Shakespeare wrote, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Nice idea, but no longer relevant.
Apparently, the famous poet hadn't predicted the concept of of "age branding." Otherwise, he would have realized that a name can ensure success or failure, at least when it comes to attracting consumers as they grow older.
Age-branding is the creation of brands that attract consumers as they grow older. Think "AARP," "Elderhostel," or "Sun City." Practically every American adult can identify what these organizations do. The brands send a message or tell a story. That, according to Harry R. (Rick) Moody, PhD, Director of Academic Affairs for AARP, is the the first step to success.
Moody will explain the process of age branding in a webinar on Wednesday, April 15, at 11:00 EST. Sponsored by the International Mature Marketing Network (IMMN), members (like Edelman) and non-members can learn more about how age branding affects the way consumers react to a product or service.
Can you name the four brand categories that represent what we tell ourselves about aging? It's not that hard if you really think about it:
> Age-denial ("I don't have to get old")
> Age-adaptive ("Age presents problems, but I can deal with them")
> Age-irrelevant ("Mind over matter; if you don't mind, it doesn't matter")
> Age-affirmative ("The best is yet to be")
I've used each of these categories in describing my own aging process, sometimes all in one day! And yet, I can be a bit sensitive when others make assumptions about my age or my attitude about aging. (Just ask the young woman at a movie theater who recently asked me if I qualified for the SENIOR CINEMA discount! You'll recognize her as the chippy with her hair severely blown back.)
I can still remember the first time I encountered a type of age branding, though I didn't know what I was witnessing at the time. I was in the first grade and during a class visit to the library, I selected a book I wanted to read. The librarian told me I couldn't check it out because it was "for children eight to 10 and you're only six." The competence of the reader, in other words, had been pre-determined, based solely on how many years the reader had been alive.
Little did I know that I - and my fellow boomers - would grow up to be unusually sensitive to assumptions based on age. And since boomers have so much control over a lot of the money being spent on brands, it only makes sense that companies work hard to understand what attracts us.We love a good story and a positive message.
So,how does your company measure up? Don't know? Then perhaps you need to tune in to the webinar on Wednesday and learn from Moody's case study what works and what doesn't!
By the way, want to know if you personally make assumptions about people based on their age? Take Harvard University's Implicit Association test!
