They spend more and more time online, treating the internet on par with offline reality, and they are becoming an attractive group for e-commerce businesses. We are talking about the silver generation, which is growing stronger.

In 2015, there were over 8.8 million people aged 55 and over in Poland. According to GUS data, by 2050 this number is expected to grow to 13.7 million. 16 percent of seniors are active internet users. How do they function in the digital world and what should you know if you want to reach them through new media? The interactive agency KERRIS decided to find out, together with seniors from Dancing Międzypokoleniowy.

How do seniors use technology?

- Over the past three years, the number of smartphone users aged 65+ has doubled. There is a clear dynamic increase in the popularity of this type of device, but seniors mainly use them for native functions: calling and sending text messages. More than ⅔ of users in this group do not use social media on smartphones, and ¼ have not downloaded any app on them - comments Ignacy Bochiński, Partner at KERRIS Group. Users point to the difficulty of operating them, which is why they choose more convenient and larger laptops. They acquire digital skills thanks to the support of children, grandchildren or more experienced acquaintances.

The internet should be convenient and useful

70 percent of internet users aged over 55 use the internet every day. The time they spend online is growing. They mainly look there for knowledge and information, including about their hobbies. The internet should be functional and useful for them. They make thoughtful purchases online, spending time comparing prices and offers. They choose products cheaper than in brick-and-mortar stores or those whose purchase is more convenient online, e.g. plane or train tickets. For fear of having to return items due to poor fit, such as clothing or footwear, they choose traditional shopping.

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Communication in Social Media, as in any other place – culture matters

The community of Polish seniors on Facebook aged over 55 is already about one million people, of whom 55 percent are women. Many of them ended up there after closing their Nasza Klasa accounts. YouTube is very popular in this group. On social media, they are outraged by vulgar language and a lack of culture in statements. They treat etiquette and netiquette equally.

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Online ads – a scourge for seniors

Seniors admit that contact with ads on the internet is an unpleasant experience for them. They do not want intrusiveness. Ads disturb them while browsing websites, especially content sites. However, they note that promotional content on YouTube is more pleasant to receive.

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What follows from this?

  • Today's actively working 45-50 year olds are characterized by familiarity with technology that is part of their work, so in the coming years it will be necessary to distinguish the 55+ and 70+ groups.

  • Today's seniors are similar to Millennials in terms of their attitude toward advertising and approach to shopping. They make conscious consumer decisions after comparing offers.

  • For the Silver Generation, the internet is a source of knowledge and substantive discussions. KasperskyLab research confirms that people aged 55+ highly trust content found online. On the one hand, this creates potential for content marketing and word-of-mouth marketing, but on the other, it creates a need for education about danger and fake news.

  • Accustomed to traditional advertising on television and in the press, seniors feel reluctance toward online forms of promotion, which they consider intrusive. They also point to poorly implemented remarketing. For them, the internet is a modern, functional tool that is supposed to make their lives easier, still unfolding in the offline world.

Statements were given by: DJ Janeczka, Mariola and Leszek - seniors from Dancing Międzypokoleniowy.

 

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KERRIS is one of the fastest-growing interactive agencies on the Polish market. It designs and delivers services in the areas of creative, new technologies and performance marketing. Among the dozens of solutions available on the market, it implements the right ones, effectively achieving its partners' business goals. These include brands such as Porsche, L’Oréal Polska, Grupa LOTOS SA, Grohe Polska, Lexus, Regenersis, Digital Care, Uber, Roche, Honeywell, City Service, Mindshare, Gorąco Polecam Nowakowski, PHD and leading media houses and many inspiring startups. KERRIS's management team was ranked 20th in this year's “Ranking of 50 Most Creative in Business” by Brief magazine.

Terms from the article

Brief — Creative brief. A document that organizes a task for an agency, creative team or production. It defines the goal, target group, problem, insight, message, tone, channels, scope, schedule, budget, requirements and success criteria.

Why it matters: A good brief is half of a good campaign: a clear goal, audience and success criteria save rounds of revisions and arguments about taste at the presentation stage.

When it is used: Before every creative assignment: a campaign, production, name, identity, website.

What happens if it is omitted: Without a brief, the agency guesses — the first presentation misses expectations, and revisions eat up the budget and deadlines.