the ageless internet_ from silver surfers to golden geeks
TRANSCRIPT
T H E A G E L E S S I N T E R N E T:
I N T R O D U C T I O N2.
C O N T E N T S
WHY AGE IS CHANGING 4
NOT ONE AGE, BUT THREE 5
ADVENTUROUS ADOPTERS 6
CONFIDENT ADOPTERS 8
COMFORT ADOPTERS 10
ACCESS AND DEVICES 12
CONFIDENCE, AT TITUDES & BEHAVIOURS 14
SOCIAL NET WORKING 18
SHOPPING ONLINE 22
THE POWER OF BIG NAMES 26
PROMOTIONS AND VOUCHERS 28
VIDEO AND YOUTUBE 30
CONCLUSION 34
RESEARCHING HABITS 37
4. 5.
WHY AGE IS CHANGING
By 2020, the retirement age will have risen to 66 for both men and women.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) predicts that by this date, the over 50s will account for one in three of the working age population and nearly half (48%) of all adults in the UK.
This represents a major shift in purchasing power that brands must come to terms with.
Research by iProspect, in partnership with independent market research specialist Coleman Parkes Research, shows there is no age-based digital divide.
People aged over 50 are just as confident going online as younger age groups. In fact, time spent online increases with age.
They are also just as likely to research and buy online as younger age groups, and are more likely to be streaming videos on iPads and Smart TVs than 30-49 years olds.
So, there’s no age-based digital divide and it’s patronising to assume there is.
NO DIVIDES, JUST DIFFERENCES
What does exist is a lag from Web 1.0 moving on to Web 2.0 behaviours. This constitutes a shift from initially going online and consuming media and marketing messages, to a more bilateral experience. Rather than just receiving internet content, Web 2.0 behaviour sees people sharing multimedia messages on social media, ‘Liking’ brands, and getting immersed in user-generated content such as product reviews.
Web 2.0 behaviours are progressing from younger age groups into the 50+ category - clearly demonstrating that there is actually no 50+ category. Just as a 30 year old is different from a 50 year old, so too a 50 year old is very distinct from someone aged 60 or 70 and over.
FACT, NOT STEREOTYPES
So, for the first time, to help marketers tap in to the opportunities offered by the variety of consumers aged 50 and over, research from iProspect identifies three categories based on fact, not stereotypical assumption.
Grouping the 50+ into three distinct age ranges was important, not just for highlighting the shared behaviours between all three, but for pinpointing differences as well.
Interestingly, the differences revolve almost entirely around Web 2.0 adoption, rather than any general confidence about going online.
Allow us to tear up the 50+ demographic and introduce the real picture.
NOT ONE AGE, BUT THREE
7.
ADVENTUROUS ADOPTERS
(50-59)Adventurous Adopters are part of the Web 2.0 wave, so in terms of mobile and social, they’re actually closer to 30-49 year olds than 60- 69 year olds.
LOVE TO SHARE
Actively into social media, they enjoy sharing pictures, posting reviews and watch a huge breadth and depth of video content across both well-known and smaller streaming services.
WATCH THIS
In fact, if you want their attention, video is definitely the way to go. They’re keen on online video subscription – way ahead of their 60+ peers.
OFFERS BY EMAIL
Smartphone uptake is strong, but they don’t look for promotional offers here. For vouchers and deals, it’s better to stick with email.
REVERSE-SHOWROOMING
50-59 year olds are the most active shoppers of the three categories and are the champions of reverse-showrooming. Not only do they love to buy online, they lead the way in researching online and buying in-store.
50-59 year olds are the most active of the three categories and are the champions of reverse-showrooming...
9.
CONFIDENT ADOPTERS
(60-69)
Confident adopters have not ditched the laptop on the route from desktop to tablet but instead are active on all channels other than smartphone
As you’d expect, this group is somewhere between 50-59 year old multi-platform usage and the 70+ tendency towards tablet and Smart TV.
DON’T DITCH THE LAPTOP
Confident adopters haven’t ditched the laptop on the way from desktop to tablet. Instead, they’re active on all channels, except the smartphone (the Adventurous Adopters favourite).
TIME TO WATCH
Where 60-69 year olds really stand out is the frequency of video consumption. They’re far and away YouTube and iPlayer’s biggest users out of the three 50+ age categories. It’s probably fair to say they have more time on their hands than younger consumers and are filling it with online video.
RESEARCH, COMPARE, CLICK
They also show a lift (compared to the other two groups) for researching online and buying online. In fact, of the age groups 30-70+, this category are most likely to research online and buy online.
11.
COMFORTADOPTERS
(70+)Ditch the stereotypes. Men and women aged 70+ are the top over 50 category for consuming video on tablets and Smart TV. Less likely to own a laptop, they mix and match desktop surfing with a tablet or eReader.
MAINSTREAM APPS ONLY
It’s fair to say this group is the most traditional. Though they’re watching video online, they tend to stick to well-known providers, mostly
through apps that came preinstalled with their tablet or Smart TV.
HALF AND HALF
In general, they’re more likely to see the value of physically visiting a store to see and feel goods. But this is relative. Even in the 70+ group, more than half are researching products and buying online.
Throw away your stereotypes, men and women aged 70 and over are the leaders in the over 50 categories for consuming video on tablets and Smart TV
12. 13.
A C C E S S A N D D E V I C E S
The older a person gets, the less likely they are to be online. Right?
Actually, no. Our research shows that if you’ve got a computer, you’re using the internet – whatever your age. There’s a slight skew for over 70s to prefer a desktop to a laptop, but that’s about it.
PASS ME MY TABLET
In fact, the fascinating thing about the over 70s is how many are using tablets. The 50-59 group lead the way on this at 91% (putting them above 30-49 year olds at 86%). However, the 70+ age group is not far behind (at 83%), only 3% behind 30-49 year olds - who are basically a generation younger.
SMARTPHONES, MAYBE
We did find that smartphone internet access declines with age. This could be down to weaker eyesight and small screens but either way, more than half (54%) of those aged over 70 access the net on a smartphone, compared to three in four (74%) 50-59 year olds.
eReader are just as popular with 50-59 years olds as 30-49 year olds, and one in three over 70s owns an eReader they can access the net on.
LAPTOPS OPTIONAL
While laptop ownership dips in the over 70s, the popularity of eReaders and tablets more than makes up for it, suggesting a tendency to go straight from desktops to tablets and eReaders.
WHAT DEVICES DO YOU OWN?
HOW DO YOU ACCESS THE INTERNET?
30-49yrs
50-59yrs
60-69yrs
70+yrs
80%73%75%62%
30-49yrs
50-59yrs
60-69yrs
70+yrs
55%44%47%39%
30-49yrs
50-59yrs
60-69yrs
70+yrs
31%32%34%38%
30-49yrs
50-59yrs
60-69yrs
70+yrs
85%61%56%31%
DEVICEOWNERSHIP30-49yrs
50-59yrs
60-69yrs
70+yrs
50%59%67%73%
30-49yrs
50-59yrs
60-69yrs
70+yrs
82%90%90%98%
30-49yrs
50-59yrs
60-69yrs
70+yrs
86%91%85%83%
30-49yrs
50-59yrs
60-69yrs
70+yrs
47%45%25%32%
30-49yrs
50-59yrs
60-69yrs
70+yrs
83%74%58%
54%
ACCESS THEINTERNET30-49yrs
50-59yrs
60-69yrs
70+yrs
91%90%90%85%
NO AGE DIVIDE JUST DIFFERENT PL ATFORMS
14. 15.
C O N F I D E N C E , AT T I T U D E S & B E H A V I O U R S
Another cliché is that older people find technology confusing.
When we asked our control group (30-49 year olds) to rate their confidence online, they gave themselves 8 out of 10. Each of our three 50+ age groups put themselves at a very similar level
of 7 to 7.6 out of 10. In other words, the older generations are just as confident at using the web as anyone else.
STEREOTYPES, NOT REALITY
Staggeringly,almost nine in ten 70 year olds believe there’s no age barrier to the net, although
just under half (44%) of 30-49 year olds think the opposite. So, while just over two in five of under 50s are still stereotyping the older generation, reality has moved on.
VIRTUALLY NO DIFFERENCE
In our younger control group, slightly more people expect friends of their own age use the
internet, compared to older groups - around two in three compared to half. But statistically speaking there’s virtually no digital divide in confidence based on age.
HISTORICALLY SLOWER UPTAKE
What’s worth pointing out is that the older a consumer is, the more likely they are to be rural. They’re also more likely to have been on the internet for a shorter time than someone younger, who runs their work and social life online.
BROADBAND ISSUES
So while there are no differences in attitudes and confidence, an older person is more likely to have had to wait for broadband where they live, creating a slight time lag in terms of Web 2.0 behaviours.
So it’s in the area of behaviour, rather that attitude or confidence, where age apparently starts to make a difference.
SAY GOODBYE TO THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
R ATING THEIR OWN INTERNET SKILLS ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10.
2%
4%6%
24%
24%24%
17%
1%
30-49yrs
4
3
7
2
6
1
5
10
9
8
2%
18%
16%
17%
25%
9%
7%3%
50-59yrs
1%1%
4
3
7
2
6
1
5
10
9
8
7%4%
18%
14%
26%
20%
9%
60-69yrs
1%1%
4
3
7
2
6
1
5
10
9
8
6%
10%
26%
10%
25%
7%
12%
3%
70+yrs
1%
4
3
7
2
6
1
5
10
9
8
1: NOT BEING ABLE TO USE THE INTERNET 10: TOTALLY SKILLED IN NAVIGATING THE INTERNET
FREQUENCY OF PERSONAL ONLINE USE
9%1%
89%
30-49yrs Once a week
Few times a week
Once a day
Once a month orless often
More often thanonce a day
Every other week
Once a week
Few times a week
Once a day
Once a month orless often
More often thanonce a day
Every other week
Once a week
Few times a week
Once a day
Once a month orless often
More often thanonce a day
Every other week
Once a week
Few times a week
Once a day
Once a month orless often
More often thanonce a day
Every other week
11%
85%
3%
50-59yrs
10%
88%
1%
60-69yrs
8%
89%
70+yrs
1%1%
1%
16. 17.
I CAN SEE PEOPLE OF MY AGE GROUP USING THE INTERNET MORE IN THE FUTURE
38%
26%
31%
43%
70+
60-69
50-59
30-49
THERE IS NO AGE BARRIER TO USING THE INTERNET
70%
87%
77%
56%
70+
60-69
50-59
30-49
HAS YOUR TIME ONLINE INCREASED SINCE 1 YEAR AGO?
Not sure
No
Yes
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
67% 63% 62% 47%
21% 30% 30% 45%
11% 7% 9% 8%
AGE OR ACCESS?
The research clearly shows that the move from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 started with younger
people who’ve been on the web longer, mostly in urban settings and so enjoying a better internet
connection both at home and at work.
SAME BEHAVIOUR, DIFFERENT TIMING
Web 1.0 behaviour is how we all started out online before becoming more involved in a two-way dialogue with friends, contacts and brands. This initial interaction with information
from sources we trust (and researching products and services we are already fairly familiar with) is typical of Web 1.0 behaviour.
FROM WEB 1.0 TO WEB 2.0
But with Web 2.0, consumers get more used to sharing multimedia pictures and video with friends and contacts. They’re happier to publish information (particularly reviews) and use reviews to base decisions on. People are happier to engage with brands, even new brands that they’ve not come across offline.
HOURS PER WEEK OF PERSONAL ONLINE USE
10%
14%
15%
24% 16%
18%
3%
30-49yrs 6-10hrs
3-5hrs
30+hrs
1-2hrs
21-30hrs
Up to 1hr
11-20hrs
12%
15%
11%
28% 11%
21%
2%
50-59yrs 6-10hrs
3-5hrs
30+hrs
1-2hrs
21-30hrs
Up to 1hr
11-20hrs
12%
19%
13%
28%
17%
10%
2%
60-69yrs 6-10hrs
3-5hrs
30+hrs
1-2hrs
21-30hrs
Up to 1hr
11-20hrs
8%
28%
6%
35%
8%
11%
4%
70+yrs 6-10hrs
3-5hrs
30+hrs
1-2hrs
21-30hrs
Up to 1hr
11-20hrs
18. 19.
S O C I A L N E T W O R K I N G
When asked if they wanted to be part of the social media revolution that is taking place, 70+ year olds are only half as likely to agree as 30-49 year olds.
THE SOCIAL AGE
But social media isn’t only for the young. More than half of people aged above 70 are on Facebook and that figure rises to nearly two in three (62%) of those aged 60-69 and two in three (68%) for those aged 50-59.
NO TO TWITTER, YES TO FRIENDS REUNITED
Twitter usage drops to less than half amongst our control group (45%) and goes as low as
10% for the average of the over 50s. However, Friends Reunited shows a slight lift for the over
50 categories, averaging out at around one in five, compared to 13% of 30-39 year olds.
Facebook membership is high and stands out as the major social network to find 50-70+
year olds. So too, comparatively, does Friends Reunited.
70+
60-69
50-59
30-49
21%
17%
21%
36%
I WANT TO BE PART OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA REVOLUTION TAKING PL ACE
None – I am not on asocial network.
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
80% 68% 62% 54%
45% 20% 23% 10%
27% 18% 14% 15%
13% 17% 20% 19%
24% 11% 9% 8%
14% 7% 4% 2%
16% 2% 1% 2%
7% 5% 3% 2%
10% 2% 1% 1%
6% 1% 0% 0%
13% 26% 30% 36%
SOCIAL NET WORK MEMBERSHIPFIND ME ON FACEBOOK (EVEN IF I AM 70)
20. 21.
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Once a month or less often Once a weekFew times a weekOnce a dayA few times a day
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
5+yrs ago3-4yrs ago1-2yrs agoIn the last 6-12mthsIn the last 6 months
JOINING
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Once a month or less often Once a weekFew times a weekOnce a dayA few times a day
JOINING
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
5+yrs ago3-4yrs ago1-2yrs agoIn the last 6-12mthsIn the last 6 months
LESS OFTEN, BUT STILL GOOD
Not surprisingly, older consumers have been on Facebook for slightly less time than our control group, but membership is still surprisingly long.
Four in five 30-49 year olds have been on the site for either three to four years, or more than five years, whereas for 50+ age groups, this averages out to around a still high two in three.
FREQUENCY OF USE - FACEBOOK
HOW LONG AGO DID YOU JOIN FACEBOOK?
FREQUENCY OF USE - T WIT TER
HOW LONG AGO DID YOU JOIN T WIT TER?What’s really interesting is what people are doing on social media. Keeping in touch with friends is, of course, the number one activity but as we start to get a little more towards Web 2.0, there’s a clear difference.
LIKES AND LOYALTY
Our 50-59 age group are way ahead of the 60-69 and 70+ age groups when it comes to sharing pictures - 32%, compared to 19% and 9%. They’re also more likely to look at reviews and keep up with pages they’ve ‘liked’ - 17% compared to 13% and 11%.
Following brands is pretty low on the social media agenda across all older age groups but is fairly consistent. While nearly one in four of our control group use Facebook to follow brands, an average of 9% of the 50+ age brackets follow suit.
A TREND TO WATCH
Clearly, there’s a wave of Web 2.0 behaviour spreading from the younger generations steadily through our three over 50 categories. This should see the older categories move more to sharing photos, reading reviews and interacting more fully with brands in due time.
30-49yrs
57%
23%8%
28%
21%
42%
79%
50-59yrs
54%
11%8%
12%
17%
32%
69%
60-69yrs
49%
6% 5%4%
13%
19% 68%70+yrs
53%
11%4%
11%
9%63%
Help me stay in touch with friends & family
To look at family and friends photos/pictures
To share photos that I have taken
To read reviews/articles from pages that I have ‘liked’
To organise social occasions/events
To follow brands that I like
To follow the trend
0% Join a Social Network to Follow the trend
REASONS FOR JOINING A SOCIAL NET WORK
22. 23.
S H O P P I N G O N L I N E
This wave of Web 2.0 behaviour spreading through the three over 50 age groups, marking each category as distinct, is clearly evident in retail - particularly ecommerce.
There’s virtually no difference between consumers aged 30 to more than 70 when it comes to general attitudes to online shopping. Three in four (across all age categories) see it as more convenient and roughly two in
three are comfortable with online stores’ data security provisions.
Similarly, across all ages 30 to 70+ very nearly 60% of consumers regularly purchase goods
online, regardless of age.
Put simply, there is no age barrier to acceptance or willingness to shop online.
WE ARE ALL ONLINE SHOPPERS NOW
PURCHASE GOODS ONLINE (EXCLUDING GROCERIES)
PURCHASE THEIR WEEKLY GROCERIES ONLINE
Negative review - if a negative experience
Positive review -if a good experience
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
Rarely
Often
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
31% 23% 22% 19%
21% 11% 10% 10%
58% 57% 59% 55%
9% 11% 7% 11%
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Quite Often
All the Time
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
13% 6% 5% 6%
15% 8% 6% 9%
24% 13% 12% 6%
18% 21% 17% 10%
31% 53% 60% 70%
BROWSE OFFLINE, SHOP ONLINE
However, the older a shopper is, the less likely it is that they’re looking online for inspiration. While more than half of shoppers aged 30-49 get inspired by the net when making purchases, this drops off with each age increment to 43% (50- 59), 38% (60-69) and 30% (70+). So, the older a shopper is, the more likely it is they will go online to buy what they already knew they wanted.
Combined with the similar finding that consumers are more likely to think print publications offer as much inspiration as websites, the older age groups are more likely to bring offline inspiration
in to their online purchasing decisions – they have a good idea of what they want to buy, from whom, when they log on.
GO ONLINE TO GET INSPIRED/GENER ALLY BROWSE FOR GOODS
46%
33%
42%
47%
43%
30%
38%
54%
70+
60-69
50-59
30-49
70+
60-69
50-59
30-49
70+
60-69
50-59
30-49
62%
69%
69%
66%
I AM COMFORTABLE WITH THE LEVEL OF DATA SECURIT Y THAT MOST POPUL AR/RECOGNISED WEBSITES HAVE TO OFFER:
24. 25.
READING REVIEWS, NOT WRITING
THEM (YET)
Research also finds that the older a shopper gets the less likely they are to read or write reviews. Interestingly, again though, there is a wave of acceptance spreading through the generations.
Nearly half of consumers aged 50-59 are likely to have read online reviews for goods and services they’ve bought, which is virtually identical to the prevalence of review checking among 30-49 year olds. This declines with 60-69 year olds and then again with 70 year olds.
Similarly, contributing positive or negative reviews is not a common activity. Fortunately for brands, across the three 50+ age groups people are twice as likely (one in five) to publish a positive review compared to just 10% who would write a negative review of a bad experience. The same skew towards positivity is seen in 30-39 year olds but not as pronounced.
70+
60-69
50-59
30-49
40%
36%
43%
48%
OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS I HAVE SPENT FAR MORE MONEY BUYING GOODS ONLINE THAN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS
Logically, then, the research also finds that the older a shopper gets the less likely they are to read or write reviews. Interestingly, again though,
there is a wave of acceptance spreading through the generations.
LIKELY TO WRITE A REVIEW ONLINE
SHOPPING ONLINE IS MUCH MORE CONVENIENT THAN GOING TO HIGH STREET STORES
GO ONLINE TO READ REVIEWS ABOUT PRODUCTS
46%
33%
42%
47%
43%
30%
38%
54%
70+
60-69
50-59
30-49
70+
60-69
50-59
30-49
Negative review - if a negative experience
Positive review -if a good experience
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
Rarely
Often
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
31% 23% 22% 19%
21% 11% 10% 10%
58% 57% 59% 55%
9% 11% 7% 11%
Agree
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
58% 57% 59% 55%
It’s clear that older demographics like familiarity and therefore Amazon use is pretty consistent around 70% across consumers aged 30 to 70 or more. Ebay is also similarly well used, although
there is a drop off with the 70+ age group for whom only one in three use the service, compared to nearly half of 50-59 and 60-69 year olds.
26. 27.
FREQUENTLY VISITED RETAIL SITES
OTHERS
70+ 60-6950-59
FASHION BRAND SITES
30-49
71% 70% 71% 63%
57% 49% 49% 37%
31% 27% 25% 13%
44% 24% 24% 25%
28% 17% 15% 12%
33% 17% 19% 13%
18% 17% 17% 13%
21% 16% 18% 8%
22% 16% 15% 9%
23% 13% 10% 6%
18% 6% 9% 4%
FREQUENTLY VISITED RETAIL SITES
WHEN IT COMES TO RETAIL SHOPPING/BROWSING, WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING CLOSELY REPRESENTS WHAT YOU PREFER TO DO?
Research in store buy in store
Research in store buy online
Research online buy online
Research online buy in store
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
25% 30% 25% 22%
58% 56% 59% 54%
7% 5% 4% 6%
10% 9% 11% 18%
T H E P O W E R O F B I G N A M E S
GROCERIES AND FASHION STILL OLD SCHOOL
When we asked about Sainsbury’s, a quarter of all consumers 50 and over have used its website, compared to nearly half (44%) of our control group.
Fashion also practically halves in penetration beyond our control group. One in three 30-49 year olds use clothing fashion brand sites but this drops down to a consistent average for those above 50 to just 17%.
Just as it was a leap for younger users of the web to go beyond Amazon when trusting the net to provide clothes that fit well and tasty fruit and vegetables, so too it is proving a barrier for older age groups. This classic Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 behaviour is being mirrored again as more positive attitudes spread as a wave through the 50-59 year old age group and beyond.
WHAT, NO SHOWROOMING?
When it comes to online and offline behaviours, the big lesson here is that showrooming isn’t really happening. In fact, reverse-showrooming is more common with the 50-59 group leading the trend to research online and buy instore. The fear that shoppers research instore and look online for a better deal is unfounded. Across all
age groups, with a slight rise for 60-69, more than half of shoppers will research online and buy online.
Only 7% in our control group (and a consistent average of 5% of those aged more than 50) research in store and then go online to find a better deal. As much as retailers worry about it, showrooming is a myth.
PARTICIPANTS WHO AGREE WITH THESE STATEMENTS
Online shopping allows me toshop out of hours when suits me
Over the last 12 months I have spent far moremoney buying goods online than in the previous 12 months
I always look to read online productreviews prior to making a purchase
There is much more inspiration/ideas online than there is in magazines or newspapers
I am comfortable with the level of data securitythat most popular / recognised websites have to offer
(e.g. Amazon, EBay, Tesco)
I tend to use the internet more for researching retail products than buying retail products
Buying groceries online makes life so much easier
Shopping online is much more convenientthan going to the high-street stores
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
68% 62% 59% 55%
44% 29% 25% 19%
39% 33% 28% 28%
66% 62% 69% 69%
60% 59% 57% 53%
52% 53% 47% 40%
48% 40% 43% 36%
74% 76% 75% 70%
WHY WE ALL LOVE A BIG BR AND
28. 29.
PERCENTAGE LIKELY TO USE PROMOTIONS/ VOUCHERS
30-49yrs
70+yrs
A retail promotion emailed to you
A retail voucheremailed to you
A retail promotionsent by text message
A retail vouchersent by text message
A retail promotion emailed to you
A retail voucheremailed to you
A retail promotionsent by text message
A retail vouchersent by text message
53%
30%
25%
43%
50-59yrs
45%
11%
8%34%
60-69yrs
A retail promotion emailed to you
A retail voucheremailed to you
A retail promotionsent by text message
A retail vouchersent by text message
A retail promotion emailed to you
A retail voucheremailed to you
A retail promotionsent by text message
A retail vouchersent by text message
43%
11%
8%31%
45%
11%
7% 28%
P R O M O T I O N S A N D V O U C H E R S
If our three 50+ groups are keeping more to shopping 1.0 activities, it will come as little surprise that they’re less switched on to online promotions. However, as ever, it would be a mistake to lump everyone aged 50 or over in the same camp.
LOOKING FOR A BARGAIN
One in three 50-59 year olds and 60-69 year olds say they do go online to seek out vouchers and
so do nearly one in five aged 70 or over – this compares to 44% for 30-49 year olds.
The same goes when looking for deals, which is nearly as prevalent in 50-69 year olds as it is 30-49 year olds, whereas the 70+ group sees a noticeable drop off in deal searching.
Going online to search for a deal or voucher is one thing, being sent one is quite another.
NOT ON MY PHONE, THANKS
It will come as very little surprise that considering lower smartphone penetration, particularly among the 60+ categories, mobile is not a preferred channel. With a consistent average of 8% and 11% acceptance of a retail promotion or retail voucher sent by text, all three over 50 categories are three times less receptive to mobile marketing than 30-39 year olds.
EMAIL ME
However, email is a different story altogether. All three categories are nearly as receptive to retail vouchers as 30-39 year olds (44% compared to 53% acceptance) and on average one in three are open to retail promotion being emailed to them - a slightly bigger drop off compared to the 43% acceptance among 30-39 year olds. So, finding vouchers and deals is popular and there is consistent acceptance across the age groups for being emailed vouchers and promotion. Mobile is not a popular channel, though.PERCENTAGES LIKELY TO GO ONLINE TO
LOOK FOR VOUCHERS
70+
60-69
50-59
30-49
70+
60-69
50-59
30-49
Often
32%
19%
33%
44%
Rarely33%
43%
35%
24%
YES PLEASE (JUST NOT ON MY MOBILE)
30. 31.
The biggest age group watching YouTube on tablets and Smart TV sets are the 70+ category.
DESKTOP OR LAPTOP?
In terms of devices, laptop use is pretty consistent across the age groups. The 70+ age group are only half as likely to watch on a laptop as a 50-59 or 60-69 year old, who themselves are only slightly more likely to use a laptop than a 30-49 year old.
Desktop usage has an opposite skew which favours the 70+ group who have clearly kept a main PC but have skipped the laptop when it comes to watching videos, moving straight to either a tablet or Smart TV set. With more than a quarter of 70+ consumers watching YouTube on a tablet, they are more likely to be on an iPad or Android device for YouTube than a 30-49 year old.
The same is true of Smart TV where 9% of 70 year old YouTube watchers are accessing online videos, compared to just 2% of 30-49 year olds, 7% of 50-59 year olds and 4% of 60-69 year olds.
NOT ON PHONES
That the 70+ age group are leaders in watching YouTube on a tablet or Smart TV is unexpected, the news that Smartphone video access is almost exclusively the preserve of those aged under 50 will come as little surprise.
So most 50 year olds and over are watching videos at home.
BBC IPLAYER AND OTHER PLAYERS
YouTube is the clear number one choice for 30-49 year olds with BBC iPlayer in second spot. The older age groups are more skewed to watching BBC iPlayer a little more frequently than YouTube.
HOW FREQUENTLY DO YOU WATCH VIDEOS, T V OR MOVIES ON YOUR DIGITAL DEVICE(S) WHEN YOU ARE..
IN THE HOME
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
All The time
Quite Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
All The time
Quite Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
OUT AND ABOUT
10% 12% 9% 26% 39% 54% 63% 96%
24% 33% 18% 4%
25%10%17% 0%
10% 2% 2% 0%
2% 1% 0% 0%
11% 12% 15% 35%
25% 32% 51% 13%
32% 21% 19% 13%
23% 24% 7% 13%
V I D E O A N D Y O U T U B E
Accepting that the control group of 30-49 year olds would always represent the most common YouTube users, the results for the over 50s are still striking.
WE LOVE YOUTUBE
One in five of the over 50s (21%) reports that they watch YouTube all the time or quite often with one in ten of the over 70s saying the
same. Half the number of 50-59 year old age group watch a movie or video at least once a day on YouTube compared to 16% of 30-49 year olds. However, 33% of those aged 60-69 watch movies on YouTube a few times a week - the same proportion as for the 30-49 year olds.
ON WHICH DEVICE ARE YOU MOST LIKELY TO VIEW VIDEO CONTENT (EG ON YOUTUBE)?
15% 3% 0% 0%
2% 7% 4% 9%
23% 17% 19% 26%
38% 43% 42% 22%
14% 27% 33% 35%
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
THE 70+ CROWD WATCH YOUTUBE ON TABLETS AND SMART T V’S
HOW OFTEN, IF AT ALL, DO YOU WATCH VIDEOS, T V OR MOVIES ON YOUTUBE?
Once a month or less often
A few times a day
Once a week
Once a day
Few times a week
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
22% 42% 46% 85%
12% 8% 15% 0%
33% 34% 33% 8%
16% 7% 3% 8%
16% 8% 3% 0%
32.
WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN USES OF YOUTUBE? HOW DO YOU ARRIVE AT CONTENT ON YOUTUBE?
WHEN DID YOU FIRST JOIN OR START USING YOUTUBE?
Entertainment
How to / instructional
Product demonstrations
Learn about new products
Inspiration/ getting ideas
Reviews
Brand channel
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
29% 27% 21% 8%
40% 41% 39% 15%
44% 48% 36% 8%
51% 58% 38% 8%
53% 53% 46% 23%
71% 71% 70% 69%
86% 93% 85% 85%
Very likely
Somewhat likely
Neither likely nor unlikely
Unlikely
Not at all likely
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
9% 14% 16% 30%
4% 14% 16% 30%
52% 42% 45% 30%
28% 23% 20% 4%
7% 7% 3% 4%
30-49yrs
50-59yrs
60-69yrs
70+yrs
71%59%49%62%
SEARCH
30-49yrs
50-59yrs
60-69yrs
70+yrs
53%59%51%23%
YOUTUBE
30-49yrs
50-59yrs
60-69yrs
70+yrs
32%30%21%54%
FRIEND SENDS LINK
30-49yrs
50-59yrs
60-69yrs
70+yrs
22%15%18%15%
60-69yrs
30-49yrs
50-59yrs
10%5%11%
BRAND
Just as the 50-59 year old demographic has demonstrated a wave of Web 2.0 social and shopping activities spreading from younger age groups, this age group is also way out ahead in the depth and breadth of video consumption.
PREFERABLY, BUT NOT ALWAYS, FREE
Watching BBC iPlayer is almost as prevalent as with 30-49 year olds and consuming videos on YouTube is nearly twice as common compared with 60-69 year olds and three times more compared with 70+ year olds. Beyond the catch up services, which will come pre-installed on a device or will be promoted frequently by broadcasters, the 50-59 year old category are the over 50 leaders in Netflix and BlinkBox viewing, although it has to be said that actual usage is relatively low.
Although the 70+ YouTube watchers are a surprise, dominating tablet and Smart TV online video consumption, they are consuming video on well-known sites which will typically come pre-installed. It is the 50-59 year olds who are taking advantage of the depth and breadth in video.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST JOIN OR START USING YOUTUBE?
JOINING
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
About 5 + years agoAbout 3 – 4 years agoAbout 1 – 2 years agoIn the last 6 - 12 monthsIn the last 6
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
WATCH VIDEOS, T V OR MOVIES ONLINE QUITE OFTEN OR ALL THE TIME VIA THE FOLLOWING ONLINE CHANNELS ON ANY DIGITAL DEVICE?
BlinkBox
Netflix
Sky NOW TV
4oD
ITV Player
Youtube
BBC iPlayer
70+ 60-6950-5930-49
32% 29% 25% 13%
41% 29% 15% 9%
18% 16% 15% 9%
16% 11% 7% 0%
13% 9% 4% 0%
15% 7% 1% 0%
2% 2% 0% 0%
34. 35.
WHAT WE KNOW
WHAT WE KNOW
The clear lesson here is that the age-based digital divide is a myth that needs to go. All age groups are confident online and see online shopping as a convenient choice.
The big difference is in the move between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 behaviours, which lag behind in older groups, but are catching up
fast. From having web access and using it to interact with familiar brands, older people are starting to share more in social media, interact more deeply with new and familiar brands, as well as looking to user-generated reviews for inspiration.
So if we’re going to see the over 50s as unique groups, here is how each shapes up:
Forget ‘silver surfers’, Adventurous Adopters are far more like the 30-49 year old age group than older groups.
WHAT’S THE OPPORTUNITY?
Expect Adventurous Adopters to interact on social media, particularly around reviews and multimedia content. Adventurous Adopters are very active on multiple pay and free video platforms. Savvy online shoppers, they’re a perfect match for brands wanting to use promotions and vouchers to win loyalty and help the Adventurous Adopter’s digital pound go further.
AND THE FUTURE?
Future tip: Smartphone ownership is comparatively high but acceptance of mobile offers is low – expect this to change in this age group before it does in the older two categories. Brands need to identify key influencers as Adventurous Adopters switch from consuming video to generating content. This will speak more to people in their age group than anything currently available, on topics from make-up tips for 50 year-old skin to financial retirement planning.
ADVENTUROUS ADOPTERS (50 -59)CONCLUSION
36. 37.
Stop stereotyping! Comfort Adopters watch more YouTube on tablets and Smart TVs than the other 50+ groups.
WHAT’S THE OPPORTUNITY?
Comfort Adopters show evidence of switching from desktops direct to tablets and eReaders without as much laptop ownership as other groups. So they are the most likely to be on a Kindle or tablet and consuming video content
via, typically, well-known pre-installed apps on a tablet or Smart TV.
AND THE FUTURE?
Expect more in-store research and purchasing, Comfort Adopters lead the way here but could they be an outside tip for video streaming services, perhaps from Amazon? They are the tablet and Smart TV video consumption leaders and one in three own a Kindle or eReader device.
COMFORT ADOPTERS(70+)
Confident Adopters are big users of social media and video.
WHAT’S THE OPPORTUNITY?
This group are active on Facebook and spend more time consuming video than any other 30+ age category. iPlayer is very popular but, commercially speaking, YouTube and ITV Player are not far behind. Email offers are popular, mobile vouchers are not.
AND THE FUTURE?
As Web 2.0 behaviours spread from younger users and take hold in our 50-59 year old Adventurous Adopters, expect Confident Adopters to warm to interacting with brands in social media and chipping in with user-generated reviews.
It’s time to stop thinking we can reach this age group through conventional, linear television. Just like younger audiences, you’ll achieve better incremental reach on digital platforms.
CONFIDENT ADOPTERS (60 - 69)
RESEARCHING HABITS
In March 2014 we asked Coleman Parkes Research (a business-to-consumer market research specialist) to investigate the online behaviour of the 50+ age group, including the devices they own and how they use them. An online panel of 1012 UK consumers aged 30+ took part, nationally representative in terms of age, gender, social economic groups and regional spread. Our goal was to compare the tech habits of the ‘over 50s’ (older generation) to the ‘under 50s’ (younger generation) and spot any important differences or similarities.
To do this, we split the sample into two age-based groups; a control group and test group. There were 314 consumers in our control group (30-49 year olds) and we divided the other 698 into three test groups of 50-59, 60-69, 70+ year olds. This way, we’d have enough data from each group to make meaningful comparisons.
Digital retargeting via video is going to be a huge opportunity for Comfort Adopters, as well as Confident Adopters.
The amount of time Confident Adopters spend consuming video and the ease with which Comfort
Adopters have switched from PC to tablets, eReaders and Smart TV (seemingly skipping laptops) brings up an important question: what they are watching - and when?
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