Use newspapers, cable to reach 55-plus crowd

Here's a dirty little secret: While there are exceptions, most broadcast stations don't program for the age 55-and-older crowd. The 25-54-years-old demographic is the most lucrative consumer spending group. Thus, it's understandable that most radio and broadcast TV stations program to that audience so as to be attractive to advertisers seeking that demographic.

It's nothing personal. It's just that statistics point to people doing most of their spending in the years before 55. So advertisers want the 25-54 segment as customers, and media wants those advertisers as clients. That's why one of the only places you can hear a Frank Sinatra song is on your iPod or subscription-based satellite receiver.

By the way, I'm 34 and love Frank!

What about the 55-plus crowd? Let's face it, 70 is the new 60. We're living longer and are more active than ever. Plus, talk about being savvy. If you are older than 55, you're part of one of the fastest-growing demographics plugging into online and social media like Facebook.

Where do casinos, health-care organizations and political campaigns — examples of advertisers whose models depend a lot on the 55-plus demographic — advertise if most broadcast outlets are programming toward younger demographics?

Newspapers' broad audience

Newspapers are the most widely used vehicles to market to adults over 55. That's where you'll find hospitals, senior communities, estate lawyers, banks and specialty medical practices spending much of their advertising budgets. While newspapers are dealing with the challenges brought on by technology, there still remains no better place to reach large and broad demographics, including persons 55 and older. Oftentimes, it's a daily newspaper in a market that trumps the other media with the biggest single audience for advertisers.

While broadcast has its limits, there is no shortage of varied programming on cable television, enabling advertisers to supertarget audiences by age and many social-economic aspects. Many of the stations are big wins in marketing to the 55 and older crowd. If you make a media buy on CNN, Fox News and the History Channel, just to name a few, you'll get some nice penetration with mature audiences. Cable television offers the biggest menu in demographic targeting opportunities, particularly when going after the 55-plus group.

As a former broadcaster, radio is one of my favorite mediums. Regardless that most stations program for audiences younger than 55, many radio outlets still do very well with the more mature demographics. The genres of rock, classic hits and adult contemporary often perform very well. If you are interested in marketing to the 55-plus crowd with radio advertising, ask a radio station sales representative for ratings of persons 35-64, to get a barometer of performance.

The 55-and-older audience matters, and for advertisers who don't pay a lot of attention to them, they should. While online advertising to them is viable, radio can work, but the best money spent, depending on your product and goals, is likely in print and television.

Josh Sommers is president and CEO of Focus Media, a marketing and public relations firm serving the Hudson Valley. He can be reached at josh@advertisingandpr.com or 796-3342, ext. 303. Read his blog at focusonmarketing.blogspot.com or visit www.advertisingandpr.com. His column appears Fridays.