Not many mags have a readership of 35.7 million

The readership of AARP's magazine has grown in readership for the past 6 years and joins People, Good Housekeeping and Sports Illustrated as one of only four major mags to achieve growth in readership vs. Spring 2009. As magazines drop like flies this is pretty good going.

For the record, Saga’s readership is just over a million. I doesn’t take an intellectual giant to see that AARP’s penetration of its target audience, is an order of magnitude greater than that of Saga.

The organisation’s online property www.aarpmagazine.org also experienced tremendous growth, gaining more than 1 million Internet users.

I reckon the Xmas party at AARP will be a lot happier than in a lot of other publications. Dick Stroud

AARP's lifetuner project is a statement of intent

At the end of October, AARP, the US organization that is all about the 50-plus, launched a Web site and online community designed for 25-to-34-year-olds. Weird or what. It is like Age UK launching a Web site targeted at teenagers. This is how the site describes itself.

LifeTuner is where financial literacy becomes interactive and community driven. A place where tools spark aha moments and create an "hmm...I need to do this" sense of urgency. Where even one person's small success can inspire others like them to get started. Or an expert's good advice can help you finally take action. And, where learning from someone else's mistake means you won't find yourself saying, "If only I had known this before . . . ."

As you can see, there is minimal AARP branding on the site that looks much lighter than its parent. You can also see from the style of copy that it informal, direct and unfussy.

I have no idea how well it will work but you have to congratulate AARP for thinking outside the box. This article in Business Week is about how the project evolved from concept to launch and talks about all of the organisational road blocks encountered when trying to do something that is radically new.

If it does nothing else it demonstrates that AARP has the energy and nerve to try new things. Well done. Anybody at Age UK reading this? Dick Stroud

AARP video - Boomer+ Interrogation

AARP recently created this trade video as a mechanism for overcoming the objections it receive from prospective advertisers regarding the targeting of the 50-plus market.

The organisation hosted a forum of senior executives from major U.S. Corporations and asked them a variety of questions concerning why they do, and do not, target the 50-plus market. This was coordinated through the Effie Awards, where AARP Media Sales was sponsoring the “Boomer+ Ad Effectiveness Award.”

The video was created as a way to overcome the objections that AARP heard at the forum. It is sad to say but these objections to the older market have been around since I began writing my book and are identical to the ones I encountered in the UK.

It is astonishing that people are still coming out with these lame excuses.

The video running time is over 7 minutes, which is long, and it does try and answer too many questions and cover all of the bases. Having said that, it is an innovative way of conveying the message that AARP and I having been shouting for longer than I care to remember. Dick Stroud

Stories about ageing around the world

This is not really a blog posting about marketing but it does provide an insight into the mind of older people around the globe. The BBC’s World Service had an excellent series of interviews about different aspects of ageing; some sad, some liberating.

I didn’t know there is a Danish organisation called DaneAge that has approximately 542,000 members (27% of all Danes aged 50+). That is incredible.

I had never heard of the Gray Panthers and the Granny Peace Brigade. From a quick look at their web sites and listening to their spokesperson, they sound very worthy groups with their origins, I suspect, back in the early days of the 1960s and that went with that.

The saddest and most surprising item is about Japan. It appears that some older people have been left feeling isolated, unwanted and impoverished and as a result crime rates among the older generation is increasing. Last year more than 31,000 elderly people were convicted of theft. There has been a five fold increase in over-65s crime even though the older population has only doubled.

40% of older people live alone and 53% say they have no friends. Taking goods from their local supermarket is thought to give them an opportunity to talk to somebody, even the security guard. In most instances they given a warning and not prosecuted.

The next time somebody tells you that the East is nothing like the West, because of the way it reveres the old you can tell them about this story. Dick Stroud

Campaigning for oldies US style

This week, AARP will launch the next phase of its Health Action Now campaign with new advertising that attempts to bust the myths that:"some are spreading to frighten Americans, including false assertions that fixing the health care system will lead to rationed health care, a government takeover or even euthanasia.”

To be honest the reason for the campaign is not important, unless you are an American, but it is the style of ads and approach that interests me.

Compare this with the way the Age Concern/Help the Aged or whatever it is going to be called goes about doing things.

You might say: “that it is all very American.” I think it shows a very different and contemporary mindset and one I much prefer. Dick Stroud

Retirement work – a fast growing market

There has always been a need for older people to seek new types of employment when they depart their final employer – even if that employer was themselves. Some did it for fun some did it because they needed the extra cash. The events of the past few months means a lot more older people will be doing it for latter reason.

This article provides an insight into the situation in the US. AARP saw dramatic evidence of the demand for knowledge, about working past retirement, when 2,000 people attended its September annual job fair, more than double the previous year's attendance. The UK is in a very similar position. Lots of older people gazing at their pension's statement wondering how the hell they will fund the next 20 years.

This demand for income generating activities is an opportunity in its own right. One UK organisation that is recognising the need to equip the older citizen with enterprise skills is the Government. I will be writing about this is more detail in the near future.

For today I suggest that accountants, franchising operators, recruiting companies …. recognise this market demand and start focusing on the older post-retirement worker. Dick Stroud

The morphing of Focalyst

Maybe this is old news, but it suddenly struck me that Focalyst has changed. More precisely the ownership of Focalyst.

When it was launched it was billed as:

AARP Services, Inc. and The Kantar Group announced today the name of their joint venture dedicated to understanding Boomers and 50+ consumers.

Now the organisation describes itself as a

Millward Brown specialist practice supported by AARP Services Inc.

OK, I know that Kantar and Millward Brown are both WWP companies, but it is the subtle change in the words about AARP's role - “joint venture” to “supported by”. The WPP Web site still lists Focalyst as a joint venture with Kantar. Methinks this results from WPP's inability to keep its Web site content up to date.

Maybe this change explains the brilliant speaker list for the forthcoming Focalyst conference since Millward Brown must have the greatest address book for getting to senior management.

Also, the company is also a lot more active in generating 50-plus content. This is what they have to say about Boomers and ‘giving’.

If anybody know why AARP's role has been diminished do tell.

Look's like WPP has the US 50-plus market to itself. Dick Stroud

Seniors online

Earlier this month I wrote about research undertaken by The Center for the Digital Future in conjunction with AARP.

Unfortunately I have discovered that the report I referenced costs hard dollars. Over time I am sure that loads of factlets about the findings will emerge.


Here is one that looks at how the behaviour of US older consumer has changed related to their habit of researching a product off-line and then purchasing online. Not much difference now between the ages until you reach 70+. Dick Stroud

Google Ad Planner - I now have access

In late June I wrote about the launch of Google’s Ad Planner. I registered with Google and today my access to the media planning tool arrived. I could spend hours playing with it...what a sad old sod!

Without applying any filters it shows the details of sites that account for 240 million unique visitors (for the US).

Applying the filters to only show me sites that have high numbers of the over-55s it reduces it to 70 million.

If I apply the filter to only show me UK sites reduces the figure to 33k (yes that is 33,000). This will be the subject of another blog posting. Sticking with the US.

The above chart shows the sites sorted by Composition Index. I expect you are going to hear a lot more about this term so this is how Google defines it

The composition index shows how concentrated your audience is on a specific site relative to internet users within the country you have specified. For example, if you've defined your audience as '55+' a site with a composition index of 212 means that you're approximately twice as likely to find a 55+ user on this site relative to the 55+ across the internet within the country you've specified. The composition index is calculated by dividing the site's reach into the audience by the percent reach into the audience on the internet within the country you've specified.

I have marked to sites for special interest - jacquielawson.com is a UK cottage industry (literally) that produces (in my view) the best online greeting cards – famed for the owner’s dog Chudleigh.

The other site is a little US organisation called AARP. Look at the figures for unique users and page views. I am staggered. Anybody from AARP like to explain? Dick Stroud

New AARP study about the 50-plus and the Internet

AARP has issued a press release about a study undertaken with The Center For The Digital Futures about the Internet habits of the 50-plus. If you are looking for factlets to prove oldies are not total Web Luddites then you are in luck.

When (if) I receive a copy of the research study I will comment more. Dick Stroud

New AARP web site

AARP has relaunched of its Web site, AARP.org. In the words of the press release:"The new Web site targets boomers with social networking opportunities, expert content and entertainment tailored to their unique needs. One of the key components of the newly revamped site is the expansion of AARP Bulletin’s print publication into a daily news site, AARP Bulletin Today, the only online news source catering specifically to the 50+ demographic."

I have only had a chance to scan the site but my first impressions are mixed. Yes, I like the contemporary look and feel but I find the complexity of the home page rather off-putting. Also, the amount of the screen available for content is around a third – the rest is taken up with ads and navigation. This ratio doesn’t feel right.

It doesn’t appear that they have done very much to improve the effectiveness of search. There doesn’t appear to be any “Advanced Search” feature or the ability to display the search results by relevance or date (i.e. Google like searching).
I need to have a much longer look at the site but I wonder if AARP hasn’t sacrificed usability to improve the design. These two things are not mutually exclusive.

I would be interested to know what other people think of the site. Dick Stroud

New AARP International Web site

AARP is to be congratulated for creating such a useable new international Web site.

The site can be personalised, so that the data that is displayed is relevant to your interests, which drives customised newsletters. There is an online folder for saving reports.

I think the most useful feature is the ability to compare country data in the same way as you would when buying a new PC online. Want to know how the life expectancy in Australia compares with that in Italy, Japan and South Africa. Easy-peasy. It even provides the ability to export the data to Excel. This shows the shocking fact that a women in South Africa can expect half the life expectancy of one born in Japan.

Somebody in AARP sat down and asked the question: “What do people want to do with the information on our Web site”. The result is excellent. Dick Stroud

Tech companies start to follow the money

Not often do you get CNET talking about technology and the 50-plus. The host of tech companies exhibiting at the recent AARP national conference prompted the publication into action.

Here are a few of the factlets/quotes that caught my eye.

"Nintendo changed our company strategy about two years ago to try to go after what we considered an expanding audience. We'll of course still market to (people) under the age of 25, but as an industry it's getting stagnant. So we set off with the DS and Wii to go after expanding from the age of 25 up to 70" (Senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications at Nintendo)

Nintendo has partnered with building firm Dell Webb to have its systems incorporated into the club houses and lounges in their over-50 communities. It's also partnered with Norwegian Cruise Lines to make Nintendo available on flat-screen TVs in the ship lounges. Now that really is interesting.

Google was present at the AARP convention, registering visitors for Gmail accounts and demonstrating how they can be customized. Microsoft was also present, giving demonstrations of Vista – poor sods. The company was also demonstrating its Xbox 360. "If you gave a new Xbox to your grandmother and grandfather and gave them the manual, they could have it set up in 10 minutes. Why do they need a DVD player and CD player and TiVo when (they've) got everything here?" (Lead software development test engineer on Microsoft's Xbox team).

At long last it seems that the youth obsessed marketing of tech companies is waking up to the reality of the ageing population. Dick Stroud

Books and Boomers a match made in heaven

AARP Publications and Publishers Weekly (the trade magazine of the US book industry) have announced a strategic relationship that will include content sharing, events and sponsorships. This joint effort enables AARP and Publishers Weekly to expand their offerings to the book industry and AARP’s members.
Now here is a factlet for you:

“AARP members are the largest segment of loyal book readers in this country, as well as the largest group of book buyers—of both fiction and nonfiction—purchasing about one in every seven books sold in the U.S.,” said the Director of AARP Publications.

The first fruits of this content sharing initiative is, “Books for Grownups”. I had a quick look through the book titles and they do look interesting. I must suggest this to booksellers in the UK.Dick Stroud

AARP the good and bad news

The circulation of AARP’s magazines has hit 30,000,000 – up from 15,200,000 in the fall of 2000.

To draw attention to this fact AARP has issued a press release that equates its circulation, with amongst others, the viewers of American Idol. Well done AARP.

Having read this item I thought I would have a look at this august organization’s web site. Not so good.

Now don’t get me wrong, I really like soup, but is a recipe for soup the sort of thing you expect to see taking up a sizeable part of the organisation’s home page? I think not.

If anybody from AARP is reading this then please go and look at the way the BBC presents its content about cooking – including soups.

AARP is trying (very laudably) to use innovative ways of communicating with its audiences. For an organisation with 30,000,000 subscribers, its web site, and choice of content, is looking a bit jaded. Dick Stroud

Music for Grownups?

My old chum Chuck Nyren was recently on a radio chat show reviewing AARP’s punt into the world of music.

You can listen to the interview and view (and listen) to the AARP music Web site.

Chuck’s provides a great summary – “as is usually the case, AARP’s grab for Baby Boomers is an admixture of good intentions, some top-notch stuff – and cheesy, insulting schlock”. It is well worth reading the rest of his blog posting.

Yep the venture could be improved but at least AARP is having a go at doing something innovative. Age Concern, Help the Aged and Saga - are you listening? Dick Stroud

Grown-up enough to become an entrepreneur

Nearly half the US’s self-employed workers—7.4 million—are boomers (U.S. Department of Labor). This figure is expected to climb as people retire from one career to start another, lose their jobs or simply want the independence and flexibility of working for themselves.

"I am willing to bet that over the next 10 years, entrepreneurship is going to increase for people 50 and older, and especially for those 65 and older," says the head of research and policy at the Kauffman Foundation, which advances entrepreneurship in America.

This article from AARP gives good background to the subject.

This situation is exactly the same in the UK.

Let me give you a tip that is a sure-fire-winner; services supporting 50-plus start-up businesses and franchise companies are in for a boom time during the next decade. You will see a lot more companies like bizstarters hitting the streets. Dick Stroud

Another AARP ad

This is my final AARP post of the weekend and features the campaign called “Future Champions”. As AARP says: “children deliver compelling messages about the state of healthcare and financial security. The multigenerational focus in this new campaign reinforces the Association’s Divided We Fail coalition”. As I said about the previous AARP ad – this is ambitious stuff. I hope for AARP’s sake it is not a step too far too quickly. Dick Stroud

AARP – how the world has changed

I received one of the AARP’s numerous e-mail newsletters and the first article I see is about mobile fitness electronics.

I didn’t know that Nike and Apple have teamed up to offer a wireless transmitter you insert into your Nike running shoe which syncs with your iPod nano to announce your distance, pace and elapsed time.

Nor did I know that you can program the music to increase your pace. The transmitter can also sync up with the NikePlus website so you can see the results of your workout and monitor your progress.

It suddenly struck me that I was reading this on the AARP web site and reminded me of a new Veer image of the 50-plus. More my style. Dick Stroud