Mobile phone services for senior citizens: the forgotten segment

Mobile phone services for senior citizens: the forgotten segment

As many markets reach over 100% penetration, mobile operators are finding there are almost no completely ‘new’ subscribers to be found. However, one segment of the market that has largely been ignored to date is senior citizens. This report analyses the potential market size, discusses the limited operator activity to date and provides strategic advice on how operators should approach this market segment.

Table of contents
Key messages
Operators should recognise the value of the ‘grey pound’
The forgotten segment
How big is the opportunity?
Old doesn’t have to equal low income
Who is addressing this segment today?
Understanding user requirements
Recognise the need for micro-segmentation
More than one type of user for this age group
Table of figures
Figure 1 Number of people aged 60+ by region
Figure 2 Monthly disposable income of household by age of household head in Japan (2005)
Figure 3 GfK’s statistics for age-specific purchasing power in Germany (2005)
Figure 4 A selection of customised devices designed for senior citizens