The very first season of ABC’s Golden Bachelor was a smashing success and resulted in the network’s first-ever Golden Wedding in January 2024. After a few years of declining viewership for the franchise, the series featuring 72-year-old Gerry Turner and suiters in their 60s and 70s marked a turnaround. The Golden Bachelor finale brought over 9 million viewers, the franchise’s largest audience in several years.
The series earned accolades for its portrayal of older adults, and that’s something Medicare marketers should pay attention to. Here are a few takeaways for healthcare marketing teams from Golden Bachelor.
Today’s older adults are vivacious!
One thing the Golden ladies made obvious – they are living their best lives and having tons of fun while they’re at it! They are quick to laugh, poke fun, and get up and dance, and they aren’t the anomaly. The show isn’t completely realistic, but it highlights that life can be social, fun and fulfilling at any age. Today’s older adults are healthy and active, even if many also handling chronic conditions. They’re up to date on technology and use it frequently. And many Americans 65+ are still in the workforce.
For health plans, this means finding a balance in marketing communications. Show a spectrum of older adults who truly represent your membership to ensure your images are relatable and that prospects can identify with them.
Older adults may feel unseen and overlooked, and shows like the Golden Bachelor are bringing awareness to these experiences.
One of the contestants, Joan, said, “As you get older, you become more invisible… Like you’re not as significant as when you’re young.” And from the reaction on social media, it is clear Joan isn’t the only older adult feeling “invisible woman syndrome.” Other complaints rang out about “elderspeak,” a patronizing and common way of speaking to older adults.
The bottom line for health companies: Take care not to patronize or generalize older adults, even inadvertently. The Golden ladies showed how powerful and inspiring it is to be seen and valued, just as they are.
There is a huge multi-generational market for highlighting the vitality of older adults.
One thing is certain: People over 60 drive network ratings, and feel-good shows that highlight beauty in aging are winning. ABC’s median viewer age is 64, and the incredible success of the Golden Bachelor shows that they were excited to tune into a show that was more relatable (hardly an episode went by without showing one of the contestant’s hearing aids – a.k.a. “ear candy”!). But that’s not to say all the viewers were older. People across generations loved watching the fun-loving Golden ladies vie for Gerry’s heart.
Want to better connect with older adults? Maybe start by highlighting your members and what makes them special in a series on social media or in newsletters. It’s also important to remember that communications are not only going out to members but also to their caregivers. Talk about your target audience the way you’d hope someone would talk about your parents or grandparents.
Older adults are itching for connection with each other and with young adults.
Watching Gerry’s love story unfold was fun, but it was even better to see the friendships develop between the women. From teaching each other recipes and lounging by the pool to picking out wedding dresses and even officiating Gerry and Theresa’s wedding, the deep connections forming between the contestants was obvious through the screen.
Health plans offer a great opportunity for older adults to meet and connect with each other. Try to find ways to encourage members to get to know each other, either in online communities or at in-person events. Plus, friendship keeps us healthy!
Many older adults have free time, and they want fun ways to spend it.
Activities on the Golden Bachelor weren’t that drastically different than they are on a traditional season of the Bachelor. They included dancing on tables at a 50s’ style diner, participating in a talent show, competing in arcade games, riding ATV vehicles and much more.
While health plans don’t have to go that far, try to plan active events that challenge the outdated stereotypes of older adults. Less birdwatching, more golfing!
If you’re not inspired yet, go back and watch the Golden Bachelor’s inaugural season. There’s so much to learn from the ground-breaking older women who shared their own experiences of getting older on a national stage. We can’t wait to learn more from the Golden Bachelorette and her 60+-year-old suitors!
Any questions or comments? Reach out to Media Logic today.
Photo credit: ABC/Brian Bowen Smith.