I love the insight on how we can provide and cater to the citizens from the golden age era. Most would overlook how this age of population as they would focus more on the current younger population while there is a whole diversely populated pool of potential target market. Love it.

A great effort by the author Susan Wilner in guiding marketers, companies, and individuals to an accurate stage-based view of life. Age does not determine who you are, nor how you life, so traditional, pat divisions of markets into neat, numbers-based boxes do not truly nor usefully help you understand a person, never mind a group that is growing by the thousands every day. Being a member of that older cohort, I can see the honest effort to clarify things by the author. Thank you, Ms. Golden for a clear-eyed, gripping, fact-based view into a wild new territory in consumer understanding and opportunity for those who focus on age, not stage. A nice recommendation for policy makers and everyone.

Having worked in the senior market for over a decade, I was thrilled to pick up ”Stage (Not Age)” by Susan Wilner Golden to clarify the shifts we have perceived. I nodded affirmatively to each page and, before I was 20%, I was encouraging others to read it. It gives vocabulary to experiences marketers are looking to communicate about with those offering products and services to seniors, context to the changes we need to make as society and insights into how exciting, dynamic and rewarding working in this industry can be.

My book is highlighted from start to finish, and I can only highly recommend getting your own copy! Before you write it off for those who work with ”old people”, its worth noting those people are ones with buying power, more disposable income and more free time. They are also looked to for guidance on products and services, so even if your offering isn’t designed for them, consider understanding them.

Quote-worthy statements:

”Since health is improving and cognitive decline rates are falling, we must eliminate the old stereotypes of how people will age…Already well over half of people eighty-five years old are indeed able to live independently.”
“…the three-stage life of learn, earn retire, no longer holds and that the increasing healthspans decrease the importance of age in the market….Rather, it will be stage that defines what types of products and services a person will need; how they should be marketed to: who should be marketed to; and how education, work, and career will need to change.”
”A focus on stage will also cause all business sectors, including education, entertainment, clothing, travel and housing, to consider and develop a new strategy that incorporates the new longevity opportunity.”
The author unpacks how stages will replace retirement, shares ways to understand the new stages we are encountering and shares how that will look different for each business interacting with older adults (the preferred term). She highlights key ways we can leverage this knowledge to reap the rewards of better servicing a growing industry whilst combating ageism. Interspersed with case studies, this is an easy-to-follow guide and I found it an engaging read.

If you can, be sure to get this one, I’ll be looking to share it far and wide! It’s a five out of five on the enJOYment scale.

I appreciated the opportunity to re-imagine the opportunities and implications that longevity presents. The many examples provided bring clarity to many concepts that we know but, perhaps, don't leverage to do things differently, eg what does it mean for marketers that over half of eighty-five-year-olds are well enough to live independently? (Contrast this with a stereotypical belief that over sixty-fives become dependent on others, grow frail and sickly and live on residential care. (My summary)). What does that change? The author rightly highlights what that means for our work span (a multigenerational workforce), their economic value and expectations and questions the value of words such as senior and retirement.

There are also great examples of how marketing professionals can change the focus of the strategies and campaigns such as recognising a multigenerational customer base (end user, customer and payer may vary).and so too the need to use different media and distribution channels.

I have been a marketing professional since the early eighties (and been marketing to this demographic) so became of others creating significant awareness in this area, eg: I have had the privilege to read and follow the work of Ken Dychtwaldt and Tom Peters for over 3o years so a number of the concepts are not new to me. The 'older person' is not one homogenous group but like any other demographic comprises many market sectors, the stereotyping of 'older people' which makes this group unrelatable to many. So this is useful work that adds to the conversation and I recommend it to those who are responsible for and deal directly with over sixties and to those who are looking to serve their diverse needs.

From the publisher, " Stage (Not Age) is the concise guide to helping companies understand that people over sixty are a deeply diverse population. They're travelling through different life stages and therefore want and need different products and services." "In many countries, people over sixty are the fastest-growing age group."

With thanks to #Netgalley, Harvard Business Review Press and the author for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review

STAGE (NOT AGE) by Susan Wilner Golden deals with "How to Understand and Serve People Over 60--the Fastest Growing, Most Dynamic Market in the World." Golden, who advises and lectures on longevity at Stanford argues that "the tectonic demographic shift must be met with a similarly immense mindset shift." She spends the first part of the book exploring language (e.g., lifespan generally refers to a numerical age vs. healthspan which she characterizes as a 'stage' concept) along with marketing segmentation. Golden's publisher describes STAGE (NOT AGE) as "the concise guide to helping companies understand that people over sixty are a deeply diverse population." And in the second part of the book, Golden reviews companies which have successful longevity strategies; she also looks at different types of customers, plus distribution issues, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Golden helpfully begins each of her eight chapters with a summary of its big idea and ends each with a list of key takeaways. In addition, she devotes roughly ten percent to the book to a valuable list of resources, further reading, and notes. Another relevant text is The Longevity Economy by Joseph F. Coughlin, the founder and director of the MIT AgeLab, who I recently heard speak. In fact, it is projected that in fifteen years there will be more Americans over 65 than under 18 – offering fascinating questions on how organizations – public and private – can best plan to meet the likely challenges and leverage this growing opportunity. Students, too, will find much to reflect upon. 4.5 stars

A standing ovation for Susan Wilner Golden's STAGE (NOT AGE) in guiding marketers, companies, and individuals to an accurate stage-based view of life. Age does not determine who you are, nor how you life, so traditional, pat divisions of markets into neat, numbers-based boxes do not truly nor usefully help you understand a person, never mind a group that is growing by the thousands every day. Being a member of that older cohort, I can attest to the wild range of lifestyles, health, and personalities of older individuals now possessing wealth, health, and power to shape and enrich the world. Thank you, Ms. Golden for a clear-eyed, gripping, fact-based view into a wild new territory in consumer understanding and opportunity for those who focus on age, not stage. I received an advance copy of this book and these are my own, unbiased thoughts.

I took a MOOC, Life 101, with a pharmacist and researcher at UC Irvine. She introduced me to the idea of healthspan.

I was interested in the list of market opportunities that the author listed in the appendix for potential entrepreneurs. I live in Florida, where the market for such companies means that there are already players fulfilling those needs. For example, if you want to install a grab bar in your house, it's easy to find a local contractor who will. In addition, my parents both have virtual visits with a doctor or nurse fairly regularly about their overall health. They go to a primary care doctor in person, but the insurance company pushes additional check-ups. I received a review copy from NetGalley and have left my opinion.