Research shows that consumers over the age of 10 feel that they have been rejected by brands. They believe that brand advertisements convey the wrong message. Is this a rare market opportunity for brands due to the current aging population?
■文译/rapeseed
The youngest of the baby boom generation has turned 18. However, the latest survey data shows that consumers in the + age group feel excluded by brands and believe that the information conveyed by brand advertisements reflects a misunderstanding of this group of people.
Data from the British National Statistics Office ( ) shows that there are now 10,000 people aged over 10 years in the UK, accounting for about one-third of the total population. With this current situation, we can see how many brands have ignored this huge baby boomer generation. ?
A survey conducted by a global website for the + age group shows that only % of consumers in this age group believe that brand advertising is created specifically for them. The survey was conducted by a marketing research agency and involved a total of 100 consumers. The survey also found that only % of people believe that brands value this group, while one-fifth of consumers believe that they are completely excluded by brands.
This + age group has been ignored or ignored by brands. However, by 2020, the number of people in this age group in the UK will exceed %, so this market phenomenon is very strange and unacceptable. said Marila Frostrup, a representative and journalist and TV host.
Consumer Magazine Publishing House believes that it is a mistake for marketers to focus only on consumers aged over 10 years. In contrast, younger groups are not as affluent as older consumers.
Amanda Wigginton, the agency’s head of insights, said every brand needs to be mindful of having ongoing conversations with older consumers day and night. The aim is to truly understand them rather than brushing off or dismissing them. They are loosely called the elderly group. Many brands get this wrong and consumers can tell right away.
Wigginton added that there are many rumors about this consumer group, such as that they are unhappy in life and that they are brand loyal customers. In fact, they can bring a lot of opportunities to brands because they have sufficient disposable income and to some extent they are in an age that is changing a lot.
This change is the growth driver of the Italian women's clothing brand. According to the brand's website, its goal is to attract mature women, and its brand design is based on demand information and consumer insights from consumer feedback. The brand has a series of luxury basic models. The target group is women who have entered menopause or women with other physical problems. Because many physical symptoms can affect a person's normal body temperature, the materials and designs of the luxury basic series of clothing can provide special protection for the body. effect. The material used in this series of clothing is Tencel cotton, which can absorb body sweat and discharge it from the body.
Daniel Watson, the brand's head of business development for the UK and Europe, believes that not many brands now pay enough attention to and target the + age group. They have been ignored. This can especially be seen from clothing brand advertising. Even ads for clothes designed specifically for an older demographic often forget who they are targeting when marketing them.
Watson said that some brands' products are specifically targeted at an older crowd, and a luxury designer has been carefully selected for this purpose, but they create some products for girls, and the models who promote the brand's clothing are all in their twenties. This approach is obviously contradictory.
's research shows that although the + age group generally has a poor impression of brand advertising, they all feel good about their age. % of people aged 10 to 20 years said they felt good about their age and this number rose to % of people aged 18 to 18.
The survey also shows that nearly half of the consumers who participated in the survey believe that they are very satisfied now because they have more time to do the things they like, and 10% of people said that they now know better what they want.
This phenomenon shows that there is a huge disconnect between brands and consumers. On the one hand + age groups feel good about their age. They want to enjoy life and have control over household expenses. On the other hand, advertisers and marketers fail to Paying attention to this situation, there is a lack of dialogue and communication with this group. said CEO James Belushi.
He added that this group has the most economic power. So it's time to abandon the old notion that the + age group is suffering some kind of crisis and realize that for many people, turning 18 means the beginning of a better life in the second half of their lives.
Age spokesperson
It is very risky for the brand to become the spokesperson of a certain age group. But the survey by the research agency reflects how the + age group views their own age and how they feel about the age of spokespersons in brand advertising.
According to feedback from participants in the survey, % of the respondents felt that they were younger than their actual age, % of them felt that they were younger than their actual age, % of the people felt that they were younger than their actual age, and % of them felt that they were younger than their actual age. Years younger than actual age. The survey shows that % of the respondents who are older than 20 years old agree that the older they are, the younger they feel about themselves.
However, this view of the elderly has not been well interpreted in brand advertising. % of the respondents believe that brand advertisements targeting the over-age group are rigid. % feel that the advertising looks old-fashioned. % feel that the advertising looks old-fashioned. The content presented in this advertisement is wrong. A quarter of those surveyed felt that the content of advertising targeted at brands aged 10 to 20 years old was inappropriate, while only one in five felt it was acceptable.
Frostrup said the market potential is huge due to the growth in the population of this age group. But companies must realize that this is a proactive generation that is also an active consumer. Therefore, companies must review their advertising and media placement strategies for this group to find out where the problem lies.
Casual shoe retailers are targeting the + age group and their advertising targeting this age group has seen a huge shift. The brand's chief executive, Peter Taylor, said it was especially important for certain industries and brands that companies would be aware of this group.
He added that advertising must also change. In ads targeting this group you will see models who are some years old. This is a shift away from the traditional belief that older people cannot dress fashionably and the new campaign will change this mindset.
Technology and Social Media
This year happens to be the anniversary of the founding of the World Wide Web + age groups have witnessed the development of the Internet. The survey shows that most people in this age group are very familiar with the Internet. +Only % of the age group do not like Internet technology while % are active users of the Internet. However, the survey also shows that companies have misunderstandings about this and believe that older consumers do not know how to enjoy Internet technology.
Frostrup said that companies now generally have a perfunctory attitude towards this group, especially companies in the technology field. People will sigh to the elderly that you can actually post Weibo using your smartphone? To describe people of this age group as aliens completely ignores the fact that many important technologies were created by the + age group, such as Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, and Bill Gates of Microsoft.
's survey shows that % of the + age group discovers new products through media channels, and % of people discover new products through their peers or peers. And it is still very effective for brands to spread marketing messages through technology.
As far as social media is concerned, although there are reports that the younger generation is withdrawing, social networking sites are the first choice for those over the age of 18. Another survey conducted by a professional digital performance marketing agency showed that more than half of people over 20 years old in the UK have their own web pages.
The survey shows that the Twitter usage rate for the + age group is as low as %. And the social networking site shows this figure has increased among the + age group, with one in five people using Twitter compared to 1% for the 20-year-old age group.
Multiple channels
The group's retail consulting agency conducted an in-depth study of the shopping situation of this age group. The research results show that older consumers are more inclined to shop in-store, which changes people's previous ideas about this group. . Among the respondents, % of the respondents shopped on the street while % of the respondents said they shop online and only % of them shop online via tablet or mobile phone.
On eBay, the + age group demonstrates its strong financial capabilities, so advertisers should give priority to this age group. Ruan Fang, head of eBay's UK regional advertising department, said advertisers cannot adopt a one-size-fits-all solution for online channels, which may alienate brands from certain customers. They need to target different customer groups with differentiated messages and make their own The content is clear and concise. For example, from January to mid-March last year, the number of searches for ski equipment by the age group on the British eBay website was % higher than the number of searches by the age group.
Ruan Fang said that many brands do not realize how they should cast their nets to capture this group of people, but this is also the charm of digital marketing. It allows brands to target consumers based on users’ points of interest, not necessarily based on age, so that brands can ensure You won't miss important customers.
's survey also shows what messages brands should convey to consumers and what promises they should fulfill in physical stores and online channels. Regarding the in-store shopping experience, % of the respondents expressed the hope that there would be more cashiers, % wanted the shopping environment to feel more hospitable, and % wanted the store to have some special discounts or promotions.
Research on online shopping shows that there is no age limit for online shoppers. The survey found that there is no obvious difference in shopping between multi-year-old consumers and younger consumers.
Three-quarters of the respondents believe that online shopping is more convenient and about two-thirds of the respondents are very familiar with the data security measures of online stores. Likewise, about % of consumers across all age groups regularly shop online.
A trend related to age groups is reverse display, that is, people will first go online to research products and services before purchasing them offline. This phenomenon is very common among older people.
Taylor said you can't force your customers to use a specific purchasing channel. Consumers will make decisions based on their own circumstances at the time. What brands need to do is to improve the shopping experience across various channels and connect them seamlessly.
Brand Hero
There are also some well-known brands that have effectively targeted the + age group, and their marketing methods have also been proven to be feasible. The brand reputation index ( ) of an online research agency shows that some brands’ marketing methods for this segment are effective. For example, Marks & Spencer and John Lewis, the leading department store brands on the list. In contrast, the performance is not that good. Research shows that some brands are failing to interact well with this crowd, such as Amazon, vacuum cleaner brand Dyson, Volkswagen and Apple.
According to analysis, John Lewis’s marketing to this group has been particularly good. The retailer has a strategy specifically targeting this group that includes clear brand values, archetypal staff and service, a seamless cross-channel experience, loyalty programs, coffee service, an easy shopping experience, and the ability to maintain consistency and innovation. balance. John Lewis is a great role model for brands that don’t know how to engage with this group.
Wigginton said that my advice to brands that want to get closer to this group is to establish a dialogue relationship with them and spend more time with them. Brands must recognize the message behind data and insights. Facts will prove that the market power of this group cannot be ignored.
+Age Group Segmentation
Research shows that +age groups can be divided into categories based on shopping behavior and technology usage: adventurous customers, confident customers and comfortable customers.
The psychology of adventurous customers comes to me via smartphone and sends me messages via email. I love streaming services. I often surf the Internet and buy things from online stores.
This group includes consumers aged 10 to 10 years. Research shows that this group of people is keen on online video subscription services. At the same time, they are also very sticky to smartphones. But once they want to find some promotional information, they will not use their mobile phones but prefer to use emails. This group shows a reverse tendency to make in-store purchases after researching online.
Confident customers are keen on podcasting services. I want to browse and purchase goods online. You can find me in many ways besides your smartphone.
The age group is active in many channels besides smartphones. Their outstanding feature is that they have a huge demand for video consumption and they are the most active users of podcasting services. Compared to the other two groups, they show a willingness and potential to research and purchase online. A consumer survey of all age groups above 20 years old shows that people in this age group are most willing to go online to research and purchase goods.
The psychology of comfortable customers can find me through tablets and smart TVs. I use the apps that come pre-installed on my device. I don’t shop in stores without a laptop.
This group includes consumers aged 10 and above who consume the highest amount of videos on tablets and smart TVs. They are less likely to own laptops and generally surf the web via tablets and e-readers. This group watches videos online but tends to use well-known video providers. Most use pre-installed apps on their devices. In terms of shopping experience, this group prefers to go to physical stores to see the real condition of the goods with their own eyes.
Case
Understand every customer
The comfortable shoe brand has a history of many years. One store has nearly 10,000 active consumers in the UK and more than 10,000 consumers in the United States. By. The company has long been aware of the growth in the number of consumers in the + age group and predicts that the consumption scale of this group will increase by 10% in 2020.
CEO Peter Taylor said that as we age our bodies begin to change, including our feet, so there must be targeted development of some comfortable shoes. Not many brands focus on this market segment right now and we wanted to do something special for this market.
Customer service is now a priority for multi-channel businesses. Taylor said companies have some old ideas about what consumers over 20 are spending. Our call center employees are working hard not to serve customers the same way but to spend more time getting to know each customer.
The company ensures that the language and imagery used in its marketing communications are consistent with the expectations of this segment. It also provides customers with multiple shopping options including online channels, in-store channels and ordering by mail.
Taylor said that for us, giving customers a comfortable shopping experience not only includes the shopping environment and service positioning. Our comprehensive online service business considers customers' Internet usage needs more than age factors. This reflects our respect for our customers' choice of purchasing channels. .
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