ユーティリティ業界におけるシニア市場

Introduction

Utilities should think harder about the over-50s. This segment contains greater value opportunities, and seniors are beginning to switch. By 2025, the over-50s will make up 40% of the customer base in Western Europe. Utilities cannot ignore this group, but nor can they treat the over-50s as one segment of the population. In fact, this segment is more diverse than any other age group.

Scope of this report

• Segmentation of the 'over-50' lifestage, based on lifestyle and attitude as well as age and income.
• Insight into the lifestyles of senior consumers, providing the basis for segmentation.
• Advice on how to communicate with senior consumers - the channels to use and the marketing myths to avoid.

Research and analysis highlights

Longer lives can mean more profit. Britons are now living to an average age of 80 or more, with similar averages in the rest of Western Europe. So acquiring a 50-year-old customer may be the beginning of a 30-year supply relationship long enough for an attractive lifetime value.

This segment is diverse, utilities need to attract senior customers, but will find it increasingly difficult if they continue to use a mass-market approach. As utilities become more loath to compete on price, they will find that some segments of senior consumers are especially receptive to customer service propositions.

Avoiding the myths using outmoded stereotypes will not make utilities appear relevant. Instead, they should show seniors as a critical part of their customer base.

Key reasons to read this report

• Gain commercial advantage through better understanding of the largest section of the customer base in Western Europe.
• Understand how lifestyle segmentational factors can be introduced into a customer database.
• Design marketing that demonstrates awareness of the lives and needs of senior consumers, thus avoiding alienating them and even losing them to rivals.

CHAPTER 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction

Being over 50

Segmenting the over-50s

Communicating with the over-50s

Key findings

Action points

CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCTION

What is this report about?

Who is the target reader?

How to use this report

CHAPTER 3 BEING OVER 50

Introduction

Key findings

What does it mean when a consumer turns 50?

Life changing events after 50

Being over 50 is changing

CHAPTER 4 SEGMENTING THE OVER-50S

Introduction

Key findings

Size and growth of the entire '50+' segment

Segmentation by income and wealth

Segmenting seniors by age

Segmenting by lifestyle

Lifestyle drivers: age and period effects

CHAPTER 5 COMMUNICATING WITH THE OVER-50S

Introduction

Key findings

Talk to them in person

If you cannot speak to them in person, send them a magazine

A youthful advertising industry does not understand senior consumers

Avoiding marketing myths

Showing seniors with pride

Summary

CHAPTER 6 ACTION POINTS

Introduction

What to look out for

Why utilities need to pay attention

How to communicate with them

Developing the home services market

Design products for them

CHAPTER 7 APPENDIX

Energy writing team

How to contact experts in your industry

List of Tables

Table 1: Proportion of EU population contracting various types of loan in 2000 - the over 55s contract fewer non mortgage loans than any other age category

Table 2: 50 - 59 year olds - how many millions will be in employment?

Table 3: 60 - 69 year olds - fewer of them work, but the changes are going to be more dramatic

Table 4: 70 - 84 year olds - huge increases from a tiny base, except in Italy

Table 5: The average age of first time mothers - soon it will be 30

Table 6: Proportion of Europeans living alone - i.e. bill payers

Table 7: Europeans participating in various activities in a typical week, by age (%), 2002

Table 8: European life expectancy forecasts by country (5 year averages) - we are going to live longer

Table 9: Average income for three age groups - 50 - 64 is the richest category, but the over 65s are the poorest

Table 10: Distribution of population by income group by age and country, (%) 2002

Table 11: The effectiveness of different channels of communication

Table 12: An analysis of product categories featuring 50-plus models in advertisements

Table 13: Reported likely take up rates of electrical wiring insurance - the older people get, the less likely they are to take it

Table 14: Percentage of each age category saying that they would buy boiler and heating insurance

Table 15: Plumbing and drainage - the same story

List of Figures

Figure 1: Mega-lifestage durations - later adulthood is the most protracted lifestage of them all

Figure 2: Young Adults' financial and residential reliance on parents

Figure 3: Youthful seniors

Figure 4: Over-50s as a percentage of total population in Europe - already, nearly 40% of women are over 50, in two decades, nearly 50% will be

Figure 5: The period effect - attitudes diverge in later life

Figure 6: The age segments, the formative period and the values they have imbibed

Figure 7: Distribution of seniors

Figure 8: Across Europe, people prefer to talk to their utility in person

Figure 9: The story is little different in the UK

Figure 10: Self referential creative processes