Aged care and retirement living is a growth area. Copywise discusses learnings from recent copywriting projects in this sector, including the importance of communicating professionally and authentically to older Australians.
Recently I had the pleasure of working closely with an Aged Care & Retirement Living focused organisation and their clients. I’ve worked on a range of brands that target over 55s in the past, but getting the opportunity to roll up my sleeves and write for this audience again was fantastic. It gave me a chance to refresh my approach to aged care retirement copywriting and become an even better aged care retirement copywriter. A lot has changed in marketing to over 55s of late. I think much of that is due to the new mindset of businesses that are making this group of people feel important and valued as customers (which has been a long time coming).
The retiree market isn’t go-slow. It’s a sector going full tilt at speed.
Aged Care and Retirement Living is a super-strong growth sector (see the proof on a chart lower down). A big reason is because we have a very large population of baby-boomers in Australia right now (i.e. people born post WW2 that grew up in the 50s and 60s). That means a lot of organisations completely focused on looking after and anticipating the needs of these individuals. And as a result they all want to appear fresh, authentic, trustworthy and professional in how they present. Which is where writing in genuine, human ways is so important.
Recent copywriting work at a glance.
Below is just a ‘flavour’ of some of what I’ve been up to as an aged care retirement copywriter on some projects. It’s not exhaustive by any means. These are just ‘snippets’ of a broader body of work. Across websites, brochures, social media and more. Some of the work (such as the Springtime event shown below right) involved a naming project and a range of options were created.
Just how strong is the aged care and retirement living sector in Australia? It’s huge.
According to CBRE (A global property business with offices in Australia), the 65+ population locally is projected to grow from 4.75 million to 7 million by 2040. So nearly double. They report they are seeing the amount of property stock for retirement villages and aged care facilities being built at a rate that is only modestly growing at 1% – 1.7% – so the demand vs the supply of aged care and retirement living homes in our country will soon be seriously stretched. There will be astronomical need for services in this area as our population and in particular – baby boomers and those just a bit younger, continue to age.
Is it worth targeting retirees and older individuals with products and services? Short answer – absolutely.
Looking into this, the numbers vary wildly from source to source. However based on a range of services, it’s clear to see that retirees aged 65+ spend up to $80,000 approx. on goods and services annually. Which is actually a very big amount when you think on it. That’s an awful lot more than many of other people in our society right now. I do have to point out that this is at the high end. The more frugal spend $30,000 approx. Those spending lower amounts do so because they more time to do things themselves, rather than pay for it, or manage a strict budget. Nearly all are debt-free and have no mortgages, school fees to pay or other things that might inhibit where their money goes.
Aiming older can be powerful.
When you think about what an 18 – 25 year old uni student might spend in comparison (which would potentially be much lower than a frugal retiree in many cases), it does make you wonder why so many ignore this age bracket. To emphasise this, consider the chart below from a recent News.com.au article on the rise and power of the mighty retiree dollar. As you can see from these 2024 stats, all discretionary spending below those in their 60s is completely plummeting! At the same time retirees are spending amounts that some commentators are say is above inflation levels.
When it comes to aged care and retirement living copywriting, don’t talk down.
If you only remember one thing when marketing to over 55’s, remember this. Older Australians don’t see themselves as old. They see themselves as people with needs, that want to enjoy life and get things done. To have problems solved. To communicate, interact and thrive. Just like the rest of us. To take a patronising approach to marketing to those born up to 1965 can be misguided, short-sighted and almost dangerous for brands and businesses. The reality is many senior Australians are voracious consumers of certain goods and services and should be treated seriously. They also take the time to write reviews online when other groups won’t.
Retirees and older Australians are savvier than many think.
Retirees love to travel, eat out and use technology. For certain demographics at the higher end, luxury living, goods and vehicles reign supreme as they’ve invested well and saved all their life. Plus they’re ready to spend a little and loosen the purse strings when the something is appealing enough. The sooner most marketers realise this the better. The same is true when you’re looking at aged care retirement copywriting tactics as an aged care retirement copywriter. Or any writing for this audience. These are people not to talk down to. They can be your biggest, most profitable and most loyal customers if you engage with them properly and treat them right.
See the opportunity in targeting beyond Gen Y, Z and X now. Your profits will thank you.
Ageism in Marketing is real. That’s because we’re all guilty of segmenting and targeting by age, whether we’re a marketer or just someone entering a room at a function and thinking about who we’ll talk to. I’ve worked on beer brands that treat anyone over 35 years as invisible. And fashion labels that forget that people are aged over 22 years. When you see how much content ignores older demographics and focuses purely on everyone up to middle age or less, it is borderline crazy. Looking at marketing segments, targeting 55+ (and 60+ in particular) is almost Australia’s best-kept business secret for profitability.
So many businesses and brands are missing out by focusing on youth-only.
So much of the fashion and beauty market targets Gen Y and Z (to a lesser extent Gen X). There are thousands of brands (and many startups too) all going after a cluttered share of wallet of those aged 14-28. Then very few in the other space. Even with product ranges that broaden their age appeal. That’s nuts. And it is only one example. There are countless others. For marketers and businesses, the sooner we see this opportunity for what it is, the better.
Need writing that connects with older individuals? Let’s connect and chat.
I’ve worked across a range of brands that have targeted 55+ and 65+ Australians in niches, as well as material that is solely targeting this audience. Not only in the aged care retirement copywriting space or as an aged care retirement copywriter but also across financial and travel products and services. That means I can deliver material that connects authentically on a human level with those you’re wanting to inform, persuade and sell to. If you would like to commence a project that engages this audience on their level, then let’s talk. I think you’ll find that together, we can do more than just get you a great result with your messaging and content. We can smash it!
Cheers,
Gus at Copywise.