Targeting the mature consumer market

The aging population in the USA makes skill in marketing to the mature consumer increasingly important. The biophysical and psychosocial aging process create a need for specific strategies to address the changes brought on by age. This study attempts to ascertain the degree to which the health service providers recognize some of the needs of the elderly market and the degree to which marketing programs are addressing these needs. A comparison with other industries is also provided. The results indicate that 4 out of 16 strategies directed at the mature market have been used by more than 80% of health care respondents. In addition, there are significant differences between the health care industry and other industries for five of the strategies. All but two of the strategies are thought to be important by more than half of the survey respondents.