Having worked in the senior market for over a decade, I was thrilled to pick up ”Stage (Not Age)” by Susan Wilner Golden to clarify the shifts we have perceived. I nodded affirmatively to each page and, before I was 20%, I was encouraging others to read it. It gives vocabulary to experiences marketers are looking to communicate about with those offering products and services to seniors, context to the changes we need to make as society and insights into how exciting, dynamic and rewarding working in this industry can be.
My book is highlighted from start to finish, and I can only highly recommend getting your own copy! Before you write it off for those who work with ”old people”, its worth noting those people are ones with buying power, more disposable income and more free time. They are also looked to for guidance on products and services, so even if your offering isn't designed for them, consider understanding them.
Quote-worthy statements:
”Since health is improving and cognitive decline rates are falling, we must eliminate the old stereotypes of how people will age…Already well over half of people eighty-five years old are indeed able to live independently.”
“…the three-stage life of learn, earn retire, no longer holds and that the increasing healthspans decrease the importance of age in the market….Rather, it will be stage that defines what types of products and services a person will need; how they should be marketed to: who should be marketed to; and how education, work, and career will need to change.”
”A focus on stage will also cause all business sectors, including education, entertainment, clothing, travel and housing, to consider and develop a new strategy that incorporates the new longevity opportunity.”
The author unpacks how stages will replace retirement, shares ways to understand the new stages we are encountering and shares how that will look different for each business interacting with older adults (the preferred term). She highlights key ways we can leverage this knowledge to reap the rewards of better servicing a growing industry whilst combating ageism. Interspersed with case studies, this is an easy-to-follow guide and I found it an engaging read.
If you can, be sure to get this one, I'll be looking to share it far and wide! It's a five out of five on the enJOYment scale.
