The Old Ones Are the Best
By Craig Dunn
Today’s news that Saga-zone - the social networking face of Saga - is to come out of beta has surprised a few in the marketing industry. Some said it would struggle to get out of bed. Some said that the churn would be too great. Yet here it is. The day that many thought wouldn’t come. Dare we say it?
Saga-zone has come of age.
Craig Dunn, The Gate Worldwide online marketing whizz , talks about the power of the ‘grey pound’ in the age of social networking.
Many of us not in that age group will be amazed to hear that of those capable of connecting to the net within that demographic, that they now spend on average over 40 hours a week online.
Putting that into perspective, that’s longer than some people work in a week.
Does this mean the days of pottering around on the allotment, attending tea dances and causing mile long tail backs on the B-roads of Britain are all now behind them? The incredible truth is that these geriatric go-getters are now more socially active than ever and the internet and its social applications just make it easier.
Rather than having to go meet someone at a café for some liquefied soup and a soft scone to arrange their social events they have realised that it is easier just to have an online chat, or to send an e-mail.
Have we underestimated the potential of this market?
At last count, Saga-zone had 13,000 members - not exactly exciting figures. But not exactly terrible for something that was in beta. The demand to get on the beta was extraordinary. What’s more amazing is that they expect exponential growth now that the service has gone live. With 13,000,000 people in the UK now fitting their target market you can see what they’re aiming for.
This particular age group are perfect for social networking. They have so many things they can talk about. This form of networking is perfect for people who have things in common. And the one thing they all have in common is their age. They can all remember a time when the summers were longer, when the winters were harsher, when the grass was greener and when people were nicer to each other…AND, they all love talking to each other about it! More importantly a large proportion of this age group are on their own, and this gives them a vehicle for meeting new people.
For years and years “experts” have been telling us we’ll live longer and lead much healthier lives. The fact of the matter is that although this is true - you can now add to that, a lot more people in the Saga mould will also have disposable income. So you can see Saga’s thought process here. Build up a large database of users who are already good at social interaction. Who’s natural instinct is to impart knowledge. Then make it easy for them to do so as a group.
Then market them to death – so to speak.
What most people don’t realise is how technologically savvy the Saga-generation have become.
Case in point.
Picture the scene. Standing in a queue at a well known supermarket, surrounded by promotional material for their new internet service. In front of you is an elderly lady getting her weekly shopping. At the end of the transaction the smirking 12 year old cashier asks if the old lady would like to know more about said internet service.
The old lady replies “I’m very happy with my current ISP thank you very much.” Then skips away home to have Hob Nobs and tea will trying to vacuum the crumbs from between the “O”, “A” and “P” keys of her PC World computer.
This actually happened…..apart from the vacuuming.
In terms of marketing, this age group has a lot going for it. A wealth of knowledge; real wealth in monetary terms; and a new found love of things technological to make their lives easier.
Compare this group to the fresh faced Facebook and MySpace demographic. A place where marketers have spent BIG – and lost BIG.
Does this mean that in terms of marketability, that the old ones really are the best?
About the author
From the age of 19 - when he worked for an Internet startup - Craig Dunn has been hard-wired to the Internet. He formed his own consultancy at the age of 21. For the last five years he has concentrated on internet marketing having enviable ROI figures for his clients. He brings a usability viewpoint to every online project he is involved in.
March 18th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
It seems I’m not alone in this view.
Tim Berners-Lee (”Father of the Internet”) quoted today.
.. he said social networking sites aimed at a younger audience might soon be superseded by those aimed at older folk, who now had the technical ability to use them and the time on their hands to do so.
March 24th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
I’m not sure about this. I think younger people have a stronger desire to find acceptance in groups and socially network, generally. Bebo etc. just seem to reflect what teenagers are doing in the real world. Bonding, comparing, …mating.
Is it really true that the so called older generation “have more time on their hands”? Do they REALLY have such a strong desire to know what their peers are doing? I find this all rather simplistic. I think in older life the motivations to engage online seem to be more complex. A good example of this is the explosion of interest in genealogy. If social networks for the OAPs are to be realistic and widespread, surely they must be capable of more than poking each other and posting totally cool pictures of yourself.