MICHAEL C. WALKER
Marketing to Seniors, Second Edition, is designed to take the reader through the typical steps of developing a marketing plan, researching the market and how to advertise and sell to your target market. More than that, this award winning book covers granting credit to senior customers and the associated marketing challenges this presents. Most significant of all, however, the book introduces a concept necessary to a full appreciation of the senior market – that of the extended senior customer. This is necessary for an understanding of the influence and participation of others in some senior purchasing decisions. These include family members, friends, advisors, professionals and other caregivers. While this phenomenon is typically present with older and sometimes less mobile seniors, it is none-the-less a significant factor in the senior market.
The introduction of the baby boomer generation to the senior market will profoundly change the dynamics of that market. Be ready to capitalize on this huge opportunity.
Marketing to Seniors, Second Edition, can be a valuable resource for most anyone producing, promoting and distributing goods and services to the senior market. The book is written to be a more comfortable, yet to the point, read compared to most textbooks. Marketing to Seniors is also designed to serve as an ongoing reference source for the reader to return to whenever needed.
The second edition is 20% larger, containing sections on positioning, branding, differentiation and market segmentation, to name a few.
MARKETING TO SENIORS
Reviews and Comments
“A thorough and practical guide to expanding one’s market base and improving sales, Marketing to Seniors is a highly recommended instructional text that will prove to be invaluable for anyone marketing any category of service or type of product directed towards an increasingly aging and expanding customer base.”
-The Midwest Book Review
“Walker emphasizes the concept of the ‘extended senior customer’ to account for the involvement of other parties in certain senior purchasing decisions, especially as the age of the senior and the importance of the decision increase. Special attention is also given to determining whether a senior venture is right for your organization, and understanding the buying and decision-making process seniors go through in selecting particular products, services and companies.”
-Selling to Seniors
“By size alone, this demographic group is too valuable to be ignored. But until recently, few gave much thought about how to sell to it. Michael Walker has.”
-Rochester Business Journal
“Marketing to Seniors is a valuable resource for most anyone producing, promoting and distributing goods and services to the senior market.”
-AAHSA Washington Report
“The emphasis on the extended senior customer is particularly important in this field. Walker’s tips on mastering the art of networking and partnering are also worth noting.”
-Jean Anwyll, Anwyll & Company
“Not only did we enjoy Marketing to Seniors, but probably the most important feature is the organized manner taken to effectively market in the senior living industry.”
-Judson Winegardner
Senior America, Inc.
Michael C. Walker retired from active management in 2002, after serving as Chief Executive of Seniorsfirst (Presbyterian Homes and Services of Genesee Valley, Inc.) for over 24 years. During his tenure operational revenues grew by over 700 per cent. Seniorsfirst is a full service provider of facilities, services and programs to the senior market in the greater Rochester, New York area. These include independent living, assisted living, home delivered services, adult day programs, home healthcare, nursing home care, including transitional, dementia and rehabilitative care, among others.
Mr. Walker was responsible for the design and implementation of an innovative program serving seniors in their own homes. The award-winning Club 24 Senior Living at Home® program has been replicated across the United States using this unique model.
Prior to his most recent employment, Mr. Walker served 15 years for the predecessors of J.P. Morgan Chase Manhattan Bank in upstate New York as Vice President in marketing and finance. During his banking career, he wrote An Introduction to Bank Marketing Research, published by the Bank Marketing Association, Chicago, the first book of its kind in the banking industry. The book was later reprinted in Europe and translated into Spanish.
While Mr. Walker has retired from active management, he has not retired from working. He continues to be actively engaged as a marketing and management consultant to organizations and businesses in the senior market.
In addition to having served on numerous state and local boards of directors, he has lectured in marketing for twelve years, eight of them at the State University of New York, College at Brockport. His numerous public speaking engagements include recent appearances for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Among Mr. Walker’s awards and honors are the Business Community Partner Award, 2002-2003 from SUNY Brockport, the Patriotic Service Award from the U.S. Treasury Department and the Community Service Award from Self-Help for Hard of Hearing People. He has been a biographee in the Marquis Who’s Who in America, since 1995.
Mr. Walker is the author of two other recently published marketing books now available through 1st Books Library/Authorhouse. Home Delivered Services: Building and Maintaining Your Program provides a “how to” approach to the replication of a home delivered services program including how to successfully market it profitably.
Originally published in 1969, The Practical Marketing Handbook of Definitions has recently been updated and rewritten to include more marketing terms, while reducing statistical terminology, and it is published in a more portable format.
These books may be ordered through the publisher at www.authorhouse.com , (800/839-8640), or through your local bookstore.
CONTENTS
Preface
Chapter One Introduction
Chapter Two Marketing to Seniors: Why is it Different?
Chapter Three Marketing Overview
Chapter Four Marketing Research Tools
Chapter Five Know Your Customer, Know Yourself
Chapter Six Senior Focused Advertising and Promotion
Chapter Seven Selling to Senior Customers
Chapter Eight Granting Credit to Senior Customers
Chapter Nine Networking and Partnering: Essentials to Success
Chapter Ten Opportunity
Appendix A Senior Marketing Planning Exercise
Appendix B Glossary of Terms
Appendix C Marketing Reference Sources
Index
