RE: Emma Livingston’s Blog Post “Do Seniors Process Information Differently?”

Each generation has different ways they absorb information to make decisions in their lives. Seniors nowadays aren’t the most internet savvy, however more and more are learning. Emma Livingston’s blog, “Do Seniors Process Information Differently?” mentions seniors “are less likely to make decisions based on factual analysis and research first,” and are more likely to respond to emotional factors. Thus, she proposes firms should do some research and appeal to the senior market using “enthusiastic lead users to act as advocates.”

A good example I found to add on to Emma’s point was the “Airport” commercial for Oceanic Cable using Betty White and the cast of “Hot in Cleveland.” Oceanic Cable is using Betty White to appeal to the senior market. When seniors see this commercial, they might recognize Betty White, a famous senior comedian, thus creating a link between the Oceanic Cable brand and the senior market. This is because when seniors see someone they know supporting a brand, they will automatically be more inclined to choose this brand amongst all competitors due to the emotional tie that is created by the advocate. Seniors will feel more trust towards this product and be more likely to purchase it.

Seniors are a tough market to reach because they often do not follow current trends. Commercials are a great way to reach the senior market because they tend to have more time to sit down and watch TV compared to younger people nowadays whose lives depend on high speed internet and wifi connection.

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