klaus
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Nov 19, 2007, 12:01 PM
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What this country needs is an easy to use cell phone
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There is an interesting dynamic taking shape in a lot of North American businesses and that’s the discovery on the part of business that their customers are aging. It’s an idea that’s been two decades in coming, but the fact that we’re in the midst of a demographic shift has finally reached the boardroom. Many businesses are actively pursuing the seniors market, hoping to interest this older, wiser and wealthier demographic in their product line. That’s not overly difficult if you’re selling high-end vacations or luxury vehicles, as mature individuals have long been the natural market for these products and services.
But what about more modest items, such as cell phones? Cell phone manufacturers and service providers have been falling all over themselves touting the benefits of each new generation of cell phones, congratulating themselves on their clever work in miniaturizing these devices and getting to perform a multitude of functions, such as digital cameras, text messages, mini-computers, etc. For older individuals, these “improvements” are not terribly appealing, as the miniaturization presents the challenge of being able to distinguish the numbers on the keypads or the information in the display window. Yet cell phone carriers attempt to market these products to everyone, including those over the age of 50.
If cell service providers were really interested in attracting mature customers, then they would create products and services that take into consideration the needs of those customers. In this case a cell phone that isn’t a camera, doesn’t have video games, doesn’t function as a day-timer or computer, yet has large numbers and clear sound would be a good start. However, most cell phone providers are focusing on selling their ever smaller, thinner phones to an ever smaller and steadily shrinking market of teens and twenty-somethings.
There is one exception to this trend in the form of “the Jitterbug”, a cell phone designed with aging baby boomers in mind and available for U.S. consumers. Marketed by First Street, the Jitterbug cell phone offers less, a lot less and is therefore more appealing to the older demographic. It’s a flip-phone that has large, easy to read numbers and a display window that’s equally easy to read. It even has a dial tone, which gives users the feeling that they’re using a real phone. Of course the Jitterbug isn’t a camera or a video game or calculator or any of the other myriad functions one might find in today’s complex cell phone market.
In addition to the larger numbers and simplified operation, the Jitterbug cell phone features louder volume, better sound quality and is hearing aid compatible. The Jitterbug is manufactured by Samsung and touts itself as being the easiest to use cell phone on the market.
First Street has a wide range of products that are aimed specifically at an aging market and appears to be one of those few companies that understands how demographic trends can make or break a business. One wonders if the luminaries at ATT, Sprint or Nextel are even awake, much less aware of the demographic change currently under way.
Klaus Rohrich is President and Creative Director of Taylor/Rohrich Associates Inc., a marketing and advertising firm that specializes in niche marketing retirement real estate developments
http://www.maturitymarketing.com.
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