1. Consumer and
Organisational
Psychology
It’s all in the mind:
Changing the way we think about age
David Bunker, BBC
Lisa Edgar, The Big Window
The Big Window Consultancy Limited
www.the-big-window.co.uk l info@the-big-window.co.uk

2. Imagine… …so you decide…

3. …a pretty typical sample…
Age
Gender
SEG/Wealth
Behaviours

4. …though you wanted to keep it tight…
Age
64years
Gender
Male/Female
SEG/Wealth
AB/affluent
Behaviours
Travels
Eats
out
Domestic help

5. Mod All 64 (2012)
Essential

6.  The female group not feeling any more cohesive!
Mod All 64 (2012)
Essential

7.  All of which challenges our thinking and use of
chronological age
 does it really bind us together?
Jacob Rees Mogg Jack Black
43 years old in 2012 43 years old in 2012

8.  At a time when we really need to understand more about age
 getting older
35%
30%
30%
28%
25%
22%
20%
2010
15% 2030
2050
10%
5%
0%
0-14 years 15-29 years 30-44 years 45-59 years 60+ years
(ONS, 2010)
 and living longer

9. Ultimately, we needed to understand how
consumers saw themselves, not how we see
them
 perceived age

10. We approached the BBC and asked if
they were interested too
 they were

11.  Our challenges
1. develop a model and measures for perceived age
2. identify the key determinants of perceived age
3. predict consumer preferences and behaviours using
perceived age
4. help organisations understand their
consumers/audiences better and help them more
accurately target and communicate with them
➔ the Age Frame

12. Developed a 10-item
questionnaire
Additional questions
-disposition
-situation
-motivation
Placed on BBC ‘Pulse’ media
panel (5th - 15th Dec, 2011)
c3000 responses

13.  What we found was fascinating
3.6
2.6
1.3
Years
17.0 22.0 27.0 32.0 37.0 42.0 47.0 52.0 57.0 62.0 67.0 74.5
-0.9
-3.2
-4.2
-7.0
-9.0
-11.2
-12.5
-13.9
-16.5
I feel
58 years old

14.  After early 70s: the gap starts to narrow
tAF© Age
70.0
60.0
Chronological age
50.0
Perceived age (tAF©)
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
17 22 27 32 37 42 47 52 57 62 67 75
Chronological age

15.  A predictive model for an overall perceived age
construct
 … and the factors that underpin it
Overall the Age Frame© Construct
‘Internal AF ‘Interactive AF ‘External AF’
Age’ Age’ age

16. Engaged in Modern Life
Mentally (> physically)
stimulated
PC/Internet
Savvy
Young at Heart Older at heart
Confident
Spontaneous
 implications for social policy…?

17. More traditional
Limited
PC/Internet use
Less engaged
Young at Heart Older at heart
‘Planners’
More cautious

18. Exciting potential
 Sector-appropriate analysis
 Brand-mapping
 Marketing and communication development
 Social policy
 … now for the test

19. Perceived age – a real opportunity
 Big age study in November 2011 – published this year
 Reinforced that age on paper not the whole story
 Perceived Age has potential to explain actual consumption
Serving all
ages
The views of the audience
and experts
Authors: Clarissa White, Gareth Morrell, Clare Luke and Penny Young (NatCen Social
Research) with David Bunker (BBC)
Date: 31/01/2012

20. Mapping out programmes and channels
Older at
heart
Consumers are relatively ‘older at heart’
Age 20 Age 70
Younger at
heart
Consumers are relatively ‘young at heart’

21. TV
Younger at Older at
heart heart
channels

22. 30 50

23. 50 70

24. Perceived age adds another dimension
 Younger at heart of all ages drawn to lighter content –
celebrity, fashion, talk shows, entertainment and comedy,
music radio – but also arts and Radio 3!
 Older at heart of all ages drawn to more ‘substantial’
subjects – current and consumer affairs, religion, nature,
speech radio – but also to quiz and leisure shows
 Presenters/treatments can cross boundaries – Who Do You
Think You Are/Brian Cox

25. How could we use this insight?
 Many commercial and non commercial opportunities
 Some ideas BBC will be exploring:
 More intelligent scheduling
 More sympathetic trail/ad context
 More intelligent targeting of new viewers/listeners
 And we plan to take it further:
 Changes over time/changing circumstance?
 National and international differences

26. Thanks
Lisa Edgar, 43years, going on 38years
David Bunker, 48years, going on 39years