I went to our local home improvement store this weekend to buy some paint. Let me tell you, that place was busy. Apparently, when the weather is rainy and chilly, what better time is it to repaint a room or two? That is what the six-other people at the paint desk and I thought.
So here I am on Monday morning, still brainstorming on how I want our loft area to look, and what do I see? The most clicked article of last week is about home renovation!
Just as a refresher, we recap the most clicked and most shared of mature marketing news from the previous week. Happy (in our case, rainy) Monday!
Most Clicked – Aging in Place: Home Remodeling Edition
Joyce M. Rosenberg of the Associated Press recently explored home renovations and how baby boomers are impacting the growth of the home remodeling industry.
As these boomers plan for retirement, they also are preparing for their future health through remodeling their homes with features known as “universal design.”
The baby boomer generation is at the forefront of a trend that has become known as “aging in place” – retirees trying to stay in their home and have the health services they need come to them – and small businesses in home renovations are reaping the benefits.
From walk-in showers to widening of doorways boomers are anticipating their needs so they can still live comfortably and safely at home, Rosenberg says.
According to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, “A large share of these [home remodeling] households live in older homes in the Northeast and Midwest, where the housing stocks have few if any universal design features.”
The need for accessible housing is rising as boomers retire. In fact, according to the study, 65 plus homeowners are predicted to account for 33% of remodeling spends by 2025. Already those 55 and older account for over half of home improvement dollars, driving the market.
Rosenberg notes that this is quite different than the past when homeowners handled maintenance, repairs and landscaping but did not renovate their property. Younger homeowners also are preparing by remodeling their own homes, should their parents come to live with them.
According to Fred Ulreich, CEO of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, home remodeling companies began seeing growth 18 months ago and are still expected to see growth thanks to the boomer generation.
50+ Marketing Tip: Home remodeling companies should gear more of their marketing to the baby boomer generation. We are constantly reminded of home improvement projects through TV shows and Do-It-Yourself videos, so why not focus on content that helps this older generation improve their current home for their future needs?
To see the full article click here: http://dpo.st/2oDSbAy
Most Shared – Largest Group of Poverty AND Wealth? Single Older Women
AARP recently hosted an “Innovation@50+” event, and we shared one of their tweets from the event, featuring aging leader Ken Dychtwald:
50+ Marketing Tip: Jessica Ruhle, a Creating Results Client Service Director, says targeting single older women online with advertising that promotes ongoing events catered to these women has been most effective. Use authentic photos of older women in your display ads and in landing pages, so female targets will feel welcome/comfortable.
For more marketing tips for single mature women, check out this blog post from 2012, “Five Fast Facts and Related Marketing Marketing Tips about Baby Boomer and Senior Women:” http://bit.ly/z4E0JM.