Global insights on over 50s engagement with brands and marketing.
The latest market research report in collaboration with The Silver Marketing Association compares the UK over 50s audience with the later life demographic across the rest of the world. Silver Marketing around the World shows stark comparisons that really bring to light some key trends about our own over 50s market and the ways we can implement learnings into a stronger marketing approach.
While the American audience prefers headlines, shorthand messaging and power claims to get results fast, the UK over 50s audience prefers to read the detail in marketing materials. They’re less trusting and want to absorb the information in their own time rather than being sold at and expected to make a decision quickly. So having a brochure or guide to your services can be really useful, allowing them to take in the information at their own pace and come back in their own time with thought-through questions and decisions.
The UK prefers lower price points and upfront clarity on what the costs will be while the US audience responds more to aspirational imagery and messaging which sometimes overrides pricing considerations. So being clear about costs or fees structuring can be really helpful when it comes to customers choosing you over competitors.
In Australia the over 50s are very health conscious, and marketing across all life stages tends to emphasise active lifestyles, outdoor living, and positive health and wellbeing. And some of that is starting to resonate more here with the UK audience as well, with people becoming more health conscious as they get older. Living longer, wanting to stay fitter and more active for longer for the retirement they’ve envisaged.
Moving on to look at Europe, France has a tendency to present the older demographic in quite a caricatured manner, treating everyone aged 50 to 90 in a similar way without proper segmentation. Whereas the UK has a stronger proactive stance against ageism, understanding its detrimental impact on marketing effectiveness and trying to avoid such negative stereotypes.
Spain sees UK marketing as less self-conscious and a bit freer than the marketing in Spain. It’s not so tied to the views on ageing that are prescribed by their authorities. Spain’s cultural perspective means that the silver market is still thought of as a group to be ‘looked after’ rather than one with independent needs and wants, and it’s important to keep those independent needs front of mind when creating any marketing materials in the UK.
In Germany, there’s a big digital divide and technological barriers, with varying levels of tech-savviness and accessibility impacting the marketing approach for the over 50s. In the UK they’re comparatively more tech savvy, meaning digital marketing channels can often be very effective. But we still need to keep in mind that print based materials may be more accessible for some of our target market so it’s important to offer that balance, providing materials and messaging in the ways that customers are wanting to access them.
And the Netherlands is known for its young marketing managers who often overlook the older audience, as it’s just not something that’s within their own experience or levels of comfort. And that’s something to be aware of in the UK as well. If you’re working with a marketing team or agency of 20-somethings, it’s important to ask what research they’ve done on the later life demographic and their specific strategies for engagement.
Understanding this diverse and complex customer base is so important for getting under their skin, knowing what resonates and the best ways to engage them through a strategic marketing approach.
Find out more about the Silver Marketing Association and their breadth of insights and resources.