The Demographic Me vs. The Real Me

Something funny happened to me this year.

My mom signed me up for AARP. And I bought a GTI.

I owned a GTI about 20 years ago. Good car, needed better speakers. I blew out 2 sets in the 2 years I owned the car. And, this year, I was looking for something with good gas mileage and fun to drive. The GTI fit both criteria beautifully. I have to admit, I hated the tv spots. I hated that Crispin failed to understand that the appeal of the car was more than demographic. I hated that they marketed it as a boy toy. I hated that girls weren’t supposed to “get it.” I hated that they promoted to the youth market exclusively. And most of all I hated that “fast” character.

Did I mention I turned 50 this year? (And, yes, I’m still actually employed in advertising.) My mom, ever anxious to push me into the doldrums, signed me up for a trial membership in AARP. Nice gift, eh? Not that they hadn’t been courting me in the months preceding the “big day.” In any case, I had the impression that they were a force for good. A strong lobby sticking up for those poor seniors who were being victimized by all sorts of bad things and people. The kind of group, that while I didn’t feel like I belonged to yet, I could support. And who knows, someday I might be ready to be ready for them, too.

Then I started getting these mailings. Newsletters and magazines filled with articles about failing health, failing driving skills, failing incomes, failing eyesight, failing sex drives. And direct mail solicitations. "Did you know the average funeral costs $6000? Better get additional life insurance." And more mailings. "Are you paying too much for car insurance?" Every week, more. "Don’t be a burden to your loved ones."

And then one day, there was a box. From an address I didn’t recognize. And inside, nestled in black and red plaid was a… “fast.” And I smiled the rest of the night. And the next morning, too. As a matter of fact, he’s sitting on my desk right now.

So what happened? How did the brand I thought I could admire, if not join, turn into a total bummer? And how could a product, for which I despised the advertising, turn into the brand that delighted me to the core?

It all comes down to crafting a brand experience that connects.

While the GTI advertising made the mistake of playing to the demographic rather than the psychographic qualities of its audience. The product delivered the ultimate brand experience in its responsiveness, attention to detail, and economy. (It’s a freaking blast to drive.) And that brand experience brought me full circle to “making friends with my fast.”

AARP made the mistake of playing to a demographic rather than a psychographic, too. Only their “product,” unlike VW, didn’t deliver anything meaningful to its younger recruits like me. I’m not afraid of falling and not being able to get up. Yet. Or interested in the article, Scientists want to bioengineer bladders. Yet.

And the twice-weekly appeals to sell me a long-term membership, and life insurance, and car insurance, made me feel that they weren’t interested in anything but my money. I actually began to wonder if they were really supporting seniors in a meaningful way or just using scare tactics to sell them things they might not actually need.

Maybe in 15 or 20 years I’ll feel differently. But my guess is that even then you’ll find me driving fast. It just may be that fast is going 45 in a school zone. With a bioengineered bladder.

--Jody Dana