Experiential: Targeting older consumers
The reach of experiential marketing often boils down to location and product. It’s no surprise, then, that the consumers who engage with brands via experiential activity tend to come from a younger age group.
As Ian Irving, founder of experiential agency The Tailor of Shoreditch, explains: “It’s well researched that live and experiential marketing is strongest among the most commonly targeted youth and female consumers. In fact, according to research conducted by Jack Morton, nearly 80% of teens say experiential marketing would increase purchase consideration, while 65% say it would lead to quicker purchase. 60% of women say experiential marketing would be more likely to lead to actual purchase of a product/brand and interestingly 84% of women say they’d bring family or friends to a live marketing experience.”
However, older consumers are proving to be just as savvy as their younger counterparts. The UK life expectancy is increasing, and there are people who decide to have children later in life with many focusing on careers, so this age group can no longer be generalised as close to retirement.
“To be a 60 year old in the 1980s was a very different ball game to what it means today,” says Sally Alington, managing director of Blackjack Promotions.
She comments: “As health care, technology and cosmetic surgery develop to keep the quest of eternal youth alive and with 60 being proclaimed the new 40, marketers should be considering how inclusive are our proposals across the age spectrum, while also aiming to understand more about the real potential of the older consumer.”
Fenella Rogers, senior account director at Pulse Group, believes that marketers understand the potential of a mature market, but she thinks “achieving the right tone is something that has evaded many.”
Rogers notes: “The majority of marketers still perceive the over 60s market to be stuffy and old fashioned, which is an increasingly flawed approach. It is worth remembering that this is the generation who grew up in the 1960s and therefore they have a much more modern outlook on life than they are given credit for. Marketing material for this group should reflect this to best achieve its goals. Over 60s do not see themselves as old, and marketers must take this on board.”
The essence of experiential marketing is changing behaviour and brand perception through experience, but it does require that consumers engage with the activity. Logically, if you want to target a mature audience, you need to be at the right locations. This year, The London Irish Rugby Club expanded its annual St. Patrick’s Party with an additional four games, creating a series of 5 events (The London Irish Big 5) with live entertainment and family activities for fans before kick off.
Slingshot Sponsorship was tasked with helping London Irish develop this idea and secured a number of high profile brands to support the London Irish Big 5. Jackie Fast, managing director of Slingshot Sponsorship, observes: “The London Irish Big 5 event included family activities and grandparents came along. We found that this age group were more engaged than the 30-40 year olds; they were more interested in learning the reasons behind the brand being there and they had time to ask questions.”
Joel Kaufman, managing director of Link Communication, also notes that “this age group are more often responsive, as, having retired, they are often less pressed for time than most working professionals. As such, this results in them having more time to stop and interact with a friendly brand ambassador on the event areas, and taking a more in-depth look at products or services of interest.”
As with all marketing activity, you have to plan your campaign around the audience. In experiential, brand ambassadors play an important part in getting the audience involved.
Kaufman argues: “Choosing the right person to promote the brand is critical. Fresh-faced youngsters are not always the most suitable brand ambassadors, if they need to sell to a more mature member of society. Selecting more mature staff who can draw upon years of experience, confidence and empathy with customers often generates greater results which the younger generations of field staff have yet to earn.”
Kaufman adds: “Many cosmetic brands make the mistake of opting for young girls to showcase their product portfolio, which repels many older ladies, who feel more comfortable discussing age related treatments with someone of a similar peer group.”
Ian Irving cites an example: “I once carried out a campaign for Nivea Visage to an audience of this age range and their interactions were key to the campaigns huge success. The campaign was built around the idea of a salon where consumers could come in and have a skin care consultation and go away with the right samples for their skin type. It included having a range of staff of different ages so that consumers were able to see a consultant in a similar age bracket; and the actual ‘salon’ had differently designed interior areas to appeal to different age brackets.”
Technology is also a valuable tool with the rise of the ‘silver surfer’. Sally Alington at Blackjack comments: “The traditional method of communication to the over 50s was direct mail. However, many brands are recognising that this is not always the most effective channel and are looking at other methods, such as experiential. A large percentage of social networkers are of retirement age, and brands such as Saga magazine, which now has an iPhone app, do well to make the most of this.”
Darren Spragg, business development director, event production at Grass Roots agrees: “In terms of the future, I expect that, with our ageing population and the extended working life, 60 will indeed become a more attractive target for brands. I can imagine, for example, specific targeted campaigns on technology for this group as they further adopt mobile devices.”
Alington concludes: “The 60 year old of tomorrow will undoubtedly be technology-focused and demand more in every sense – understanding how to please them should be behind a lot of questions we ask today.”