Meet The Middlers

Whenever I go home to visit my parents for Christmas, it’s tradition for me to sort through the mail, find the Christmas cards, and hang them on the mantle. This past Christmas, as I was sorting through the mail, I noticed a piece of mail from AARP — the American Association of Retired People. This gave me pause.

While my parents are certainly getting older and starting to qualify for senior discounts, I definitely don’t think of them as “senior citizens.” My dad is still a very active tennis player and my mom enjoys long walks around the neighborhood. They go out to eat, hangout with friends, and spend lots of time making sure the front yard looks good.

In fact, I’m pretty sure my parents aren’t senior citizens.

And like my parents, a large portion of seniors in their 60s and 70s aren’t really seniors — they don’t feel like seniors, and they don’t act like seniors. So instead of grouping everyone age 60+ into one category, I think it’s time we carve-out a separate category to describe older adults that are in the middle — no longer working adults, yet not ready for caregiving or assisted living. Let’s say hello to The Middlers.

Hello, Middlers

Middlers are older adults living with great vitality. They’re fiercely independent and tech-savvy, owning smartphones, smart TVs, and sometimes even smart homes. Middlers enjoy long vacations, home improvement projects, and are focused on staying healthy. The majority of today’s Middlers are part of the Baby Boomer generation. But let’s be clear — not all Boomers are Middlers, and not all Middlers are Boomers. Membership in this group is about a state of mind and way of life, rather than a specific age.

Creating a distinction between Middlers and Seniors is helpful for businesses in understanding the vastly different needs and behaviors of these two different populations. Whereas seniors spend the majority of time at home, Middlers can be found at the mall, eating out, or visiting friends and family. And whereas seniors need caregiving and assisted living solutions, Middlers need engaging activities. Accordingly, it’s important for the consumer businesses that serve these two populations to create differentiated products and services with distinct messaging.

Splitting the older adult population into two groups is long overdue. Middlers have been overlooked for decades because they just haven’t been that big or influential as a group. However, today’s Middlers control a greater amount of wealth and influence than ever before. And the Middler population is rapidly growing as a result of the large and aging Boomer generation. Boomers have a median net worth of ~$200K and control the majority of disposable income spend in the US.

Solutions for Middlers

Middlers already use a myriad of consumer tech solutions to power their daily lives. However, there’s a huge opportunity for consumer businesses to leverage technology to provide solutions specifically tailored to Middlers and their needs — in industries like health and wellness, travel and entertainment, and home improvement. Middlers crave solutions that are meant specifically for them, and they want to be reached in a way that’s separate from seniors.

Health and Wellness

Middlers are investing in their health and wellbeing, as they want to look good and feel good well into their later years. More than half of older adults exercise for at least thirty minutes three times per week and more than 80% say they’re “taking greater responsibility for their health” (source). Accordingly, there’s huge opportunity to use technology to connect Middlers interested in group recreation and exercise. There’s also latent demand for telehealth solutions targeted towards conditions that impact this group.

Home Improvement

Middlers spend a disproportionate amount of time and money on home improvement. Over 80% of boomers own their home and the vast majority prefer to stay in their home as they age. However, most purchased their home more than twenty years ago and are now performing repairs or undertaking renovations to transform unused bedrooms into more practical spaces. There’s a substantial opportunity for IoT and home improvement companies to create home upgrade packages designed specifically for Middlers — complete with remote control and home monitoring solutions that will help ease their transition to senior citizen.

Travel and Entertainment

Lastly, the Middlers spend just as much money on entertainment as those in their 20s and 30s. Travel is a huge area of spend within this demographic, with older adults accounting for over 80% of all luxury travel spend. In the same way co-working spaces like The Wing and The Riveter have been able to build communities for millennials, I believe we will see the same for seniors — modern and tech-enabled community centers offering activities, engagement, and entertainment throughout what could otherwise be a boring day.

Keeping up with The Middlers

Businesses that are able to speak to The Middlers in a way that is nuanced and separate from seniors are those that will gain the most loyalty and trust from this critical population segment. Middlers do not want to be told they’re old and nearing the end of their life. Rather, they want to celebrate this new life stage and the freedom that comes with the gift of time.

The most successful brands will create advertisements intended specifically for Middlers. And they’ll do so in a way that’s subtle, yet resonant. Mercedes did a good job of this with their 2017 Peter Fonda Super Bowl ad. The ad references the 1969 movie Easy Rider, which Fonda starred in. The movie portrays social issues present in the 1960s and is something that would really only resonate with folks from that generation — today’s Middlers.

TV is an incredibly valuable channel for reaching Middlers as the majority have cable/satellite service and watch more than 10 hours of TV programming per week. Online, Middlers partake in social media, especially Facebook, and also consume a ton of informational content found through search. Businesses that are able to deliver content through a mix of online and offline channels will find the most success with Middlers, as both the medium and the message are key to reaching this formidable demographic.

Today’s Opportunity

Consumer startups have a huge opportunity to build tailored solutions for this older demographic, as existing brands are absent or late to the game, having opted to focus on younger consumers instead. By starting small, with one product line or one set of services, startups can test and iterate on product features and messaging to learn what resonates. The best startups in this space will win with an authentic voice, speaking directly to The Middlers and no one else.

As an investor on the consumer team at Lightspeed, I’m actively looking to invest in companies that serve The Middlers. I believe products and services tailored to The Middlers will enable them to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. My partner Nicole Quinn has similar conviction and has written her predictions on the aging space (click here).

Stay tuned for upcoming articles on The Middlers, including details on …

• The increasing trend towards aging at home and the role of IoT
• The need for consumer businesses to create customized solutions for Middlers

Please send feedback or ideas to ashley@lsvp.com — I’d love to hear from you.

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