Barbara Haines, BBS Communications Group, Senior Account Manager
Understanding customers’ wants and needs – and the macro and micro factors at play – is integral to effective marketing, communications and engagement.
In the retirement living sector, this means tracking trends and behaviours broadly and as they relate to each new generation entering this phase.
It also means engaging potential residents (amongst all stakeholders) early ahead of forthcoming change.
For example, how might customers be engaged on the potential shifts below, to better question, plan and implement for these?
COVID-19 further redefining retirement
While the shift towards semi-retirement for those aged 55+ has been occurring for some time, the COVID-19 pandemic has further revolutionised the Australian working experience.
As of March 2022, 46% of Australians are still working from home at least one day per week, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
If greater workplace flexibility continues, might more Australians work beyond traditional retirement age?
For product development and marketing, how might this impact the desire for in-home or communal working spaces in communities?
Next-gen retirees
Already the first members of Generation X have turned 55, with the earliest of Generation Y to do so in just over a decade.
As McCrindle highlights, Generation X has been the first for which dual-income families and rapid technological advancements have been the norm, with consumers seeking products and services blending luxury, innovation and the benefits of time-saving.
As these next-gen retirees consider their lifestyle options, they may also do so through the lens of values like sustainability and conscious consumption.
How will these factors impact community location, design and construction elements and the sales and marketing focus?
For further insights on engaging customers through the change journey, please visit the BBS Communications Group website.