You don’t know aarp – Reinvented Marketing

A common challenge faced by many marketers is the need to reinvent themselves as customer needs and attitudes evolve. Perhaps an overused example of this is the baby boomer’s self-perception – one that is clearly different than the generation before him. And one organization that has, in my opinion, perfected that “reinvention” is AARP.

Now there’s an acronym that screams, “you’re old.” Am I right? Long synonymous with “past your prime,” “moving to the slow lane,” AARP is an organization that you don’t want to identify yourself with. Or do you? The organization has actually been quite visionary in its offerings of tools and services for its target audience. But how can they get that audience to even glance their way to become informed of these tools and services? That’s where the “you don’t know aarp” campaign caught my 40-something eye.

This television campaign promotes Real Possibilities, a series of tools and services that deliver all sorts of benefits including sharpening your mind, leveraging technology and finding a new career. But the way in which they do this is where the reinvention comes in. Each spot features fast-moving footage of what could be an adult of any age. High-heeled legs walking briskly, a hoodie-clad figure doing pushups, a person loading boxes into a truck … these scenes quickly transition to present a product or benefit that one may not expect from AARP, but it’s the audio that drives the message home … “you don’t know aarp.” Not A-A-R-P, but the non-word word “aarp,” rhymes with sharp. And that’s exactly what it is … sharp marketing.

What part of your marketing message needs reinvented? I guarantee there is something in your messaging mix that is no longer resonating and needs a refresh. It’s always a good idea to audit your marketing, tune your messaging and ensure that you are making the kind of impact that delivers upon your efforts.