Love & Company created a two-year research plan to gain insight into seniors’ views and responses to direct mail. Following our investigation of participants’ first impressions of direct mail pieces, we took our findings regarding messages, vehicle and design and tested them further to determine what truly is the more effective lead generator.

Our Research Process

In this study, we applied our findings from last year to several campaigns we developed for our retirement community clients. We created two versions of each mailing so that we could test a variable, such as message, format or design. Each version was then mailed to half of the mailing list. By examining the results of these and other mailings, we were able to identify “best practices” for senior living direct mail.

In this report, we briefly highlight some of the main findings of Part 2 of our study and provide a glimpse into our conclusions and recommendations for the most effective direct mail approaches for marketing to seniors.

Instant Gratification: RSVP by Phone

We included a reply card with one invitation version to determine if it would prompt prospects to respond, either by calling or returning the card, better than simply asking them to RSVP by phone to an anniversary celebration. The simple, 2-color envelopes and invitations were identical.

Overall, the version without the reply card generated slightly more responses than the version with the card. However, only seven prospects actually returned the card, with three times as many choosing to simply call. The reply card did not generate enough response to provide value for the added cost.

Less Is More

We tested a 4-panel, 2-color invitation against a 6-panel, 4-color invitation for a series of sneak preview lunch events. Both 8.5”x5.5” finished size pieces were mailed in identical envelopes with the prominent teaser: “The Residents of Fleet Landing Cordially Invite You…” From Part 1 of our study, we learned that an envelope with a strong invitation teaser effectively persuades recipients to open it, without needing a colorful image. We were therefore able to test which internal piece would generate the most RSVPs.

The two invitations generated about the same number of responses: 56 leads from the 4-panel and 54 from the 6-panel. Overall, the combination of strong creative and refined mailing list strategy generated more than double the original goal, enabling the community to fill nine events rather than the original four. The 6-panel, 4-color piece was more expensive to produce, but did not generate sufficient response to justify the added cost. The 4-panel invitation provided enough detail that additional information was not necessary to create more interest. Finding the fine line between providing enough detail to pique the recipient’s interest without overshadowing the retirement community’s event is key to finding success with this type of piece.

Using the “R” Word

We tested two versions of a traditional, 2-color invitation in an envelope to promote receptions showcasing a new model cottage. One version employed a retirement lifestyle-focused approach and used “retirement” in the community name, while the second version was more straightforward and referred to the expansion as The Villages at Edgewood. Our goal was two-fold: to determine which message approach was more effective, and whether the word “retirement” had an impact on response.

The straightforward version drew a third more responses than did the retirement lifestyle invitation.

As we have found through our previous research studies, seniors prefer that marketing messages “tell it to them straight;” focusing on the model open house resonated better with this audience. Plus, the response provides insight into seniors’ receptivity to the word “retirement,” indicating that younger, more active seniors are “not ready yet”…until they actually experience the community by coming on campus.

Mailing List Strategy

The larger the mailing list, the more leads to expect, right? Wrong. Mailing to every age- and income-qualified senior household within 30 miles of your community doesn’t guarantee you will receive the number of leads you want. For the Fleet Landing mailing on page 2, we refined their existing list to hone in on senior prospects with the characteristics most like those of existing residents, thereby substantially lowering the number of pieces mailed, and thus the cost. The retirement community had previously sent a mailing to 48,500 prospects on the original list and generated 105 leads.

The sneak preview mailing went to 21,500 prospective seniors and generated 110 leads. The second campaign produced slightly more leads than the first, while mailing to less than half the list. In addition, no two list companies are identical, so you can obtain slightly different lists and quantities even with the same criteria. Good companies update their data regularly and guarantee no more than a 10% undeliverable rate. Budget permitting, purchase lists from more than one company and test the lists to see which produces the greater response, then merge the lists to reach more prospects that meet your refined set of criteria.

Weighty vs. Fun and Informative Topics

In Spring 2009 we mailed an invitation for a retirement presentation by a financial columnist/author, in response to prospects’ objections caused by the uncertain economy. The campaign produced 27 leads. In the fall we mailed a series of three invitations promoting four “deliciously fun and informative” events. This campaign generated 96 leads.

Both campaigns featured four-panel invitations in envelopes, and neither used the word “retirement” in the community name or on the envelope. We learned that combining entertaining, social events with retirement lifestyle discussions drew greater interest and attendance than the weightier, albeit relevant, subject of finances in an uncertain economy. While the temptation may be to address objections head on through your direct mail efforts, it is more effective to bring them on campus with fun, social activities that demonstrate your community’s lifestyle.

Email blast– Not your mother’s direct mail

We tested two email blast versions: one enabled the viewer to see the entire message in a single screen space, while the other was longer and similar to a traditional color print ad, so the recipient had to scroll down and spend more time reading the message. Version #1 received a 0.35% higher click through rate: 1.41% of all recipients clicked through to the website, versus 1.06% of all version #2 recipients. This resulted in about 200 more people visiting the website and seeing the retirement community’s message.

While seniors are among the fastest growing users of the Internet and email, the mature market still turns to trusted websites and traditional media when ready to seriously research and purchase senior living. Email can be a cost effective means to reach a large number of qualified senior prospects and share updates with your wait list and lead base, but it often does not result in immediate responses. It is important to craft the creative to work specifically with this medium, rather than “repurposing” a direct mail or print ad.

Case Study: A Tale of Two Campaigns

We analyzed two campaigns we created for Moravian Hall Square that produced very different results. In Spring 2008, we created an oversized postcard for a downsizing seminar series that generated far fewer leads than anticipated. Then in Spring 2009 we produced a multiple piece campaign, including a save- the-date mailer and three individual invitations, to promote a series of “spring fever” events. This campaign generated 64 new leads. What made it so successful, when the previous campaign produced a fraction of these results?

The oversized postcard format did not perform well in Part 1 of our study, while pieces mailed in envelopes improved recipients’ likelihood of reviewing the piece. In addition, the downsizing series postcard was a strong sales pitch but provided no information about the client. By contrast, the spring campaign promoted entertaining, hobby- and retirement-related events that showcased the retirement community without being a hard sell, and the additional panels provided space for brief copy about the lifestyle and amenities. This campaign provided enough enticing information to bring prospects on campus for entertaining, non-threatening events, at which point the sales team was able to introduce the community and schedule tours.

Conclusions and Recommendations

• Larger or more complex direct mail does not always generate enough response to justify the added cost.
• Today’s seniors are comfortable calling to RSVP for an event; reply cards are often an unnecessary expense.
• Refine your mailing list to best fit your resident profile, and budget permitting, purchase two lists and merge them.
• Tell it to them straight. Don’t try to be too cute with your approach or offer details that cloud the core purpose of the mailing.
• Today’s younger, active seniors may not associate themselves with “retirement” yet, so use the term selectively.
• Email marketing is generally not an effective lead generator among older seniors, but is an efficient way to communicate with your wait list and lead base.
• Plan and promote marketing events that are both fun and informative for prospects to experience your community’s lifestyle.

The direct mail research project was led by Love & Company’s Jessica Kraft, senior marketing account manager, and Tyler Sprecher, vice president/creative director. Please contact them with questions about this project. For copies of previous research studies, please contact us or visit our Web site.

Through Their Fingertips— Incorporating Social Media Into Your Marketing Mix for Selling To Seniors

While some may regard social media as a “young person’s arena,” its popularity and reach extend and fit well into the marketing of senior living communities. The question is, “How do you navigate the maze of social media sites, applications and tools to find the right mix for your marketing message?”

Past Love Reports have examined how seniors respond to various media, including direct mail, print advertising and Internet Website marketing, with the consistent goal of closing the gap between what marketers think seniors may respond to, and what actually moves them to take action. This report is no exception.

Our Research Process

To complete Phase One of this study, we created a comprehensive survey to help determine senior respondents’ knowledge and use of various social media venues, including e-mail, social networking sites, blogs and podcasts, online chats and webinars. Two versions of the survey were produced to target two different groups—those who already reside in a senior living community, and those who do not. The second group included individuals on lead base lists, wait list members and age- and income-qualified prospects. A total of 38 senior living communities participated in the survey process.

Phase Two of the study involved Love & Company personnel training a group of residents of a senior community to blog, forming a resident blogging group to share insights about living in their community. In addition, we surveyed communities with Facebook pages to discover how they are using Facebook in their marketing efforts and what success and benefits have been derived from using the social media site.

What We Did

Participating communities were provided with a PDF of the cover letter and survey, which they printed and distributed to the various audiences. Respondents were given the option of responding electronically through a direct link, or completing and mailing the paper survey. We received a total of 2,603 responses to the surveys.

What We Learned— Optimize and Conquer

First and foremost, we discovered that over 86% of both survey audiences use Internet search engines, with over 28% taking notice of the sponsored results near the top of the page and on the right-hand side. Over 75% of respondents report starting at the top and viewing each result until they find a match. This includes viewing the sponsored links that appear at the top of the page before the organic results. These responses underscore the importance of optimizing sites to appear at or near the top of the most important search lists, as well as considering the use of search engine marketing (SEM) to have your sponsored link appear at the top of the page.

Embrace Email

Over 98% of senior respondents reported that they use e-mail, with between 78% and 86% reporting daily use. Because the vast majority of those who received the non-resident survey are using e-mail to family—also known as your target audience! Over 50% of these respondents indicated they would forward to their friends an invitation from their community to attend an upcoming event, and they felt that at least half of those friends would welcome the invitation. This can be a great—and low cost—way to increase attendance at marketing events.

Among both survey audiences, nearly 50% indicated they forward unsolicited jokes or humorous e-mail messages to friends and family, thus offering another avenue of communication. Creative use of viral marketing campaigns can move your message to reach an audience you may have considered outside your marketing scope.

Network Carefully

Our survey results indicate that Facebook and YouTube are the most popular social networking sites, and that many also use Skype to communicate with friends and family via the Internet. This offers a great opportunity to promote a community through posting of community event videos or testimonials on YouTube or Facebook. Other ideas could include “video demonstrations,” such as sharing recipes, community tours, profiles of unusual resident hobbies and more. Brainstorm ideas and topics and have a ready library of videos and posts from which to draw.

Most communities are using Facebook to share news and images with prospects, or to target adult children. Content is often very lifestyle-oriented, with more factual information still reserved for the community’s Website. Consider a Facebook page when advertising an upcoming social event, or to recap resident activity or offer an overview of a community.

In our surveys, 74% of participating communities report spending only up to two hours each week updating their pages. They currently report promoting their Facebook page in printed marketing pieces and print advertising, or including the logo in an e-mail signature. In addition, don’t forget to add the Facebook link to the home page of your community’s Website.

Blogging is a Personal Process

While over 72% of non-resident survey respondents are familiar with blogs, just 19% report following one or more online blogs. Currently their three top blog subjects are current events, financial information and academics. As mentioned earlier, Phase Two of this report involved training a group of senior community residents in Ohio to establish a community blog. As of November 2010, the group had been blogging for nine weeks, the team members were enjoying the experience and the group was about to expand.

We learned several things during the formation of the blogging group. When encouraging community residents to initiate a blog, take care in selecting the team. Choose members who enjoy the Internet and like sharing social news and expressing their views. Give them the foundational information they need, teach them the process and have them try it out for themselves. Then leave them alone. Blogging is a personal thing, akin to keeping a diary, and you just can’t force it. The benefit of the hands-off approach is that candid, unsolicited insights are shared about the community in which the residents live.

What We Concluded

• Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) are critical to being “found” on the Internet. Make sure you’re noticed on key searches.

• E-mail is a powerful tool when senior living residents are included and drawn into the “marketing circle.” Remember their willingness to forward messages to friends.

• Viral videos can be fun and effective ways to communicate the news and personality of a community. Create a library of them and release them during key marketing periods.

• Prioritize your involvement in social networking sites, and then commit to using them for a variety of marketing purposes. Always include a strong call to action and an easy way to respond.

• Blogging is something that seniors enjoy and will use to communicate their own life experiences to others. If you take care in selecting the blogging team, they can be your best ambassadors!

Remember To Track Your Results!

All marketing professionals want to increase ROI (return on investment). The goal is to increase results while spending the same amount or less. This is where tracking the performance of marketing efforts becomes so important. The better your organization is at tracking the sources of leads, the more effective your advertising becomes. And effectiveness equals success. Allow time and budget dollars to track the number of new customers visiting your blog, or the ones who are linking to your Website because of search engine marketing. You may find that the cost of other budgeted initiatives can be reduced while maintaining or growing your ROI. Here are some simple steps to take:

• Specify landing pages on your Website for prospects to respond to marketing pieces and advertisements, such as direct mail, print advertising, web advertising and e-mail blasts

• Add Google Analytics to your Website – it’s free!

• Track visitors to your blog by using a built-in visitor counter

• Use an electronic response form on your Website to help track how respondents learned about you

• Constantly fine-tune search engine keywords to get the best mix

The social media research project was lead by Jessica Kraft, senior marketing account manager, and Emily Harman, media manager.

We continue to discuss the Principles of Influence and how they relate to selling to seniors. Thus far, we have covered five of the six – Consistency, Likability, Authority , Social Proof, and Scarcity. Today, we wrap up the conversation with the principle of Reciprocity.

Dr. Cialdini uses a great example, in his book The Principles of Influence,  of one of his Arizona grad students trying out an experiment. The student got a California phone book and at random selected two-hundred names, which she then sent Holiday Greeting cards. Now remember, these were people she did not know . . . living in another state! Amazingly, holiday cards from the receivers flooded back in! These are people sending cards to a person they did not know! Why? Because they owed her … and because they didn’t want to admit they couldn’t remember her. Even more amazing, is that she built real relationships with these people over the years. In fact, when it was time for her son to attend orientation at Stanford, who do you think he stayed with? That’s right, one of the “holiday card” people.

So how can you use this principle to your favor? My favorite example of this is a sales person who, during an appointment buys with a dollar out of his pocket, a soda for himself and his guest. Why does this work? Because the power of reciprocity is sooo strong!

At Love & Company, we tell our retirement community clients, that instead of just having a coffee machine in the corner of the sales office, the salesperson should make their guest a cup of coffee, preferably in fine china. The whole experience should be a ritual in service. “Would you like some cream? Sugar?” Although out of these two examples, I would say the soda example is much stronger because the sales person is paying for it out of his pocket. And therefore, the person owes HIM something.

I have always said that the best way to engage reciprocity is through unmatched customer service. The most loyal member base for health clubs, fitness centers, wellness centers, and retirement communities is one created through relationship marketing and an approach to post-sale customer service and relationship management that builds strong ties with your members – not one strictly based on price. If you do it right, you’ll actually have members who stay in touch – for example, sending you referrals even after they move away. You can’t beat that kind of goodwill.

PS   I hope to see you at the upcoming Leading Age conference in Washington, D.C.

We continue to discuss the Principles of Influence and how they relate to selling to seniors. Thus far, we have covered four of the six – Consistency, Likability, Authority and Social Proof. Today, we’ll be covering the principle of Scarcity.

When supplies of something are short, we humans are more likely to want it! … “It’s the last one in the shop!” For those of you without kids, the image above is a Nintendo Wii, which is a beautiful example of planned scarcity. Amazing, isn’t it, how this huge corporation somehow is always caught off-guard by the overwhelming demand for their product. Hmmm?

Do people know when your retirement community is about to become complete or sold out? Even better, how about the first phase? Even better, how about the first floor of the first building with the limited number of views towards the lake? Regardless of what you are selling, you need to tell your audience how scarce your supply is– creating scarcity is a key to success. And being able to offer an exact number increases the power of scarcity.

Don’t think this is powerful for selling to boomers and seniors? Let me give you an example:

I happen to know of a retirement community where seniors who called in to schedule visits were given very tight appointment times (this community only scheduled appointments on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday … and would only move on to the next day if the first one was filled).

When the people showed up for their appointments, they were often “in line” waiting for the retirement counselor to see them. The busier the sales office was, and the longer people had to wait (to a point), the more successful the sales person became. Why? Because social proof and scarcity are two very powerful principals. Grouping the appointments in a tight schedule was a strategic decision. You need to be very conscious in your efforts of “displaying” social proof and scarcity. If you are not, you’re cheating your business.

Sources:

Love & Company

Dr. Robert Cialdini

We continue to discuss the Principles of Influence and how they relate to selling to seniors. Thus far, we have covered three of the six – Consistency, Likability, and Authority. Today, we’ll be covering the principle of Social Proof.

When a number of people agree on something, we are likely to be persuaded too. Apple knew what it was doing when it gave the first IPODs the glaring white wires and base. Soon you were seeing these glaring white music makers everywhere. When I drive by your gym, fitness center, or retirement community, do I get a sense of social proof? Have others gone before me?

How strong is this principle? Dr. Cialdini tells of a group of researchers who went door-to-door in Columbia, South Carolina, soliciting donations for a charity campaign and displaying a list of neighborhood residents who had already donated to the cause. The researchers found that the longer the donor list was, the more likely those solicited would be to donate as well. To the people being solicited, the friends’ and neighbors’ names on the list were a form of social evidence about how they should respond. But the evidence would not have been nearly as compelling had the names been those of random strangers.

The fact is that persuasion can be extremely effective when it comes from peers which is why Love & Company loves to utilize resident testimonials when selling to the mature market. The science supports what most senior sales professionals already know: Testimonials from satisfied customers work best when the satisfied customer and the prospective customer share similar circumstances.

Do you have pin maps showing where your retirement community’s residents came from? Do you have Polaroid pictures of your residents and new deposits pinned up on a sales wall (the sales person should be in every photo)? Both of these become visual clues of social proof to new and old signups!

Do you have testimonials and letters posted around your office and in your marketing materials? Do you provide opportunities for your members to bring in friends for special occasions? Maybe a special appearance by a chef on how to prepare heart-healthy meals?

Social proof makes perfect sense in a busy, overwhelming world. It’s proof that others have done the thinking for us and it turned out alright.

Photo Credit: http://blogs.cornell.edu/newmedia11cew88/

Studies show that people are more likely to comply when a request comes from an expert. As you would imagine, doctors rate very high on the scale of influence. How powerful is the principle of Authority? In the early 60’s, Dr. Milgram, a Yale University psychologist, tested the ability of authority figures to instruct otherwise normal, non-violent people to do unthinkable things. In fact, contrary to expectations, a majority of civilian volunteers would obey orders to apply electric shocks to another person until they were unconscious or dead. In Milgram’s experiments, obedience tended to increase with the prestige of the authority figure. Oh, and I should note, that those being shocked were in reality actors and the shocks simulated.

Did you know that at one point Camel cigarettes utilized this principle to hawk their product? They had ads with doctors recommending their brand.

So, remember people, you must only use these principles for the power of good! Of course, willingness to comply can be used for positive change. For example, the surgeon general telling you to quit smoking is a good thing! Your doctor telling you to exercise is a good thing!

At Love & Company, we’re always looking to apply this principle to our clients’ businesses. So, who is your exclusive expert? Your Sales person? A Doctor? An Engineer? Architect? Accountant? Another resident or member? How can you apply this principle? Uniforms, badges, clipboards – become the expert. Also, add to your credentials by using press releases, videos, association memberships, public speaking, framed licenses, honors . . . Etc., etc . . . You get the point. I’m always very impressed when I go into my doctor’s office, she has something like 600 framed advanced education degrees, so she must be smart. Right?

-Virginia Foxx

I returned from Europe two weeks ago, which always gives me a fresh perspective on my own country. As I was doing some pre-Fourth of July-Holiday tasks I got caught up in the bustle of shopping and completing my to-do list. I was in an old school hardware store watching customers buy plastic American flags, charcoal briquettes, portable grills, and soft drinks—the usual stuff.

I began to notice a trend with the folks around me that I didn’t notice overseas—while waiting in line to check out, it struck me how heavy our citizens are. This really isn’t a revelation, but I was somehow acutely aware; obesity was everywhere…

I stopped in to get a sandwich at a local shop and the three sandwich makers behind the counter were all obese—two were morbidly obese. The lady ahead of me in line was over-weight (asking for extra toppings on her sub) as was the couple behind me…I then made my way to the car and noticed more overweight kids waiting at the bus stop.

The ironic thing to me was this is a civil holiday for the celebration of the anniversary of the beginnings of national independence. July 4 is the commemoration of the adoption of the declaration of the Congress of the Thirteen United States of America, onthe 4th of July, 1776, by which they formally declared that these colonies were free and independent States, not subject to the government of Great Britain.

Yet I wondered just what does Independence mean to me and the average American? Can being in a state where your body isn’t fully available to you—be considered freeing? Or a state of independence?  So I turned to the internet for a definition:

1. (noun) independence

the state or quality of being independent; freedom from dependence; exemption from reliance on, or control by, others; self-subsistence or maintenance; direction of one’s own affairs without interference.

-Princeton’s Wordnet

Free to Make Choices Affecting Aging in Place  

With this definition it’s clear we are “free” to make choices that may not serve to further our independence down the road—a choice many of us are making. In 2007-2008, the prevalence of obesity was 32.2% among adult men and 35.5% among adult women (for specific breakdown of data see JAMA: Obesity Trends link). Essentially, one third of us are obese, which is defined as a BMI of 30.0 or higher.

Despite all the information concerning the health effects of being over-weight, many continue down that path. The issues are complex and call for systems thinking when designing interventions—it’s even difficult to write about here for fear of offending or alienating readers. But if I truly believe in helping others at the best chance at successful aging in place, then I’m compelling to discuss obesity as it relates to living independently.

Each day we are faced with countless “choice points” about our lives; to take the stairs, order the light lunch, or stop at one dessert. Often we are stuck making “better-bad choices,” as time limitations force picking between the lesser of two evils. These choice points have an accumulative effect—if we make the hard choices now, life can get easier later. If we make the easy choices now, life can get harder later on—and with each decision our future independence hangs in the balance.

Aging in Place with Bowling Balls

Consider this as you ponder Independence Day; at 42lbs “over-weight,” you’re negotiating stairs, bathtubs, kitchens, and chores like yard work (*ADLs)—carrying the  equivalent of 3 average size bowling balls!

Think what that does to:

1. Your energy level

2. Your cardiovascular system (extra vessels to feed all that adipose tissue = extra work load your heart)

3. Your skeletal system (knees, hips, back)

Just to mention a few systems affected…

So many of the things we blame on aging have nothing to do with getting older. What’s misuse or disuse, and what’s normal aging? Loosing 42lbs means not being burdened by 3 bowling balls! How might that improve your odds of aging in place successfully?

You can consider remodeling your home with Universal Design, and there are all kinds of high tech gadgets and wonderful products available on the market which can facilitate aging in place—some are reasonably priced, some expensive, and some even priceless; but none as effective as mindful living and making choices that will honor your future independence.

How we live determines how we age.

See

UK has its own problems with Obesity

BMI Calculator

JAMA: Obesity Trends

Battling Obesity in America(video) Nothing New Here

Learn more about the Declaration of Independence (video)

UK has its Own problems with Obesity

Ray Charles: America the beautiful

BMI Calculator

JAMA: Obesity Trends

Battling Obesity in America(video) Nothing New Here

Learn more about the Declaration of Independence (video)

Morbidly obese

(nonaffiliated link)

as mindful living and making choices

*Activities of Daily Living

Photo credit: (photo communitymedical.org)

Good listeners parrot back what the customer has said. For example, a sales person selling apartments in an active 55+ retirement community or continuing care retirement community (CCRC) might say, “So when you say you are looking for a two-bedroom apartment home, if I heard you correctly, you’re looking to use the second bedroom as a den. Is that correct?” And research has shown that the closer and more exactly you parrot back what the prospect has said, the higher the level of liking. Why does this work? Because it requires true listening. Plus, as a forced discipline it will actually improve your listening skills! After all, who’s the most interesting and important person in the world to most people? That’s right, themselves!

Next up, the principle of “Authority.”

Author’s Note: I wanted to thank you all for the kind notes and phone calls wishing me well on my recent decision to join up with Love and Company. The Mature Market Experts site will continue offering you news and ideas you can use on boomers, seniors, and the mature market.

Source: Influence at Work

Last week, I talked about the power of listening. Selling to boomers or seniors? Here’s what a good friend of mine, Dick Ambrosius advises, “The three steps to moving the prospect quickly through the sales cycle: 1) Listen 2) Listen and 3) Listen. If you are listening to understand rather than to overcome objections, the prospect will guide you to the secret to closing.”

I couldn‘t agree more.

I also believe that in addition to having refined listening skills, understanding human behavior is a key tool for any mature market sales person. As promised, today we are going to talk about the six principle of influence (Consistency, Likability, Authority, Social Proof, Scarcity, and Reciprocity) as taught by Dr. Robert Cialdini, a research professor out of Arizona State University. Specifically, we are going to talk about the first principle, Consistency.

Consistency. Once people publicly agree or say something out loud, they are much more likely to hold to that agreement. Example? I happened to be attending a New Year’s Eve party several years ago when one of my slightly inebriated sisters decided to run a marathon as her New Years’ resolution (she was turning 50 that year). She then made all of her siblings in attendance, including me, swear to join her. And she did this in front of the rest of the party attendees. She then followed up with frequent reminders of how we had all committed to run. Now, keep in mind, that at the time we were all out of shape, didn’t believe in exercise, and thought a good jog was from the couch to the refrigerator, so 26.7 miles was crazy talk!

And guess what it worked, four of us finished the marathon with her. Since then, I used this same technique on myself and have publicly committed to all sorts of crazy things. It usually works. I’ve run in 10 marathons in 10 different states!

According to Dr. Cialdini, if you want to ensure that a customer’s decision is long lasting, and unshakable, make sure this decision is:

1. VOLUNTARY
2. PUBLIC
3. ACTIVE

In other words, make sure that the customer is not strong armed. Nothing will kill the possibility of a long-term relationship faster than a starving salesperson on commission. But assuming all goes well, make sure that the customer does not keep this decision a secret. Even if your customer just writes their commitment down or signs his name, the decision will be stronger than before. And, if we arrange for our customer to tell others, even other staff members, the decision becomes even more permanent.

So what’s this mean to you?

Well, let’s use the contract process as an example.

Do you want to cut down your number of cancellations dramatically? Just have your customer, rather than your salesperson, fill out the sales agreement. Why? The mere act of filling out the contract creates a condition of consistency that most people don’t want to break.

Then, tell the person you’re dealing with that you can tell by looking at them, and the way they act, that you know they will follow through with their contract because you can tell that they are an honorable person. You might think that’s flattery, but our clients’ sales teams mean it when they say it, and it makes the prospective resident feel honorable. Everyone wants to feel important, and they want to measure up to other people’s expectations. In short, they want our vision of them to be consistent. Think that level of commitment is important in this real estate market?

Also, when a new member or resident signs up, I like to turn it into a celebration … I introduce all the staff to the newest member … I take a Polaroid of us together and hang it on the “family” wall. They’ve now committed in front of other people. These photos become visual evidence or reminders that we have made a commitment to each other. One that I consider sacred and will go out of my way to honor — ABOVE AND BEYOND! And the best part is that people want to measure up to what they have said they would do. The hard part, but also the part that is most fun, is that it is then in your court. You now have to over-deliver because you want to be consistent with what YOU said!

Next week … Likability.

Columbo was the master of discovery.

Sales and marketing techniques for selling to boomers, seniors, and the mature market. Being a good husband, wife, friend, or marketer is all about the process of discovery. And TRUE discovery comes from conversation NOT from demographic profiles. I can tell you personally; this is a problem most husbands and marketers have. They are just not very good listeners (at least that’s what my wife tells me). Women, do you ever have a conversation with your husband, and then 5 minutes later he asks you a question that proves he really wasn’t listening?

Why is listening so important? Because only through real listening . . . no even deeper than that, only through probing, can we really discover what the needs, goals and aspirations of the person we are speaking to really are. What stage of life are they at? Trust me; you won’t get this off a mailing list.

And I use the word probe because most boomers and seniors are so use to not really being listened to, so much so that they don’t really usually offer up their real thoughts. Which means as a sales person, you really need to understand how to get past conversation stoppers. You also need to understand how to ask follow-up questions. Both of these techniques will coax your customer to reveal more of themselves. Columbo was the expert at this, “Excuse me, sir, but do you have time for just one more quick question?”

But listening is just the first step to building a deeper relationship. Once you listen, you need to know how to respond to your new information so that you can help the person.

I’m a big believe in the principles of influence as taught by Dr. Robert Cialdini, a research professor out of Arizona State University, although if it were me, I’d rename the principles, the principles of true love. Dr. Cialdini, who I actually hired for a speaking engagement, and his team are brilliant.

Here’s how I remember the principles . . . CLASS R.

C – L – A – S – S- R.

Consistency. Likability. Authority. Social Proof. Scarcity. Reciprocity.

Over the next several weeks, I’ll be talking about each of these six principles and how they apply to selling to the boomer, senior, and mature market.

The Maestro, as I respectfully call him, is an internationally known conductor who in his retirement decided to look around for a second act. His second act? Conductorcise! He looks every bit the part of a Maestro. Wavy white locks crown his head and bright, colorful sneakers cover his constantly tapping toes (he’ll proudly tell you his sneakers are from Zappos).

The next thing you’ll notice if you spend 10 minutes in the company of David is his unflagging energy. Now in his seventies, he puts most 20-year olds to shame. He lives in the moment. I have never seen someone LOVE people the way David does … young and old respond to that love by lighting up!

Here’s a video of the Maestro at work, training trainers:

David’s entire life has been about seizing the moment. He is passionate about everything … his wife, his children, his grandchildren, family, friends, travel, wine, music, aging, children, science, and connections … LIFE!

I am convinced that our health and well-being is directly connected to our passion for life. In the book, The Blue Zones, a defined job or role seems to be one of the common characteristics of seniors living healthy, happy lives beyond the age of 100.

Not The Retiring Type: Serving Others

As I stated above, a defined job or role (ie. social engagement) seems to be a key ingredient to healthy aging. Our modern industrial society tends to devalue “unproductive” people. What’s one of the first questions people ask you at a party? “So, who do you work for? What do you do?”

People like the Maestro and Bruce Findley don’t accept the common perception that our senior years are a time to shut down. Instead, they view these years as a time of discovery and growth. Bruce, a resident of Shell Point Retirement Community, created Super Noggin to help his fellow seniors develop healthy brain fitness lifestyle habits.

The common thread with both of these gentlemen? A desire to serve others and an unwillingness to be put out to pasture.

What’s your passion?

(photo http://www.classicmoviegab.com)

“A mother can take care of 5 children yet 5 children can’t take care of one mother.”

-unknown

I came across the film Make Way For Tomorrow (1937) by Leo McCarey. The movie is about an elderly couple, Barkley (Victor Moore) and Lucy (Beulah Bondi) Cooper, who are forced to separate when they lose their house to foreclosure; and none of their five children is willing to take both parents in.

Barkley is not able to find work due to his advanced years and with foreclosure eminent the elderly couple summons the adult children to break the news. A temporary solution is for the parents to split up and live with different family members; which proves to be untenable for all parties.

As Barkley continues to search for work so he and his wife can live independently, the scenario predictably deteriorates into a human tragedy:

When Lucy continues to speak optimistically of the day that he will find work, her teenage granddaughter bluntly advises her to “face facts”; that it will never happen because of his age. Lucy’s sad reply is to say that “facing facts” is easy for a carefree 17-year old girl, but that at Lucy’s age, the only fun left is “Pretending that there ain’t any facts to face…so would you mind if I just kind of went on pretending?”

-Wikipedia

Although the film ran over 70 years ago the topic is more relevant than ever as the aging population and the economic down-turn spell CRISIS for many seniors and their families.

Elderly Foreclosure

The global economic depression has hit boomers hard—as over 684,000 homeowners age 50 and over were delinquent, in foreclosure, or lost their homes last year. This is especially troublesome for the older adults who are on fixed income and limited time horizons for recovery. Not to mention the coming tough times for federal assistance programs for seniors; as pressure on aging services to poor and frail ramps up.

3 Stories: The Faces of Foreclosure

For a growing number of Americans the “Golden Years” are a fanciful dream that died with a personal loss or economic fates; never to be realized despite years of working and planning. Here are three stories to put a human face on the hardship faced by older adults:

Patricia 5 years in her home

Cole 28 years in his home

Andree 20 years in her home

These stories are heart-breaking, increasingly common place, and in need of solutions.

Saying Goodbye to Aging in Place?

We can discuss aging-in-place remodeling and elegant universal design options, but unless individuals like these have a “place” to age in–it does little good as they are evicted from homes where their dreams once resided.

In a review of Make Way For Tomorrow, Jamie S. Rich finds the film more hopeful because it shows us two people who can make the best of the worst times, who are resolute, and who never let go of what matters, even if they have to say goodbye to it.

Which many will have to do…

Watch the Film Make Way For Tomorrow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_MrZojHUdQ (10 parts)

See

One Away: Seniors in Trouble

911-Foreclosure Update

Foreclosure Threatens Elder-Care Homes

More Families Move in Together During the Housing Crisis

How to Cope with Elderly parents moving in

Equal Justice Works: Elderly Hard Hit by the Mortgage Crisis

How to Live With Needful Aging Parents

Lessons Learned By Moving an Elderly Parent Into A Boomer’s Home

How to Prepare When Elderly Parents Move In With Adult Children

Help

NRMLA: ReverseMortgage.org

HUD Reverse Mortgage Frequently Asked Questions

Reverse Mortgage as a Foreclosure Intervention Tool

Legal Aide for the Elderly

The Elder-Care Team

Support Our Seniors

We have many mature market clients who have hesitated when our team at Love and Company recommend that they “give” something of value away for free. “Tom,” they say, “we’re in the business of making money.” However, cost sensitivity is now the new norm. Regardless of age, upper-class consumers have joined the middle-class and lower-income in being price sensitive and value minded. And as we know, the mature market (boomers and beyond) is even more cynical and cautious, because they have seen it all. And, they have the patience and intelligence to gather information in a thoughtful manner.

We had one retirement community client tell us that their prospects were too refined for the word “FREE.” In this case, we were recommending that they give away a FREE retirement information kit. They had a hard time understanding that socioeconomic distinctions are rapidly becoming blurred. Cost sensitivity and cautious buying are now typical of all income brackets. Fortunately, their results dramatically improved when we were finally able to sway them.

In short, today’s market place is all about creating relationships. All of which brings us back to incentives. Incentives are a great way to start a relationship AND engage the power of reciprocity. That being said, there is a distinct difference between giving something of value away to potential customers and giving the farm away. My analogy is that we should make the first hurdle for entering a relationship as low as possible, this motivates them to reach out to you and to become acquainted.

Free offers can be as simple as a customized monthly newspaper, an e-newsletter, a white paper, a contest, a promotional item, or a seminar. The goal here is to have the incentive create a legitimate lead. This is particularly important in today’s world of permission marketing. Incentives should require your prospects to give something in return, namely their name and contact information. You won’t capture every visitor but those that do submit their information are serious prospects if your incentive offer correlates to your product or service in a meaningful way. For example, we use this offer for a FREE marketing audit on the Mature Market Experts site.

In this example, when I wrote the copy for Inter-Continental Hotels I used a double incentive - free information and a chance to win a free vacation.

By doing a lot of testing on your incentive offers and forms, you can typically increase your conversion rate significantly, capturing more leads from the same overall amount of traffic. Some of the things you might want to test are your incentive offer, the length of the form, putting a link to your privacy policy on your information submission form, adding a customer testimonial with a picture or video, and the form’s design.

Also, remember, there is a direct correlation to the number of landing pages (which improves your natural search engine optimization) plus, the number of incentive offers you have … to web traffic and leads.

Sadly, most websites do a poor job of capturing the traffic that comes to their door. Make sure that your organization is not one of them!

Important Note About Responding To Sales Leads:

How you respond to these leads is VERY, very important:

According to an MIT Study with InsideSales.com, 78% of sales that start with a web inquiry go to the company that responds first.

Of those surveyed by sales lead expert Mac Macintosh, 23% had bought the product or service they were inquiring about within 6 months. The other 67% still intended to purchase, but were not yet ready.

According to DemandGen Report, nurtured leads produce – on average – a 20% increase in Sales Opportunities vs. non-nurtured leads.

Source: HubSpot

Sadly, there are 5.3 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s and every 70 seconds another American is captured by this deadly disease. By mid-century someone will develop Alzheimer’s every 33 seconds. By 2050 there will be nearly a million new cases per year. In short, we are in the grip of a horrific epidemic.

After my Mom was diagnosed and passed away with Alzheimer’s, I became acutely aware of my increased odds of also getting the disease (in fact, recent research suggest that Alzheimer’s has a maternal link). Fortunately, at this time I also met Bruce Findley, the founder of the not-for-profit behind Super Noggin, a brain fitness lifestyle program. Bruce introduced me to two sources of information that shined a bright ray of hope on my fears … and sparked my desire to get involved with Super Noggin.

The first source of information he introduced me to was the Nun Study, a decades-long longitudinal study of 678 religious order nuns who agreed to be studied while living AND after their deaths (biopsy remains the surest way to identify Alzheimer’s). The second was The Anti-Alzheimer’s Prescription, a book by Dr. Vincent Fortanasce, a renowned practicing neurologist. Both of these incredible resources suggest that while we can’t prevent Alzheimer’s/dementia, we can reduce the effects of these diseases by up to 70 percent!

While we can’t change our genetics, we can positively change our lifestyle. That’s what Super Noggin is all about.

Click on the image to view this TV news segment on Super Noggin, a brain fitness lifestyle program.

All of which leads me back to my original paragraph. The not-for-profit that I mentioned earlier, LEAF Ltd., is dedicated to serving boomers and seniors by utilizing the latest research on brain health in a unique and fun brain fitness lifestyle program. They would like to offer you complimentary materials to answer the question “Why should I exercise my brain?” This 45-minute class includes all the components you’ll need to lead a class including the script, PowerPoint, handouts for activities, and resources. Just click here, and you’ll be granted instant and FREE access to the course’s materials. I guarantee your residents or members will find the content both enjoyable and enlightening.

I was pleased to see such an emphatic recognition of the value of good design and aesthetics, both spiritually and in terms of marketability. Too often “good design” and “aesthetics” imply “expensive” and the province of “high end” markets.

As the founder of a firm that specializes in designing and managing the construction of retirement communities, I have always been troubled by the notion that good design is a luxury. Nothing could be further from the truth. Beauty and aesthetics are a natural byproduct of good design. Given the same functional requirements and identical resources, the best designer will produce the best product.

Popular television programs such as Project Runway demonstrate this phenomenon in front of our eyes in real time. Beautiful, engaging apparel is created from seat belts, recycled paper, themed from artwork, or made from repurposed denim clothing. Amazing results are born from seemingly impossible challenges. Good design does not require the finest Corinthian leather or 24 carat gold to be legitimate or sublimely functional. Luxury can be derived from anything that functions well, is appealing to the eye, and evokes positive emotions.

Designing environments that transition to the changing needs of people as they age in place requires high levels of creativity, skill and experience. The physical elements that support independence at every level of need can, if properly conceived, blend in seamlessly, beautifully, and at reasonable cost.

The Power of Observation

Observation and the ability to become the user in your mind are the prerequisites for this challenge. As designers, we can learn something new every day, just by watching the end user.

Recently, my 87-year-old father’s health took a turn for the worse. He went from totally independent and mobile to unstable and frail. He currently depends heavily on a walker, even to get around his own apartment at Charlestown Retirement Community (a Continuing Care Retirement Community, CCRC, that my team helped develop). While his apartment was the best, in fact, cutting-edge when we designed it, seeing my Dad in action continues to open my eyes.

The team at KGRW and Associates helped convert a former seminary into one of the nation's largest CCRCs.

The article's author, Kevin Glover (red vest) with his Dad and some of his family.

Our team, KGRW & Associates, continues to refine our design and construction management techniques through the simple acts of watching and listening. Engaging our customers throughout their experience of aging in place remains the most humbling and important part of the process.

Building, marketing, selling, and operating a successful senior housing project (active 55+ retirement community, continuing care retirement community, senior rental, assisted living, or skilled nursing care facility) today is a lot more complicated than it was just a decade ago.  Today getting zoned, financed, built and occupied within budget is much more difficult.  Not having the proper skill sets and experience on any of these steps can derail your mature market project. These 13 steps, if managed and handled properly, will lead to your project’s success.

1. Due Diligence

2. Demographics/Best Use

It’s also important to analyze potential partnerships with local service providers that can complement your property/product … providing additional insight into the best use for your property while offering additional cost savings.

3. Product Development

Henry Ford Village, Dearborn, Michigan

4. Master plan and Pro forma

An attractive master plan that maximizes your unit count, parking, and open space is the first step in developing a successful pro forma.  Having a realistic master plan that represents reality rather than a designer’s fantasy prevents zoning officials from becoming fixated on the front end of the process with amenities that could ultimately crush your pro forma.  If not avoided, these subsequent changes can be viewed as bad faith on the part of the developer (you) and ultimately derail your project.  In short, once you present town or city officials with any amenities it becomes almost impossible to take them away.  More importantly, developing a pro forma grounded in experience and realistic estimates is the backbone to a logical decision making process of whether to proceed or not.  A working pro forma that accurately includes development, construction, marketing, and operations — along with projected absorption and revenue is key to creating a successful package for attracting financial partners.

5. Pre-Marketing Test

6. Obtaining Entitlements and Approvals

In addition, having prior experience with multiple jurisdictions is often very helpful in getting officials through the unique requirements of senior facilities.  Not having this unique collection of skills and experience can be very costly.

7. Secure Financing/Letter of Commitment

There are still several banks and lending firms providing new construction financing, but the majority of new senior housing construction activity is coming through Housing and Urban Developments’ 221 and 232 programs.  Understanding HUD’s process for loans and time schedules is a very specialized skill set.

It takes more than good connections and a solid pro forma to secure your letter of commitment … understanding how to present your project is vital to achieving success.  A good financial request should include a portfolio of experienced industry players and their track records, a thorough explanation of both macro and micro conditions, projected project returns and an exit strategy.

8. Select and Manage the Design/Pre-Construction Team

9. Create Pre-Construction Advertising and Marketing Program

10. Close Financing

11. Oversee the Construction/Architect’s Administration Process

12. Furniture and Fixture Selection and Installation

Charlestown Retirement Community, Catonsville, MD

13. On-going marketing

Finally, getting in to senior housing or expanding an existing community requires a passion for the people and the industry. Make sure that … you’re working with people that share that passion, what we do is more than bricks and mortar!

Editor’s Note: Tom Mann of Love and Company co-wrote this article with Kevin Glover of KGRW & Associates. The senior management team of these two companies have worked as a team on some of the nation’s most successful senior housing projects over the last decade.

Averting dementia goal of program built around brain games

By Tracie Dungan Monday, February 21, 2011

Photo by William Moore Sherri Napier, director of the Fayetteville Senior Activity and Wellness Center, handed out papers filled with brain games during Tuesday’s Super Noggin program.

FAYETTEVILLE — The class of 32, mostly silver-haired students, listened as the instructor explained terms like “neuroplasticity” and proceeded to tackle one brain-teaser after another.

“Your handout is upside down,” Sherri Napier said after handing out papers that, at first glance, appeared to have funny-looking type.

“I do not want you to turn it right-side up. Read it, starting from the bottom right hand corner and proceed to the left.”

On another handout, Napier directed the students: “Find the C in the sea of O’s.”

(There also was a sea of 9s overwhelming 6s and a haystack of M’s masking a few N’s.)

“Many of us look for ways not to challenge our minds,” said Napier, director of the Fayetteville Senior Activity and Wellness Center. “We are more comfortable with what we have already learned.”

Photo by William Moore Charlotte Tipton, 74, of Greenland participates in the Super Noggin program Tuesday at the Senior Activity Center in Fayetteville. Super Noggin is a program that helps improve brain fitness.

The brain games are just a few of a wide variety of mental exercises, memory-training techniques, puzzles and physical activities that are part of the “Super Noggin” class, a year-long program that began in January for the nine-county Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Arkansas, which is based in Harrison.

The program follows in the footsteps of a number of scientific studies in the past decade suggesting that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias might be delayed or prevented through brain workouts, physical activity, social interaction, proper nutrition or restful sleep.

The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, afflicts 5.3 million Americans – about 200,000 of them younger than age 65, according to a 2010 report from the Alzheimer’s Association.

The degenerative disease of the brain destroys memory and thinking abilities, and there is no cure.

The Fayetteville senior center is among the first groups to begin the program in the agency’s nine-county area, said Angie Dunlap, adding she believes the agency, which covers Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Madison, Marion, Newton, Searcy and Washington counties, is the first in the state to adopt it.

The Super Noggin curriculum was developed by the 501(c)3 nonprofit Leaf Ltd. of Oostburg, Wis., and involves training for its instructors.

It and programs such as Conductorcise are among a national trend toward more so called brain aerobics classes,as well as dance and healthy living classes for adults – particularly the elderly.

Super Noggin markets itself as suitable for adults of any age – a nod to the reality of early onset Alzheimer’s and other cognitive impairment that can strike the relatively young.

“It is not designed for those already diagnosed with cognitive decline,” the program says on its website, supernoggin.org, which has sections such as: “How can Super Noggin decrease my risk of Alzheimer’s?”

Not so fast, say scientific researchers who’ve studied the studies.

While brain fitness and similar courses likely can’t hurt, they’ve concluded, the hard science is not yet there to conclusively prove these activities will stop or slow Alzheimer’s or other dementias.

“Do we have the studies there to say they do? The answer is no,” said Laurie Ryan, program director for Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials at the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.

The studies that have indicated links between mental work and preventing dementias have been what are known as observational studies of people, she said.

That is not the same as a randomized clinical trial involving one set of people given a particular activity, treatment or medication and a second, “control” group that is given a placebo activity, treatment or medication. A number of such small- and large-scale clinical trials seeking the dementia answers are in the works, but the results are at least two years away.

“That’s the gold standard,” Ryan said Friday of clinical trials.

In August 2010, a “jury” of 15 impartial medical scientists placed on a panel by NIH arrived at the same conclusion after evaluating the studies, according to The New York Times.

But no one seems to be faulting the programs like Super Noggin for trying.

“There’s certainly no data that keeping mentally active hurts,” Ryan said. “And the epidemiological data suggests that keeping mentally active, keeping physically active and socially active are good for overall health. There’s also some suggestion that what’s good for the heart is good for the brain.”

Such activities also could ward off depression, she said: “Depression itself has been shown to be a risk factor for dementia. I think the jury’s still out on exactly why that is.”

The Area Agency on Aging’s Dunlap said her group decided to use some of its “health and wellness” funding on a brain health program. It researched some programs and settled on Super Noggin, spending about $5,000 on training expenses to get started. All together, it has received $30,899 for health promotion for fiscal year 2010-11 as part of the Older Americans Act of 1965.

The Super Noggin classes will take place mostly at local “senior centers,” she said, but also at places like the Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education in Springdale.

In January, senior centers in Elkins, Fayetteville and Marion, Newton and Searcy counties started the program, with others in the remaining nine counties scheduled to rotate starting their programs between now and the rest of the year.

In the past, Dunlap’s agency had participated in another program involving “brain aerobics” puzzles and trivia questions it offered to its affiliates for their newsletters, she said.

“One of the best brain activities is ballroom dancing,” Dunlap said, adding that thinking about the dance steps combines with getting the body moving.

Super Noggin has physical aspects as well.

“Not only does your brain need that cognitive thinking to get those neurons firing – but it requires physical components.”

Napier told her Tuesday class that the ability of the brain to change and adapt is known as neuroplasticity.

To accomplish this, she assigned homework.

For the right-handed, it was writing one’s name 20 times with the left hand, and vice versa: “It takes practice – just like it took practice to learn to write in the first place,” she said.

The same goes for eating with a non-preferred hand, combing one’s hair, listening to music you normally don’t try and the order in which you tackle the aisles of the grocery store. Just generally, doing mundane tasks in a different way and shaking up the routine.

“Brush your teeth with a different hand,” Napier said.

Charlotte Tipton, 74, of Greenland said she learned about Super Noggin while participating in activities such as Wii bowling at the Fayetteville senior center.

“The Greenland Senior Center doesn’t have enough action for me,” joked Tipton, a native of Berlin, Germany, who has lived in Northwest Arkansas since 1958.

Tipton, who still speaks with a pronounced German accent, decided to give it a try. She planted herself on the front row of Tuesday’s class, leaned forward in her seat and participated actively in the discussions.

“I just said, hey, anyone can need help with their brains – including me,” she said with a laugh during a break in the lessons.

Tipton sometimes has trouble remembering names.

“Especially when you meet a lot of people all at once – oh my gosh,” she said.

Sometimes, even her friends’ names can escape her momentarily. “Maybe after this class, I will remember better.”

Phil and Dianne Zimmerman of Fayetteville said they were inspired to take the class after watching a public television documentary on brain fitness.

“We both have mothers who have signs of dementia,” Dianne Zimmerman said after class, adding that she learned from Napier the effect this could have: “Thirty percent is heredity.”

“We’re aiming for the 70,” chimed in Phil Zimmerman.

“Plus, it can’t hurt,” his wife added.

“Marriage is a wonderful institution…but who wants to live in an institution?”

-Groucho Marx

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day traces its origins to an annual Roman pagan celebration, called Lupercalia, which was held yearly on February 15. Seems the lovers’ holiday has its roots in raucous annual Roman festivals where men stripped naked, grabbed goat- or dog-skin whips, and spanked young maidens in hopes of increasing their fertility, says classics professor Noel Lenski of the University of Colorado at Boulder.

The Celebration was disapproved of by the Roman Catholic Church and thus linked the festival to the legend of St. Valentine. Even so, the Holiday’s popularity persisted into the fifth century A.D; at least 150 years after Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.

In the third century A.D., Roman Emperor Claudius II, seeking to bolster his army, forbade young men to marry. Valentine, according to legend, defied the ban and performed clandestine marriages. Valentine was executed in A.D. 270 – on February 14.

The first known Valentine’s Day card was sent in 1415 from France’s Duke of Orleans to his wife when he was a prisoner in the Tower of London following the Battle of Agincourt.

The tradition of hand-written Valentines gained popularity in the U.S. during the Revolutionary War. Mass production soon began in the early 1900s; and Hallmark started selling the cards 1913.

Attention Men

The Holiday gears much of its commercial focus on men: In the U.S. males will spend nearly twice as much on the holiday as U.S. females. In 2010, the average man spent $135.35 on Valentine’s Day gifts, while a typical woman spent $72.28.

How sweet it is; about 47 percent of U.S. consumers will exchange Valentine’s Day candy, at a cost of about $1 billion. Nearly 75 percent of that billion comes from sales of chocolate (chocolate has been linked to romance at least since Mexico’s 15th- and 16th-century Aztec Empire).

This year is expected to generate $14.1 billion in retail sales in the United States. Given these billions of dollars and all the effort and energy expended to say “I love you,” is there something we as boomer men can do that ismore lasting than say a box of (high calorie) chocolates?

Aging in Place is a Women’s Issue

Women in most developed countries still outlive men by 5 to 9 years; although men do get old—women get older. For that reason aging in place is an important issue to the women in our lives.

Fact: Widowhood is more common among older women than older men. In the United States, about 700,000 to a million women are widowed each year. Approximately 75 percent of widows are 55 or older; and widows account for 53 percent of women 75 to 84, according to U.S. Census data.

Women tend to spend their savings on their husbands’ care, and then live alone for 15 to 20 years with far fewer resources. Medicare pays only about half of older people’s health costs; the term for this is “spend down.” The time to give the gift of aging in place independence is before this happens—while you’re both home to enjoy the benefits of being home by choice—together.

A Valentine’s Legacy of Independence

It may not seem romantic but loving your spouse means being there for her now and in the future by leaving a legacy of independence. The thought of her loosing the safety and comfort of home is unpleasant at best…This year skip the chocolates and flowers; instead make an appointment with a CAPS trained remodeler for a home assessment.

Then make dinner for her and after take her by the hand look lovingly into her eyes tell her your expression of love this year will be different—lasting…Turn down the lights (using the rocker switches you just installed), light the candles and describe your future together in an accessible home with beautiful Universal Design features. After all, as Groucho says: “Marriage is a wonderful institution…but who wants to live in an institution?”

She’ll love you for it…

• No Ordinary Moments
• How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count At Least 2 Ways
• Boomers: What is Real?
• Aging in Place Behind the Wheel
• When Aging in Place is Untenable

Residents of The Heritage of Green Hills participate in a Super Noggin class.

Non-Profit Dedicated To The Cognitive Health of Boomers and Seniors Is Worth Talking About

It’s a beautiful thing when your work and your passion collide. Remarkably, I’ve had this good fortune several times throughout my career.

A couple of years ago, I was speaking at the International Council on Active Aging’s Conference (ICAA) when I was greeted by one of the most spectacular humans I have ever met. The ICAA conference seems to bring out extraordinary, caring people (a couple of years prior, I also met Maestro David Dworkin, the founder of Conductorcise). On this day, I met Bruce Findley.

Bruce’s story was fascinating. He was a VERY successful business man; a resident of Shell Point Retirement Community; and the founder of LEAF Ltd., a private foundation and 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting intellectual wellness for boomers and seniors. Bruce has gifted millions of dollars of his personal wealth to LEAF with his only goal of improving the lives of others.

He asked if TR Mann Consulting could help his team market an innovative brain wellness lifestyle program, which we later named Super Noggin. For me, it was an easy answer as my Mom had battled with Alzheimer’s before passing away.

So, what’s so innovative about Super Noggin?

If you’ve been paying attention to the brain fitness arena, there is a plethora of cognitive fitness computer programs. And many of them are very good. However, as a resident of a retirement community, one of the things Mr. Findley and his staff noticed was that boomers and seniors prefer to learn in a social setting. So his team set to work on creating something they’d enjoy — something they could envision maintaining. Just like fitness is a lifestyle change, creating healthy brain habits is a LIFESTYLE change.

So the team set to work. Based on the world-famous Nun Study and other current neuroscience research findings, Super Noggin is a comprehensive program offering a multi-pronged approach to LEARN and PRACTICE brain-healthy habits and to TRACK progress. The components of the program promote cognitive challenges, physical exercise, good nutrition, social interaction, stress reduction, and personal reflection.  And, as fitting to where we first met, Super Noggin is compatible with the wellness model of the ICAA.

One thing that makes Super Noggin different is that it is led by Certified Super Noggin Instructors through a network of participating locations such as wellness centers, gyms, YMCAs, retirement communities, JCCs, senior centers, community centers, and other facilities.

In Fayetteville, Arkansas, energetic 68-year-old Billie Jean Harvey is a perfect example of the type of person taking advantage of Super Noggin. She is healthy, active and engaged — and she’s looking to stay that way.

She was recently interviewed by NWA Online about her interest in the program.

“Sometimes, I just get lost in time,” the Fayetteville resident said. “I get tied up with what I’m doing and completely forget my schedule.”

Harvey said she and her husband worry about losing their memory because both of their mothers were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She said she works to keep her mind sharp by doing puzzles and volunteering, but is concerned that her husband, 69-year-old Charles “Winston” Harvey, is stuck in a routine.

Harvey said she and her husband learned about Super Noggin while volunteering at the Fayetteville Senior Center. She said she was relieved when her husband agreed to participate in the program.

“I want to do whatever it takes to keep my brain sharp,” she said.

Chris Romick, a retirement community Sales Director in Reading, Pennsylvania agrees that the proactive approach is in line with his residents needs, “At The Heritage of Green Hills, which is a full-service retirement community for people 55 and up, our residents believe in prevention through a healthy lifestyle… rather than reactive health care. Our residents want to STAY healthy! This is why Super Noggin was such a perfect fit for our community. I can tell you this much, people have told us that one of the attractions for moving to The Heritage was the availability of Super Noggin.”

Expanding the program

Now that program is already serving hundreds of boomers and seniors, I’m actively looking to partner Super Noggin up with some progressive companies. I’m getting ready to knock on the doors of some major companies such as big pharma and long-term care companies.

Why? Because it makes sense for them. Let’s take long-term care providers as an example.

Why would Super Noggin make a useful marketing tool for long-term care providers?

Super Noggin provides a NO RISK opportunity to:

1. Lower marketing costs
2. Endear current prospects and potential clients
3. Lower your actual coverage expenses
4. Generate positive press

Super Noggin is modeled after the widely successful SilverSneakers program. The preventive health principals at work in the SilverSneakers program are similar to what we’d expect for Super Noggin. While SilverSneakers is focused on the physical body, Super Noggin is a cognitive lead fitness program.

The SilverSneakers Fitness Program has been a vital component of several major health plans’ acquisitions and retention strategies. These companies include AARP Medicare Supplement, SecureHorizons (AARP Medicare Complete), Humana, Health Spring, several Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, Kaiser Permanete, Bravo Health, and Highmark, just to name a few.

Voluntary disenrollment results in lost premiums as well as acquisition costs to replace members; programs like SilverSneakers and Super Noggin can help. In studies of health plan retention among SilverSneakers clients, voluntary disenrollment rates among program participants were substantially lower than among those not enrolled in the program. Depending on the size of the health plan’s membership, this difference can mean the retention of a significant number of members.

Responses from 8,400 SilverSneakers enrollees who completed the 2008 annual member survey support these findings. Based upon their experience with SilverSneakers:

•          61% said the likelihood of their remaining with their current health plan had improved or greatly improved.

•         71% said the likelihood of their recommending their health plan to friends or family had improved or greatly improved.

•         83% rated their health plan an 8, 9, or 10 on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best.

•         58% said they were likely to choose another health plan offering SilverSneakers if it were no longer available through their current plan.

63 percent of SilverSneakers members said the benefit was an important consideration in deciding to join their health plan.

Lowering Coverage Costs

Insurance and health care companies are always seeking new ways to reduce direct and indirect health care costs. For companies that offer long-term care insurance, brain fitness is a key component to fighting rising health care costs. Some insurance companies like Penn Treaty American reported a reduction in claims after offering brain fitness exercises to their long-term-care insurance customers. Providing your members with important brain fitness knowledge enables them to live healthier, more independent lives.

The tools Super Noggin utilizes have been clinically proven to enhance cognitive abilities, reduce insurance claims, and improve lives:

• 5-year predicted reduction of medical expenditures by 3-4% (Wolinsky, 2009)
• Improves performance on activities of daily living (Edwards, 2002)
• Reduces risk of onset of depressive symptoms  by 38% (Wolinsky, 2009)
• On average an improvement of memory scores equivalent to approximately 10 years. (Smith, 2009)

(Source:  The business case for wellness programs in retirement communities and seniors housing, a white paper from the International Council on Active Aging).

A proactive cognitive health program can give policyholders the tools they need to actively address their concerns of developing dementia. Such a program may also reduce the frequency and length of future cognitive claims.

In recently published studies, participants practicing brain fitness showed statistically and clinically significant gains on standard cognitive batteries, while participants in control groups showed minimal or no gains. The gains are equivalent to 10 or more years of improved cognitive function (such as ability to remember and faster processing speed) among populations over age 60.

The Super Noggin could revolutionize the long-term care insurance industry … give a major PR boast to pharmaceutical companies … lift the profile of commerce giants like Wal-Mart … or alter the future of a country that faces a dementia crisis. The possibilities are endless!

Call To Action

So, who’s ready? Any and all contact suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am driven by the generosity and vision of my good friend, Mr. Findley, and his goal of improving the aging process. His charitable group has created something definitely worth sharing!

Tom Mann, 410-292-4333

• Remote home monitoring got buzz and investment. Venture capitalists stepped up for remote monitoring: Healthsense received venture funding, as did WellAWARE. Numerous news outlets pointed a consumer flashlight onto GrandCare Systems and this still fairly narrow market, now blurred further this year with remote health monitoring (aka telehealth, wireless health) — now in some cases reimbursed due to vital sign monitoring during post-hospital rehab stays.

PREDICTION: 2011 will further blur the distinction between remote health monitoring and passive activity monitoring. Given the fertile health technology marketplace of grants for trial projects among non-profit organizations, my take is that vendors would do well to add device enablement (like blood pressure and weight scale), seek FDA approval and throw in the towel on preserving a standalone category.

• The PERS market got a Philips auto alert boost. In January, Philips launched Lifeline with Auto Alert for automatic fall-detecting PERS devices, likely at the expense of its own Lifeline device sales. By creating market awareness (yuk, that home page is still bleak, bleak, bleak!) about passive fall detection and notification, Philips offered help for competitors Wellcore, Halo Monitoring and others with fall detection capability. Meanwhile, mobile PERS with GPS location identification continued its move (pun intended) forward and outside the home — striving to appeal to a younger and more out-and-about population.

PREDICTION: In 2008, PERS market growth was predicted to be flat — Parks Associates asserted a $600 million flat line, supplanted by a corresponding growth in passive remote monitoring. Not so, it turns out. Today PERS is approximately a $1 billion market — and while there are a number of new remote monitoring entrants, passive remote monitoring is still below the adoption radar. What’s next? I am waiting (and may have to wait well past 2011) for elder-focused applications and trained carrier call centers that leverage the built-in accelerometers, GPS trackability, and (ha, ha!) ease of use of cell and smart phones. In the meantime, PERS sales will grow, not as fast, but steadily as the population ages into frailty — remembering that 85+ is the fastest growing segment, that PERS contracts typically last only for two years.

• Games got gestures — someday seniors will benefit. With the launch of Microsoft’s Kinect interface, teens got a chance to jump higher while playing group Xbox games, including the ability to play group games simultaneously from separate locations.  But speaking instructions and using hand gestures is an important user interface change that can transform the accessibility of apps — check out this MIT Kinect browser navigation accomplishment posted just minutes (it seemed) after Kinect sold out at Target.

PREDICTION: Hand gestures, recognizable features, and spoken commands — app vendors, go forth and create! At least 5 vendors focused on the older adult market will offer a Kinect-enabled application by end of 2011. Throw in specific health and chronic disease management — many times five. Design-for-all apps, lots and lots.

• The iPad marginalized the need for an annoying PC operating system computer. In January, the iPad announcement looked pretty impressive… and the screen looked very pretty.  Well, doubt no more about boomers — these things are everywhere, boomers seem to love them and they (or their many, many imitators) are migrating into the homes and lives of older people — someone besides Apple will tell us how many.  These types of devices will, over time, make us forget that we used to need simplification software to overlay on top of complex and consumer-hostile devices.

PREDICTION: In our near-term lifetime, older adults depending on your children or Best Buy to upgrade Windows patches may become a distant memory. The same Microsoft that brought this brilliant Kinect interface into the market will hobble out its own tablet next week at CES. Maybe it will be foisted on enterprises through IT mandate, but among an older population for home use, forget it. Even though folks may have told AARP they won’t buy one, they just didn’t know what they were saying — AARP surveyed too early (June) about a product that had just began shipping (late March).  Newer products from other vendors will also make the concept of an operating system upgrade either quaint or invisible.

• eReaders eliminated the need for reading glasses. Meanwhile, as you can plainly see in airports, planes, trains, and TV commercials, the eReader (Nook, Shmook, etc.) is taking a big chunk out of physical books. As my husband has noted with his free Kindle reader for Blackberry, if you like to read, eReaders mean never having to search for your reading glasses.

PREDICTION: We are in a silly ‘i-this’ and ‘e-that’ phase right now — vendors may fight to the death to keep it that way, maybe even giving eReader devices away with a purchase of 10 or more books? But in the end, it’s pointless — eReader software will be on all tablets, game controllers, portable and phone-like devices.

• Caregiving software — is this really a standalone market? Along with initiatives to help caregivers, caregiving applications sprouted in 2010, but is this a category? With software as a service, these apps really seem to be functionality that is part of a larger caregiver portal, possibly white-labeled by a service or healthcare insurer/provider (like Kaiser Permanente) or offered by a home care agency as part of a solution that includes devices — including home health monitoring and/or web cameras.

PREDICTION: For those caregiving applications that are part of the professional caregiver services toolkit, 2011 will be the year in which the largest home care agencies (family/companion and health) expand their tech reach. They will include standard caregiving functionality that updates and includes family participation. They will consider Skype (or its equivalent) to be a core competence of Geriatric Care Managers — as with SeniorBridge. They will replace the requisite post-visit telephone call tag with the kind of simultaneously-viewable update that families can create with a portal like CaringBridge.

• Dementia undermines aging in place. All remote, health, and gadgety tech notwithstanding, let’s consider Alzheimer’s and the CDC’s statement that “nearly half of those age 85 and older may have the disease.” (Feel free to spend some time online trying to nail down that definition, the percentage, and/or its source, but I digress…) Wander prevention technology presumes a willing and available responder to receive those close-by alerts or forming a relationship with the local police to find the missing. It presumes someone is wearing a tag, device, necklace or bracelet. But we’re better at locating prisoners and dogs than we are at preventing people from wandering to the point of danger.

PREDICTION: During 2011, more vendors will emerge with unobtrusive tracking devices linked to smart notification software that incorporates a hierarchy of responders and a multiplicity of ways to reach them. Hey, maybe we’ll even see that GPS shoe (as of today predicted by Foot.com to ship in early February 2011). If there’s no associated service, though, the shoe will be absolutely useless.

• Vendors of age-related products and services still struggle to address the market properly. The pathway to sales is littered with the simultaneous obstacles of poor economic climate, limited funding, few solutions-versus-products, long sales cycles in many cases, complex decision-making relationships (adult child? senior? professional caregiver? who?) and new management learning curves. To tackle some of these obstacles and promote sharing of lessons learned, last year’s Silvers Summit spawned an AgeTek Alliance of vendors and supportive organizations, which will this year will hold training and networking sessions at CES.

PREDICTION: 2011 will (hopefully) see more coherent and reusable channel cultivation, more multi-vendor product bundling, growth in training of service providers and resellers, and greater awareness of appropriate tech among referrers like doctors, GCMs, and senior housing organizations. In 2009, I speculated about certification of service providers in technology for aging in place — in 2010, NAHB’s CAPS — Certified Aging in Place Specialist) program wisely split into two parts — Marketing and Communication Strategies for Aging and Accessibility (CAPS I) and Design/Build Solutions for Aging and Accessibility (CAPS II) — the latter includes an assessment of needs which will, hopefully, include tech communication requirements. In 2011, there will also be forward movement that exposes minimum product requirements — like usability, ease of installation, and ease of operation — through ever-greater exposure of actual user experiences. Although it makes sense to consolidate objectives and outcomes among age-related consortia and groups, that is highly unlikely in the near term. Finally, for those of you considering entrance into this market, please follow these Ten Tips.

• Bad prescription — hospitals and the elderly. Maybe you missed it a few days ago — more than 1 in 5 of those admitted to hospitals (2008) were over the age of 75. And those aged 85+ were 2.5 times as likely to need nursing care upon discharge as those age 65-74. Interestingly, Microsoft’s HealthVault Community Connect, “a portal solution that helps connect healthcare institutions to their referring communities and patients,” according to Microsoft’s Luisa Monge, is just beginning to be deployed as part of hospital admission — where discharge planning must begin if it is ever to function properly.

HOPE: To get to the hospital, someone has to call 911 (or drive in the car). My dream is that whoever does the calling or driving has the ability to produce a list of current medications on a sheet of paper that has all identifying information, including the name of the doctor, next of kin and contact info. This is so low-tech — if the very old can’t stay out of hospitals, can they at least arrive armed with their own data?

• Design for all or design for aging? Finally, let’s tackle the thorny issue of whether there is such a thing as ‘tech for seniors’ or should all tech incorporate certain core principles — in effect, ‘design-for-all?’  How about devices with good lighting, adjustable font, audible display options, color adjustments? And as Dr. Joseph Coughlin noted, shouldn’t tech be more FUN to use, not just utilitarian?

HOPE: In 2011, let’s hope that marketing senior-related products doesn’t have to be fear-focused to effectively reach the consumer.  Let’s hope that it becomes less and less important to design tech exclusively for the use of older adults. Let’s hope that everything we use is wonderfully easy to figure out, that the buttons on our new TV remotes are bigger, that configuring web-enabled television can be done in fewer than 5 perilous steps (this requirement was comfirmed by Best Buy), that the user manual is only a nice-to-have that comes with our phones, readers, tablets, and games. Let’s hope that if we want the full-featured, heavy-duty sophisticated options — or we want tech to be friendlier in the event that our dexterity, vision, or hearing declines ever so slightly — that even though you can’t always get (exactly) what you want, you can usually get what you need.

Editor’s Note: If you haven’t visited Laurie Orlov’s blog, Aging In Place Technology Watch, you should. When it comes to understanding technology as it relates to aging, there is NO better source of information.

I (Tom Mann of Love and Company) recently presented “Improving Marketing and Sales for your Retirement Community, CCRC, Assisted Living, or Skilled Nursing Care Facility” at the LifeSpans educational seminar. Here’s the PowerPoint I presented with transcriptions!

On the horizon is a DVD player so he can watch M*A*S*H reruns and other programs and movies he so enjoys.  And he’s on the waiting list for “Honor Flight” next year, a program that transports World War II veterans to see their memorial in Washington, D.C.

WORKSHOPS FOCUS ON BRAIN FITNESS

By Kate Ward
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
FAYETTEVILLE — If she’s not looking for her car keys, 68-year-old Billie Jean Harvey said she’s probably trying to remember where she put her seam ripper.

“Sometimes, I just get lost in time,” the Fayetteville resident said. “I get tied up with what I’m doing and completely forget my schedule.”

Harvey is among a group of area residents who hope to improve their memories and stave off dementia and Alzheimer’s disease through a series of brain fitness workshops known as Super Noggin. The yearlong program, hosted by the Fayetteville Senior Activity and Wellness Center, began last week and is open to anyone at no cost.

“These workshops are based on studies that have found the brain, when challenged in certain ways, grows new brain cells no matter how old you are,” said Sherri Napier, director of the center. “It was always thought that as you age you lose brain mass and can’t recover. The studies found that only 30 percent of Alzheimer’s and dementia cases were due to heredity and 70 percent could be prevented though lifestyle changes.”

Napier conducts the same workshop twice each week to reach as many participants as possible. After the eight workshops are complete, the program will continue with monthly meetings that will feature various nutritional, fitness and medical speakers.

Angie Dunlap, a community programs support specialist for the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Arkansas, said Super Noggin is recommended for anyone over the age of 30, but is suitable for people of all ages. The agency operates the senior center.

The program was created by LEAF Ltd., a nonprofit organization “dedicated to serving the brain fitness needs of boomers and beyond.”

In addition to cognitive exercises, Super Noggin emphasizes physical activity and nutrition. Participants receive workbooks to chart their progress throughout the program.

“As we age, it’s just as important to exercise our minds as it is our bodies,” Dunlap said. “It’s what keeps us sharp.”

Napier, who became a certified Super Noggin instructor through the Area Agency on Aging, said a study analyzing car accident patients and stroke victims revealed that certain cognitive exercises promote the growth of new brain cells. Those same exercises, which are included in the Super Noggin program, have been tailored to improve the memory of normal, aging adults. The program is not designed for those already diagnosed with a cognitive decline.

“People get into the habit of doing the same thing each day, so we teach them to do things outside the norm,” she said. “For instance, we tell them to try brushing their teeth with their left hand instead of their right. We might also encourage them to try taking a different route to the grocery store and begin their shopping in a different section.”

Tom Mann, a Super Noggin business development consultant, said the program was developed by LEAF Ltd. founder Bruce Findley and is based on the Nun Study, a 40-year study of Alzheimer’s and aging.

“There was a group of nuns who were kind enough to donate their brains to science for a biopsy upon their death,” he said. “What surprised researchers was that their brains showed signs of Alzheimer’s, but they didn’t exhibit any of the symptoms when they were living. It was kind of an ‘aha’ moment.”

Mann said researchers wanted to know what the nuns did differently to prevent the symptoms of Alzheimer’s from appearing. Scientists later learned that the sisters ate healthy food, got plenty of sleep, engaged in physical and mental activity and had the genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s.

“Bruce Findley is a resident of a retirement community in Florida and he wanted to give something back to seniors,” Mann said. “He found that cognitive fitness programs are more useful in a social setting than in a computer setting. He designed Super Noggin so that it could be practiced as a group.”

Harvey said she and her husband worry about losing their memory because both of their mothers were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She said she works to keep her mind sharp by doing puzzles and volunteering, but is concerned that her husband, 69-year-old Charles “Winston” Harvey, is stuck in a routine.

“He’s very repetitive in everything he does and I sometimes see him doing things my mother used to do,” she said. “That scares me because he’s too young for that. He’s had four back surgeries in three years and he doesn’t feel well, but that’s no reason to shut down.”

Harvey said she and her husband learned about Super Noggin while volunteering at the Fayetteville Senior Center. She said she was relieved when her husband agreed to participate in the program.

“I want to do whatever it takes to keep my brain sharp, but my husband gets defensive when I tell him what to do,” she said. “I think he’ll listen if he hears it from someone else. We’re both excited.”

Is a game the way to consumers' hearts?

Mature Market Experts: more boomer, senior, and mature market news and stats you can use – Beyond Banner Ads. The yet fully unrealized potential of internet advertising hangs just out of reach as a tantalizing fruit for advertisers, as television advertising once did at its inception. The challenge is for advertisers to crack the code – how to get online users to pay attention to their marketing message. Especially, how to get the lucrative, savvy, mature baby boomer market to heed commercials as they browse the web, with real increases of sales in consumer goods and services. Some think the key to unlocking this elusive riddle will be to integrate enhanced interactive systems such as Microsoft’s new Kinect with the internet experience. To see a demo review of Kinect in game form click here. To read more on its advertising potential click here.

Don’t laugh, boomers and seniors have been big fans of augmented reality games from the beginning. An now, brain fitness programs like Super Noggin are incorporating games like these into their programming. It won’t be long before we see advertising as part of the environment.

Minor rant: I recently pulled out the instructions for my Jawbone headset … ugggg! Are you kidding me! The smallest, most impossible font I have EVER seen made the directions impossible to read! AliphCom, who do you think is buying these expensive bluetooth headsets? Let me give you a hint, they’re older and they have money. Please, please, please have your designer call us before you create your next packaging.

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