Rethinking the Mature Market
Filed under: Direct Marketing, Email Marketing, General Marketing, Search Engine Marketing
I was reading an interesting study yesterday from Pew Research. The title of it was “Generations Online in 2009″.  The interesting note that I picked-up from the study was the growth in Internet usage in the mature segment of the population:
The biggest increase in Internet use since 2005 can be seen in the 70-75 year-old age group. While just over one-fourth (26%) of 70-75 year olds were online in 2005, 45% of that age group is currently online.
While admittedly, this percentage isn’t as great as the 18-24 year olds (at 89% Internet usage), this does represent a major shift in our thinking as marketers. No longer can we look at the older generation as ones that cannot be reached through online channels.  Experts told us we had to market through traditional media (with large type fonts, I might add) to reach the generation.  Â
Today, 60% of those age 60-69 use the Internet, and for those age 70-75, over 45%.  Also, note what they like to do online. Top activities include:
- 79% use email
- 70% use search engines
- 67% research health information
- 65% make travel arrangements
- And 60% use the Internet to research products
The overall study was very insightful and I would encourage you to take a look at the details. You might also find it noteworthy that email has lost some ground among teens … with the rise of instant messaging and social networking (I sure could have told you that from the habits of my household).  Here is the link to the full study: http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1093/generations-online.Â
Clearly, our mature market online habits are changing … and the marketing stereotypes and approaches will need to change as well.
