Samsung, the electronics giant, is finding new ways to engage and serve older consumers, who could often benefit from using smart digital tech in their daily lives.

At the recent CES 2020 event in Las Vegas, Natalie Schneider, Samsung’s vp/digital health, explained that “there are a lot of misconceptions about the technology that has been designed for seniors”.

Some of it, she maintained, was “embarrassing”, in that it subjects consumers to a kind of humiliation that all but screams, “I’m old!” Mature audiences, she said, “want inclusive technology.

“And ‘inclusive tech’ means it makes accommodations for inevitable declines in hearing and vision,” but allows them to age in place. (For more, read WARC’s report: Samsung finds new tech markets as seniors embrace “aging at home”.)

The Baby Boomer generation is far less inclined than its predecessor to shuffle off to the shelter and comfort of elder housing, preferring to remain in their own homes as long as they possibly can.

“Enabling seniors to age in place is a huge trend that shows promise” for marketers that respond to the new behaviour, Schneider reported. “People who want to stay in their homes longer and longer are able to do that, because of the technologies that are coming out.”

But beware of tailoring the tech too specifically, she cautioned. “It can be really tricky if you get too precise around the segments; you end up having a very schizophrenic brand,” she advised.

With that understanding, “when we’ve thought about product design and brand marketing, it’s not been to specifically create products just for seniors,” Schneider said.

“That’s not necessarily what they want. They want great products that remove friction, that work, and that work in a way that fits in their lives.”

Sourced from WARC