Internet ads don’t suit the oldies

The older internet users are, the less likely they are to feel that online ads are directed at them, according to Burst Media research.

ClickZ reports that, according to the survey of 13,000 internet users broken down by age, just 19% of people aged 55 years or older said they believe online content, ads, and site design are geared to their age demographic.

In the next younger tranche, aged 45 to 54, 35% felt online content was suited to their needs. But for people aged 18 to 24 and 35 to 44, 76% and 74% respectively said online ads and content are geared for people their age, more than twice as many as older people.

The lesson is that advertisers need to think about the age demographic they are targeting and customise their ads accordingly – and that the older age bracket market may be going untapped.

“There is a fine balance we have to strike here; having advertising that is much more relevant to the consumer and the age segment,” Chuck Moran, marketing director at Burst Media, says.