I am working towards conducting primary research on elderly (65+) members of my community. Specifically I am researching transportation needs, heavy house work needs, and quality of life for the elderly. With this research I hope to develop services for the elderly.
Does anyone have any information on advertising to the elderly? Are there specific strategies and techniques used for advertising to this demographic? Do these strategies and techniques differ from those used with younger demographics?
I am interested in finding materials to learn more about advertising to the elderly.
Honestly, at least in my area (small town Western Maryland), the best places to advertise to the over 65 demographic would be through the local newspaper and radio.
My wife works as a marketing specialist for a local hand and occupational therapy clinic, and because their patients tend to be in said demographic, they have found great success through taking out radio and newspaper ads. Though they also advertise on local TV stations, from the limited amount of information they are able to collect when a new patient comes in, it seems that a large percentage has their business in mind because of radio and newspaper ads.
While online advertising and marketing might be great for Gens X & Y, most older folks don't respond well to this sort of advertising. This is a shame because it is much harder to track the efficiency of advertisements through the more "traditional" media, which can often be frustrating when trying to determine the most profitable avenues.