Creating the perfect direct mail piece for seniors
These days, marketers are often fixated on the burgeoning millennial demographic, struggling to capture the ever popular 35-and-under crowd. However, with their eyes fixated on these young shoppers, advertisers are failing to see the potential of a demographic already proven to be a powerfully affective audience: seniors.
Ages 55 and up, the senior demographic in the U.S. is an extremely influential group, making up a little more than one-quarter of the country's population, according to a study from Esri, a global mapping company. With many having already retired, the sometimes neglected crowd boasts an impressive $2.3 trillion in disposable income.
Seniors can be one of the most powerful consumer groups a business has to lean on, but only if they are marketed to properly. Here are a few tips advertisers should consider when making a direct mail marketing campaign aimed at people 55 and up:
They're not old
The cardinal sin of marketing to an older generation is making a note of their advanced age. Kids don't want to be called "youngsters" the same way seniors don't want to be called elderly. Businesses shouldn't waste space, time or text trying to remind people in the later stages of their life that they are, in fact, old. Instead, marketers should focus more on products and services and how they're designed to meet the specific needs of the recipient.
Don't go overboard
As a medium, direct mail lends itself well to creativity, but in the case of seniors, it's not necessarily an advantage. Crafting unique mail pieces is a fun way to catch the eye of someone, unless, of course, that person has poor eyesight. Marketers should avoid including small font types, contemporary slang or jargon, and work to keep the parcel entirely uncluttered. It shouldn't be a challenge for an older reader to understand the message being presented to them. As the U.S. Navy first penned in the mid-20th century, "keep it simple, stupid."
The U.S.'s aging population is a veritable treasure trove for marketers willing to make special alterations to satisfy oldershoppers. But regardless of how perfectly designed and structured an organization's direct mail pieces may be, without the correct address, the parcel is useless. To ensure that promotional materials are being delivered to where they need to be, businesses can invest in address correction systems that automatically validate, update and standardize addresses upon entry.