One of the most pressing concerns in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic was how to best communicate information to those who were at greatest risk — particularly, the elderly. Unfortunately, many attempts were riddled with stereotyped depictions of older people as frail, lonely, and incompetent. In doing so, messages from advertisers, public health officials, and policymakers may have failed to resonate with large swaths of their targeted audience. Given a rapidly aging population, effective messaging to older people holds national importance for public health as well as marketing of goods and services.
Your Messaging to Older Audiences Is Outdated
Don’t let stereotypes or condescending assumptions alienate the people you’re trying to reach.
July 02, 2021
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Summary.
Given a rapidly aging population, effective messaging to older people holds national importance for public health as well as marketing of goods and services. Older people make up an incredibly diverse demographic that varies in terms of physical and cognitive ability, economic power, and social connection, and market segmentation based on age is becoming futile. These messengers should instead focus on appealing to varying time horizons based on subjective age and perceived time left in life. To better reach older populations, the authors recommend three strategies: 1) Focus on emotionally meaningful material, 2) Prioritize the positive, and 3) Identify with the elderly — and ditch the stereotypes.