2. 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, ATTITUDES & BEHAVIOURS 14
SOCIAL NETWORKING 18
SHOPPING ONLINE 22
THE POWER OF BIG NAMES 26
PROMOTIONS AND VOUCHERS 28
VIDEO AND YOUTUBE 30
CONCLUSION 34
RESEARCHING HABITS 37
3. 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
4. 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
breadthanddepthofvideocontentacrossboth
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...
5. 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.
6. 11.
COMFORT
ADOPTERS
(70+)
Ditch the stereotypes. Men and women aged
70+arethetopover50categoryforconsuming
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
7. 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%
DEVICE
OWNERSHIP30-49yrs
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 THE
INTERNET30-49yrs
50-59yrs
60-69yrs
70+yrs
91%
90%
90%
85%
NO AGE DIVIDE JUST DIFFERENT PLATFORMS
8. 14. 15.
C O N F I D E N C E , AT T I T U D E S &
B E H AV 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
believethere’snoagebarriertothenet,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
internetforashortertimethansomeoneyounger,
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.
Soit’sintheareaofbehaviour,ratherthatattitude
or confidence, where age apparently starts to
make a difference.
SAY GOODBYE TO THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
RATING 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 or
less often
More often than
once a day
Every other week
Once a week
Few times a week
Once a day
Once a month or
less often
More often than
once a day
Every other week
Once a week
Few times a week
Once a day
Once a month or
less often
More often than
once a day
Every other week
Once a week
Few times a week
Once a day
Once a month or
less often
More often than
once a day
Every other week
11%
85%
3%
50-59yrs
10%
88%
1%
60-69yrs
8%
89%
70+yrs
1%
1%
1%
9. 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
peoplewho’vebeenontheweblonger,mostlyin
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
10. 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 PLACE
None – I am not on a
social 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 NETWORK MEMBERSHIP
FIND ME ON FACEBOOK (EVEN IF I AM 70)
11. 20. 21.
70+60-6950-5930-49
%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Once a month or less oftenOnce 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 oftenOnce 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 - TWITTER
HOW LONG AGO DID YOU JOIN TWITTER?
What’sreallyinterestingiswhatpeoplearedoing
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%,comparedto19%and9%.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
spreadingfromtheyoungergenerationssteadily
throughourthreeover50categories.Thisshould
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 NETWORK
12. 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
comestogeneralattitudestoonlineshopping.
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.
Putsimply,thereisnoagebarriertoacceptance
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.
Whilemorethanhalfofshoppersaged30-49get
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.
Combinedwiththesimilarfindingthatconsumers
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/
GENERALLY 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
SECURITY THAT MOST POPULAR/RECOGNISED
WEBSITES HAVE TO OFFER:
13. 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
aretwiceaslikely(oneinfive)topublishapositive
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
whomonlyoneinthreeusetheservice,compared
to nearly half of 50-59 and 60-69 year olds.
14. 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
yearoldsuseclothingfashionbrandsitesbutthis
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 to
shop out of hours when suits me
Over the last 12 months I have spent far more
money buying goods online than in the previous 12 months
I always look to read online product
reviews 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 security
that 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 convenient
than 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 BRAND
15. 28. 29.
PERCENTAGE LIKELY TO USE PROMOTIONS/VOUCHERS
30-49yrs
70+yrs
A retail promotion
emailed to you
A retail voucher
emailed to you
A retail promotion
sent by text message
A retail voucher
sent by text message
A retail promotion
emailed to you
A retail voucher
emailed to you
A retail promotion
sent by text message
A retail voucher
sent by text message
53%
30%
25%
43%
50-59yrs
45%
11%
8%
34%
60-69yrs
A retail promotion
emailed to you
A retail voucher
emailed to you
A retail promotion
sent by text message
A retail voucher
sent by text message
A retail promotion
emailed to you
A retail voucher
emailed to you
A retail promotion
sent by text message
A retail voucher
sent 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%
Rarely
33%
43%
35%
24%
YES PLEASE (JUST NOT ON MY MOBILE)
16. 30. 31.
The biggest age group watching YouTube on
tablets and Smart TV sets are the 70+ category.
DESKTOP OR LAPTOP?
Intermsofdevices,laptopuseisprettyconsistent
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
AndroiddeviceforYouTubethana30-49yearold.
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,
thenewsthatSmartphonevideoaccessisalmost
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
BBCiPlayeralittlemorefrequentlythanYouTube.
HOW FREQUENTLY DO YOU WATCH VIDEOS, TV 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 TV’S
HOW OFTEN, IF AT ALL, DO YOU WATCH
VIDEOS, TV 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%
17. 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%
FACEBOOK
60-69yrs
30-49yrs
50-59yrs
10%
5%
11%
BRAND
Just as the 50-59 year old demographic has
demonstratedawaveofWeb2.0socialandshopping
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, TV 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%
18. 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?
Futuretip:Smartphoneownershipiscomparatively
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
19. 36. 37.
Stopstereotyping!ComfortAdopterswatchmore
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
theybeanoutsidetipforvideostreamingservices,
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?
ThisgroupareactiveonFacebookandspendmore
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?
AsWeb2.0behavioursspreadfromyoungerusers
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
consumingvideoandtheeasewithwhichComfort
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?
20. Contact Us:
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London | NW1 3BF
www.iprospect.co.uk
digital@iprospect.com
+44(0) 20 7492 2800
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