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Globus talks GrownUps and reaching a market of eager travellers

Earlier this year, Colmar Brunton released research showing the over 45s segment represents a $23.5 billion annual spend opportunity, and it’s not one that’s going to be flittered away.

According to the research, the 45-plus market has plans and aspirations, with 61 percent planning to upgrade their car, 41 percent planning to buy more luxury items and 52 percent planning on travelling overseas extensively.

Image from News Works.

It’s a finding confirmed by GrownUps, which recently conducted its own research showing that its audience of 105,000 unique monthly browsers (currently), when extrapolated out, spends up to $360 million on holidays each year.

And finding success with that audience is travel company Globus, which uses GrownUps for advertising. But it’s not only about having access to a target market, Globus marketing manager New Zealand Letitia Eyes calls its relationship with the website a partnership that’s based on mutual values and benefits.

“It’s not just about putting an ad up on the site and then not being able to tweak it,” she says. Instead, the two work together to ensure the message that Globus wants to get out, gets out.

Globus introduces its travellers to the stories behind awe-inspiring places around the world with access to must-see sights, insights from tour directors and local guides, and behind the scenes experiences. It’s been promoting those opportunities through GrownUps since 2009 when it started using ad space, but that’s since progressed into the creation of content for the website and travel packages for the GrownUps database.

Called GrownUps Groups, the packages have a dedicated home on the website, offering a chance for those who are nervous about travelling, haven’t been travelling before, or just want other Kiwis to go travelling with, to visit a range of overseas destinations.

As well as the group travel packages, Globus continues to use display advertising on the site, monthly EDMs and advertorial copy.

When Globus started working with GrownUps, Eyes says there was no media dedicated to the 50-plus age group, and while it wasn’t struggling to find their eyes, GrownUps provided a dedicated marketing channel.

However, Eyes says capturing the attention of those over 50 can’t be done through one marketing channel alone; instead, it’s about using a broad range.

“I don’t think you can necessarily choose just one channel of marketing to capture them. I think you need a broad range of marketing channels to capture that demographic,” she says.

Like younger generations, they use a range of channels and digital has become one of them as they have adopted the technology.

“As long as they’ve got an online platform they trust and they can go to and feel comfortable using, they will go to it and continue to use it,” she says.They are the fastest growing group on Facebook. Once they capture it, and cotton onto it and they trust it, then they will work with it.”

Earlier this year, The New York Times investigated older people’s love of Facebook, and found they enjoy using it to bond with old friends, develop relationships with like-minded people and keep tabs on loved ones.

For Globus, that ability to bring like-minded people together on GrownUps has had huge appeal and the resulting GrownUp Group trips have been so successful, they’re shared on the website with a run-down of the activities and sights, including personal anecdotes and photos from participants.

That sharing of its community confirms Eyes belief that once those over 50 find a platform they trust, they feel comfortable using it and will continue to do so.

She says GrownUps also earns its audience’s trust through its knowledge of the information they looking for and ability to deliver it in a way that works for them.

“They are not just all about selling advertising and just getting material out there, it is more about what their demographic are looking for and how they can help them in this life stage,” she says.

“GrownUps understands what they want and is producing that on a site as opposed to just generic advertising.”

This story is brought to you as part of a content partnership between StopPress and GrownUps.

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