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.

An Incredible Legacy

On December 3, 2011, David B. Wolfe left this world early in the morning. For those that knew him or benefited from his writings, there is consensus that he left the world and the field of aging a much better place than he found it. For over three decades, David’s vision has guided thousands to more successful careers in senior living, marketing, financial services, aging services and so many other professions that his impact staggers the imagination. And by impact, I do not mean only those that knew and learned from him while he was living but the many that will continue to learn from his legacy.

When I first read Serving the Ageless Market, it was like this incredible man had lighted a pathway to success in an aging marketplace. What I had felt intuitively, David justified and explained with a solid foundation in research clearly explaining why a new marketing paradigm was needed. A client we had both served recommended that we meet because I was training on what worked, and David was consulting on what did not work. The client thought we might make a good team. That led to a phone call and a 3 hour meeting in the St. Louis airport at which David agreed to join me on a series of two day workshops on marketing to middle age and older adults. In reality, he was the teacher and I was the student.

That student/teacher relationship that began over 20 years ago blossomed into and incredible
friendship and gave birth to a “think tank” group of 50 professionals dedicated to preserving and expanding on David’s life work. Together we created a unique organization known as The Society that has become more of a circle of friends than a traditional professional organization. Following the workshops, we coined the term Developmental Relationship Marketing to describe a new approach to mature market communications that recognized lifestage changes. David continued to refine the theory while I focused on the practice of ageless marketing. I can’t imagine not having him as a mentor and sounding board in the coming years, but I am confident his spirit will continue to guide those of us that are committed to building on his legacy.

We frequently agonized how little money there was in being ahead of your time, but David’s vision of a more ageless society is slowly coming into focus. While it saddens me that he never received the recognition he so justly deserved, I know his impact is just now beginning to be recognized. At the recent 10^th Anniversary meeting of the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) in Orlando, we issued awards to organizations for their positive aging/ageless approach to marketing communications materials and ICAA published recommended Communications Standards to guide those interested in improving their marketing materials. On December 6, several members of The Society will also be conducting workshops at the Positive Aging Conference hosted by Fielding University in Los Angeles; and David’s spirit will be with us.

David followed Serving with three more books: Ageless Marketing, Firms of Endearment,
and the soon to be published Brave New World View. For the past four years, David has been battling lung cancer while working on what he knew would be his final work. When he completed the last page on December 1, he called contributing author Mike Baumayr to his side and suggested they break out the champagne. He had a couple of sips and went to sleep never to truly awake…mission accomplished. Over the years, I have come to consider David, his wife Linda and youngest daughter Stephanie a part of my family and will cherish their continued friendship. Rest in peace my friend with the assurance that the members of The Society and the many others you have influenced are committed to carrying your message to anyone wise enough to listen.

Seeking the Art of the Positive

For over 30 years, I have been advocating for a more positive, ageless approach to marketing communications targeting older adults. During that time the positive aging army has been slowly gaining recruits. We gained a major ally with the creation of the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) almost 10 years ago as indicated by the organization's recent launch of the Changing the Way We Age campaign, a part of which is a contest seeking the best of the best in ageless communications.The awards will recognize excellence in marketing wellness-oriented products, programs or services to consumers ages 50 and above.

According to the ICAA CEO Colin Milner, “Our campaign is not just about alerting people to ageist stereotypes in the media and marketing materials. We are actively encouraging and promoting efforts to present positive and realistic portrayals of aging. Research has shown that the majority of older adults are turned off by the marketing messages that are currently aimed at them. With our Rebranding Aging awards, marketers have an opportunity to show the burgeoning population of older adults that they understand their needs and desires.”

You do not have to be a member of ICAA in order to submit an entry so please inform any company or advertising agency you think 'gets it." Entries will be accepted online on the campaign website (www.changingthewayweage.com) through September 10, 2011. Companies may submit entries on behalf of their business or organization in all four categories, but no more than one entry per category.

Winning entries will be recognized at the ICAA Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida this December and will also be profiled in an feature story in the Journal on Active Aging following the conference as well as presented as positive examples on the ICAA web site and in future marketing presentations by professionals teaching other on the art of the positive.

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.

 

Branding and Marketing Thoughts

About a year ago, I was interviewed by Colin Milner, Executive Director of the International Council on Active Aging. This led to an opportunity to chair a year long work group on Rebranding Aging. The results of that process was presented at a strategy meeting at the Annual Meeting in San Diego earlier this month. As the plans are formalized, I will be sharing them on this blog. In the mean time, here is a link to the interview on ICAA TV:

Ambrosius on branding and marketing on ICAA TV

ICAA TV Interview

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.