Are celebrities are like fine wines and mature with age

Millward Brown’s latest UK research study that analyses celebrity and brand equity to identify appropriate brand partnerships has come up with some interesting results.

The study uses the agency’s new Cebra (celebrity + brand) research tool that includes measures of affinity (how well they are liked) and Buzz (how much they are talked about online and offline).

The study ranks celebrities with the highest Cebra score among UK adults aged between 18 and 65. The top 10 were:
1. Kylie Minogue 42
2. Cheryl Cole 27
3. David Beckham 35
4. Ant & Dec
5. Joanna Lumley 64
6. Terry Wogan 72
7. Jamie Oliver 35
8. George Clooney 49
9. Sean Connery 70
10. Helen Mirren 65

Notice anything? The list is definitely older rather than younger.

At about the same time as this news appeared there was an interesting quote from the marketing people at M&S that said Twiggy (aged 60) is the person who epitomises its core customer.Dick Stroud

The lost generation of marketers

Today’s FT has an article about the inability of today’s older marketers to ‘get’ the use of social media. Sorry, this article might be on subscription only.

The outgoing marketing chief of Unilever has warned of a “lost generation” of brand managers who do not understand the web and social networks.

In his final interview before retiring, Simon Clift said he believed public relations agencies were best placed to profit from the rise of Facebook and Twitter, as traditional advertising agencies struggle to adapt to the digital world.

Mr Cliff’s basic premise is that: “If you are 25 or 20, you know this stuff – you are brought up with Facebook and YouTube - if you are 50 see your kids do it - most of our brands are managed by people who have had to learn it.”

So you get the basis of the argument; the young have digital welded into their DNA, the 50-plus observe its use and the age group in the middle learn, but do not instinctively use it.”

To help out Unilever has encouraged its staff to use sites such as Twitter and acebook themselves, to understand them better and help them “live the space”.

Mr Clift said: “The people who have most needed it are the people aged between 30 and 45, running global brands because they grew up after it and haven’t seen their kids doing it”.

I assume that Mr Clift’s arguments are a tad more sophisticated than represented in this article since he is portrayed as talking in terms of simplistic stereotypes. He is falling into the trap of purely associating digital knowledge and use with age.

Here is something for him to consider during his retirement years. If he is right then the same argument dictates that as a huge chunk of Unilever’s products are purchased by the 50-plus the company should have a few more 50-plus brand managers to “live the space”? Dick Stroud

A Sunday Supplement ageing fest

As I opened my Sunday paper the first of the numerous supplements that fell out was Senior Living , closely followed by Healthy Ageing – I know the image says Healthy Heart but the publisher hasn’t got around to updating their web site with this title.

Senior Living had nothing but wall to wall ads about retirement properties.

Healthy Ageing had ads that told me how to keep my gums in shape; put some fizz into your morning glucosamine, bring down my cholesterol levels, say goodbye to veins, use the next generation of joint care, get the lowest cost stairlift, contribute to Macmillan cancer support, improve my immune system and finally buy Saga health insurance.

As far as I could see the invite to join Bannatyne’s Today (a UK health club) was the only lifestyle ad. I guess that is what you would expect in these sorts of newspaper supplements.

Just have a look at the models they used on the cover of Senior Living. Believe me these are not your typical retirement property customers, more like their children. Dick Stroud

RIAS’s aquatic customers

Back in September I talked about RIAS’s TV advertising campaign featuring the "real life" of an over-50s consumer.

The company has just launched a new home insurance ad that recognises that today's over 50s are active, individual, busy and experienced. This tale of the everyday 50-plus features a volunteer lifeboatman.

I expect that the choice of the lifeboat theme has a lot to do with the popularity of these people and their charity with older Brits.

What made me smile is that RIAS is perpetuating the fascination that companies have with older people and water. The first ad featured a women long distance swimmer. So many ads have older people on the beach, wobbling around on surf boards or running hand in hand through the waves. I am sure the reason I notice this water thing is that I hate the stuff – not the washing or drinking variety but the sort that get you wet.

Anyway, RIAS is highly successful company and I am sure they have done their homework and tested the ad to destruction with the target market.

Finally, a personal plea to the new marketing director of the company who is on record as saying that she intends to make more use of digital media. After spending a pile of money on a new ad and PR campaign why not ensure that you digital media, like this ad, is at least available on YouTube or your the web site? Dick Stroud

Agency bosses too old and change resistant

If I had a £ for every time somebody says to me: “the reason that marketing is youth-centric is that agency staff are all young” I would be a wealthy man. I would be even wealthier still if I also got a £ for every time somebody tells me this fact and then expects me to be surprised.

I have to say that I haven’t heard the statement about agency bosses being too old before. An interesting observation you might say, but even more so when it comes from a Mr M Sorrell (aged 64). I guess what he is saying is that it is all the other agency bosses, but not him, that are too old.

Of course what he is saying is probably true. I guess it is summed up by his statement: “WPP isn't an advertising business anymore.” Advertising was so yesterday, today, digital rules.

"The people who run agencies tend to be of an older vintage - to put it politely," said Sorrell. "They tend to be resistant to change and want to spend the last three to four years of their careers travelling around the world rather than dealing with fundamental strategic issues on a daily basis."

I have never subscribed to the argument that you can blame agencies’ focus on Yoof because the average age of their staff is just pushing 30 years old. Of course it is part of the problem, but the far more important issue is that agency staff, of all ages, tends to be a conservative, risk averse bunch; even thought they think the are totally the opposite.

Agency staff, and most of their clients, find it impossible to think outside the 18-35 ABC1 box. Sure, within that box they come up with zany ideas and innovative uses for digital technologies. but most of them have a ‘c’ for conservative stamped through their creative soul. Sad really, but I guess agencies attract these sorts of people. When they get older they become even more conservative as Mr S observers. Dick Stroud

The Google Phone marketing campaign

Chuck Nyren has an excellent blog posting about the marketing campaign for the Google mobile phone. It is age neutral but there are a few buts. Dick Stroud

RIAS adopts a new theme for its advertising

In the past RIAS has very successfully pursued a simple style of advertising with a single message: “If you are 50-plus you can get your insurance cheaper at RIAS.”

The result has been that RIAS is now a major player in the UK insurance market. There is nothing like a simple message.

This month the company has launched an integrated campaign to move things to a more sophisticated (aspirational) level. The message now is: “You are 50-plus, you contribute a lot to the economy and you have lots of life left to do extraordinary things”.

First came the PR campaign. This was a classic “research campaign” aimed at generating press comment. It is a nice bit of research and definitely worth downloading.

Then came the new ad and press campaign.




Overall, I reckon they have done a pretty good job.

I don’t particularly like the ad, but readers of this blog will know I have an aversion to water being used in the context of illustrating the vigour of age – a purely personal thing.

As always, I welcome comments from the marketing titans that read this blog. Dick Stroud

Mercedes thank for this wonderful ad

In one fell swoop, Mercedes has produced an ad that satisfies both of my rants about creative not recognising the recession and not appealing to an older consumer.

The copy, the imagery, the concept and the music – in my book – are terrific.

The ad starts by establishing the pressure and hassle of today’s world and then gives three beautiful word sketches from Danny Glover, Philip Glenister and Christian Slater of a time past when life was just right.

As an old friend, who has a real insight into the power of words said: “real class.” Dick Stroud

Millward Brown's database of ads

During Reg Starkey’s Webinar he mentioned Millward Brown’s database of over 55,000 ads covering 90 countries. You can read about here. 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

What’s happened in the Boomer World in the past 6 months?

Sit back, follow this link, and Chuck Nyren will explain.

This is a really worthwhile piece of work. Good presentation and a veritable goldmine of URLs. Great job. Dick Stroud

You must watch this

Chuck Nyren posted this video on his excellent blog about advertising to Boomers. It is hilarious and echoes all the things Chuck said in his book. Do watch it. Dick Stroud

Marketing to the 65-plus

AdWeek has a long article about marketing to the Boomer’s parents. The format is a handful of gurus talking about different aspects of the advertising. I have to say that a couple of the gurus were new to me.

• The subjects covered:
• Chronological versus perceived age.
• The importance of their grand parenting role
• Need for connectedness
• Length of copy
• Effect of the recession

This is a long rambling article that could benefit from some serious editing.

The commentators talk good sense. The single thread that comes through in all of the answers is to make the ads ‘real’ and not contrived. Hordes of smiling faces and couples on beaches running along hand in hand or with grandpa balancing on a bike, really don’t cut it.

Nor do you want to portray the far from pleasant reality that is the life for many of the 65-plus.

It is all about good advertising. Getting into the head of the consumer and seeing the world through their eyes. Not difficult for a 65 year old. Extremely hard for a 25 year old creative. Dick Stroud

Twiggy now modelling for Olay at Boots

Twiggy must be coining it in. She had a long period making ads for Marks and Spencer and now she is promoting Olay via Boots. This ad taken from the Saga magazine.

Sensible idea for Olay to pick up on her popularity. Dick Stroud

Ford’s Hill Launch Assist

Flipping through the latest edition of Saga Magazine I came upon this ad for an optional extra on some of Ford’s UK cars. It seems that it has been around for nearly a couple of years but this is the first time I have ever heard of it.

According to Ford the gadget helps drivers make the perfect hill start no matter how steep the gradient or how heavy the load.

It goes on to say: “The car's sophisticated software detects the attitude of the car every time it becomes stationary – for example at traffic lights. The locking system eliminates the need for the driver to apply the handbrake and instead automatically holds the car while the driver's foot travels from the brake to the accelerator pedal. As soon as sufficient engine torque is available it releases the brakes without the risk of either stalling or rolling backwards.”

The fact that the feature is standard on Ford’s Transit vans make me think that it wasn’t designed as a feature to appeal to the older market. I suspect some bright spark came up with the idea of promoting the benefits to the older market as an aid to assist their driving. Sounds a reasonably good idea. Dick Stroud

I want a hero

The past 18 months has been the era of villains.

First it was the nasty bankers that soon expanded to include all “big business” that reached a crescendo with anger and fury at the political class. The corporate world has either tried to stay below the radar, hoping not to be noticed, or to prostrate themselves as being ‘sorry’ and promising to do better.

Nobody has tried to claim the space of being a hero – a company that is sympathetic to the mood of the citizenry and who wants to do the best for them.

This weekend Marks and Spencer must have spent a fortune, even at today’s highly discounted advertising rates, to splater much of the Sunday press with a campaign about its caring and green credentials. The series of ads started with the one above then moved into product specific pitches.

About a year back I sat through a cringe-inducing presentation by a guy from M&S who was selling this “doing the right thing” concept. The audience included a large number of older people. It didn’t go down a storm.

I would be fascinated to know how this new campaign is being received by the older demographic. My hunch is with eye-rolling indifference but I might be totally wrong. Dick Stroud

Usual ad – unusual location

Following on from the previous blog posting.

I was flipping through Saga magazine and amongst the usual array of age silo advertising I found this age neutral ad from Panasonic.

As far as I can remember this is a first for Panasonic to select media that targets an older demographic. How interesting. Dick Stroud

What’s in a name?

At the recent Older Richer Wiser conference there was a presentation from Warner Leisure Hotels.

One of the slides was about how to refer to the over-50s - answer - don’t use Baby Boomer, Pensioner, Third Ager and Silver Surfer. Dick Stroud

What not to do with branded content

Many thanks to Reg Starkey for sending me this video link. Highly amusing but with lessons for us all. Dick Stroud

The more retro the better?

Retro advertising is back with a vengeance.

I have already talked about the way that Hovis’s new ad is an extrapolation of its classical old creative that fast forwards to today. Some might call it age neutral creative?

Hovis is not alone. Brent Green has a very interesting blog posting about the new Bacardi Mojito ad that uses a very similar approach.

Not to be outdone, Marks and Spencer is using Twiggy (age 59) as the core of the company’s 125th anniversary advertising. Same format, flashbacks from the “good old days”. There are a couple of other ads (names of companies escape me) that are using exactly the same format.

This blog posting provides another interesting take on Retro Marketing.

I suspect you can have a bit too much of retro, even for the over-50s market. Dick Stroud

Addicted to screens

This is a heavyweight study (Video Consumer Mapping study) conducted on behalf of the Nielsen-funded Council for Research Excellence by Ball State University's Center for Media Design (CMD) and Sequent Partners.

The main conclusions:

• The 45-54 year olds consume the most video media (this includes TV, computer, mobile and any other form of screen input)
• Live television remains the big consumer of time across all ages.
• The quantity of time spent gazing at a screen is remarkably consistent across the age spectrum (see the chart) with the notable exception of the 45-54 year olds who gaze at even more TV than their parents.

This is a summary of the main report.

These headline conclusions belie the quantity and quality of the analysis contained in this study.

It is a remarkable insight into the screen viewing habits of Americans and hence a great guide to channel and advertising consumption. Dick Stroud

Weird sense of humour

You cannot say that Goodyear is being selectively ageist or youthish with these two ads. Really strange sense of humour.

You can read all about them on the Goodyear site.

Very strange people these Americans. Dick Stroud

New Pepsi Ad

This Pepsi ad uses the a very simple technique of switching between old (ancient) and current imagery to emphasis the connection between the generations. In Pepsi’s case the connection is that both generations are consuming their product.

The sign-off line is a bit tacky: “Every generation refreshes the world.” All comments welcome. Dick Stroud

A weird smile

When the Standard Life ad was first released I didn’t think much about it but the more I look the more I am convinced there is something weird about the models smile.

Maybe it is the combination of the dark background colours but I think she has the same sort of manufactured, unsettling, demonic smile as our dear leader – Gordo. Just a thought. Dick Stroud

Online advertising priorities

Many thanks to Martijn de Haas for telling me about this report from the European Interactive Advertising Association titled: “Marketers’ Internet Ad Barometer 2009.”

The above result comes from research in UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and Norway in answer to the question.

Do you see an increase in targeting online advertising according to demographic breaks associate with traditional media and if so which age bands have seen an increase.

Sad to see European marketers are retaining their aversion to older age demographics. Dick Stroud

Factlet about cinema audiences and age

Here are a couple of facts to slip into the conversation to impress your peers about your knowledge of the 50-plus market. The research is from Millward Brown.

Movies are particularly important to teens and young adults, who go in larger numbers and more often than older age groups. This is most pronounced in the Asia-Pacific region. In Singapore 52% people aged 18–24 have been to the movies in the last month compared with 3% of people aged over 55.

In Hong Kong the figure is 40% for the younger age group compared with just 1% percent of people over 55.

I think this sends a pretty clear message there! Dick Stroud

Whatever happened to Tgi50?

Today my Google alerts came up with an article from the Independent that was about a campaign by Greenpeace who was getting itself in a tizzy about palm oil and blaming it all on Unilever.

Incidentally, it seems that Unilever found the experience worthwhile and has put more bucks into its global PR to react to similar sorts of events. Of course it doesn’t actually say that but couches it words like: “brands are now becoming conversation factors where academics, celebrities, experts and key opinion formers discuss functional, emotional and, more interestingly, social concerns.”

Also, it seems that Unilever and Greenpeace are in some sort of dialogue about palm oil. The words of Michael Corleone “keep my friends close and my enemies closer" haven’t been lost on Unilever’s management!

Somehow the author of the article made a jump from palm oil to Madonna’s approaching 50th birthday and the launch of Tgi50 a new agency that was going to transform the 50-plus marketing scene. What? This was ancient news, like a year ago ancient news.

Google must have re-indexed this article and thrown it up in the alerts e-mail.

That got me thinking - what did happen to Tgi50. You won’t get much by looking at the web site. Dead as a doornail. Anybody know? Dick Stroud

Where goeth advertising spend?

The latest Bellwether report from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) - published 6th April - has found that the rate of decline of marketing spend slowed in Q1 (i.e. it is still declining but not as fast as it was).

The IPA President says: “This data supports the view that the bottom of the market has been reached. It will be a long road to full recovery, but this maybe the turning point. It’s good to see a graph going in the right direction for a change.”

When a budget cut, that is the second steepest decline in the survey’s nine-year history, is seen as positive news then you really are grasping at straws.

Maurice Levy, the chairman and chief executive of Publicis Groupe, isn’t so positive in his views about the future. He believes the global advertising market is weakening faster than previously feared. In his words: "The advertising market is locked into a downward spiral” he goes on to say: "Since the beginning of the year, the indicators haven't stopped getting worse. In February, I was expecting a global decline of the order of 3 per cent. It is now accepted that the drop will be even stronger."

I think the Advertising Industry would be wise to keep expecting ‘disaster’ and then be delighted if it is only ‘dreadful’.

The problem is that it is not only about companies reducing their advertising spend to reduce costs. I suspect that companies are realising that consumers aren’t likely to be too impressed by companies that are seen to be splurging out on advertising at a time when they are worrying if they will have a job tomorrow. Dick Stroud

Goodbye JWT Boom

According to Chuck, JWT has shut the division of its business that specialised in the older market.

The WSJ reports that the agency has closed its Chicago office, however, Boom was based in San Francisco, so it couldn’t have had anything to do with that.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that JWT Specialized Communications (of which Boom was part) is the largest creditor of Zounds Inc, a company that manufactures and sells hearing aids and that has filed for Chapter 11.

JWT is in for over $4.25 million. Dick Stroud

TV campaign to raise the awareness about strokes

The UK Department of Health is spending £12m ($16.8m) on an advertising and publicity support material campaign that is designed to raise awareness of stroke among healthcare professionals. This is the ad that is currently being broadcast. Does it work for you? How would you compare it with the Alzheimer’s Society ad? Dick Stroud

New ad from the Alzheimer's Society

I would be really interested to know what people think about this ad.

If you can spend a moment and leave a comment it would be most appreciated. Dick Stroud

Age and online advertising

Lightspeed Research and the Internet Advertising Bureau – the trade body for digital marketing in the UK have conducted a couple of interesting surveys about consumers’ response to online advertising.

One of the studies asked internet users when they believed they were most receptive to online advertising messages, and the best way to get their attention on the web.

The other research was all about understanding what consumers believe are the kinds of ads most likely to grab their attention online.

Both studies are worth a quick read. I have extracted the two bits of analysis that refer to the demographic differences. My usual gripe is that the research lumps everybody above 55 into one category. Unfortunately, this limits the usefulness of the research.

The messages that jump out of this analysis are that older people aren't interested in the entertaining quality of the ads. This might, almost certainly is, due to the fact that online ads are created for young people. This probably explains the response to “I don’t notice ads”. I was surprised that there was such a steep fall-off with age in the interest in money-off ads. Maybe that is because of the products that have money-off offers don't interest the older demographic?

Clearly the 18-24 year olds becoming progressively attentive to ads as the day unfolds whereas the oldies have a break for lunch. Overall I think the research raises more questions than it answers. Dick Stroud

Let’s worry about the trival

This is nothing to do with the 50-plus.

I just love this ad from bmi.com (UK airline). When I had a proper job and ran a marketing department I remember a board meeting at the height of a previous recession and spending time talking about axing the staff canteen subsidy. We didn’t get on to talk about buscuits but I remember we spent an age talking about reducing the cost of having the office windows cleaned (it was a very big office). Of course this was a total distraction from the real problem. A few weeks later we had to make the real decisions and axe half the marketing group.

I wonder how many pointless meetings have taken place about reducing spend and just put off the evil day when the real cost cutting measures have to be made. Dick Stroud

Brands old and new

To celebrate the Marketing Societies 50th Anniversary it has selected the most memorable brands in each of the last 50 years. How you might wonder did they make the selection?

Our shortlist was assembled using a variety of different criteria. Which brands were launched, relaunched or revamped? Who was winning awards? Who were the top spenders and the top sellers? And which brands encapsulated the zeitgeist of the year?

However the choice was made, the 50 Gold Brands web site is excellent and gives a chance to read about the brands and watch their ads - all the way back to 1959.

On the subject of brands – brandchannel has just published its Brandjunkie Survey results.

This takes an unconventional look at brand popularity – for instance - What brand would you most like to sit next to at a dinner party? Answer – Apple, Virgin, Coca Cola, Google and Nike. Dick Stroud

Age neutral ad from Confused.com

OK, it is a bit basic and employs the obvious approach of featuring the three target age groups but it is one of the first ads in the UK, for an online service, that very clearly targets the older Web user. Well done Confused.com. Dick Stroud

Redesigning the STOP sign

Nothing whatsoever to do with the 50-plus but 4 minutes of amusement and a little squirming about clients who will not leave the task of creative to the creatives. It also says a lot about our instinctive desire to overcomplicate things. Thanks Paddy for sending me the link. Dick Stroud

Financial ads for recessionary times

These two ads are doing the rounds in the UK print media. Both are from financial services companies and both exhibit, I think, a change in tone that reflects the sombre economic times. Also, both will be trying to appeal to the older market (or should be).














Not exactly a laugh a minute but much more in tune than most of the pre-recession creative that looks horribly out of date and out of place. Dick Stroud

Advertising photography and the older consumer

Creating Results, a US company, has published what looks to be an interesting survey about advertising photography and the older consumer.

The results are based on a sample of 414 Americans over 40 years old.

I have to be honest, I have only had a quick glance through the results. From what I have seen it appears an interesting study.

My fear with this type of research is that it can come to simplistic conclusions (i.e. everybody in the age range XX-XX prefers a particular type of creative). It looks like the research also takes account of the wealth and education of the individual. I hope so.

The other big caveat about “reported responses” is how the respondent answers a questionnaire can be very different from how they act behave.

When I get the time I will read and comment. Dick Stroud

The power of competitions?

I recently received an e-mail from sixtyplusufers providing data about the cost per enquiry for campaigns that have been run via its web site. The e-mail explained

How do we do it? By means of our Advertorial/Giveaway promotion, where we run a competition with a prize given by the company. And the competition includes an advertorial section to promote the products. It also includes your email address for the responses - an excellent opportunity for data capture, for follow up of leads, and for monitoring the level of interest for your promotion.

These are some examples of current campaigns.

Of course the bottom line is what is value of this type of competition lead? I guess the proof is if the advertisers keep coming back for more.


Any companies out there willing to share their experiences of using this technique? Dick Stroud

The age old argument about the appearance of models

People want to see models “like them” – no they don’t they want to see models like they “would like to be”…no they don’t – yes they do…

If I have heard this argument once I have heard it a zillion times. The trouble is that there is a big difference between what people say and how they react.

A guy at Judge Business School has just published research suggesting that women are of the view that models aren’t realistic and don’t reflect the intended customer. Here are a couple of quotes from the article.

In general, people have a more favourable reaction to brands that show models who represent people's age, size and background.

Quoting 50-plus women who says: “It's a slap in the face to show this young woman because she'd never have the money to shop there whereas I do."

I am not so sure.

The article in WARC quotes a learned professor of marketing at the London Business School who says.

"This kind of research may have some interesting insights, but it's insights into the way consumers talk and think about the adverts when you prompt them … there is a gap between what they say, particularly in the presence of other women, and what they would do actually at the point of sale.

"And that's a big gap, not a small gap."

The thing that worried me was the fact that the researcher seems to have an axe to grind on the subject. It appears he owns a modelling agency and has been a campaigner against size zero models. This may be a worthy objective but to my mind isn’t a recommendation for impartiality.

For what it is worth, a couple of the large UK mail order agencies find that they sell more products when they use classic thin young models rather than people who reflect the intended customer - in the UK that means the slightly obese. Sure Dove did some wonderful stuff with its campaigns but it was the uniqueness of their approach that made it work. You cannot generalise from the particular.

Maybe this is a sad reflection on the consumer but that is way it is. Dick Stroud

Times are bad – back to the old times?

There are a couple of good articles in Saturday’s FT about the impact of the recession on advertising and fashion – in particular the way it will (is) creating a tide of nostalgia and reflecting back to times of supposed certainty. You should be able to access these links without a subscription – you might need to register.

Advertising

Slideshow of old ads

Fashion

An ad that has been running since Sept 2008 shows how Hovis has taken is classical "boy on the bike" ad and extended it into today’s world. It is a simple story but no worse for that and I think works well - not sure if it sells any more bread but I certainly enjoy watching.

So does nostalgia work – is it something that rings the bells of the older consumer – is it an example of age neutral creative? Come you creative types share your views. It must be a question that is being asked by a lot of brand managers right now.

This is the original ad. Dick Stroud

Advertising in recessionary times

Flybe is Europe’s largest and most successful regional airline and the United Kingdom’s premier domestic airline - well that is what it said in its press release.

In today’s Daily Telegraph, the main readership who are 50-plus, is a full page ad based on the premise: “don’t worry about losing your job keep on spending and enjoying your self.” And why not?

I am not so sure if the mix of messages - redundancy and travel - are that appropriate, especially to an older audience, but I commend the marketers for thinking out of the box and coming up with this idea. Dick Stroud

Will Madonna work her magic?

I love the Louis Vuitton celebrity of photos and have written about them a number of times. This is the last posting in November.

Well they have come up with another great set of photos, this time of the dreaded Madonna.

I have questions if celebrity ads will have the same impact during these strange times but maybe the target audience hasn’t even noticed the economic downturn – I doubt if Madonna has. Dick Stroud

An impressive age neutral ad

Thanks to Dick Lumsden, the MD of Senioragency UK, for telling me about this ad for Fuller’s Beer.

It is a good example of age neutral creative. High production values, appeal and is relevant across a wide range of ages with a simple, easy to understand, message. Isn't it strange that really good advertising looks so simple. Dick Stroud

Celebrity-fronted ads and older eyes

Research by YouGov, on behalf of Senioragency, discovered that 46% of older consumers are actively turned off by celebrities fronting ad campaigns, while only 11% of thought more positively. The remaining 39% were ambivalent.

I wonder why that is? There are lots of explanations and the research doesn’t appear to answer the question. My thoughts are:

Bad choice of celebrity – somebody who a lot of older people don’t even recognise

Bad choice of celebrity – somebody who really annoys large groups of the demographic

The demise of celebrity as a means of promoting products that is first showing up in the results for the older audience.

It is this explanation that I find the most interesting. A writer in Marketing Week was the first to suggest that during recessionary times the sight of a fat cat professional, being paid sheds loads of money just to say they like a product, that everybody knows they wouldn’t be seen dead with, is no longer going to cut the mustard as advertising creative.

Yoof will get around to this idea when they wake up to the recessionary nightmare that is unfolding around them.

What do you think of that for an explanation? Dick Stroud

New Louis Vuitton ad

In March this year I wrote about the brilliant Louis Vuitton ads featuring Mikhail Gorbachev (aged 77)and Keith Richards (aged 65).

The company has now added Sean Connery (aged 78). I don’t know why this ad campaign appeals to me so much but it does. Dick Stroud

Nielsen creates a new web metric - ad clutter

Who sees the most ad clutter? Instinctively you would have said it is younger people.

You would be wrong. This is a chart taken from the Nielsen blog. Ad clutter increases with age. It is their grandparents who are deluged in the nasty sticky stuff.

I you want to get to grips with the details of “ad clutter” and why it is important I suggest you register on the site (it only takes a minute) and download the full presentation and/or the webinar. Dick Stroud

Famous son – famous mum?

Debbie Phelps – remember her son - the one with all the Olympic gold medals – has just been retained by Chico's – clothes for the older lady – to represent their brand. The full article is in the WSJ (you might need to be a subscriber)

Apparently the 57-year-old Ms. Phelps has long shopped at Chico's where she bought a number of her outfits for her trip to Beijing.

For the use of her name she will be paid a low six figure sum to appear for a year in Chico's marketing, including its catalogue, and will be dressed by Chico's for public appearances (i.e. "The Oprah Winfrey Show").

An interesting marketing ploy. Not sure if it will work but it shows that Chico’s is thinking outside the box. I guess if Mick Jagger's daughter is used by Marks & Spencer as a model why not the mum of a famous child? Dick Stroud

Is this age neutral advertising?

Nigel Hollis, a bigwig with Millward Brown, has written an interesting blog item about the decision of the UK department store Harvey Nichols to work with the creators of Wallace & Gromit, the stars of "The Wrong Trousers" and "A Close Shave".

Nigel rightly concludes that this is a strange decision. They are not natural bedfellows.

Why would the sophisticated upmarket Harvey Nicks want to be associated with a world that is all about tradition and old-England? See how the duo look dressed in clothes by Dolce and Gabbana, Paul Smith and Alexander McQueen. You see what I mean?

Maybe, this is a sophisticated use of age-neutral advertising. I am sure that Wallace & Gromit have a wide age appeal and maybe Harvey Nichols is trying to associate with this? Still seems like a strange choice to me. Thanks to Chuck Nyren for pointing out this item. Dick Stroud

Fashion turns to the supermodels of yesterday

In the September edition of Vogue it is Linda Evangelista, the 43-year-old who is the new face of Prada. The credit crunch seems to have a silver lining for the models of the 1990s.

In addition to Evangelista, Campbell (the one who keeps losing her temper on aircraft) is starring in the new Yves Saint Laurent campaign and Schiffer is modelling for Salvatore Ferragamo.

Carol White, managing editor of Premiership Model Management, says that the renaissance of the supermodels can be credited partly to the need to appeal to those who have more disposable income — generally older women — and the need to have models who are instantly recognisable when there is less cash to splash. Dick Stroud

Relentlessly Cheerful revisited

I received this comment on the previous blog posting.

Thank you for more insights into a life I only catch glipses of through my parents.
I wonder if you can look back at that goodie bag of Sales Brochures and work out what images would have worked?
What would have turned you off less, but engaged you and interested you?
People in a different mood - serious contemplation perhaps
Pictures of events, a storm, rather than people infront of a house (for home insurance products)
Pictures of experiences? Going on a driving holiday, but not showing people, just the scenary and the vehicle (for motor insurance)
or just text?
What would have worked better than what you have observed?

I have answered this question in the comments section but I think it raises some interesting points that deserve their own posting.

As I was writing this blog entry I was asking myself the same questions.

First things first. It was reading all of this stuff in one go that resulted in my reaction. If I was being drip-fed the brochures I may have been less acerbic in my comments. Secondly, I look at creative and copy, when I am forced to read it, from a different perspective to its target audience (it is my job). Finally, honestly this is the last caveat, my opinions and reactions represent only a small part of the 50-plus market. I am continually aware that you cannot extrapolate your own views to the whole of your age cohort. The joy of this blog is that it enables me to release these professional constraints and say it how I see it.

Let’s say this material was being specifically targeted to Dick Stroud, how could it be improved. Two words – humour and directness. I don’t think I am alone in this view. For example, recently some research was done to look at the language to use when talking to older people about death. The researchers seemed surprised that “kicking the bucket” was seen as a perfectly OK phrase. Didn’t surprise me. Ask yourself why there is such an anti-PC reaction from the over-50s.

If you look at the TV advertising that was around during my 20s and 30s a lot of it was dire but it contained some of the funniest ads ever made (in my view). If you read this blog you will know I hate making generational generalisations, so I will make one. I think there is a cynical (might be termed black humour) that is shared by lots of people in their 60s and 70s. I would suggest that anybody trying to reach the older audience submerge themselves into the TV, both programming and ads, that washed over this generation.

I hope this begins to answer the question. I will start posting some examples of promotional material that I think works well (for me). Dick

Relentlessly Cheerful

On Friday I attended the Retirement Show in London. An ‘interesting’ event that I need to think about a bit more before committing keystrokes to keyboard.

Like all exhibitions I was given the plastic bag of brochures on entering. Normally I dump this as soon as possible but since the days of plastic bags are number, in these environmentally conscious times, I instinctively kept the thing.

On the train home I inspected the contents. What was it about the materials that made me feel a bit queasy? It was nothing to do with the copy since I never read the stuff. It was the creative. It was relentlessly cheerful.

Now I totally understand the brief given to the designers is going to be: “create something that shows older people enjoying (they probably even use the word ‘celebrating’) being 50-plus. It is only when you see a pile of this stuff together that you realise how unrealistic, and more importantly, ineffective it is.

Maybe it is just me, but I suspect I am not alone.

Just think about it - there you are, having just walked past three exhibition stands selling different types of coffins, you then gaze at these old sods beaming with energy and vigour. It doesn't work for me. It is a bit like when you are a kid and your parents tell you to: "enjoy yourself". I hated it then I hate it now. Dick Stroud.

The media touchpoints of Brits

The IPA (Institute of Parishioners in Advertising) has published its TouchPoints survey that describes in a week in the life of a “representative sample" of the GB adult population during late 2007/2008.

It’s worth a quick look, although it doesn’t contain any great insights. What did strike me was the way the reporting of the results was polarised by age, rather than income, education, geography, social class or any other metric.

Because it is so easy to search an Adobe document I couldn’t resist seeing the number of references to the two age groups that are used to distinguish ‘young’ and ‘old’ - the 65+ get 13 references the youngesters nearly three times as many (37). I know it is not a competition but it does say something about the advertising industry's mindset.

I think the report says more about the way the advertising industry perceives the market than it does about the market itself. Dick Stroud

Toyota is fretting about becoming Honda

In the UK, Honda has the reputation for being an oldies car – guess what car I drive!

It sounds like Toyota is worried that it might be heading in the same direction, according to this article in Newsweek that suggests the carmaker is desperately seeking Gen-Xers. Having just read the horrendous financial results from US car manufacturers I would have thought they would be happy with anybody with a checkbook and a positive account balance!

Toyota has retired Sly and the Family Stone from its ads for the Camry and replaced them with a modified version of Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy" - nothing like thinking outside the box! The company has also established a youth-marketing staff made up entirely of people in the prized 24-to-35 age group. In the UK these would be considered geriatric marketers. All of this is intended to lower the average age of Toyota buyers by a decade, to 35.

The article suggests that Levi and Nike are also struggling to attract a younger audience and shake off an outdated image because:” It's a hard sell for boomer brands to persuade today's kids to drive the cars and walk in the same shoes that Mom and Dad did.”- "The days of boomers setting pop-culture trends are over," says the editor of Trends Journal. "Boomers are over the hill." Madison Avenue is now training its sights on the boomers' babies.

Maybe I have been missing something but this is re-writing of history. The reality is that advertising land has been obsessed with the Boomer’s kids and grandchildren for ages – to the exclusion of their parents. Still it made a good story. Dick Stroud

Anti ageing ads

As mentioned yesterday, I have had a look at a couple of other manufacturer’s anti-ageing ads. Both are taken from the current issue of Vogue that is all about Ageless Style – well worth buying.

Let me state my mega-caveats before I start. I am not a woman, I know nothing about cosmetics and creating ads is not my business. OK.

I think they are dreadful. They remind me of the types of ads that the poor hapless saps in “The Apprentice” would create during one of their tasks. Come on, I mean, who could come up with the line: “Before you consider a face lift, consider the power of Re-Nutriv”. What about the line: "NEW cellular-nurturing moisturiser Pro-Xylane, Hyaluronic Acid & SPF 15”.

Clearly these ads work. I just don’t know how. Dick Stroud

Cosmetics advertising

Today’s FT has an article (Older, wiser, inspired) about beauty products and the older women, a subject about which I am singularly ill-equipped to comment. But since it is Saturday I will.

Apparently Imedeen has launched an online competition to find a new, non-model agency, face for its Prime Renewal range (by definition an older lady). This is being done in conjunction with Saga and Close Models. Obviously a PR generating competition.

This is the copy from the Imedeen web site:

Being in your 50s today is not what it was. You might be a grandmother, an empty-nester or juggling a career with the demands of young children. What hasn’t changed is the effect of hormonal ageing on your face and body.

The good news is – you can now fight back, with the help of IMEDEEN’s team of style and beauty experts.

To my mind this is drenched in negatives. Terms like “fight back”, “hormonal ageing on your face and body”…

This started me looking at the approach of other cosmetics companies. More of that tomorrow. Dick Stroud

Fire the PR agency they have been too successful

Sex in the City – the film – has hit the UK. You cannot pick-up a paper, turn on the radio, switch on the TV without one or all of the programme stars doing an interview, walking arm in arm down the street or in some other way promoting the film. Don’t get me wrong I can think of a lot of other people I would prefer not to be hogging the communications channels.

I suspect the promotional campaign has gone way past that point of optimum impact and is now into the danger zone between boredom and annoyance.
The reason for this story is that of course Saga Magazine has Kim Cattrall on the front cover plus pages of film coverage.

As I was looking to see what insights Kim had on the plight of the world’s starving I had my usual quick flick through the magazine. I was stuck by how tired it was looking and how bereft of Class 1 brand advertising it has become. OK, there is a Dove pro.age ad but it is followed in a couple of pages by one for a cat’s charity.

I get the feeling that the magazine is moving imperceptibly towards the cat’s charity end of the spectrum rather than the pro.age.

Maybe I am wrong, maybe it was a bad month for advertising; maybe it is the result of rejecting all advertising from competitors to Saga. Any Saga staff reading this and want to explain what is happening? Dick Stroud

By your targeted ads you shall be known

I have recently been spending more time than normal on Facebook and taking more notice than normal, which is not difficult, of the ads that are being served to my profile. Since I have a very sparse profile it must be doing it primarily on the basis of age.

The above shows eight such ads. Now maybe Facebook knows something that I don’t but four of the ads are about obtaining finance. The one that offered me a loan on my car, with an APR of 437%, certainly did get my attention. It is not a joke it is for real!

There is an ad about 50+ dating, one about specs another from an ambulance chasing legal outfit and astonishingly one promoting a Glaswegian singer. Let me think for a nanosecond before deciding that is not for me.

What does this say about me and Facebook? It looks to me like there is only bargain basement ad inventory targeting older age profiles from small companies – the sort of stuff that appears in the back pages of magazines. So, if Facebook has me listed as a short sighted, lonely, poor old sod with an injured back, that might look for solace by listening to a Glaswegian dirge then its time I departed. Dick Stroud

TV ads from the US

Many thanks to Rick for sending me the details of some finance related ads currently running in the US. All of them will be targeting an older audience.



Something weird has happened with the voice sync on this ad – you can see the real thing on the company’s web site



Other versions of the ad are available on the web site. Know anybody like this?

I was unsuccessful in locating the ads from Axa Equitable but you can get a feel for the style by visiting the Web site that is also using the creative (an interesting development that you will see a lot more).

As always, comments welcome. Dick Stroud

Over-50s told to cut back on booze

This article is from The Publican. If you go into Manchester, or most other UK towns, on a Saturday night you will encounter the unedifying sight of yoofs of both sexes who are paralytically drunk. Over the weekend, 90% of all admissions to hospitals’ accident and emergency department are inebriated kids. There is an epidemic of liver disease amongst young adults resulting from excessive consumption of alcohol. Things are bad, bad, bad.

The response of the UK Government to this problem is fascinating. Rather than target its marketing efforts to sort out the problem it balances them with an equal amount of attention aimed at the kid’s parents. Because it doesn’t want to be seen to be singling out one group of people for special attention it defuses its message by broadening it to the people at the other end of the age spectrum.

During my recent visit to the US I witnessed a similar response by Barack Obama to the videos of his lunatic pastor. Rather than condemning the guy or maybe sympathizing with him for his mental instability, he defused his condemnation by saying that his white mother had also made racist comments. It is an interesting communications ploy. In my view it is totally ineffective but that is a personal opinion.

Coming back to the drunken older louts. Have a look at this dreadful poster ad that is accompanying the campaign. I don’t blame the advertising agency for relieving the fools at Manchester of their money but surely they could have come up with something a bit better than this. Dick Stroud

Phones and Internet advertising

Two things caught my eye this morning in the deluge of over-night e-mails.

The value of internet advertising in the UK will overtake that of TV adverts by 2009, says the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB).

Now this organisation has a vested interest in talking-up the value of Internet advertising but if this is even close to be the truth it is an amazing shift in the way companies are spending their advertising bucks. The BBC is reporting the news item. Even more important that companies understand the way that older people respond to online advertising. Very, very few do.

The other thing is to do with mobile phones.

A company called Clarity (part of Plantronics) is launching a phone aimed at the hard of hearing and gadget-adverse older person. The trouble with these ‘simple’ phones is that they all look so horrible. Surely you can make a simple and attractive phone. Maybe not. Dick Stroud

Brits do have a weird sense of humour

Many thanks to Matt Thornhill for telling me about the “off the charts ageist ad” from Safestore that shows a guy storing his gran in lockup storage. I have to make a horrible admission: I found rather funny.

It is like the second of the ads from John Smith that is about Peter Kay (a well known UK comedian) telling his mum that he is putting her into an old people’s home. I know that this ad had high levels of appeal across all age groups.
The Safestore ad is not in the same league but it I suspect it was reasonably effective.

I am talking with a large group of the 75+ in a couple of weeks and will show them the safestore ad and let you know what they thought. Dick Stroud

John Lewis Easter ad campaign

I have a great deal of time for John Lewis. It is a company that really gets it about age neutral marketing. The company’s mainstream advertising and that of its subsidiaries Waitrose and Greenbee is well crafted and designed to appeal to a wide range of ages.

The company has just pre-launched its Easter ad campaign (full marks to the company for using its e-mail lists to ‘sell’ the ads.

What a pity that the ad is so disappointing. Lots of clever stuff that doesn’t amuse intrigue or engage me in the company or its products. Maybe I am being too harsh? Dick Stroud

Gorilla ad sequel – what a disappointment

Last year Cadbury’s Gorilla ad campaign was an instant success both with the advertising industry and far more importantly the public. A hard act to follow and unfortunately the sequel doesn’t work, at least for me.

From the research I conducted the Gorilla ad had was age neutral and appealed to a wide demographic and spectrum of lifestyle groups. I don’t think this one will have the same appeal. Any thoughts? Dick Stroud

Louis Vuitton ads are a delight

I just love these Louis Vuitton ads. I am not sure if they are running internationally but they are getting a lot of exposure in the UK.

Who would have dreamt that Mikhail Gorbachev (The last General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the last head of state of the USSR) - aged 77-would be partnering Keith Richards (English guitarist, songwriter, singer, producer and founding member of The Rolling Stones) aged 65.

Next time you hear some pundit/forecaster telling you how the world is going to look in the future consider who would have predicted this strange combination. I wonder what age group these ads are aiming at? I ask the question but I think I know the answer. Dick Stroud

WARC blog posting about Effie

This an excellent blog posting but has nothing directly to do with the 50-plus although many of the things discussed are relevant to the older consumer.

WARC (World Advertising Research Center) is attending The World Effie Festival .What you might say is that? Well it is a: “global celebration of creative effectiveness, where the brightest minds in creative, design and marketing will gather to analyse and inspire the very best in creative and effective communication.”

Don’t be put off by the marketing speak. This posting contains some fascinating stuff. Make your self a coffee, ensure your speakers are working (there is a lot of video) and enjoy. Dick Stroud

Tipping Sacred Cows – article in the WSJ

Many thanks to Rick Hartley for pointing out this article in the Wall Street Journal (January 4, 2008). Sorry but the WSJ is subscription only.
The article provides a lot of quotes from Janice Finkel-Greene, an executive vice president of futures and technology at Initiative (part of Interpublic Group).

This is a quote that I have been waiting to read for the years.

Already, she and her team are beginning to question some long-held notions in the industry. One evolving theory: that advertisers should pay more attention to people's viewing patterns than to their demographics, such as whether they are a twentysomething or a male. Fans of the NBC Universal show "Heroes," for example, whether they are 18-year-old men or 54-year-old women, generally tend to watch the show the same way -- often clicking through ads, she says. The same has been true so far for NBC's "The Biggest Loser." That's a shift from previous years, when TV networks and advertisers were focused on reaching coveted demographics like viewers aged 18 to 34.

My contacts in the media buying industry in the UK suggest that the fascination (I would say obsession) with age is beginning to change. Not a day too soon. Dick Stroud

An ad that seems to work across the generations

See what you think. This was one of the most popular ads in the UK during 2007. From anecdotal evidence it seemed to be particulary high on its age-neutrality rating.



The viral effect of the ad was fascinating since it spurned a pile of re-mixes on YouTube. This is my favourite.



Anybody want to give their favourite age-neutral ads of 2007 (hopefully with a link so it can be viewed). Dick Stroud

Sony’s consumer technology ads

I know the astronaut ad has been around for some time and it has been on my ‘to do list’ to write about. Well here it is along with Sony’s most recent Bravia ad.
I reckon this would make a great exam question: “Compare and contrast Sony’s advertising creative for two consumer technology products”.

Clearly, the astronaut creative has a simple message assumption about age, fitness and technology. I wonder what was in the minds of the Bravia creative team when they thought about the animation ad and how it would play with older people, who must make-up a significant group of their target customers.

From the research I did with OMD I guess that this add would have a positive impact on less than 20% of the 50-plus. Fortunately these are the ones most likely to buy the product. Dick Stroud

The 50-plus an important factor driving online advertising growth.

What follows is a splurge or facts and figures.

The results of the biannual internet advertising spend study from the Internet Advertising Bureau, PricewaterhouseCoopers and the World Advertising Research Centre shows online advertising expenditure reaching a potential new high of £2.75 billion by the end of 2007.

The total UK advertising market grew by 3.1% during the first half of the year to £9.1 billion. Without online’s contribution, UK media expenditure would have fallen by 1.9% (or £147 million).

All forms of online advertising increased. The following shows the type, share of online advertising spend and year-on-year growth rate.

Classified advertising (21%), increased by 72%
Internet display advertising (22%) - including banners, skyscrapers and rich media formats – increased by 33%.
Paid-for search (44%) increased 44%.

Online spending, by the main industry categories (in priority order) are:

Automotive
Finance
Recruitment
Finance
Consumer goods

Interestingly, one of the main reasons for the growth was the 50-plus now accounting for nearly 30% of time spent online. Dick Stroud

Print versus Online – Pay versus Advertising

Back in August I commented about the Deloitte & Touche report call “The State of Media Democracy” and how it didn’t seem to say very much of interest. I have just discovered this chart on eMarketer that quotes data from the report about the choices of different age groups for print, online and paying for content or being forced to watch ads.

For most of the questions there doesn’t appear to be any meaningful difference between the generations. The only distinct trend is the preference for paying for news content rather than watching ads. Amazingly it goes in the opposite direction to what I would have guessed. The older you get the more willing you are to put up with ads. I really do find that hard to believe. Dick Stroud