Tech & Baby Boomers: Universal Design vs. Universally Dull

There are oodles of posts on this blog about universal design and technology, almost as many quoting and referencing Dr. Joseph Coughlin of MIT AgeLab.  I’m too lazy to list them all. A handful:

Universal Design As A Beginning, Not An End

Designing for Older Consumers

A Potential Boom from Baby Boomers: Universal Design & Aging in Place

Aging In Place, Universal Design Redux

Foretellings

Disruptive Demographics: Global Aging, Technology & Innovation

MIT AgeLab (2006)

Fast Company Names Joseph Coughlin to Top 100 List (2009)

Dr. Coughlin’s recent guest editorial for Australia’s International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Society sums up what we’ve all been trying to say about being mindful of the pragmatic philosophies required when developing and marketing technology and universal design:

Understanding the Janus Face of Technology and Ageing: Implications for Older Consumers, Business Innovation and Society
The convergence of technology and global ageing is driving new business opportunities, innovations in service delivery and the promise of a better life tomorrow for older adults and those who care for them. Despite its promise, technology has a Janus face introducing both new solutions as well as new problems…

Successful development and integration of technology as a tool to transform global ageing into global opportunity requires that individuals, families, business and governments, at all levels, address key trade-offs: functionality versus complexity; service versus stigma; universal design versus universally
dull; safety versus privacy; health versus dignity; availability versus equity; and lastly, high-tech versus high-touch.

“Universal design versus universally dull…”  I’ve talked about that:

Baby Boomers & Universal Design
You don’t want Baby Boomers wandering around a UD model home and feeling as if every room is a padded cell where you couldn’t hurt yourself even if you tried.

And remember this: an easy-to-grip handle on a utensil is not ‘dumbing down’.

Read Joseph Coughlin’s Guest Editorial (PDF)

Home Tweet Home: Age Lessons Boomer Social Media Study ™

NostraChuckus has never been a big fan of social media and WOMM as advertising mediums. In my previous post I talked a bit about this.

There are lots of reasons why I’m not a fan – but there are also lots of reasons for embracing social networking. An important one: its ability to gather people together with mutual interests and needs. From my book © 2005, 2007:

It’s time to add Caregiving to the list above.

Laurel Kennedy, author of The Daughter Trap and president of Age Lessons, has put together the authoritative study on the subject, due out November 26th:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I received an ARC the other day.  Wish I could quote more from it, toss up some trenchant graphs and charts – but Laurel would get mad at me.

Purchase it here (starting Friday).

There’s a lot of bad advice out there.

Even a jaded, grizzled fellow like yours truly is often amazed at the poop on the web, along with what passes as cutting-edge thought. I’m not talking politics here – but marketing advice.  I expect silliness on political web sites.

The other day I read rubbish. I won’t be linking, simply quoting.  The site/company is all about generational marketing on the web. The quote is from a blog post dated November 8, 2010:

“Despite what you may think, Boomers are not complete digital Luddites. In fact, they are embracing digital social networks with almost one in four younger Boomers active in social networks, up from 15% in 2007. But not just Facebook. They are quickly populating their own corner of the social internet with sites such as Eons, BOOMj.com, Boomster.com and TeeBeeDee.”

No News News. I’ve been exposing the luddite ludicrousness for years:

14 November 2005
My Favorite Cyber-Myth
How I snicker and roll my eyes whenever I read about Baby Boomers fumbling around on computers…

13 January 2006
Baby Boomers Burst Online
For example, she tells a story about her mother-in-law giving the 20 and 30-something youngsters in her family Logitech video WebCams for Christmas, then announcing:
"Now we can all iChat together and see each other wherever we are … Later, I'll show you all how to set it up."

23 February 2009
Snake Oil In Cyberspace
… While it might be tempting to categorize all aging Americans as techno-dinosaurs and Luddites, more than 60 percent of baby boomers are avid consumers of social media like blogs, forums, podcasts and online videos…

Back to that quote:

“… Boomers active in social networks, up from 15% in 2007. But not just Facebook. They are quickly populating their own corner of the social internet with sites such as Eons, BOOMj.com, Boomster.com and TeeBeeDee.”

Poop. Eons is a joke, BOOMJ.com went belly-up over a year ago, and TeeBeeDee’s 2009 demise was well-documented. Dozens of others have come and gone.

I was fiddling around with Alexa and found out that this lowly blog (the one you’re reading now) has a higher traffic rank than general-interest consumer Boomster.com.  (Talk about a sad statistic.)

Digging deeper into the generational marketing site, I unearthed a report that was full of useless, goofy psychographics.  Baby Boomers were stuffed into categories such as Value Shifters, Worker-Bees, Independent Doers, etc. 

From January 2007:

Baby Boomers and The Joy of Tech: Part Two
“Articles (in recent marketing magazines and press releases) inevitably contain the revelation that it is possible to divide older people into strange tribal groups. They are given names like the sophisticated 'Astute Cosmopolitans' and the boring 'Thrifty Traditionalists'. Other than the amusement value, why are consumers … dissected into so many weird sounding segments?” - Dick Stroud

And there are more. I've lost count. It seems that every time a marketing firm decides to specialize in Baby Boomers, we get more "strange tribal groups."

It's quite an odd phenomenon. With tongue firmly in cheek, I warned about this in my book - predicting that eventually they'd come up with 76 million cohorts.

From the book:

The Next Phase Of The Web

Interesting tidbit from NPR:

Hmmm. Sounds familiar. From six months ago:

Foretellings
With the exception of the workplace, smartphones (along with iPads and Kindles or something like them) might just make desktops and laptops and the web as we know it obsolete.  If ‘being connected’ mostly means communicating with friends, doing simple search, reading the news - then all that’s really needed is a smartphone…

That silly retronym “traditional advertising” will remain the premiere force for introducing people to a product or service, along with sustaining its shelf life. Television, print, radio, and billboard ads will continue to have the visceral power they’ve always had – if only for their sheer size, simplicity, and cutting-edge audio/visual qualities.  Advertising on smartphones will be considered an annoyance, invasive, and rather dinky – while marketing (coupons on steroids, and more) will flourish and dominate.

And:

If you’re not up on apps …
Smart Phones, iPads, and Baby Boomers
Goodbye, Fancy-Schmancy Web Sites

The Silver Market Phenomenon 2nd Edition Released

An updated version of The Silver Market Phenomenon ©2008/2011 is available, published by Springer Press:

The Silver Market Phenomenon
Marketing and Innovation in the Aging Society
Kohlbacher, Florian; Herstatt, Cornelius (Eds.)
The current shift in demographics – aging and shrinking populations – in many countries around the world presents a major challenge to companies and societies alike. One particularly essential implication is the emergence and constant growth of the so-called “graying market” or “silver market”, the market segment more or less broadly defined as those people aged 50 and older. Increasing in number and share of the total population while at the same time being relatively well-off, this market segment can be seen as very attractive and promising, although still very underdeveloped in terms of product and service offerings. This book offers a thorough and up-to-date analysis of the challenges and opportunities in leveraging innovation, technology, product development and marketing for older consumers and employees. Key lessons are drawn from a variety of industries and countries, including the lead market Japan.

I contributed, updating the 2nd Edition with lots of new material – as have the other contributors (along with nine  new chapters/contributors).

Springer does a good job promoting the book on their site.  You can read the introduction and the first few pages of each chapter (including mine). 

Appraisals:

From an in‐depth global overview of the mature market, through design and product development for older consumers, to the marketing implications, this book has it all. With contributions from experts around the world, the book recognises that population ageing poses great challenges to industrialised and developing countries alike. Its well researched attention to detail means The Silver Market Phenomenon is a ‘must have’ for both practitioners and academics. – Kevin Lavery, Managing Director, Millennium, Founding Member and President, International Mature Marketing Network (IMMN), UK

The Silver Market Phenomenon literally encapsulates the wisdom of the ages about the aged. What sets this book apart is the breadth of its geographic scope, informing readers of age‐related trends around the globe from the perspective of world‐class thinkers. From social theory to empirical evidence to practical applications, the Silver Market Phenomenon mines the collective wisdom of practitioners and academicians who bring rich and varied perspectives on the fallout from aging to the written page. If you’re looking for the survey course on mature consumers, this is it!
Laurel Kennedy, author, “The Daughter Trap”, and President, Age Lessons, LLC, USA

The Silver Market Phenomenon Press Release (PDF)

Preface & Introduction (PDF)

On Amazon

Baby Boomers & Travel Companies & Irony Redux

A piece from across the pond:

Adventure holidays for the over 50s
Age is no obstacle when it comes to enjoying different and exciting experiences, according to World Travel Market's latest report.
The over-50s are keener than ever to see the world, and they won’t settle for two weeks in Torremolinos anymore. “They have a thirst for adventure,” says Archers Direct head of product David Binns. “They want to learn how to cook in Morocco, go walking in the Grand Canyon and explore South America. Touring in Jordan and Morocco is proving particularly popular for 2011.”

I wrote about this recently – and in my book, and in 2004:

Fun to see the travel industry catching up.

Future Family: Life In the Digital Age

Interesting show coming up on The Discovery Channel:

Future Family: Life In the Digital Age This … program explores how baby boomers – the 78 million Americans born in the wake of World War II are embracing technology to better manage increased work and home responsibilities.

Sounds suspiciously like my book ©2005/2007.  Excerpts:

… Contrary to popular myth, Baby Boomers do not believe that they are still teenagers or young adults. (Some probably do, but they need therapy.) Boomers are slyly redefining what it means to be the ages they are. Included in this new definition are some youthful attitudes - but the real change is that instead of winding down, many are winding up. We're not 'looking forward to retirement,' we're looking forward to new lives, new challenges. Only a small percentage will opt for pure retirement. (I predict that in twenty years the word 'retirement' will still be in dictionaries, but followed by the modifier archaic.)

… It will be the Baby Boomers who will be the first to pick and choose, to ignore or be seduced by leading-edge technology marketing. There’s a simple reason for this. We have the money to buy this stuff. Experts say we’ll continue to have the money for at least the next twenty years. Write us off at your own peril.

… The computer/internet ethos for most Baby Boomers is that they pick and choose what technology they want to use, buy, or install. Some are all over Skype, video and music uploading and downloading, research, education, travel planning, shopping—while eschewing blogging, communities, and web page design. Or it’s the other way around. Or variations thereof. When it comes to new technology, most Baby Boomers learn only about what interests them, what they believe will be useful. They don’t feel the need to know everything there is to know about technology, computers, and the web.

NostraChuckus strikes again.

Goodbye, Fancy-Schmancy Web Sites

A colleague tipped me off to this piece:

The Undesigned Web
by Dylan Tweney
… It's that separability of design and text that has led to the third wave of the web, in which readers (or what some would call end-users) are in control of how the content they are reading looks. And, as it turns out, many of those readers like their designs to be as minimal as possible.

I’ve been talking about flash-addled web sites for years, and recently in my Nissan Leaf posts. 

And six months ago:

Foretellings
My advertising/marketing predictions and not-technical-because-I’m-not-a-tech-guy recommendations:

1. The visual power of the web will fade as more people use handheld devices.  Goodbye, fancy-schmancy web sites. People will get bored sifting through it all when they can find what they need with their smartphones.
2. How this will play out, I don’t know – but the ‘web’ needs to be rethought.  Accessing a page on a desktop or laptop is not the same as accessing it on a smartphone.  There will have to be two separate ‘webs’ for large screens, small screens. People will get very tired very fast clumsily negotiating bulky pages on handheld devices. Usability cannot be ignored.  Laptops and Desktops will only be utilized for deep research or visual treats.

Not everybody agrees, sort of.  Actually, it looks like they do agree, sort of:

Is "Undesigned" the Next Great Web Trend? Fat Chance
Online, content is a tool. We use it. It's not passive and neither are we. And if its design hinders that use, we get irritable. That's why good Web design often has more in common with the invisible soft-science of industrial design than the in-your-face, "art directed" aestheticism that many of us associate it with.

I remember when hyperlinks and animated GIFs were eye-popping, cutting-edge marvels.  Before long video, music, and games were everywhere. That ended up as lots of fun.

But technological marvels come and go.  Human nature persists. The importance of being connected, communicating, and seeking out information has been around since the beginning of civilization. 

How will this shake out with advertising and marketing?  My take:

That silly retronym “traditional advertising” will remain the premiere force for introducing people to a product or service, along with sustaining its shelf life. Television, print, radio, and billboard ads will continue to have the visceral power they’ve always had – if only for their sheer size, simplicity, and cutting-edge audio/visual qualities.  Advertising on smartphones will be considered an annoyance, invasive, and rather dinky – while marketing (coupons on steroids, and more) will flourish and dominate.

The Newest No News News

I’m one of the few bloggers to take pride in bringing you no news news.  I’ve been offering my readers no news news for years.

The Newest No News News:

NBC Universal says older consumers are a big deal 
By Jon Lafayette 11/2/2010
Like most other television networks, NBC Universal aims for younger viewers because advertisers and media buyers pay for viewers in the 18 to 49 and 25 to 54 demographic group. But Alan Wurtzel, president of NBCU Research, says marketers and buyers may be laboring under misconceptions about older consumers.

Sounds vaguely familiar.  A post from 2005:

Where's the TV for us?
Brad Adgate of Horizon Media and Alan Wurtzel, president of research for NBC Universal, do a good job exposing the silliness of television advertisers (and advertising agencies) targeting only the 19-49 demographic …

That was five years ago.  Now they talk about alpha-boomers or leading-edge boomers:

That group of 55 to 64 year olds are the fastest growing segment of the population and are quickly aging out of the tradition 25-54 demo, making them invisible to ad buyers. Wurtzel says these days, Alpha Boomers are very active consumers who have a lot of buying power, respond to advertising, are tech savvy as younger consumers.

Hmmm. Tech savvy.  That sounds vaguely familiar.  From a post in 2005:

My Favorite Cyber-Myth
How I snicker and roll my eyes whenever I read about Baby Boomers fumbling around on computers, scratching their heads, totally flummoxed. Sure, there is a percentage of any age group that's technologically challenged - but Boomers as a whole have embraced the internet and aren't afraid to plunge into the ether brain first.

Pull quote on the cover of Advertising to Baby Boomers ©2005:

“It will be the Baby Boomers who will be the first to pick and choose, to ignore or be seduced by leading-edge technology marketing. There’s a simple reason for this. We have the money to buy this stuff. Experts say we’ll continue to have the money for at least the next twenty years. Write us off at your own peril.

Culled from Advertising to Baby Boomers (Page 161):

I can’t list all the posts (you don’t want me to, trust me) that talk about tech-savvy Baby Boomers.  Just one more:

Snake Oil In Cyberspace
A recent report from Forrester Research indicates that while it might be tempting to categorize all aging Americans as techno-dinosaurs and Luddites …

Back to the B&C piece & Baby Boomers & Television:

These Alpha Boomers are "an important media and marketing target we can't afford to ignore," Wurtzel said …

Sounds Vaguely Familiar Redux:

Boomers: The Overlooked Media Sweet Spot

Forgotten Consumers

Study: TV's youth obsession backfiring

The steady glow of the Boom tube

Television programmers take note of the Silver Tsunami

Calcified Advertising Agencies

The Media & Baby Boomers: Joined At The Hip

Bookmark my blog for the latest No News News.

2010 Election Eve: PunditWire.com

I’m sick of the political ads this year, disgusted with the individuals, organizations, and agencies that produced them.  Good riddance.

I voted (by mail), and hope that there will be a big turnout – but if 2012 vomits up anything like what we’ve been doused with this year, maybe some secret organization should fund a national ‘stay home and don’t vote’ campaign.  If nobody voted because the ad campaigns were pathetic and offensive– that might be a good thing.  (Yes, I’m being a bit tongue-in-cheek … maybe.)

I’m told that government loves to waste money.  You could make a case in some instances.  However, I don’t have to be told that business hates to waste money (unless they can write it off). Imagine if there were no ROI for political spots. Goodbye, mindless and negative ads. 

The history of political campaign advertising isn’t a pretty one – but that doesn’t mean it has to stay that way.  Everybody seems to ‘want change’ – so let’s change. One way might be to hire more professional speechwriters, and less low-level copywriters.  Some speechwriters are smarmy – but as a rule speechwriters know how to sculpt messages that truly reflect the policies and beliefs of candidates, can clearly explain the intent of  ballot propositions/initiatives. 

There will always be attack ads, but let them be on the fringes (and by fringe groups). 

There’s a new website populated by speechwriters: PunditWire.com.  The contributors are all over the place politically – but not ethically.  A civilized center keeps bombast and negativity in check.

However … don’t think these folks simply play patty-cakes.  Spirited discussions ricochet every which way on every page.  You won’t be bored – or outraged.

Political advertising could learn some lessons from Pundit Wire.