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7000 A Day – Catch the Boomer Wave!. Jeanette M. Toohey Director, OLLI at The University of North Florida. This session. Boomers Definition Why target? 10 Key Boomer Marketing Trends Case study of UNF OLLI’s Boomer efforts Program overview Strategies to attract Boomers Curriculum
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7000 A Day – Catch the Boomer Wave! Jeanette M. Toohey Director, OLLI at The University of North Florida
This session • Boomers • Definition • Why target? • 10 Key Boomer Marketing Trends • Case study of UNF OLLI’s Boomer efforts • Program overview • Strategies to attract Boomers • Curriculum • Promotion • Workshop
What Is A Boomer? • Born between • 1943 & 1960 (Landon Y. Jones, Great Expectations: America & The Baby Boom Generation; 1980.) • 1946 &1964 (William Strauss and Neil Howe, Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584 to 2069; 1992.) • Leading Edge – 1943/6 – 1955 • Trailing Edge – 1956 -1964
Why Target Boomers? • Sustainability • Currently those 65 and older comprise 26% of the US population. By 2030 they will comprise 18% of the US population. • It is imperative to engage younger OLLI members as those currently engaged age out. • Those now 65 or so may work for 5 to 10 more years prior to full retirement. We need to catch them now to make them ready for then.
What We Know About Boomer Marketing Trends* • Boomers Will Remain at the Head of the Table • More Boomers Will Embrace City Living • Boomers Will Become Even More Wired • Health and Well-Being Will Be Everywhere • Boomers Will Volunteer Even More • Boomers Will Drive Green Innovations • Boomers Will Lead the Age of Responsible Consumerism • Boomers Will Create the “Longevity Economy” • Boomers Will Support a Thoughtful Plan for America’s Future • More Boomers Will Get Religion * Excerpt from: Jumping Jack Flash: Boomer Projecthttp://www.boomerproject.com/documents/jumpin_jack/2012_january.php
UNF OLLI Background • OLLI at UNF is 1 of 10 programs in Division of Continuing Education (DCE) • DCE • Reports to Academic Affairs • Support to OLLI includes • Financial services • Customer care (including registration) • Marketing & PR services • Fully outfitted offices & classrooms
UNF OLLI Background • Servant leadership management model: volunteer led, volunteer staffed including instructors • Teams: Curriculum, ED-ventures, Member Relations, VOLLI, Special Events • VOLLIs: 200+ dedicated & occasional • Staff: marketing, logistics & support
UNF OLLI Program Overview • High volume • 300 enrichment programs annually • 3 term catalogs published (Fall, Winter, Spring); Summer is e-blasted • Low fee: classes priced by length & frequency • Membership: $45 annually • One time 90 minute class: Free or $7 • Most expensive class: 14 weeks of 2 hours = $95 • Most classes • Currently – 3 to 6 weeks currently • Prior to Boomer-related changes – 6 to 8 weeks
What Has UNF OLLI Done? • Identified barriers to Boomer participation • Identified opportunities to shape the curriculum to include topics & formats of interest to Boomers • Identified promotional techniques that would appeal to Boomers
What Has UNF OLLI Done? Identified Barriers • Class hours • M – F, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. • LEARN Jacksonville (another UNF DCE enrichment program) holds classes weeknights and Saturdays • Technology • Our technological resources • Technological abilities of long-involved members • Diversity of interests • 1400 members • Age 50 to 95
What Has UNF OLLI Done?Curriculum • Diversified subjects • Diversified formats • Developed ED-ventures (out of classroom learning opportunities) • Offered weekend study trip
UNF OLLI Curriculum Fall 2006 Fall 2011 75 courses Interactive: 35 Traditional classroom: 26 Seminar: 14 • 12 courses • Interactive: 4 • Traditional classroom: 6 • Seminar: 2
Diverse Classroom Subjects: Boomer Target Market • Discovering Your Creativity Mid-Life & Beyond • The Art of Aging • The Mind Matters, But What is it & Who Attends to it? • Where in the World is the Land of Flowers (La Florida)? [native plants] • Jacksonville’s 1960s Sit Ins & Ax Handle Saturday • R&B, Soul and Classic Motown • IT IS Going To Rain Today, But WHY? • Your Table, Your History: Writing Your Family Cookbook • Canalling in France; A Travel Guide to India
Boomer Trend: Boomers Will Remain at the Head of the Table New Curriculum Offerings: Classroom 2 – 4 sessions each • Challenging Roles in Our Second Adult Life • Sandwich generation • Successful Life Transitions • Financial & legal planning • Focused on transitions of divorce, death of a spouse, illness requiring long term care • Caring for an Aging Parent • Elder Law
Boomer Trend: Health & Wellness Will Be Everywhere New & Newer Classroom Offerings 1 – 6 sessions each • Brain Training • Yoga, chair yoga, salsa • Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Reflective Practice • Pressure Point Pain Relief Strategies, Theraband Exercises & Stretching • Managing Chronic Pain • What to Ask Your Doctor
Diverse Formats: Interactive • Creativity: studio painting, woodcarving, creative writing, knitting, crocheting, making bead jewelry, play reading, acting, gardening, art of storytelling, instrumental music • Technology, social media: iPhone, iPad, Facebook, eBay, blogging, digital camera • Games: bridge, Mah Jong(g), crossword puzzles • Wine: connoisseurship, food pairings • Languages • Cooking
Curriculum: Winter 2012 New Curriculum Formats • Hybrid: classroom-based with related out of classroom ED-venture(s) • ED-ventures: largely local, stand alone, out of classroom learning experiences
Diverse Formats: Hybrid • Typically 2 - 4 sessions • Pricing • Combined - one price only • Menu • Classroom only • ED-venture only • Combined at slightly discounted rate • Out of classroom • On campus • Off campus
Trend: More Boomers Will Embrace City Living (Hybrid) • “Behind the Scenes with” • Community theater group (2011: 98 enrollments) • Museum of Contemporary Art (2011: 89 enrollments) • Arboretum (2011: 51 enrollments) • Zoo (Fall 2012: 25 enrollments; 10 waitlisted) • Chamber music group (Spring 2012: 15 enrollments)
Hybrid: Example • Facets of Florida: The Norman Studios and Jacksonville’s Silent Film History Lecture: Monday, Jan. 30, 1:30 – 3 p.m., 1 session $7 ED-venture: Monday, Feb. 6, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., 1 session $15 Lecture and ED-venture: $20 Join us for a classroom screening of “Hollywood East,” the award-winning documentary about our city’s role as host to more than 30 silent film studios. After the screening, Rita Reagan, education outreach director for the Norman Studios Silent Film Museum, will present plans to preserve and develop the studio complex as an annex to the National Park Service. For our ED-venture, we visit Norman Studios (Arlington) and KluthoStudios (Springfield) the following week. An optional outing for a Dutch-treat snack will follow. (Series: 95 enrollments)
Hybrid: Example • A Guide to Sea Turtles by a Turtle Patroller Lecture:May 29, 1:30 – 3 p.m., 1 session, $7 ED-venture: Georgia Sea Turtle Center (Jekyll Island), June 5, $25 Beach Visit (turtle tracks), Friday, June 15, 6:30 a.m. Beach Visit (nest survey), Date TBA, 7 p.m. Explore the lives of sea turtles through one classroom presentation followed by several field trips. One trip in June will take us on an early morning beach walk to discover turtle tracks leading to a new nest. An evening beach trip in July will give us an opportunity to survey a hatched nest and rescue a baby turtle or two. A third, and optional trip will take us to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island. We’ll enjoy a Dutch Treat lunch at the Jekyll Island Club. Date and times for field trips will be determined by the class and mama turtles. (27 enrollments - exceeded capacity)
ED-ventures • FY 2011-12 • 16 independent ED-ventures offered including weekend study trip • Revenue: $6,400* • Enrollments: 388; 110 waitlisted students* • Average enrollment: $16.50* • Venues • Free to UNF OLLI - $10 student fee: Port of Jacksonville; NFL stadium; UF Proton Therapy Institute; Federal Reserve; PGA stadium course • Campus concerts (2) • Historic home or site tour & lunch • Contemporary art museum • Holiday concert, lunch, historical museum tour * Excluding study trip
Spring 2012 Study Trip • The Gathering in the Everglades: Partnership with Florida Humanities Council • 3 days • Programming: naturalist led swamp/boardwalk hikes, prominent Florida humanities scholars, artists, descendants of Native American & pioneer families, boat tours (airboat, pleasure cruise) • $375 pp included programming, meals, local transportation ($50 pp net to UNF OLLI) • +++ transportation, hotel, optional hikes • 36 enrollments (maximum capacity)
ED-ventures • Fall 2012 • 6 independent ED-ventures offered • 190 enrollments to date; 46 waitlisted students • Revenue: $2400; $12.63 average enrollment • Venues (fee to UNF – free or $15 pp or less): • Estuarine reserve ($3; $10 student fee) • St. Augustine Lighthouse ($15; $25 fee) • Internationally renowned local animatronic designer & manufacturer (free; $10 fee) • Holiday event • University Jazz concert ($8; $10 fee) • History museum ($3; $10 fee)
What Has UNF OLLI Done?Promotion • Created tag line “Live well. Learn forever.” • Cost: free • Appeals to youthful outlook • Appeals to interest in health and wellness • Appeals to interest in joining an organization that can make a meaningful, lasting difference in their lives • Redesigned catalog ($1.23 per cap inclusive) • Redesigned website (cost: internal CMS & staff resources only) • Simplified online registration procedures (cost: internal CMS& staff resources only)
Brochure to Magazine • Before • After
Fall 2012 Catalog Costs • Quantity: 10,000 • Pages: 44 • Printing: $8209 • Mailing labor & postage: $2957 • 7,000 mailed • Contract design: $1124 • Total: $12,290 • Per cap: $1.23
E-blast: From Newsletter to Marketing Tool • Pre-2011: 1 newsletter per month • Promoted future opportunities • Reported on past events • Occasional profiles of instructors, students, VOLLIs • 3 – 6 pages, text occasionally broken up by graphics, photographs • 2011 - ? • 4 segmented communications, 1 – 2 pages ea. • Branded headers • Embedded hyperlinks to web registration page
Branded Segmented e-Communications Sent to members Promotes enrollment opportunities about 6 weeks prior to the event Registration hyperlink embedded • Sent to members • Time sensitive news • Profiles with pictures (instructors, leaders, VOLLIs, students)
Promotes 4 free monthly programs; “taste” of OLLI • Sent to members & non-members • Create a sense of urgency • “Great Free Programs at a Location Near You!R.S.V.P. Now! Forward to Friends & Neighbors!” • Registration hyperlinks embedded
YOUR ASSIGNMENTS • Appoint a scribe who will • Take notes • Verbally report top results to the room • Ensure that the written results are returned to me for distribution to all delegates in the session (Please pass a clipboard with forms to your scribe.)
IDENTIFY PROGRAMMING (20 minutes) • Scribes, please read & re-read your Boomer trend to your group • Brainstorm and record program ideas to address that trend
IDENTIFY TARGET AUDIENCE (15 minutes) • Select a few programs & identify their target audiences • N.b. Age 50 to 70 is not a target audience – it is a pool comprised of many target audiences • Target audience: a specific group of people at which a product/marketing message is aimed • Some key target market segments: • Demographic/socioeconomic segment (gender, age, income, occupation, education, household size & stage in the family life cycle) • Psychographic segment (similar attitudes, values & lifestyles) • Behavioral segment
Identify low/no cost promotional methods (15 min.) • How and where does your target audience access information? • What are the no/low cost options? • Take the programs & target audiences you selected, develop several strategies for each that would put the program information into the minds of your target audience. • How will you assess the success of your promotional efforts?
Wrap Up • Lightning Round Reporting • Q & A and discussion • Return forms to Jeanette