Archives for posts with tag: over50s

Sporting Hero

May 18, 2020 //
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Loved pretty much all sports for as long as I can remember, a childhood fully of Daley Thompson winning medals galore, John McEnroe shaking Tennis up and the then mysterious and exciting world of European football with St Etienne and Borussia Monchengladbach in European Cup finals.

An arthritis scare in my early 40s curtailed all my efforts and the impact was profound. The thought of not being able to do any of the sports I loved was a massive blow that had a huge impact on me and an early glimpse into what I thought at the time was a dark tunnel to getting older

Thankfully acupuncture/physio/rest and some common sense have raised my aim and I’m more now more active than I was in my 30s. The current pandemic and lockdown has actually increased my fitness levels as I have cycled more and become a slave to the seemingly nice but really quite evil Joe Wicks. I’m still no Iron Man and in fact distance running/poor technique and weight probably contributed to my earlier arthritic scare. It was one of the sparks behind Greyafro and the start of an obsession with ageing well so not a total disaster.

Two things in 2020 have reinforced my belief that Sport/Leisure really is the next battle ground in the anti-Ageism agenda (and I’m excluding Covid).

I created a whoop group for over 50s athletes interested in sharing/discussing what their stats meant. Is my RHR (resting heart rate) a sign of impending doom? No simple answers but in a couple of days very clear I’d hit on something. A flurry of enquiries from all over the world and the start of something hopefully really interesting. Fitbit has a group of 65k+users tagged as Fit Seniors, that title misses the mark for me in a lot of ways, but the number involved is pretty telling.    

I then shared an old but pretty great article from the Washington Post about starting running over 50. I asked if people could share inspiring stories of athletic endeavour above the age of 50. Well that went crazy and I have had some incredible stories shared which I’m going to profile in future blogs. There are some inspiring stories of people taking up sport comparatively late and excelling through to those more “normal” stories of people just keeping going and reaping huge benefits.

This got me back onto the issue of how the sports business represents older athletes of any variety & level.  I’m still a much bigger spender on sportswear than I’d care to admit or add up. Over the years golf clubs/trainers/tennis racquets/fitness trackers/memberships I have spent a lot of money and had a great amount of value. That isn’t going to stop anytime soon and in fact will only change when I’m physically unable to participate. So why is the messaging /advertising I see so far removed from this reality.

Not expecting the focus to be entirely on older athletes rather being worked into the promotional mix. At the minute I buy inspite of the promotion not because of it and I’m not alone – think I can highlight where the problem might be:

Exhibit A Fitness AI driven apps – perfect for middle aged men like me that want advice when I want it so I can use at the gym/work out at home when quiet and the Love Island style muscle men aren’t there. But what do I get? This: 

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Yup over 45 excluded and at 40 you are covering up! I know what the many female sports enthusiats I know would say to that and I can only agree with them. (In the interests of balance, I haven’t done the same for women and frankly am scared to look). I did make contact with the people behind this app to offer help but am still waiting for a response.

Exhibit B

I’m a Nike lover – they make most of my favourite Football teams kits (Chelsea, England and Eintracht Frankfurt) I have bought their tennis and running and fitness stuff in steady levels for years and years. Yet whilst their approach to diversity in some ways is evident and to be applauded Age doesn’t appear to have hit the mark. If I log into their lovely app I can see lots 20/30s but at my age I’m clearly not of interest! Nike 2020 Reflects the continued challenge of Ageism which has been more exposed by the pandemic.

Exhibit C

The positive side – check out your roads on a Saturday or Sunday morning (pre Covid and every day now) early on. The cycling boom is clear to see men and women on likely very very expensive bikes with trackers galore and sparkly clingy kit tearing through the streets. Link this to the running boom (check out your local park run and post covid the number of people taking their daily exercise as a run).

Much more on this topic to come but for now I’m really interested in more examples of sportswear brands actively promoting/supporting older athletes. And Nike if you want a very average model for a post covid Tennis campaign just say the word – if you think an inverted Nadal you would be bang on the money. Pretty sure you will be finalising your 2021 (replanning around now so what a chance given the Pro calendar is currently suspended but we can play in the UK)

I’d love to hear more about sporting endeavour from anyone older – it does not have to be in the lights out category I’m really keen to hear about anyone starting out and the benefits it has for isolation/mental health and wider physical well-being. Even more so given the tough time we have been living through and the increased need to encourage our nation to take better care of itself – you only get one chance (and for now at least one body) so best make the best of it.

Thanks for reading

If you’d like to get in touch you can reach me at Julian@greyafro.com and on all the main social media platforms. I’m available to help businesses unlock the potential of talking to older consumers.

 

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Fit but you know it?

February 18, 2020 //
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Great song or subtle call to action for the growing army of over 50s fitness enthusiasts? I’m one of this group and have long been frustrated by (my perceived) lack of acknowledgment that people over 50 are actively participating in pretty much every sport you can think of.

Many over 50s take health and keeping fit incredibly seriously. In one of my last blogs I talked a bit about prevention and how that could become a thing in future linked in particular to fitness tech. An ageing population is only going to see this trend increase and splinter into some other paths. I have resolved to join in this conversation and try to help nudge things along by highlighting and talking about this particular theme in relation to ageing. I’m going to share a series of blogs (and maybe a video or two) on this topic over the coming weeks & months.

Thought I’d start with a gentle warm up looking at the most basic side of things. What are some of the popular ways of achieving these goals – based on what I see there are a multitude of ways but highlighting a few that stand out to me:

Running & Walking

The fitness device boom and the cult of 10,000 steps has undoubtedly assisted here. For the most competitive groups the challenge of keeping up with and beating your friends prove pretty motivational as well as weight loss and the benefit of being out in the (hopefully) fresh air. 

At the other end and in the spirt of its never too late there is a combo of Nordic walking and competitive distance running – first marathon/beat your 10k PB or heading off on a great adventure. Or if you are me getting back on the track for sprint training and the booming Masters Athletics scene. Never understood why there hasn’t been an athletics sprint training-based fitness craze yet. Focus on warm up and short sharp bursts of activity? Must be a winner surely – HIIT training 2.0?

Yoga & Pilates

Flexibility and core strength drive these opportunities. Posture improvement feeling calmer and better body awareness? You are in the right place. In my unscientific poll of people, I know these areas continue to be huge. Not a lot to dislike and for the stronger willed you could do both in a hot room to amplify the experience Hot Yoga should be experienced by everyone at least once!

In some of my social media exchanges the number of over 50s (particularly women) actively participating was unsurprisingly huge. In one of my many rather unscientific studies I am no longer the only man in my Pilates class – hopefully a sign that more men are realising the benefits and starting to get involved.

Tennis

Often and wrongly seen as an elitist pastime there is a heap more to Tennis than meets the eye and a reason you will see so many courts filling up in the daytime in particular. You can make it as intense and or physical as you’d like and there is a very healthy social element to it – moving in all directions and the need to apply strategy mean this is good for the brain and the body. Cardio Tennis for some is the answer a workout wrapped around crunching forehands and backhands!

Swimming

Swimming ticks multiple boxes – cardiovascular workout and depending on the stroke you do working a variety of muscle groups. A relatively small amount of time regularly can make a huge difference. You could even go wild and get into water polo (not for the faint hearted) and or something like aqua aerobics or the ever more popular cold-water swimming.

Gym/Functional Fitness

A massive catch all and despite gym advertising this January having a distinctly youthful feel this is hugely popular amongst the over50s. The benefits of resistance training and lifting weights are well documented and hopefully as more people keep doing it from their younger years will be proven to be beneficial in helping these athletes to age well.

Link this to the military fitness cross fit/lets all meet in a park and train activities and you have quite a movement. These activities also strike me as having very strong inter-generational benefits and are more based around participation rather than being wildly competitive in the beginning at least.

Walking Football

New on the block and forgive an unwanted hint of male bias (shouldn’t be as this is open to all) Perfect for those who used to play and still want the camaraderie even if a 30-yard screamer feels like a distant memory. I think aimed more at those for who mobility is becoming an issue (might be wrong in fairness)

Everything Else (A lot) 

There is so much more in this space Golf/cycling/martial arts/ballet it could go on for ages. The breadth of activities is no surprise what is remarkably telling is how little advertising/communication/products are built and designed for this group. The amount spent on memberships/equipment is already huge and could be even more if only it were understood/encouraged!

And Finally…

If any of this has got you thinking please do get in touch – I’m really friendly and very keen to hear more at all ends of the spectrum be it the inspiring story of twitter legend IronGranny or starting something much lower key for the first time in later life.

If you happen to be a Whoop user over 50 I have set up a team (group) for those of us over 50 to share performance data – Experience Rocks once the numbers get a bit higher I will also activate a dedicated Facebook group. I can tell you that there are some people at all levels of over 50 doing some incredible things!

Hope you have enjoyed reading this blog if you have comments and sharing much appreciated – I’ll be doing more on this topic over the coming weeks the research has been a blast so really looking forward to sharing. 

I’m a Marketing consultant focused on all things over 50s helping businesses target and communicate with mature audiences. If you or someone you know would like to find out more, please get in touch Julian@Greyafro.com

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Categories Over 50s fitness, Uncategorized

Return of the Big Cat

March 20, 2018 //
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Spent much more of the last two weekends than I’d care to admit watching Tiger Woods on the comeback trail.

I have become a golf enthusiast over the last 10 years or so and have often wondered how much of what is now modern golf is directly attributable to TW. Undoubtedly prize money and broader interest can be attributed directly to the big cat.

Tiger is 42 and seemingly after some quite drastic surgery is heading back to the top of the game. All of which got me thinking about reinvention and longevity. When I started work I had a very much misguided view of retirement – get to 50 and kick back! Won’t be true for me and there will be many more people who will experience a lot worse in fact retirement will mean relative poverty with income down and costs likely rising/mortgages still to be repaid and high expectations being missed.

So who is actually reading the signs of what is to come? Healthcare looks ever less prepared, gurus abound telling us about the death of just about every traditional media source, automation is apparently going to make us all redundant and the list goes on.

So all of the (un)retirement chat looks like a decent bet even if it isn’t what many people actually want. Surely this leads to a raft of new services and products to address this change? Here is hoping but I’d put more money short term on lots of amazing new tech focused on solving non problems first!

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Categories boomers, marketing, Over 50s Marketing, Silversurfers

Where have they all gone? The mystery of the older marketer

November 20, 2017 //
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Unless you are the boss the odds seem massively against you having a very long career in marketing.

This always struck me as odd – at the stage of your career/life where you can most help you are likely to be tossed aside if you haven’t been already. You have seen things and likely been through ups and downs and in all probability are well placed to call foul on anything that doesn’t make sense.

I don’t want to rant against younger folks getting on – I can just about remember those days. The challenge in your 20s is quite different though and likely always will be. Surely some of these young guns could benefit from the odd old head around to help with the more subtle parts of development? Not to say adding a bit of practical insight to any consumer over the age of 40.

At the heart of this is some fundamentally messed up thinking. My belief is that if you dropped a marketing team from 40 years ago into role today they would likely do a much better job than might be imagined the tools have changed but the basic challenge hasn’t altered much at all. Ultimately the effort needs to support a clear goal and somewhere pretty nearby is the need to make money and generate a great return.

All of this need to maintain a mix of experience levels in the marketing workplace further pushed me to start my journey. Many businesses probably have these thoughts but they don’t act on it. A starting point might be some interim or freelance help or bringing back someone to the workplace after a gap?

As always would welcome your thoughts and views. And if you need help with reaching the mature audience please do get in touch it will be worth your while!

Until next time

Julian

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Categories boomers, marketing, Over 50s Marketing, Silversurfers

The Young Old

November 6, 2017 //
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50 really isn’t old. I keep telling myself that over and over as I get closer and take comfort in the ever lounder noise about this market and the need to take it seriously.  But what is old in reality? 

All the research I have done and been party to tells me you have a notional split between the young old (sort of 50-70) and the old old (70+). Of course really not that simple and age is a poor proxy but a starting point that is easy enough to grasp.

I will look at the “young” old for now and I’ll resist the temptation to give them a tag for as long as possible (but that is surely a massive opportunity for an accurate but not patronising title). Based on the data I have seen this age group is c20million adults in the UK and forecast to grow substantially in the next 30 years as living longer starts to fully kick in.

Lets zone in a bit further on what defines this group:

  • Go on the most holidays annually  
  • Over 9million are still working (and that will rise out of both necessity and desire)
  • Have the most savings c70% of all in the UK (£6.2 trillion according to Saga last year) 
  • More than 75% believe the skills and talents of older people are underused 
  • Tablets are the must use device and close to 90% of over 50s have the internet at home 
  • In 2015 over 50s spent £39bn on travel 
  • 40% book holidays online direct with the travel company 

Bit of number wang but gets the point across hopefully. Within this group are genuine consumers with money to spend and key needs to fulfil.

So What? 
However you split this group up there is a gap they aren’t acknowledged and talked to and the fact that age really isn’t the differentiator attitude/health/wealth being better down differentiators.

If you’d like to target this valuable group and make more more money for your business please get in touch and do follow me on LinkedIn and Twitter. I’d also ask you to share this blog and my mission with anyone you know who might benefit, be looking for  expert help.

#50notout

Julian@greyafro.com

Stats c/o of silvertraveladvisor, my friends at December 19 and various searches on Dr Google

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Categories boomers, marketing, Over 50s Marketing, Silversurfers, Uncategorized

Magic Mirror

October 19, 2017 //
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We all have one – in fact they become ever more powerful the older we get. I still see the 25 year old version of me not the current version when I look in mine.

I think (and try to act too often) like I’m 30 and every research group I have ever been in with close to/retired folk has them picturing themselves as -20 years and not wanting to hang out with “old” people.  This actually becomes more acute with affluence in my experience.

So given this undoubted truth why do we continue to see so many wrinkly hands and people looking sorry for themselves in promotional activity for over 50s? I’d say because those developing and commissioning the marketing are closer to half that of the real consumers. CMO average age has only recently crept into the 50s and everyone else in marketing seem to move into other areas as they head into their 40s.

Given it is planning time for many businesses I’d urge you to think about this opportunity for 2018.  Those that wake up and start to address this market will be winning big – even more so if there is any form of downturn as final salary recipients are the closest you can have to be recession proof.

If you’d like help in scoping your opportunity/planning/executing activity please get in touch julian@greyafro.com

#50notout

Until next time

Julian

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Categories boomers, marketing, Over 50s Marketing

The case for the Over 50s Market

September 14, 2017 //
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I am not the first person to become passionate about this group and certainly won’t be the last!

People are not all the same

I hear more than I’ll ever need to about whatever really constitutes Millenials without really being any the wiser on who they really are. The only thing that strikes me is that the age band is inheriting a mess from those who have gone before and perhaps a bit more time sorting that out would be the best possible use of time.

What I don’t hear enough about is the over 50s and what I do hear contains words I really don’t see anyone relate to – Silver Surfer, Boomers & Old.  The more established concepts pre-retired/retired & empty nesters and the elderly also don’t really cut it but are a little more helpful.

Reinvention

I’m most passionate about the 50-70 age group and everything within in it. The need to reinvent yourself close to 50 has never been clearer and the unifying aspect is that this cohort don’t see themselves as old and in pretty much every example I can think of are consuming life in the fast lane (check the stats on Boozing Boomers if you want some clarity).

My expertise is greatest in this area and I’m focused on this group and believe the travel, leisure and finance sectors could benefit most. My personal experience has been of them broadly hating you (FS) loving you (Travel) and somewhere in between (Leisure). Population growth shows this is where the growth is/will be in the next 10 years in particular.

How to Reach them…

The role of the full mix of marketing is ever stronger for all of these categories – paper still works remarkably well but contrary to some increasingly discredited wisdom they aren’t all technophobes and in many ways the novelty of digital having grown up without it is still just about unique and in my experience they are the group most likely to persist with Facebook as it wrestles with privacy.

If any of the above sparks anything then I’d love to talk and as always very keen to hear your thoughts.

Until next time

#50notout

Julian

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Greyafro – A new beginning

July 10, 2017 //
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An odd title from a slightly eccentric man, you may think. Hopefully, if you read on, it will make a bit more sense.

I’m now entering the experienced Marketing professional stage as I head towards 50. That can only mean one thing – time to start my own business!

A bit about me (or more about this greyafro)

I have been lucky enough to work in Marketing for over 25 years and have seen some remarkable changes in that time. The Institute of Direct Marketing Diploma course I completed nearly 20 years ago was full of brave new world thinking, 1to1 communications and a world where personalisation would revolutionise the way things are done – much of that has come to pass thanks to advances in technology, the acceptance of CRM and Mr Google.

The role of analytics has continued to grow, and the evolution in most other areas of Marketing is equally startling. It is almost accepted that Artificial Intelligence is going to revolutionise everything. The only question is, when is this going to happen?

The idea

I have successfully worked on various product areas spanning Food, Finance and Travel and enjoyed them all in different ways.  There has, however, been one common theme that has baffled me across this period –  the way many businesses seem to ignore/badly misjudge “older” age groups.

Untapped potential

I’m keen to do something about this and inspired to work with businesses who feel the same – if 40 is the new 30, then I have a bit more gas in the tank, and I think my target audience does as well.  I’m very well placed to provide marketing expertise on this subject. Being a collaborative type of person thought I’d throw it open and see what kind of help and possibly referrals I can achieve, hence this blog to get the ball rolling.

How I can help

So I’m starting to work up my ideas and developing some basic packages to help small/medium-sized businesses with their 50+ marketing. You all probably know someone in this category or are part of such a venture – the type of paradox where you know you are missing something but cannot quite put your finger on it.

End of the beginning

I will continue the drumbeat of blog posts as I evolve the business. In the meantime, I’d be grateful for any feedback & thoughts on the above.

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