Not segmenting the Seniors target is risky, as much as using a “miraculous recipe” is.

The topic of segmenting Seniors target has been discussed for a long time in the US. Many research results have been proposed by experts, especially in this country, and have been used by actors of the market.

Once different kinds of segmentation are defined, which one should be used?

Let’s talk about segmentation in the US, where they have been used for a long time. First segmentations were based on the “age” criteria. Then, Yankelovitch’s typology gave birth to “generational marketing”. Psychographic segmentations introduced by Moschis are more recent.

Yankelovich uses a segmentation that divides Seniors in two subgroupings, and Baby-boomers in three sub-segments: trailing boomers, core boomers and leading boomers.

French sociologist Jean Luc Excousseau, founder of the French association of generational marketing, achieved a similar work.

For example, someone who grew up during war may have been educated not to waste and to consume the bare essentials, and these habits will have an influence on his future consumption.

Events experienced by a same generation take part in the development of a values system common to the population of this population.

The American Association of Retired Persons developed its own sub-segmentation among Baby-boomers.

Let’s quote as well “Value Portraits” segmentation defined by the American division specialized on the Seniors market of J. Walter Thompson, with the collaboration of Seniors Research Group.  In this category feature as well the segmentation “Profiles Values” by strategic, which is developed in France.

Psychographic segmentations based on values are currently the most popular. They enable to “forget” the age, which comes as an advantage on the Seniors market.

Leading companies on the Seniors market understood that using a standard segmentation is a mistake. Many of them adapted former segmentations or developed their own segmentation. Not segmenting the Seniors target is risky, as much as using a “miraculous recipe” is.

The idea is to develop a segmentation that matches a field of activity, according to objectives and resources, not to remind one of these methods as the best one.