69% of Empty Nesters Shop Where Salespeople Are Friendly

When nests empty, brands face ‰Û÷ReMovement.‰ÛªåÊRemarkably, 29% of Americans in their 50s say they are living their best-ever years, only to be topped by the 38% a decade later who say their 60s are the best yet. According to a recent Ketchum 50+ study, it‰Ûªs good news for marketers who should be salivating at the size and positivity of the population segment that controls almost 70% of disposable income in America. This demographic also spends half of all CPG dollars.

But with an empty nest comes a literal emptying of even more than the nest ‰ÛÒ an actual shedding of relationships, behaviors and even brands as a result of reappraising life and removing what‰Ûªs no longer relevant. Ketchum 50+ named this phenomenon a ‰ÛÏReMovement‰Û because more than half of those 50+ they surveyed said they had moved on from people and products that no longer felt meaningful.

"This should be a wake-up call for every marketer," Karen Strauss wrote in "When Nests Empty, Brands Face ‰Û÷ReMovement‰Ûª."

"Coming out of the ‰ÛÏrush hour‰Û decade of their 40s when leaning in to family and career left little time for self, the ReMovement generation is finally able to pursue self-fulfillment, happy to drop whatever and whomever is not enhancing their inner life. That is not to say that friends and family are not valued; they were cited as most important to personal well-being,åÊbut these individuals haveåÊfewer, deeper relationships that matter. Apparently, that extends to brands too."

Other insights from the 50+ survey:

  • Comfortable being alone. 67% of those aged 50-plus say they don‰Ûªt yearn to be included in social events, while 92% are satisfied with the time they spend alone.
  • DesireåÊto try new products, as their priorities, finances, health and lifestyles change.åÊIn fact, 89% are open to trying new brands ‰ÛÒ they attribute shifting attitudes to changing priorities (33%) and lifestyles (29%).
  • Brand disloyalty. 45% belong to a brand loyalty program, and nearly three in 10 are always on the lookout for new brands to try.

"So ask yourself: What are you doing to court a generation with the greatest accumulation of wealth in history? What are you doing to make their lives better as they redefine what‰Ûªs important to them? Empty nesters spend $3.2 trillion a year. You probably don‰Ûªt want them removing you," Strauss points out.

These are great questions to pose to your advertisers and marketers! Give them even more information on Empty Nesters to whet their appetites. AudienceSCAN found 31% of Empty Nesters plan to pay for home or renters insurance in the coming months, so save that nugget for your local agents. Traveling is on Empty Nesters' minds ‰ÛÒ 54% plan to take U.S. vacations in 2015. They also want their beauty rest: 17% intend to buy new beds or mattresses in the next 12 months. Don't forget how active they are in their communities. 19% plan to attend arts festivals and local community festivals; and 17% want to see Broadway-style musicals. Reaching them with direct mail coupons looks to be the most effective tactic ‰ÛÒ 57% took action after receiving them in the past year.

AudienceSCAN data is available as part of a subscription to AdMall for Agencies. Media companies can access AudienceSCAN data through the Audience Intelligence Reports inåÊAdMall.

Courtney Huckabay

Courtney Huckabay

Courtney is the Editor for SalesFuel Today. She analyzes secondary customer research and our primary AudienceSCAN research. Courtney is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University.