Wearable fitness trackers are not only growing in popularity among fitness enthusiasts and competitive athletes, seniors are also beginning to use these devices as a means to monitor their general health, with 48% stating they are willing to use wearables.
In fact, 17% of Americans over the age of 65 use wearables to track fitness or other health vitals. With more than 10,000 Americans celebrating their 65th birthday every day until 2030, this audience is emerging as a prosperous market for fitness wearable manufacturers. Many of these people in the 65+ age range have discussed the use of wearables with physicians as a means to track health, allowing them to have a stronger understanding of their heart rate and other important vital signs.
While targeting fitness enthusiasts and athletes is still a priority for wearable fitness device companies, it’s important to consider messaging that may appeal to older audiences who are interested in monitoring general health and vitals, at times recommended by their physician. This audience requires an entirely different approach to marketing.
- Messaging should focus on the risks of not actively monitoring your health as well as the potential benefits of providing health data to your physician for evaluation
- Older demographics are less likely to use emerging marketing channels to learn about new products. Make sure traditional outlets such as broadcast media and newspaper are considered in your marketing strategies. Facebook may also be a channel to consider, which is more likely to be frequented by older demographics than other social channel
Sources: Forbes.com
