Some advertisers are starting to understand that people are inclined to want advertisements with people the resemble themselves. If you’re interested in that concept and how that plays out in making marketing decisions read the mirror neurons research in Buyology by Martin Linstrom – fascinating stuff. But if you accept that as a fact then the lack of diversity in ads seems shortsighted. Even in ads where they feature seniors they fall victim to certain tropes. This well known Toyota ad addresses perception in a tongue in cheek way but it still assumes social media is not part of senior consumption:
So how do senior companies take advantage of the new area of consumption to bond with consumers? Both Viagra and Cialis are known for clever ad campaigns that use humour to attract attention and awareness in their customer base. They already have great reach, with their ads among the first to show up if you Google their names. What they’re missing is a patient support system, with dialogue between the company and users as well as (perhaps even more comforting to potential users) between current users. While there are considerations around privacy that must be respected, creating and moderating a communication system could allow consumers to build trust with a brand as well as overcome barriers to trial.
Check out Cialis‘s website as well – I’m not sure it could be harder to read if they tried. Not very helpful for seniors looking to gather information.
