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Designing for the senior demographic

With birthrates falling and the senior demographic growing substantially across the globe, marketers and retailers need to evaluate their offerings to ensure they are accommodating this powerful purchasing group.

Replacing rigid plastic lids with peelable foil makes for easy opening.
Replacing rigid plastic lids with peelable foil makes for easy opening.

Recent research points to startling statistics. We all know that populations are aging in much of the world. But do we know how significant the size of the senior demographic is, and how much discretionary spending they account for? Do marketers suspect how badly they’re missing the mark with mature consumers? Apparently not.


The first of its kind, a study from A.T. Kearney titled “Global Maturing Consumer” surveyed more than 3,000 people aged 60 and older in 23 countries—including the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Russia. The study uncovered nuggets of great information for marketers of consumer products and for retailers to digest and act on. Here’s why: Birthrates are falling, making a hefty percentage of populations older. People are living longer globally, besides.


In the U.S. alone, people aged 50 and older own 80% of the financial assets in the country. They also account for half of all discretionary spending. The data is similar for developed countries around the world. Yet, consumer product marketers direct their advertising to younger demographics, making seniors feel as though they aren’t being addressed, but largely ignored.


That’s not all. Most packaging, as it exists now, presents problems for seniors. More than 50% of consumers between the ages of 60 and 70, nearly 60% of those between 70 and 80 years old, and a whopping 66% of those over 80 report difficulties with current packaging. A great deal of packaging is hard to read for older people, even with the aid of glasses. This signals a problem that really should be addressed by consumer product companies.


When package fronts, labels, and product directions are difficult to read, seniors understandably get frustrated. When they do make a purchase and interact with packaging, many find it difficult to open, presenting another significant problem. But, as Lee Iacocca said, “We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.”


Many options for change
Based on the research, a few basic modifications to packaging can make a profound difference. Simple changes to most packaging can accommodate important senior groups without alienating younger consumers. Bolder brand identities, graphics that tell the product story, and less brand communication that’s more targeted would help seniors to read packaging more easily. As far as package interface is concerned, testing might be done using seniors to pinpoint problems with opening, using, and storing the product so that changes can be made to closures and design systems. Directions might be printed in larger type on side panels, foldouts, or tags affixed to the necks of bottles and jars.


Heritage brands that have a heavy senior audience are obvious choices for these kinds of changes. But in reality, all brands should review their packaging protocols, even if some of them are oriented toward younger demographic groups. After all, mature adults purchase much of these products for their kids and grandkids, too.

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