When looking to create or update the branding strategy for your business, it’s important to take every demographic into consideration. According to the International Council of Active Aging, the majority of adults over the age of 55 feel that advertising does not reflect their current lifestyle, and they are turned off by many of the marketing messages targeted at them. The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota is reminding business owners to be sure to include our nation’s aging population in their branding and marketing efforts.
While many boomers are much more apt to rely on referrals than the younger generation, 90 percent of adults 50 and older also rely on and use email, according to ICAA. Forrester Research found that 49 percent of consumers who are 66 or older rely on personal emails to direct them to sites, compared to 28 percent of non-seniors.
One of the problems in today’s marketing world is the fact that many businesses don’t even have a viable strategy for targeting the nation’s 77 million baby boomers, ICAA notes. When creating or sprucing up your branding strategy, the best way to make sure that it doesn’t neglect the aging population is to get input from them directly.
The BBB and ICAA recommend the following steps to businesses looking to make their branding strategy one that’s friendlier to baby boomers:
Create ads that work. Don’t assume that you’ll reach the aging population by default. Actively design ads to portray baby boomers in a positive, uplifting light. Never use negative stereotypes of older adults to amuse younger audiences.
Deliver the message effectively. Tell a story instead of lecturing. Let your ad arouse emotions. Help your audience process complex information by breaking up lengthy facts into short snippets.
Use terms that work. Every word counts. Business owners should focus their advertising using language that implies health, well-being, and productivity.
Focus your ad photos using realistic images. According to a recent study by AARP, researchers discovered that images showing exercise that looks like too much work turns off older adults. Grimacing, sweaty, straining models won’t entice many 50-plus adults to become engaged. Make sure your business branding strategy uses images that are both realistic and fun. Baby boomers are more likely to engage with your brand if they feel accurately represented.
For more business tips you can trust, visit www.bbb.org, and for more information on engaging the aging population, visit International Council of Active Aging, www.icaa.cc.
The mission of the Better Business Bureau is to be the leader in building marketplace trust by promoting, through self-regulation, the highest standards of business ethics and conduct, and to instill confidence in responsible businesses through programs of education and action that inform, assist and protect the general public. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact the BBB at bbb.org or 651-699-1111, toll-free at 1-800-646-6222. Visit the Centennial website at bbbis100.org.
