WTN Services Wine Tips- Granny and the I-Phone
The business community in general is growing savvy and becoming more aware of the unprecedented number of people in the U.S. who are approaching the age of 60 and above. Marketing of past has had a slant toward the youth culture some call them the “new millenniums” 21 to 35. Many in the wine industry believe this segment to be the fastest growing segment to market to with a tendency toward lifestyle purchases. A huge overlooked opportunity for the wine industry is to focus on those over 60.
The “Silver Rush:”
Wine is perceived as a sophisticated drink, palatable in almost any social setting and more and more common as an every day dinner beverage. Secondly there is more and more press of health benefits. Consider wine consumption of seniors in France and Europe and them outliving Americans all while eating less healthy. Then consider why are there not more wine clubs and winery or wine retail campaigns geared to the senior community in the US? Sophisticated marketers in other industries call it the new potential- Silver Rush.
Wine is perceived as a sophisticated drink, palatable in almost any social setting and more and more common as an every day dinner beverage. Secondly there is more and more press of health benefits. Consider wine consumption of seniors in France and Europe and them outliving Americans all while eating less healthy. Then consider why are there not more wine clubs and winery or wine retail campaigns geared to the senior community in the US? Sophisticated marketers in other industries call it the new potential- Silver Rush.
Granny and the I-phone
Wineries should consider that the old media—print; radio, and television—won’t be enough to reach this “silver or aging boomer” market. To communicate with the aging boomers, you as a winery or wine retailer, will need to evaluate and choose among a wide variety of online and offline marketing methods. Consider the new world new media is growing and it certainly is not just the 20 and 30 year olds that are getting I-phones.
Case in point- my 92 year old grandmother just got an I-phone. She wanted to easily be able to see pictures of her grandkids and be able -oddly enough- be able to easily access the internet comfortably from the sofa without having to sit uncomfortably at a computer. If granny at 92 is getting an I-Phone and took a computer class at 80, how many other 60plus grannies are out their eager to be marketed to?
Don’t assume Wine Boomers are a homogenous group—one size fits all. Segmentation exists in the group as well and the ability to target marketing, inserts to clubs etc to segments of this group will quickly yield benefits.
In 2005, almost two-thirds of US adults aged 50-64 and one-quarter of those aged 65 and older used the Internet, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
Boomers are also enthusiastic about high-speed Internet connections: 44% of Internet users age 50-64 have this service. Broadband users tend to stay online longer, which means they are more likely to see online marketing. And broadband connections becoming more and more economical then marketers have more options—they can add audio files to Web sites, and they can give visitors more opportunities to interact with their databases. You can target granny in an interactive engaging way.
How many of you as winery marketers know how many 60+ consumers are in your data base? Have you considered their ordering preferences? Do they like cabs, desert wines or the casual light blush? What entices them to purchase- case discounts, free shipping, and senior discounts? What winery offers an AARP discount do you? Does granny order gift sets or even consider a gift of Sparkling or a nice Cabernet for that special occasion of a wedding, college graduation or birthday? Have you asked her? Would your 60+ set of customers be a good subset to market wines to early for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other key holidays? Seniors are more apt to plan ahead for such events.
Consider 75% of Boomer Internet users get news online, 55% use the internet for research on subjects of interests, and 31% use instant messaging, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project study.
In summary, wineries and wine retailers have an opportunity to reach Wine Boomers.
- Understanding how many you have as existing customers already the track them as they relate to your wine product and preferences.
- Track their buying patterns are they gifters or self consumers.
- Reach them where they are with relevant content that is of interest to them and their place in life. Some post retirements are taking cooking classes, some are traveling, and some are exploring the health benefits, other want to explore wine as a new discovery.
- Study and explore your existing 60+ wine consumer then strive to grow your marketing efforts to this huge and growing market.
- Use both traditional and digital media and do not be afraid to experiment with Web 2.0 technologies, all the while also employing proven strategies and tactics as a subset of your overall marketing plan.
Remember success is always with the end product delivery. The key is coordinate and communicate those marketing efforts to your fulfillment services provider. At WTN Services™ we may be able to assist with packaging of that special gift, paring the offering with the right cookie or chocolate or come up with some collaborative offering that is unique and attractive to the seniors in your portfolio.
We hope to see you get creative in senior marketing…
To learn more about WTN Services™ contact:
Chris Edwards
Director of Sales & Client Operations
WTN Services™
a division of 1800Flowers
2545 Napa Valley Corporate Drive Ste F
Napa Ca 94558
707.265.2934
cedwards@winetasting.com
www.wtnservices.com
www.winetasting.com
www.1800flowers.com
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http://blog.wtnservices.com/
Source Data:
Pew Internet and American Life Project
Grandma Maynard-Thoughts on Aging