This article was created in partnership with AARP
Authentic depictions of aging will help marketers tap into the enormous purchasing power of older consumers. And by overturning stereotypes, brand leaders can also change the way our culture views old age, Barbara Shipley, AARP’s chief brand officer, told a New York audience this month.
At a “Brand Genius” luncheon hosted by Adweek CEO Will Lee and chief brand and community officer Jenny Rooney, Shipley told attendees they could “reach that massive audience that is taking over the world , influence financial results and also influence society”.
A first step is understanding how the 50-plus audience has adopted technology, Danielle McMurray, vice president of marketing for AARP Media Advertising Network, said during the meeting.
“With our audience, online purchases have doubled. They use apps. Their use of QR codes has increased from 7% to 65%, which is beneficial for advertisers who want to prove their response,” McMurray said. Older consumers have adopted online channels even more since the pandemic, a- she explained. “People are very surprised to learn that the over-50 market is almost universally online and they’re doing things they’ve never done before, like streaming TV and Venmoing them. grandchildren instead of handing over $50 bills.
This is a huge opportunity for marketers, said McMurray, who reminded the audience that AARP exhibits at CES, the annual consumer electronics show in Las Vegas.
“The 50-plus audience wants your technology,” she said. “They want it to be done for them. So not only are we talking to marketers and brands, but we’re getting our message upstream to product developers and helping everyone understand that if you’re making tech devices, cars, tablets and tech wearables , as well as games, they demand it. for that. »
AARP has aggressively adapted to its audience and the market, McMurray said. “When I started at AARP Media about ten years ago, we had two magazines, a website and maybe a few newsletters. Ten years later, we have a network of more than 20 channels. We have 12 newsletters. We have an application that is exploding. We went on TikTok. We can target our members on Facebook and YouTube, their main social networks. And that’s because behaviors are changing.
AARP also does its part to promote true depictions of aging, Shipley said. “We have a great partnership with Getty Images with a collection called Disrupt Aging that tells real stories about people aging,” she said. “They don’t all wear beige. They are not indifferent and confused by technology. And they’re not always with other older people. In real life, they operate in multi-generational environments, whether in a restaurant, at work, at the mall or on cruise ships. This multigenerational approach is essential.
The dividends can be huge, but the messages will resonate far beyond brands, Shipley told the audience. “We love talking to people about branding and marketing so much because you hold the keys to what keeps things culturally relevant,” she said. “When you put things out on the air or on social media, you shape the culture. You shape society, and the more we help people understand what’s really going on with this audience, how they really live, who they really live with and what their struggles and dreams are.