After viewing the first half of the Grammys and the commercial breaks throughout the program, I noticed that the featured advertisements shown during this time were generally catered to a younger audience. Without them saying anything, I had seen my parents (ages 50+) become disengaged and uninterested in the show.
The question that formulated in my mind was, "Why are the Grammys and advertisements shown throughout the show ignoring the senior audience?"
In class we covered the topics of marketing segmentation and ways companies use strategies to capture target markets. In this particular case, the Grammys were obviously targeted to a younger audience. The marketers of the Grammys had neglected the older viewers based on the assumption that this age group of Americans are not interested in current music and are stuck in the past. The Grammys are only one example of how the media, along with their advertising agencies ignore older consumers. This is alarming because recently birth rates have been falling, while the senior demographic, which consists of the Baby Boomers is rising in the United States. Marketers need to be aware that the older demographic is a powerful purchasing group, and can be one of the most profitable markets in America. In fact, "...people ages 50 and older own 80% of the finical assets in the country, and also account for half of all discretionary spending" in the United States alone ("Are packaging designers ignoring the strongest segment of their audience?", 2011).
I believe advertising agencies have trouble connecting, and communicating to senior markets. Many of the younger people who work in these creative departments of advertising agencies cannot develop ads that connect with older consumers because of the age-gap. This is a huge problem because it is essential for marketers to understand how consumers interpret their messages, react, and respond to the company's products or services. The way consumers ages 50+ perceive advertisements and respond to an ads might be different from how younger demographics might view the same ad. Generating ads that have clear messages directed to different demographics or multiple ads directed to each demographic is essential for marketers in order to reach both markets.
References
The question that formulated in my mind was, "Why are the Grammys and advertisements shown throughout the show ignoring the senior audience?"
In class we covered the topics of marketing segmentation and ways companies use strategies to capture target markets. In this particular case, the Grammys were obviously targeted to a younger audience. The marketers of the Grammys had neglected the older viewers based on the assumption that this age group of Americans are not interested in current music and are stuck in the past. The Grammys are only one example of how the media, along with their advertising agencies ignore older consumers. This is alarming because recently birth rates have been falling, while the senior demographic, which consists of the Baby Boomers is rising in the United States. Marketers need to be aware that the older demographic is a powerful purchasing group, and can be one of the most profitable markets in America. In fact, "...people ages 50 and older own 80% of the finical assets in the country, and also account for half of all discretionary spending" in the United States alone ("Are packaging designers ignoring the strongest segment of their audience?", 2011).
I believe advertising agencies have trouble connecting, and communicating to senior markets. Many of the younger people who work in these creative departments of advertising agencies cannot develop ads that connect with older consumers because of the age-gap. This is a huge problem because it is essential for marketers to understand how consumers interpret their messages, react, and respond to the company's products or services. The way consumers ages 50+ perceive advertisements and respond to an ads might be different from how younger demographics might view the same ad. Generating ads that have clear messages directed to different demographics or multiple ads directed to each demographic is essential for marketers in order to reach both markets.
Not being able to reach an older market is a lost opportunity of marketers and their companies.
A company that has succeed in generating great advertisements focused on the senior demographic is AARP, also known as the American Association of Retired Persons. This company has created ads using different media sources and promotional techniques. Today, AARP's ads are shown throughout different magazines, commercials and billboards. These ads have captivated the elderly market, generating a large amount of revenue from this demographic alone. Their messages are clear and easy to understand and decode. For example, one AARP ad that demonstrates a clear message features an upset looking elderly women with the words "I am a Grandmother Not A Line Item On A Budget, Tell the Senate to vote "no" on cuts to Social Security benefits." This ad sends a clear message to the elderly to vote "no" on Social Security benefit cuts. The image alone can make this audience feel distressed before reading the text. After viewing the image, and reading the text the advertisers will tap into how consumers are feeling, and might persuade them to feel a different way about that topic.
To view ad click link below:
http://www.adweek.com/files/imagecache/node-detail/news_article/aarp-grandmother-obamasatan-hed-2013.jpg
Some critics argue that most advertising agencies ignore the elderly, but in fact, some companies and advertising agencies focus directly on this market. Advertising is about the consumers, and how they can appeal to the consumers wants, forcing the audience to generate that want into a need. If a advertisement is not clear, and does not generate a lucid message to the captive the audience, the consumer will not be able to decode its meaning as a result.
A company that has succeed in generating great advertisements focused on the senior demographic is AARP, also known as the American Association of Retired Persons. This company has created ads using different media sources and promotional techniques. Today, AARP's ads are shown throughout different magazines, commercials and billboards. These ads have captivated the elderly market, generating a large amount of revenue from this demographic alone. Their messages are clear and easy to understand and decode. For example, one AARP ad that demonstrates a clear message features an upset looking elderly women with the words "I am a Grandmother Not A Line Item On A Budget, Tell the Senate to vote "no" on cuts to Social Security benefits." This ad sends a clear message to the elderly to vote "no" on Social Security benefit cuts. The image alone can make this audience feel distressed before reading the text. After viewing the image, and reading the text the advertisers will tap into how consumers are feeling, and might persuade them to feel a different way about that topic.
To view ad click link below:
http://www.adweek.com/files/imagecache/node-detail/news_article/aarp-grandmother-obamasatan-hed-2013.jpg
Some critics argue that most advertising agencies ignore the elderly, but in fact, some companies and advertising agencies focus directly on this market. Advertising is about the consumers, and how they can appeal to the consumers wants, forcing the audience to generate that want into a need. If a advertisement is not clear, and does not generate a lucid message to the captive the audience, the consumer will not be able to decode its meaning as a result.
References
Are package designers ignoring the strongest segment of their audience? | Packaging World. (2011, December 9). Retrieved from http://www.packworld.com/package-design/strategy/are-package-designers-ignoring-strongest-segment-their-audience
Belch, GE. and Belch, MA. Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective, 9th Edition. McGraw-Hill Companies. 2012.
AARP Ad. Retrieved from http://www.adweek.com/files/imagecache/node-detail/news_article/aarp-grandmother-obamasatan-hed-2013.jpg
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