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710 back in the top 10
- Thread starter xmtrland
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I must (very) respectfully disagree with this statement and would love to see any research that states that older people need more exposures or cost more to reach Actually, older people are easier - and much cheaper- to reach - than younger people. Let me give you an example. You want to reach male 18- 24 year old you need to buy ESPN.com or digital or something other than traditional media, which is expensive, fragmented and tough to generate any traction. You want to reach someone 55+- easy- buy the national evening news (turn on CBS nightly news and all you see are ads for 55+. Which was easier- and cheaper to generate frequency and reach in the demo?
I also take issue (again most respectably) that advertisers aren't looking for seniors. It depends entirely on the product. Luxury car makers, cruise ship companies, drug companies, and many others want older customers because they have the discretionary income- and can still be reached by 'traditional' advertising.
Oh look, it's a new guy! Television is different for any number of reasons that you will learn about in short order.
There are essentially no radio buys for 55+, 55-64 or anything starting with "55".
The reason is that radio is not used to reach seniors in those relatively limited cases where advertisers want to reach them.
TV is different. It allows certain products, drugs, services and such to be sold to seniors because in many cases, seniors are the primary market for the product; this usually happens when the product requires "appetite appeal" to sell it. An example would be all the drug ads that show people acting young and healthy which is a powerful motivator for expensive, off-plan medications. An audio only ad extolling the virtues of a pill does nothing compared to a pair of attractive seniors walking down the beach in the surf with their pedigreed dog not far behind.
The research done on the sales results against seniors is proprietary, but nearly every advertiser from WalMart to Cartier has done it. It simply shows that seniors are more skeptical and have established buying patterns. Changing brands or trying something new requires more ads, and thus increases the cost per sale. Often, the products marketed to seniors are ones those folks did not need until they stopped getting erections, started leaking in their panties or briefs and began falling down and not getting up. With those products, there is immediate reaction as there was no prior brand preference or stereotype.
But again, those are not radio products... the advertisers don't sell the product, in fact... they sell the results of using the product... something that needs a visual to convey.
Oh look, it's the Portland guy making another (non) contribution to the board. Things slow on the other board?
I was just setting him up for the experts' take. I'm the least offensive person on the planet! Have I offended you in some way?
Yes, things are ridiculously slow on the Oregon board. Nothing really happens n that market, and there aren't the number of DXers that show up on the board down there. In fact, it seems as if Portland is very underrepresented in the radio world. Another point, the majority of the airchecks I know of that exist ouof that market I have recorded myself in the last couple of years, and they'll probably start trailing off now I'm back up in Seattle for the foreseeable future.
I know this is a radio board- specifically this thread is about KIRO radio a station that has a large percentage of 55+ audience.
1.The idea that 55+ is worthless demo and more expensive to reach is a very outdated idea.
2.The notion that older people won't or can't change brands or that younger people will be forever brand loyal once they are convinced is flat wrong.
3.The idea that only TV can create theatre of the mind or effectively persuade a consumer - is not only flat crazy - it's also an insult to anyone who works in the industry creating effective radio advertising.
And no, I'm not new.
Here is some research to support what I am saying
"After 40 years of catering to younger consumers, advertisers and media executives are coming to a different realization: older people aren’t so bad, after all. Marketers like Kellogg’s, Skechers and 5-Hour Energy drink are broadening their focus to those 55 and up, who were largely ignored in most of their media plans until recently. This amounts to a reversal in thinking that took hold during the 1960s, when advertisers first started aiming for baby boomers, the largest segment of the United States population.
For decades, television has been the most determined proselytizer on behalf of the premium value of reaching consumers aged 18 to 49. In the 1960s, ABC found itself hopelessly uncompetitive with CBS and NBC in what was then the standard ratings measurement, total households. So the network adopted a strategy to appeal to younger viewers with programs like “Batman,” “Shindig,” and “Mod Squad.”
The idea caught on, and even as the boomer generation grew older, advertisers continued to court younger viewers — first on the theory that they had not yet established brand loyalty, then because they were harder to reach than mature viewers who watched far more television. Since then, all advertising sales have been based on two main groups, those people aged 18 to 49, and those 25 to 54. Once viewers reached 55, they were considered all but valueless.
In the last decade, NBC has been a central force in pushing that view, as the home of youth-oriented hits like “Friends” and “The Office.” But Alan Wurtzel, the president of research for NBC Universal, initiated a study last year into a group he labeled “alpha boomers,” the leading edge of the baby boom generation, which is now turning 65.
For companies to avoid shifting advertising and marketing attention toward older Americans is “a big mistake,” he said. “You risk not only growth, but at some point you risk your brand.” Mature consumers also seem to be spending on categories not traditionally associated with older people. NBC’s study of those people 55 to 64 showed that they spent more than the average consumer on categories like home improvement, large appliances, casual dining and cosmetics.
They have also become heavy spenders on electronics and digital devices. The study also showed that members of the 55-to-64 age group were just as likely as those ages 18 to 34 to have high-definition televisions, digital video recorders and broadband service.
The median age for audiences for every broadcast network has moved upward since 2006. NBC has moved to 50.1, from 48.5; ABC increased to 52.3, from 47.4. Fox, always the youngest network, aged to 45.4, from 41.5. CBS began at 53 and is now at a median age of 56.
“American Idol,” once considered the hot show for young people, finished its first season 10 years ago with a median age of 32.1. This season, its median age is 47.2. ABC’s biggest hit, “Dancing with the Stars” has a large complement of 50-plus viewers.
Patricia McDonough, senior vice president for insights, analysis and policy for Nielsen, said, “35 to 64 is becoming a relatively common target now.”
1.The idea that 55+ is worthless demo and more expensive to reach is a very outdated idea.
2.The notion that older people won't or can't change brands or that younger people will be forever brand loyal once they are convinced is flat wrong.
3.The idea that only TV can create theatre of the mind or effectively persuade a consumer - is not only flat crazy - it's also an insult to anyone who works in the industry creating effective radio advertising.
And no, I'm not new.
Here is some research to support what I am saying
"After 40 years of catering to younger consumers, advertisers and media executives are coming to a different realization: older people aren’t so bad, after all. Marketers like Kellogg’s, Skechers and 5-Hour Energy drink are broadening their focus to those 55 and up, who were largely ignored in most of their media plans until recently. This amounts to a reversal in thinking that took hold during the 1960s, when advertisers first started aiming for baby boomers, the largest segment of the United States population.
For decades, television has been the most determined proselytizer on behalf of the premium value of reaching consumers aged 18 to 49. In the 1960s, ABC found itself hopelessly uncompetitive with CBS and NBC in what was then the standard ratings measurement, total households. So the network adopted a strategy to appeal to younger viewers with programs like “Batman,” “Shindig,” and “Mod Squad.”
The idea caught on, and even as the boomer generation grew older, advertisers continued to court younger viewers — first on the theory that they had not yet established brand loyalty, then because they were harder to reach than mature viewers who watched far more television. Since then, all advertising sales have been based on two main groups, those people aged 18 to 49, and those 25 to 54. Once viewers reached 55, they were considered all but valueless.
In the last decade, NBC has been a central force in pushing that view, as the home of youth-oriented hits like “Friends” and “The Office.” But Alan Wurtzel, the president of research for NBC Universal, initiated a study last year into a group he labeled “alpha boomers,” the leading edge of the baby boom generation, which is now turning 65.
For companies to avoid shifting advertising and marketing attention toward older Americans is “a big mistake,” he said. “You risk not only growth, but at some point you risk your brand.” Mature consumers also seem to be spending on categories not traditionally associated with older people. NBC’s study of those people 55 to 64 showed that they spent more than the average consumer on categories like home improvement, large appliances, casual dining and cosmetics.
They have also become heavy spenders on electronics and digital devices. The study also showed that members of the 55-to-64 age group were just as likely as those ages 18 to 34 to have high-definition televisions, digital video recorders and broadband service.
The median age for audiences for every broadcast network has moved upward since 2006. NBC has moved to 50.1, from 48.5; ABC increased to 52.3, from 47.4. Fox, always the youngest network, aged to 45.4, from 41.5. CBS began at 53 and is now at a median age of 56.
“American Idol,” once considered the hot show for young people, finished its first season 10 years ago with a median age of 32.1. This season, its median age is 47.2. ABC’s biggest hit, “Dancing with the Stars” has a large complement of 50-plus viewers.
Patricia McDonough, senior vice president for insights, analysis and policy for Nielsen, said, “35 to 64 is becoming a relatively common target now.”
CBS has been trying to get agencies to move out of the 18-49 mentality in TV for several years, having formed a task force to call on advertisers and their agencies to push this agenda which, coincidentally, coincides with the demos of the oldest leaning of the major webs.
The initiative has had very little impact.
And in radio, there are no more 55+ buys than there were a decade ago... perhaps fewer as the change in ethnic populations in the US has made more buys focus on 18-49 or a subset than on the more traditional 25-54 that was radio's decades-long sweet spot.
Nielsen, of course, wants to sell research. And they want the stations that buy it to prosper and continue buying, particularly as the Millennials continue to listen less time each week. But there is not a commensurate growth in 55+ radio buys.
And radio advertisers don't target 55+ because their own research shows a poor ROI compared to investing against younger demos. Extensive data mining of sales data combined with media impressions continues to show that more impressions are needed to sell the senior consumer than the younger consumer.
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Loved hearing Allen on KPLZ pimping the "cool" place to retire in Redmond. Wow talk about 55+ crowd and an endorsement spot at that in AM Drive. That had to cost some $ - so maybe not all advertisers see the older crowd as a lost cause. KPLZ and their sales staff sure don't and are happy to take the money too I bet. Bigger statement is what does that say about the audience on KPLZ? Or the perception there of.
On a completely off-topic question.....how in the world does someone accumulate close to 30 THOUSAND posts!!?
There is tons of research that shows that today's younger consumers are not brand loyal. Older consumers are much cheaper to reach (lower CPP) and they still respond to traditional media. You are right that many advertisers don't target them but I think the reason is that (a) it's always been done that way (b) many advertisers don't want to be thought of as 55+ products (c) and agencies know they can base a buy on 25-49 and get the older demos 'for free'.
Perhaps, as the population baby boomers continue to age, older demos will become more worth looking at and especially with the disposable income and longer and more active lifestyles (50 is the new 40 after all!). I believe that at some in the not too distant future, advertisers will be forced to rethink this position there will simply be too much money to ignore. Time will tell.
Perhaps, as the population baby boomers continue to age, older demos will become more worth looking at and especially with the disposable income and longer and more active lifestyles (50 is the new 40 after all!). I believe that at some in the not too distant future, advertisers will be forced to rethink this position there will simply be too much money to ignore. Time will tell.
Bingo. They are susceptible to the suggestion of advertising campaigns.
With 92% of 18-34's using radio and over 80% using it more than an hour a week, the reach of radio is hard to equal. Older consumers require more impressions, so where a certain frequency might work in 25-54, getting a sale out of a senior might require two to three times the number of impressions.
There is a bit of habit in nearly everything we do. But agencies buy what the advertiser's marketing department wants. And if you are the agency for one of P&G's products, and the brand manager and their marketing staff says "we can't sell efficiently to older consumers" your media director is thus advised who to target.
The first boomers are going to reach 70 next January. More than half of boomers are over 60 now. And when you look at the data on retirees and see that about half have no savings except home equity (if any) and Social Security or (declining number of) pensions, you will realize that the affluent near- or post-retirement boomer is not all that affluent.
In any case, advertisers who have the senior's-only or seniors-mostly products use far more targeted media than radio... from the AARP magazine nearly every senior gets to the senior specific cable channels. They like the visuals as they sell the intangibles of a cruise, a retirement community, a prescription medicine and such much better than even the finest copy can do in radio. And TV and print / graphics produce higher fees for the agency beyond media placement.
If the cost of making a sale continues to be high, seniors will not be targeted for most goods and services.
How does someone kill thousands of hours sitting in airports over the last 15 years?
I'm surprised that a station with typical Hot AC demos (best showing in 18-24, followed by 18-34 and 18-39) would be bought for what would seem to be a campaign aimed at persons over 60. The station is not even top-20 in 65+.
I'm surprised that the client picked this station, unless it bought a whole bunch of stations as part of a big campaign. I'm also surprised, although less so in the present moment, that the station did not advise the client that they had better options. I have myself turned quite a few clients who did not belong on the station I managed or managed sales for over to the sales manager at a more suitable station for the product; I always got more sales out of turning down that kind of business than blindly accepting it would have made.
In all probability, the client bought a package of KOMO and KVI that added KPLZ in as part of the deal. Maybe the deal was efficient enough to warrant buying all three.
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