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But you can't sell an old person's car to anyone.

by Robert Moss
Wednesday, October 27, 2004. 02:41PM
1,042 Views 8 Comments

Hello

Having recently worked on Interactive for Buick (LaCrosse and Terazza), the headline of this article, “Designing cars (quietly) for aging drivers,” got my attention.

See http://www.boston.com/cars/articles/2004/10/24/designing_cars_quietly_for_aging_drivers/

What car manufacturers right now seem to be missing according to the article is that, “… the older driver (defined as starting at around age 50) who can most often afford the cars that come with high-tech equipment…” are less likely to use it and, in some cases, are unable to use it safely.

This may soon change as people like Joseph F. Coughlin, Director of the Age Lab at MIT's Center for Transportation & Logistics, start working with car manufacturers to design elderly-friendly cars. (Don't smirk, you're not getting younger either)

Keep in mind that, “The numbers of drivers over age 65 will increase between now and 2025, from just over 50 million to 82.5 million in the United States. They will drive more miles and spend their personal wealth along the way -- much of it on the automobiles they will rely on for independence.”

The article concludes with,

“It is an axiom of the auto industry that you can sell a young person's car to an old person, but you can't sell an old person's car to anyone.

The challenge of making the latest in technology useable for older drivers will be ratcheted by the marketing challenge of not letting them know you have their frailties in mind.”

That’s just like working on Buick. But seriously, are you working on more products and services for old people? If not, you will be. What are you doing to make advertising relevant to this demographic? I look forward to your comments.

Best always,

Rob

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Comments

 8 shown
Sunday, October 31, 2004. 04:12PM by Robert Moss
Marc, I agree. What I mean is places with decent public transportation (like NYC) are better options for retirees. This is why much of California (except San Francisco, which is expensive) is a bad choice for old people. I linked that story in response to Noreen’s comment about alternatives to driving for old people and the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market tragedy. An
Sunday, October 31, 2004. 11:16AM by Marc Lefton
I enjoyed the article about retirees moving to NYC, but I think you'll find that the exception more than the rule because of how expensive it is to live here. The people they were talking about had two houses to sell to get one apartment. Most seniors are living off social security, which makes a cheap place like Florida almost their only option.
Sunday, October 31, 2004. 09:42AM by Robert Moss
Okay, I discovered there’s a character count limit here. So this is continued from my comment below.
… GM wouldn't suffer from a reputation for poor-quality cars -- even moribund brand names like Buick would be held in high esteem.

Government officials liked the Buick brand because it was popular in China before World War II, and they figured an expensive car would fit the market, dominated then by government officials and big-company executives. GM bet that it could later expand, as a consumer class developed.

But to get back to the subject of advertising to older people. I don’t think it’s about making Depends undergarments themselves seem cool or fashionable. It’s about lifestyle and not feeling you can’t go anywhere because at any moment you got to go. You know what I mean?

Noreen brought up, “… what about selling an alternative to driving to old people?” Great idea! Here’s another BusinessWeek story (>http://www.businessweekasia.com/maga... Spending Your Golden Years In The Big Apple - Many seniors are shunning the Sun Belt for New York's variety) about that very topic.

Best always,

Rob

Sunday, October 31, 2004. 09:38AM by Robert Moss
Rohith asks, “How does one make a Continetal or a LeSabre sound contemporary & cool?”

Some brands have such strong connotations that its products or services must change before advertising can communicate its new position. Here are some examples.
Oldsmobile was not able to update its image and so GM ended production under that mark. However, GM was able to reinvent Cadillac as a youthful, aggressive brand with new cars (and trucks!), which made it possible for relevant advertising to follow.
In China, Cadillac has not acquired the baggage of being an old fogey’s car. This makes it much easier for GM to start fresh. The three paragraphs below are from an article headlined, Cadillac>http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwash... zooms into China with boutique showrooms, espresso and wine

Most Americans have been familiar with Cadillac for generations, and now the brand is trying to attract young sophisticates to its CTS's and Escalade SUVs.

In China, it's different. Most Chinese have heard of Cadillac (which is pronounced "kai-dee-la-kuh" in Chinese) but know little about the vehicles. Marketers have a nearly clean slate.

"It's almost like a new launch," said Donald Chan, the managing director of Leo Burnett, Shanghai, the advertising agency that put together Cadillac's campaign. "We want to position ourselves on a par, if not above, Mercedes."

And from a BusinessWeek article on Buick>http://www.businessweek.com/magazine... in China,
… GM wouldn't suffer from a reputation for poor-quality cars -- even moribund brand names like Buick would be held in high esteem.

Government officials liked the Buick brand because it was popular in China before World War II, and they figured an expensive car would fit the market, dominated then by gov

Friday, October 29, 2004. 05:08PM by Rohith Roy
I've heard an alternative version of that axiom: "You can sell a old man a young man's car but you can't sell a young man an old man's car. I've done quite a bit of 3rd-tier retail advertising and I would always have trouble dealing with Lincoln & Buick dealership accounts. How does one make a Continetal or a LeSabre sound contemporary & cool? I would end up focussing on the quality & classic appeal.
Friday, October 29, 2004. 03:42PM by noreen sullivan
Hmmm what about selling an alternative to driving to old people? How old is old? Remember last year when that old guy killed all those people at the Santa Monica Peir? They say that 40 is the new thirty and the viagra generation is out there. Making Centrum Silver hot is the way to go. Don't think of it as old think of it as worn in...I am not sure what we are thinking about...The trick to selling the aging boomer is to make them feel like they are still cool. You see it more and more. By the way Tom Cruise is giving out the Nobel prize. I know that has nothing to do with the topic except he was in a movie and he died his hair grey. I think we have slipped into some alternate reality.
Thursday, October 28, 2004. 10:58PM by Robert Moss
Hey Marc, yes, the moisture/odor absorbing seat cushions in the convenient 12 packs are to unveiled in the ‘06 models. But tell us about working on the Martha Raye Polident campaign. Why did they call her the Big Mouth?
Thursday, October 28, 2004. 09:29PM by Marc Lefton
Making things relavant to old people is hard because usually the reasons things are targeted to them is because of various maladies of getting old, such as hearing and sight loss. Anything else, is usually something that has a long standing brand history and plays up its sophistication, such as a whiskey brand. I think that's one cause where the reverse does work because if I drink whiskey it means I've graduated to adulthood. But for a car, for old people? I can just imagine the body copy. "The Buick SafeRide has special sensors to listen and make sure you don't start nodding off and snoring. For those who like to treat every day like its Sunday, a special blinking light on the back indicates to tailgators: buzz off, you crazy kids! Plus, should you have the occasional loss of bladder control, or you're just too lazy to pull over, our built in moisture/odor absorbing seat cushions, which come in convenient refill packs of 12."

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