Email Marketing Guide - Apply grey matter to the grey market

Consumer brand owners beware - silver surfers may be your real future

One of the biggest myths about online advertising and marketing is that senior citizens are novices who can be ignored. A study, 'The Truth About Brand Loyalty and the 45+ Market', conducted by US giant Roper ASW and released by AARP, says more than 93.7 million US adults aged 45 or older collectively hold over $750 billion in discretionary household income, and more and more are starting to utilise the web for business and leisure.

Like many other marketing trends, the US is seen as the world pioneer in predicting Internet usage, and it is anticipated that the trend will spread to other western cultures such as the UK, EU, and other parts of the world.

Three distinct market segments are identified within the 'Silver Surfers' group. To reach each, marketers will need to take different approaches to match their needs, lifestyles, and life stages. The first group is The Leading Edge of Baby Boomers (ages 45 to 56). These consumers are at the peak of their career years and juggling work and family priorities. They have probably acquired all or many of life's necessities and can spend on maintaining and improving their lifestyles.

The Gap Generation grouping (ages 57 to 65) are maintaining their careers or making a transition to part-time work, volunteering, or leisure activities. They're asking themselves what kind of lifestyle they want for themselves, not for their families.

Life, Part 2 (age 66 and over) is a new group living through the freedom years with fewer family and work responsibilities. They're experiencing a host of changes in lifestyles, work choices, leisure, housing, activities, and interests.

It is clear that the older generation has a higher disposable income, more life experience and knowledge than previous generations, and the time on their hands to make good use of the Internet. Consumer brand owners in particular who ignore these emerging marketing sectors in the future will do so at their peril.

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