Aging Parents, COVID-19 and How Your Brand Can Offer Empathetic Marketing to Caregivers

With increased stress on adults who find themselves in the role of caregiver, how can you employ empathetic marketing to offer an authentic message of support?

Demographics and Values: Adults Concerned With Aging Parents and Proper Elder Care

To do a deep dive into empathetic marketing and caregivers, we looked at the values, motivations and demographics of those U.S. adults who have found themselves in the role of caregiver to aging parents and who are concerned with the present coronavirus pandemic. The specific audience within the Resonate Ignite Platform looks at adults “concerned with aging parents and proper elder care.” 

This audience yields a group of 418.5K adults. This is an established group: 25% are 45-54 years of age, 16% have a household income over $150K and 19% have a post-grad degree. 68% do not have children under the age of 18, but they may have children that have left the home –– just as their caretaking responsibilities for children winded down, they’ve had to pick up as caregivers for their elderly parents.  

They over index for values of treating everyone equally and safety in community and nation, so it makes sense that this group would be willing to step up to care for the older generation. Additionally, they over index for proving competence and an optimistic outlook, perhaps a welcome combination as they move into their new role of caregiver and must keep a positive attitude amid the worries. 

Media and Behavior: Adults Concerned With Aging Parents and Proper Elder Care

You might think that this group would look for some escapism in their media habits, but their top TV networks include PBS, MSNBC and CNN –– they’re consuming news when they’re not busy as caregivers. However, they do find entertainment in their top television shows which lean towards comedy and thrillers.  

They spent 20-40 hours online and typically spend their time on apps for travel, news/weather or books. When they pick up a print publication, they’re most likely turning to the Wall Street Journal or Time Magazine. 

How Should You Shift Into Empathetic Marketing for Caregivers of Elderly Adults?

If this audience is your target demographic, remember they are not only facing the expected stress of evolving into an extended role as the caregiver of aging parents, they are also staring down an unprecedented health crisis that is affecting the elderly with far greater consequences.  

They may have a parent living with them, which means they are now taking even greater precautions regarding COVID-19 than they might have otherwise. They could have an elderly relative that lives in a retirement or nursing home that has been affected by coronavirus or that is locked down from any visitors or movement within the facility. These are stressors that go above and beyond the expected worries of serving as a caregiver for aging family. 

When you communicate and engage with this audience, you must keep in mind empathy. Yes, they may want a distraction here and there but, more than anything, they want to hear from a company that gets them, that wants to provides support or an authentic message of recognition, or somehow make their life easier.  

Think about it: how can your brand help them right now?

Let’s look at who’s doing this well.  

Campbell’s Soup Co. launched a video titled, “I Want a House With a Crowded Table,” showing families making the best of social distancing and beginning with a grandmother reaching out to her grandchild’s hand through a window. It’s certain that this message of togetherness, sympathy and understanding would strike a town with this audience.  

Uncle Ben’s launched a commercial showing a father and daughter making a recipe that her grandmother sent, showing how families can still be together during this time. While the kids might be out of the house for many of consumers, they’ll look back with nostalgia on this message and associate those warm feelings with the Uncle Ben’s brand moving forward. 

If you find a way to connect with these consumers now, you’ll establish a relationship that will carry on long after this crisis is over. Helping them wade through uncertain times will help your brand rise above the competition, enable you to retain consumers and win over those who are impressed with your handling of consumer relations and communications during these turbulent times. 

Does This Audience Overlap with Adults Taking Care of Children?

Lastly, we wanted to take a look to see how this empathetic marketing and caregiver audience overlaps with adults taking care of young children at home. We found that it was a small group of only 14K, but they skew to 78% female and otherwise fall in line with the other group. So, if you’re marketing to women in the 45-54 year old demographic, you may want to keep in mind that there is subset that is stretched to the limits with both children at home and parents requiring care.

Want to dig even deeper into the data on adults impacted by the coronavirus pandemic? Download our report: Understanding U.S. Consumer Sentiment During the Coronavirus Pandemic.