3 things you must consider when marketing to the over-60s

If you’re looking to market to the over-60s demographic, there’s a few things you’ll need to understand first. The biggest one is that today’s digitally savvy over-60s is a generation unlike any that we’ve seen before. Yet sadly, there are still so many misconceptions about someone who is over 60 and as a society we are often guilty of letting our own biases cloud our decisions. 

Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes you can make is branding someone over the age of 60 as ‘elderly’. It was 40 years ago when the average lifespan was only 73 years but the average 60 year old today can expect to live to the ripe age of 88+ years old! And this figure is only expected to grow as time goes on, especially with the enhancements in technology and medical advancements.

Whilst the solution to effectively marketing to the over-60s isn’t black and white, here are three things you can do to get started:

Don’t try to teach them to suck eggs!

Now, if you’re wondering “what the heck does that even mean?”, then you are most likely under the age of 35 and work in advertising and marketing.

Basically, it means stop trying to instruct over 55s on topics that they already know very well. Baby Boomers have had nearly 60 years to figure it out, and they want to be spoken to in an authentic and genuine way when it comes to marketing. If anything, brands could learn a thing or two from a boomer!

Put them in the picture – Keep it real!

Think about the last luxury car commercial you saw. What was pictured in the advertisement? Or rather, who was pictured? We are pretty sure it wouldn’t have been someone who could actually afford the luxury car in the first place, unless they had some (a lot) of help from the good old bank of mum and dad! That’s right, over 64% of new cars are purchased by over-60s, but all those marketing dollars go towards the 20-year-old driving it in the ads! 

And so our second tip is obvious – keep it real! If your target audience is someone over 60 or you want to target someone over 60, then put them in the picture!  Use images and content that the older demographic can relate to without looking or feeling ‘old’. Let’s challenge the misconception that campaigns featuring older individuals have to be sad and dreary because, in reality, that’s not how they see themselves. 

Address their problems head on!

People in their 50s and 60s are nearing retirement or have already started the journey and need connection more than ever before. And so another common misconception is that once you enter retirement you simply stop working and just sit on the beach all day every day, just letting life pass you by.

Well, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Maybe a few decades ago this may have been the case, but today’s retirees are looking to stay active and socially engaged for longer. They are travelling, they are volunteering, they may even be working part-time or on a casual basis – whatever it is, they are definitely showing no signs of slowing down. 

Whilst retirement does come with the opportunity to do more of the things you love, it also comes with its own set of challenges. After all, it’s a time of change with a series of crucial life stages that you have never encountered before, such as downsizing and selling your family home, navigating the age pension and enhancing your retirement income. Our advice is to take the time to really understand what someone in this time of their life needs and provide them with real solutions.

If you want to learn more about this demographic and how to engage with them, we’ve got you covered. Our new 2023 Boomer Guide is now available, offering industry insights and data from in-depth surveys we conducted with our large audience. Download your copy today and start connecting with this valuable demographic!

How can we help?

Starts at 60 understands the older demographic better than almost anyone, and we are proud to admit that – it’s been over 10 years since we started and we have no plans of stopping! We have been creating specific content for our audience and community, which is one of the most highly engaged audiences out there. We help brands that want to speak to this audience to convey their message in a genuine and authentic tone that our audience can relate to. 

Chat to our team today to see how you can get invovled.