Campaigning an educational website on ageism: lessons from a failed attempt

Ageism, defined as stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination based on age, significantly impacts the health and well-being of older persons. It also has tremendous financial and social impacts on society at large. In response, this study evaluates a digital marketing campaign aimed at raising awareness of ageism through an educational website, "A site for all ages" (no2ageism.com).

The researchers implemented a mixed-methods approach: Study 1 utilized an online experiment to measure ad effectiveness (positive vs negative age messages) in attracting website traffic; Study 2 surveyed website visitors' perceptions of the ads; and Study 3, which was added due to the low response rate to Study 2, relied on an online survey to assess perceptions of the ads. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

Following the introduction of paid ads, Study 1 showed an increase in website traffic, but not in engagement, with a moderate preference for the positive ad. Study 2 revealed that curiosity was the main drive behind clicking ads, while Study 3 demonstrated that older individuals, women, and those with higher educational level, preferred the positive ad highlighting inclusivity in their message.

This study resulted in successful traffic generation, although engagement with the website was limited, when ads were used. The limited engagement with the website, despite an increase in traffic, represents a failure given the tremendous efforts put into featuring an interactive, engaging website. Lessons learned can improve campaign design and implementation.