This document discusses strategies for advertising to the over 50 demographic. It notes that while millennials are a popular target, over 50s control 80% of the UK's wealth and their consumer spending is projected to increase. The document explores how over 50s are digitally engaged, with high rates of online banking, research, and travel booking. It also segments the over 50 audience into six types based on their attitudes towards aging. The key recommendations are to target messages based on quality, value, and reliability rather than youthful imagery, and to consider the nuanced attitudes different over 50 segments have towards growing older.

1. Silver Spenders
How to advertise to over 50s
Stephen Kenwright
Strategy Director

2. • Why target the over 50s when millennials are cooler?
• What do over 50s do online?
• What messages and tactics resonate?
• Some segments we use
Learner Outcomes

4. Who are the over 50s?

5. Actual over 50s

6. 1/3 of the UK
population is
over 50
Campaign

7. 80% of the UK’s
wealth is held by
people over 50
Campaign

8. 4.4%
1.2%
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
Over 50s Under 50s
They spend it
Average annual growth in consumer spending over past 10 years
Campaign

9. They’ll spend more of it
Projected high street consumer spend in 2013 vs. 2025
50+
Under 50
2013
£1 in every £5
50+
Under 50
2025
£1 in every £4

10. But 89% thought
that brands weren’t
interested in them
SunLife

11. 74% thought they
were never
represented in
mainstream ads
SunLife

12. 72% thought
representations of
over 50s are outdated
stereotypes
SunLife

13. But…but millennials!

14. OK, 3x more millennials compare
Price comparison searches – past week (2017)
Ofcom
45% 45%
40%
36%
31%
23%
15%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+

15. 2.5x more millennials apply
Applying for jobs online – past week (2017)
Ofcom
29%
18%
15%
14%
13%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64

16. Yet 78% of
over 50s
bank online

17. 88% of over
50s research
deals online

18. 81% of over 50s
have booked a
holiday online

19. …and they
have 80% of
the money

20. 58% 60%
54%
58% 56%
59%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74
Over 50s recognise ads
Ofcom
*about as well as anyone else

21. We’re all getting worse at that
Ofcom
60%
20%
23%
12%
57%
23% 21%
12%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
These are paid ads These are the most popular results These are the best/most relevant results Don't know
2015 2016

22. 27.9
40.0 41.0
35.3
32.6
23.4
29.0 28.0
30.5
24.5
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
100.0
15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
Male Female
Time online on laptop/desktop
Average hours in March 2017
comScore Mobile Metrix

23. More time online on smartphone
Hours in March 2017
77.9
71.4 69.8
54.8
50.7
88.5
73.3
63.6
53.0
46.4
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
100.0
15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
Male Female
comScore Mobile Metrix

24. Still increasing
Growth in smartphone use – hours in March 2017 vs. March 2016
comScore Mobile Metrix
+8.7
+7.3
+4.9
+3.9
+4.1
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
Half as fast as
millennials

25. So they are
digitally savvy

26. …but avoid using
web terminology
(homepage,
navigate)
NN Group

27. Future mobile growth from 50+
66%
77%
88% 90% 90%
96%
60% 60%
84%
87%
91%
96%
43%
32%
72%
80%
83%
88%
19%
32%
39%
50%
42%
47%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
16-24 25-34 35-54 55-64
Ofcom

28. UK adults with a smartphone
Ofcom / Deloitte
Q1 2014
61%
Q1 2016
71%
Q3 2016
80%
Pretty much everyone
under 55

29. Mobile already
has a huge
impact

30. Desktop Mobile Tablet Linear (Desktop) Linear (Mobile) Linear (Tablet)
Traffic trends by device
Case study – retailer with 55+ target demographic

31. 0.0%
2.0%
4.0%
6.0%
8.0%
10.0%
12.0%
14.0%
16.0%
18.0%
20.0%
Feb-13
Mar-13
Apr-13
May-13
Jun-13
Jul-13
Aug-13
Sep-13
Oct-13
Nov-13
Dec-13
Jan-14
Feb-14
Mar-14
Apr-14
May-14
Jun-14
Jul-14
Aug-14
Sep-14
Oct-14
Nov-14
Dec-14
Jan-15
Feb-15
Mar-15
Apr-15
May-15
Jun-15
Jul-15
Aug-15
Sep-15
Oct-15
Nov-15
Dec-15
Jan-16
Feb-16
Mar-16
Apr-16
May-16
Jun-16
Jul-16
Aug-16
Percent of mobile traffic from Google organic Percentage of mobile traffic excluding Google organic
Mobile rate of growth
Retailer with 55+ target demographic
£££ becomes £££££

32. Search volume vs. traffic
Retailer with 55+ target demographic
Mobile
40%
Tablet
23%
Desktop
37%
Search volume by device
Mobile
14%
Tablet
36%
Desktop
50%
Organic data sources

33. Lack of mobile
site, not lack of
interest

34. 5,386
8,070
7,375 7,570
10,292
5,166
7,621
6,367
5,921
5,160
2,433
4,221
3,877 3,965
5,799
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
Desktop All smartphones All tablets
Audience by platform by age
Unique visitors (000s)
comScore MMX Multi-Platform, March 2017, UK

35. 13%
12%
8%
10%
5%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
Mobile-only audience
comScore MMX Multi-Platform, March 2017
Unique visitors (000s) / % of total

36. Platform share
Unique visitors
comScore MMX Multi-Platform, March 2017, UK
14%
15%
10%
8%
76%
77%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Female
Male
Desktop only Mobile only Multi-platform

37. Platform share
Unique visitors
comScore MMX Multi-Platform, March 2017, UK
24%
13%
11%
11%
11%
5%
10%
8%
12%
13%
71%
78%
80%
78%
76%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
55+
45-54
35-44
25-34
18-24
Desktop only Mobile only Multi-platform

38. Over 50s 2x as
likely to be
desktop-only

39. Segment using Bing Ads Intelligence
Example keywords
25.95%
27.32%
38.85%
Age 18 - 34 traffic
Age 35 - 49 traffic
Age 50 - 64 traffic
A G E
Female
68%
Male
32%
G E N D E R

40. Understand keyword by keyword
Example keywords
Keyword Age 18 - 24 traffic Age 25 - 34 traffic Age35_49 traffic Age50_64 traffic Age65Plus traffic Female traffic Male traffic Total Male+Female
palliative care 2,421 5,214 7,431 13,708 4,326 22,654 10,446 33,100
care 1,847 3,690 5,659 5,700 1,204 11,848 6,252 18,100
carer 2,297 3,487 5,444 2,977 595 8,281 6,519 14,800
home care jobs 1,392 1,160 2,475 4,254 619 7,023 2,877 9,900
in home care jobs 1,392 1,160 2,475 4,254 619 7,023 2,877 9,900
respite 907 1,646 2,716 3,417 1,214 5,607 4,293 9,900
home care job - - 7,425 2,475 - 7,425 2,475 9,900
jobs in home care - - 3,300 6,600 - 9,900 - 9,900
care job - - 2,700 5,400 - 2,700 5,400 8,100
care jobs 1,157 2,314 3,086 771 771 5,670 2,430 8,100
jobs at care - 4,050 - 4,050 - 8,100 - 8,100
jobs care - 4,050 - 4,050 - 8,100 - 8,100
jobs in care - 4,050 - 4,050 - 8,100 - 8,100
domiciliary care 609 1,726 1,828 2,132 305 3,940 2,660 6,600
respite care 534 1,180 1,848 2,503 534 4,593 2,007 6,600
care assistant jobs - 943 943 2,829 1,886 6,600 - 6,600
carer uk - - 5,400 - - - 5,400 5,400
live in carer jobs - - 2,933 1,467 - 4,400 - 4,400
care assistant - 733 1,467 733 1,467 2,200 2,200 4,400
live in care jobs - - 880 3,520 - 4,400 - 4,400
elderly care 828 462 526 1,051 733 2,275 1,325 3,600
care for elderly 467 800 933 1,200 200 2,215 1,385 3,600

41. So how to
reach them?

42. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
75+
65-74
55-64
45-54
35-44
25-34
16-24
Write Read
They read and write reviews
2017
Ofcom

43. Under 50s Over 50s
But need less reassurance
Take advice of
others
Trust own
judgement

44. …and are harder to influence
17%
38%
20%
14%
27% 27%
40%
36%
9%
32%
12%
5%
14% 14%
24%
18%
5%
29%
7%
2%
15% 16%
21%
12%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Mainstream media Independent review
websites
Forums/blogs Social media The companies
themselves
Store Family Friends
Gen Y Gen X 50+
Influences when making purchases

45. More rational…what
does the brand do for
them? (Not how does
it make them look)

46. More likely to read
everything…
including T&Cs

47. Under 50s Over 50s
Take care of their money
I like to
save
I like to
spend

48. Under 50s Over 50s
…but they do spend it
Look for the
cheapest I
can get
Spend as
much as I
need to

49. Over 50s most likely to use
coupons…
…Google announced in late 2016 it
was relaunching coupons/Store
Sales

50. Quality/value/reliability
Column1 Meal out Holiday Clothing and footwear
Quality 91 83 83
Value 89 88 88
Reliability 84 86 85
Service 87 79 60
Reputation 69 65 47
Choice/variety 83 71 73
Something new/different 35 40 30
How important are each of the following in influencing your decisions?

51. Who is catering for over 50s?
High street – John Lewis

52. Who is catering for over 50s?
Alcohol – Jack Daniels

53. Who is catering for over 50s?
Cookware – Le Creuset

54. Wally Olins – Brand New
A book for people
who want to know
why it’s important
where brands
come from

55. Who is catering for over 50s?
Automotive – Skoda

56. Who is catering for over 50s?
FMCG – Fairy Liquid

57. Who is catering for over 50s?
Supermarkets – Sainsbury’s

58. Six “Silver Spender” segments
Opportunist Up to the
minute
Rejector
Traditionalist Acceptor Creature of
habit

59. Opportunist
“I see ‘growing older’ as a positive, it’s given me
the opportunity to enjoy experiences I haven’t yet
had the chance to do in life”

60. Up to the minute
“I don’t feel my age or
consider myself ‘old’; life
has not changed for me
much in terms of how I feel
and act and the activities I
pursue. I will not slow
down if I can help it”

61. Rejector
“I don’t like the idea
of ‘growing older’
and struggle to
accept the changes
that come with
increasing age and
the impact it has on
my life”

62. Traditionalist
“I have quite traditional
views on growing older,
and feel it is a time to
focus on the things
you realise are most
important in life,
such as time with your
family”

63. Acceptor
“Life is inevitably
slowing down a bit as
I grow older. As much
as I don’t like it, I’m
not going to pretend
that I’m as young as I
used to be”

64. Creature of habit
“I increasingly value
my own day-to-day
routine and home
comforts. I like having
the time to enjoy the
familiar things I have
always known and
trusted”

65. Age is just a number baby
Opportunist
61
years old
Up to the
minute
62
years old
Rejector
61
years old
Traditionalist
60
years old
Acceptor
62
years old
Creature of
habit
61
years old

66. Where does your audience fit?
Opportunist Up to the
minute
Rejector
Traditionalist Acceptor Creature of
habit
Distant from
growing older
Accepting of
growing older

67. Target rock stars
who happen to be
72…not 50+ year old
rock music fans

68. More
Search
insights
Media
planning
Retail
insights
Market
research
branded3.com/blog responseone.co.uk/blog pragmauk.com/news incite.ws/blog

69. Now age 62
T. Hanks
stephen.kenwright@branded3.com
@stekenwright