Designed with care

Editor's note: Gail Fudemberg is president of GRF Marketing, Ltd., a Chicago research firm.

Sherry is a widow who enjoys spending her time teaching pre-school part-time, swimming daily, golfing and attending movies, concerts and the theater. Her schedule is heavily booked with evenings out planned weeks in advance. Sherry is 80. Recently, a close girlfriend from childhood passed away and she quickly stepped in to pick up the void by befriending her husband. He is 86. They hit it off and now enjoy dining out. They both drive, work and are still independent.

One corner of their world frustrates and irritates them - their feeling of self-sufficiency is challenged by the difficulty they encounter when trying to open packaging. For example, Sherry was trying to fix a dinner at her condo and found herself unable to get into many of the food products without resorting to scissors or a knife. This is frustrating for someone who typically has no problem operating in her world. Her new friend finds opening the package of batteries for his new digital hearing aids and reading the enclosed instructions cumbersome.

The current senior landscape reflects the peaks and valleys of everyone's life and a glimpse into the future for aging Baby Boomers. It is an increasingly important segment of the population that has yet to come of age in the eyes of those marketing to them. This is a group that needs special consideration from manufacturers, packagers and advertisers in addressing their needs.

More demanding

Consumers are becoming more and more demanding when it comes to package design. I myself have difficulty opening certain packages and I have no physical limitations. I've often wondered about what I would do if I had arthritis or limited mobility in my arms.

How are packagers supposed to learn about the needs of this market? That's where marketing research comes in. Research can be a useful tool when incorporated into the beginning of the package design process. Designers should be kept updated on the research findings to prevent later misunderstandings, a process most researchers and designers recommend to ensure that the complete package and advertising campaign can present a unified message to consumers.

Herb Murrie, founder of MLR Designs, senses that package companies are not utilizing focus groups and in-depth interviews to better understand the way to design the most compelling packaging. "I think there is a whole approach that is being very underused," he says. The tricky part of the research process is to make sure the moderator doesn't act like the art director, he says. The purpose of the research shouldn't be to ask about color preferences but to draw out emotional responses to communication. Also, he says, market research is useful to reduce the chances of putting something into the marketplace in a bad package. A problem that is identified and dealt with early may make it easier to promote a product successfully.

Greg Erickson, former director of The Institute for Packaging Professionals, says that packaging, particularly that which is difficult to use, needs to be tested with the target market and across the age range of intended consumers. "You may find people you don't intend to use it will try it," Erickson says. Follow-up market research is also useful after the product hits the shelf to see how it and its competition are faring.

Conducting qualitative research with seniors

It's important when conducting marketing research in the senior category that parameters are established from the onset of the project. Many times the client(s) are younger brand managers or agency staff with a narrow frame of reference when it comes to working with this category. They tend to skew the age of the respondents down and think that people in their 50s are considered seniors. It is up to the qualitative researcher to educate them about the appropriate age and the segments within the senior market. It's also essential to talk with clients about expectations when conducting research in this category. Sometimes, recruiting seniors is tricky and there are issues with respondents getting sick at the last minute or showing up and being too frail, hard-of-hearing or forgetful about bringing their glasses.

One suggestion for warming up the senior respondents is to hire a limousine to pick them up and bring them to the facility. It gives them a chance to get acquainted and makes them feel like royalty. I also have the respondents brought into the room and served some type of refreshment upon their arrival to the facility (it's important to be mindful of dietary restrictions). This allows me the opportunity to observe them from behind the mirror and look for any respondents who may not be able to participate in the group. I recall one situation where I knew one female respondent did not have the strength to speak loud enough to be heard and had her politely removed before the group began.

It's important to realize that though many of the respondents will be wearing hearing aids they may still have some difficulty in hearing. Seniors appreciate not being reminded of their limitations so the researcher needs to remember to face the person they are addressing so they have a better chance of hearing them the first time. This eliminates any embarrassment and facilitates keeping the group on schedule. Other potential interferences include some drowsiness or lack of attention among respondents due to their medications. One time I asked a senior how they felt about a certain situation and they replied, "I feel fine!"

Senior respondents often view participating in a focus group as a recreational event and try very hard to be helpful. They are there because they really want to help us.

How not to use research

Market research plays an important role in package design, but it must be implemented with care. Slipping the market research component in at the end is not strategic. By this point the creative work is complete and alternative designs are ready for presentation to consumers. Packagers tend to test these designs with consumers in the target market to see which they like best. This is a risky method in deciding which package to use because the designing of the package was guided by the creative process not by the motivating factors that drive purchase. Discovering the components of why people buy - the drivers, the emotional barriers, the psychological landscape - can be incorporated into the packaging and design and help prevent the creative staff from relying on trial and error.

However, focus groups are not without their dangers, though a good moderator should be able to work around most problems that arise. For example, the opinions expressed by one group member may sway those of other respondents, unless the moderator is able to keep that person under control, Murrie says. "You have a strong individual in a panel of 10 people and you've got people in there who are afraid to express their honest opinions because they don't want to look like idiots."

Even in the absence of a dominator, some respondents may have strong feelings but may want to avoid confrontation by agreeing with others in the group. This will not help the packager better understand what is motivating the consumer to purchase the product category. Marketers must refrain from attempting to draw quantitative conclusions from the qualitative process, and avoid using a respondent vote, for example, as a way to select packaging.

Actually, an examination of flaws that bother respondents can often help uncover what it is the respondent really wants. Sometimes, these products turn out to be the greatest performers!

Successful outcome

Selecting an appropriate qualitative marketing consultant is key to the successful outcome to a project. Some ways to ensure that the qualitative professional performs productively include:

  • Bring the moderator in from the beginning of the design process to meet and interact with the team, including the designers. The moderator can coach the people behind the mirror on how the research will unfold and help clients screen out any pre-existing conclusions from their radar while watching groups or interviews.
  • Allow the qualitative professional the latitude to design the methodology they think best fits the client's goals.
  • Be flexible! Expect some hitches along the way and be open to change.
  • Acknowledge the skills of the seasoned moderator, who will know how to contain an aggressive respondent or bring out those who lend to be lazy or seem content to agree with everyone in the group.

Senior facts

For those new to qualitative marketing research with seniors and aging Baby Boomers, I'd like to share a few basic facts about this unique segment, which is characterized by clusters within it.

  • People aged 55-65 are the "young seniors," those aged 65-75 are considered to be "middle seniors" and the 75+ group are the "older seniors."
  • Growth from 1980-1990 in the number of those 65+ was 88 percent as compared to a 34 percent growth rate for those under 65 years old.
  • One in five will be elderly by 2030!
  • Currently (year 2000) there are 34.7 million elderly in the United States. By the year 2050, 78.9 million will be elderly.
  • The "older senior" market, those aged 85+, is also growing rapidly. Currently there are 4.3 million in this category, with 18.2 million expected by 2050!

Closer look

"Senior Power" will definitely be a trademark of our future as Baby Boomers glide into this next stage of life. They will be flexing their muscles as consumers, and this will impact the workplace, the advertising world and the development of new products and packaging to meet their needs. Qualitative marketing research is a tool that needs to be more utilized as packagers tweak their designs with seniors on their mind.