initial assessment at the start of the study.” Wouldn’t that pretty much trash any assumption that what they found out really proved anything? Instead, the article reported that, “The National Institutes of Health delivered the grim news in April that evidence on preventing the onset of Alzheimer's disease continues to be fuzzy (evidently research methodology is a little fuzzy as well), and that there is no lifestyle modification a person can make that is proved to help.”

Both the headline and portions of the article imply that being cognitively active can be potentially harmful, which is exactly the type of uncertainty that can lead to inaction and fuel the self-fulfilling prophecy that dementia is just a natural part of aging and if you fight it you will lose. This is irresponsible as best.

The Power of Ageless Terminology - Part III

In an aging marketplace, marketing messages, promotional materials and newsletter stories, should depend more on values-based messages and less on objective logic. In photos and headlines, the appeal should be emotional rather than stating facts or posing questions. A subjective lead paragraph or Rockwell type photo will pull the prospect into the ad and increase the probability that the reader will consider whatever you have to offer.

Life experience tends to teach consumers to view the world in shades of gray and to trust their feelings and emotions as they grow older. Therefore, how each person receives and responds, or not, to your message is conditional or qualified based on their worldview and beliefs; and then analyzed in the context in which it is presented. Generally speaking, mature consumers tend to use right brain functions (intuition, visuals, creative, and emotions) to screen messages before processing them rationally. If your message does not get through the screening process, you offer will not be considered.

The older mind becomes increasing context sensitive, so be sure the prospective consumers can see themselves in the story you are telling. If you focus on an exaggerated view of later life, you will leave out the vast majority of older adults who do not go skydiving or mountain climbing. This is not to encourage a sedentary look, but rather real people who are very engaged in everyday life.

Once you have the reader’s attention, you can present features and benefits; however, present only the facts, not your conclusions. For example, never use phrases such as, “you should”, “you must,” “wise consumers will”, “you need to”, “act today” or similar directive language. Creating “a sense of urgency” simply does not work on seasoned, experienced consumers. Directive language may also threaten the autonomy of the targeted consumers. While the initial response is emotional, older consumers will spend more time examining facts and figures than younger consumers once you gain their attention.  

By using inclusionary terms and conditional, conversational style, you take advantage of the mind’s irrepressible need to complete and incomplete picture. Open-ended, deferential statements are also more likely to connect with the experiential backgrounds of multiple consumer segments.

Older consumers place a high value on their experiential perceptions developed through years of sorting through offers and sales presentations. They have heard and seen it all so avoid hyperbole (terms such as new, best, latest, unique). Instead, use positive, conditional, value charge words of phrases… for all life can be, future opportunities await, designed with you in mind, etc. Text should use a clear, easy-to-read, personalized, narrative style, and involve the reader. Information should be presented in a clear and familiar way using positive statements in the active voice, and lengthy documents should be broken into short sections to aid in comprehension.

In summary, ageless marketing communications celebrate the uniqueness and worth of each individual regardless of their age.

The Power of Ageless Terminology (Part II)

To keep our conscious minds from being overloaded with unimportant information, our brains conduct what might be called information triage. Like a trauma unit that makes treatment decisions according to severity of the injuries suffered, the brain sorts through billions of bits of information each moment to select information for the conscious mind to think about.

The brain does not process words; it processes pictures and sensory data in context with the circumstances. If there is a perception that "senior" means old, frail, dependent, bingo player, or other traditional stereotypes, the mind of a the targeted customer may "exclude" whatever is associated with that word from conscious consideration if they do not view themselves as fitting the stereotype. For example, the current stereotype that frustrates marketers in the senior living industry is the common perception that “retirement community” means a place to go when your health is failing…a place for the frail – the elderly.

A targeted consumer’s eyes and ears may detect what you are trying to tell them, but unless their brains sense personal relevance, little of the message content will reach their conscious mind. Your challenge therefore is creating messages that resonate with the needs and interests of the prospect in order to make it past the mental screening process.

You can begin the slow change process by sensitizing all team members to the power, both positive and negative, of the words we use, and subsequently begin using more inclusionary terms to describe our members, communities and services while avoiding the use of exclusionary term (words shrouded in stereotypes that could be perceived negatively).

One simple test is to read your copy and eliminate all age related adjectives senior, retirement, older etc. and then re-read the same copy to see if it still makes sense. If it does, using the terms would seem offensive or demeaning on their face.

Inclusion's/conditional terms allow a people to then screen a message based on their expectations, aspirations, needs and life experience rather than preexisting stereotypes. Inclusionary terms are simply more likely to be positively perceived than the terms traditionally used in our industry.  A few examples follow:

¨Nursing home - Almost without exception, the term nursing home conjures up negative images. Assisted living is beginning suffer the same fate as stories of substandard care are shared by the media. So, don’t use it; but replace it with inclusionary descriptors like The Highlands, The Springs, etc. Skilled nursing care is a service not a brand.

¨Residents  – This is a very impersonal reference to those calling “retirement communities, nursing homes or assisted living facilities” home. While it may be acceptable during a board meeting or staff meeting, the use of terms like depositor, client, or resident terms should be eliminated from materials and signage.  Instead, try community members, neighbors, even people is preferable. As with many terms, the context in which they are used determines the appropriateness

¨Seniors, senior citizens, and elderly – the same principle applies as with residents. First, in conversation use the person’s name; in communications try customers, people, citizens or similar terms of inclusion.

¨Titles– avoid incorporating stereotypes into titles, like “retirement counselor” or “activity director”. Instead, have some fun with terms like “planning adviser” or “events coordinator”. Instead of receptionist, try “director of first impressions” or “concierge.”

¨Retirement – terms like “retirement” should only be used to establish a context. Retirement is basically the act of leaving a full-time career or leaving one profession after years of work…it is not an accurate descriptor of a life stage. While “retirement” once lasted only a few years, individuals now enjoy two or three or more decades of productive life after age 65, which is still considered traditional retirement age. Since retirement suffers from many of common aging stereotypes, avoid using it if at all possible while also explaining why. 

These are just a few examples of how the use of exclusionary terms could be costing you business, donations and profits. Even if 70% of your prospective customers have no problem with the term senior citizen, but 30% do; ask yourself, “Am I willing to give up 1/3 of my potential market on purpose?”

The Power of Ageless Terminology - Part I

 

Amazing!  It took the 64^th birthday parties of a few thousand leading edge baby boomers for corporate America and the mainstream media to finally wake up to the fact that the median age of adults in the US increased by about a decade while they were ignoring older consumers.  Today, articles and conference topics on boomers are proliferating, but understanding of the maturing marketplace has a long way to go. 

For example, are some Boomers old people? If yes, what do we call them?  Are they like other older people? What do they want?  How do we get their attention?  As the market potential becomes more and more obvious, consultants, authors and trainers are pontificating on how to capture the elusive boomer beast – still up to 18 years away from traditional retirement.

If you are searching for four easy steps or six simple typologies that will insure success in the aging marketplace, you’ll not find them here. Why? Because, the typical boomer, like the typical senior, is as much like other boomers as a snowflake is typical. Consumers become more dissimilar as they age not more alike, although they do tend to share common ‘gut level’ values.

Since so few companies have successfully targeted the older consumer, quantifiable evidence on what works best is limited. Some have explored the mature market using traditional methods only to conclude there was little potential because consumers failed to respond. They blamed neither the messenger nor the message, but the intended recipient. Likewise, millions of dollars have been spent teaching aging sensitivity without first developing an empathetic understanding of the consumer and their decision-making processes. Unfortunately, this sensitivity training often reinforces and perpetuates rather than correcting aging stereotypes.

As businesses continue to track the elusive elder beast, there will no doubt have varying degrees of success. To increase the probability of success, one must first abandon the approaches that worked so well in yesterday’s youth market; and adopt an ageless approach more likely to appeal to a maturing consumer base while not alienating other segments.

You can begin by projecting a positive, mindful image of aging. This positive image should underlie all marketing communications, collateral material, web sites, and PowerPoint presentations. Consumers tend to select products/services that reflect images of what they want to be not what they are, and this applies to older adults as well. While physiological declines are a part of life, older consumers “feel” anywhere from 15 to 25 years younger than their biological age, which doesn’t mean they think they “look” 15 to 25 years younger. Therefore, when models are either too young or engaged in extreme sports or too old and dependent, the consumer simply dismisses the message. The key is realistic people in meaningful real world activities.

Advertising and communications should focus on holistic health and well being; being productive, the importance of autonomy and involvement, the importance of relationships and being responsive to the wants, needs and aspirations of targeted consumers and stakeholders. Remember that a prospective customer will consider your initial message for from .2 to .8 of one second (your cognitive window of opportunity). Not much time to make a first impression – that is why every word and image is so important.

 

 

 

 

Wisdom?

The longer I spend in the field of aging; the more the paradoxes and anomalies bother me. I have come to believe that working in the field of aging is no guarantee that a person knows anything about the older people they serve. Oh, they know a lot about the aging process; just little about the older person, their world views and wisdom. I think this is especially in large bureaucratic government and nonprofit organizations.

I make this statement following a unique anomaly that occurred last week. I was about to write a blog entry about a new research project that documented what Tom Peters would call a “blinding flash of the obvious” for anyone that has been mindfully observing older adults. The research documented that “older adults are indeed wise – especially in knowing how to deal with conflicts and accepting life’s uncertainties and change.”

The research from the University of Michigan found that older people were more likely than younger or middle aged people to recognize that values differ, to acknowledge uncertainties, to accept that things change over time and to acknowledge others’ points of view. What struck me most about the story sharing the results was a statement that the research “suggests the critical importance of workplaces’ maintaining the opportunity for older employees to continue to contribute.” So, what is the anomaly?

Shortly after reading the story, I called a good friend who has spent the past 30 years working in either a state unit on aging or area agency on aging. He had just retired from a job in a state office on aging as the result of an attractive early retirement package offer. This man has a wealth of experience that could continue to benefit his state and its older residents for years. However, one of the terms of the package was that he could never again work for the state in any capacity to include as a consultant…so much for the importance of organizations recognizing the value of allowing older workers to “continue to contribute.”

I could almost understand this level of stupidity from a private sector organization that has yet to recognize the changing realities of marketplace that is becoming more senior than junior for the first time in history. For a state department on aging to adopt such an ageist position is inexcusable. The citizenry looks to these organizations as a source of wisdom to address the challenges of an aging society and I fear we will all be sadly disappointed.