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Patterns of Targeting andEncouraging Participation ofElder Consumers in HumanServices MarketingLenard W. Kaye DSW aa Professor, Graduate School of Social Work andSocial Research, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA,19010Published online: 18 Oct 2008.

To cite this article: Lenard W. Kaye DSW (1996) Patterns of Targeting and EncouragingParticipation of Elder Consumers in Human Services Marketing, Health MarketingQuarterly, 13:3, 27-46, DOI: 10.1300/J026v13n03_04

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Patterns of Targeting and Encouraging Participation

of Elder Consumers in Human Services Marketing

Lenard W. Kaye, DSW

ABSTRACT. Com~etition within the older adult services sector is fueling thc widcsfiead adoption of an organizational marketing mentality. Yet little is known of the dcprec of variation in marketing t e c h n o l b and commitment to elder consumer subgroups in differ- ent health and social service settings or the extent to which elders are involved actively in the marketing process. This paper addresses these issues drawing on study data collected from 274 elder service programs in six major U.S. metropolitan areas.

Findings confirm that providers frequently co-market their ser- vices with other organizat~ons and target multiple constituencies but do not distineuish as well among s~ecialized sements of the elder population varying in terms of physical &d mental capacity, age, financial status, or race. Significant predictors (p < .05) of increased levels of elder participation in the agency marketing pro- cess include length of time marketing, specialized training in mar- keting, and nonsectarian auspice ( R ~ = .22). Results lead to recom- mendations for mounting more cohort-sensitive marketing initiatives in human service agencies serving older adults. [Article copies avail- able from The Haworth Document Delivery Sewice: 1-800-342-9678.]

Lenard W. Kaye is Professor, Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, Bryn Maw College, Bryn Maw, PA 19010.

This research was supported by a grant from the Andrus Foundation of the American Associaiton of Retired Persons. A modified version of this paper was presented at the 46th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of American, November 22. 1993, New Orleans, LA.

Health Marketing Quarterly, Vol. 13(3) 1996 O 1996 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. 27

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HEALTH MARKETING QUARTERLY

INTRODUCTION

Competition within the human services is fueling an increasingly widespread organizational marketing mentality. Such an orientation now permeates the practices of significant numbers of organizations serving older persons as well. Yet, little is known of the degree of variation in targeting sensitivity to different consumer subgroups in different health and social service settings or the extent to which elders are involved actively in the marketing process of community agencies. This paper addresses these issues based on data reflecting the marketing experiences of human service programs for older adults in six major U.S. metropolitan areas.

THE GROWING INFLUENCE OF THE OLDER CONSUMER

Increased longevity, improved financial resources, and newly defined roles for older persons have opened the door to previously overlooked possibilities in the marketing of services and products. Health and human service agencies are counted among those orga- nizations that have embarked upon the use of marketing techniques in an attempt to tap the potential of new markets available within the aging population (Winston, 1985). As a result of the simulta- neous surfacing of the aforementioned trends, expanding opportu- nities for marketing the health and social services can be identified. In addition to the forces driving a marketing mentality that are associated with an expanding aging population, are those factors associated with social service programming generally, including dwindling funds, increased competition, and calls for accountability (Segal, 1991). Marketing and planning have been identified as two of the necessary managerial responses to the stresses placed on health care organizations by the current turbulent service delivery environment (Lee, 1990).

The emergence of marketing in the human services has not occurred without some controversv. Consensus is vet to be reached concerning the appropriateness of encouraging the demand of older consumers for services. Indeed, Minkler (1989) has suggested it will

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Lenard M Kaye 29

be a "mixed blessing" and identifies the negative effects of market- ing to older persons. Such consequences include: (I) the potential creation of need where none existed previously; (2) the promotion of age segregation; and (3) neglect of low-income elders through pri- vatization of needed services previously offered within the public milieu. Stoesz (1989) contends that there are potential problems in assuring adequate care to all aged as market provision of services may result in the exploitation of the affluent and those with severe disorders. Winston (1985) explains that, particularly in non-profit circles, even the term "marketing" can have negative connotations, as it is often thought of in terms of big business advertising.

On the other hand, those who believe marketing will be benefi- cial to elders often site the increasing demand for services and products as a means of lowering costs and making them more accessible to the majority of older persons. For example, Plotkin argues that marketing is healthy not only for industry, but for the consumer (Federation of American Health Systems Review, 1987). Winston (1985) ultimately concurs, stating that by hlfilling unrnet gaps in services, the marketplace assists the consumer. From this perspective, competition within the health and human service sec- tors is seen as a desirable development. Those who question the benefits that accrue from competition nevertheless focus on the negative consequences of segregation and exclusion. Whether or not better and more accessible care for all older adults will result from the development and use of more sophisticated marketing techniques may ultimately be determined by the extent to which the human services succeed in mounting responsible marketing initia- tives that are sensitive to the special needs of elder consumers.

MARKET SEGMENTATION AND TARGETING

One benchmark of responsible and sensitive marketing is the identification of particular segments or groups within the general population that might use a specific service or product. These become the organization's target audiences or key markets. The process of segmentation refers to the need to subdivide the potential client market into distinct and meaningful subsets of clients on the assumption that these subsets might demand separate marketing

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30 HEALTH MARKETING QUARTERLY

activities in order to be reached successfully. In turn, targeting involves the agency's decision to concentrate on one or more of the market segments in the effort to serve them most effectively and efficiently (Faherty, 1985).

Of course, an organization can have both primary and secondary markets. For example, home health services are specifically tar- geted to the frail and disabled (primary market). However, many family members of such individuals are demonstrating interest in such services to reduce increasing demands on their own time. This group might, therefore, be seen as a secondary market. The orga- nization can choose to target any of the identified markets or a combination of several markets. However, promotional activities would vary by target market.

SEGMENTING THE OLDER MARKET

As gerontologists are well aware, older consumers are not the same. They vary by age, income, educational level, gender, life experience, marital status, profession, personal interests, etc. The mature market rather than being homogeneous, is comprised of distinct segments that can be vastly different in their market and purchase behavior (Lazer, 1986). Researchers have therefore sug- gested that age alone is not sufficient to determine the market behavior of older adults. Schewe (1984) and Lazer (1985) argue that the behavior and attitudes of elders are moderated by three factors: ( I ) physical and mental health, (2) financial well-being, and (3) independence. There are other factors as well which can be used to further segment the mature market and therefore predict more accurately consumer behavior. Based on this argument, the capacity of organizations to segment and subsequently target the older adult market is likely to serve as an excellent barometer of the quality of their marketing efforts.

STUDY PURPOSE AND METHOD

A multi-phased research project was carried out which included a national survey of marketing techniques in both health and human

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Lenard W Kaye 31

service organizations for elders (Kaye and Reisman, 1991). The purpose of the larger study was to better understand the current experiences and efficacy of marketing efforts in service programs for the aged.

For the purposes of this analysis, elder service marketing is defined as the process by which a human service agency engages in one or more of the following activities: (1) collecting information about both the internal and external environment of the organiza- tion; (2) planning ways in which the agency will reach the elder consumer; (3) developing new services based on consumer need; (4) advertising the service; (5) engaging in public relations; (6) solic- iting hnds; and (7) "selling" a service. Marketing is perceived to be an organized strategy for optimizing growth by primarily focus- ing on consumer needs rather than on an available service or prod- uct and increasing revenue through consumer satisfaction.

The national survey sought data from the executive directors of 600 health and social service agencies serving the aged in and around six major American cities. Each metropolitan site repre- sented a geographically distinct section of the country. They were: (1) New York, NY (Northeast); (2) Philadelphia, PA (Middle Atlantic); (3) Richmond, VA (South); (4) Chicago, IL (Central); (5) Phoenix, AZ (Southwest); and (6) Portland, OR (Northwest).

A stratified systematic random sample of 100 agencies was drawn from each city's major human services resource directory which catalogues those health and social service agencies serving older adult populations. These directories organize aging programs according to classification schemes which made distinctions between the type of service offered. This stratification format insured that there was proportional agency representation in the survey from a wide range of categories of health and human ser- vices for elders including hospitals, nursing homes, senior citizen centers, home health care agencies, adult day care programs, employment programs, etc. The proportion of agencies drawn from each metropolitan area varied depending on the number of agencies comprising the listing in each respective directory, ranging from approximately a 25% sample in the case of Portland to a 20% sample in the case of New York City and Philadelphia. In all cases, the most current edition of each area directory at the time of the

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32 HEALTH MARKETING QUARTERLY

survey (1990 or 1991) was used for drawing the samples. Because each directory listed aging organizations in the surrounding metro- politan areas as well as the designated city, urban, suburban, and rural programs were eligible for inclusion.

Executive directors of each of the 600 sampled programs received an eight page structured survey research questionnaire developed and pre-tested especially for this research. Final response

'

rate calculations were based on adjusted potential respondent pools in each metropolitan area. Telephone follow-up procedures served to confirm substantial numbers of agencies which were no longer operating, did not serve elders, or constituted duplicate listings in directories. The corrected potential respondent pool totalled 456. Of these 456 executive directors, 274 eventually returned the question- naire for a 60.1% response rate (metropolitan area response rates ranged from a low of 53.7% in Chicago to a high of 73.8% in Portland).

HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY PROFILES

Responding organizations that were predominantly engaged in the provision of acute and chronic medical care, nursing home care, psychiatric services, hospice care, adult day care, and home health care were classified as health service organizations in subsequent analyses. All other service organizations were classified as social service providers (e.g., education programs, employment placement agencies, transportation programs, senior citizen centers, nutrition programs, housing and continuing care retirement communities). Table 1 presents comparative profile statistics for responding orga- nizations by health/social service focus. Fifty-eight percent of the respondents were classified as social service agencies. The remain- ing 42% reflected a health service orientation. These two broad categories of elder services were found to differ considerably on a number of measures. Health services were significantly more likely than social services to classify themselves as for-profit or public organizations as compared to not-for-profit entities. Furthermore, health services were more likely to hnction under sectarian aus- pices, serve younger persons, and have income restrictions regard- ing eligibility for service. In addition, health service organizations

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Lenard U! Kaye 33

reported significantly larger operating budgets, were older, and employed greater numbers of staff. Interestingly, health service organizations did not serve significantly greater numbers of persons generally, or those aged 60 years and over in particular, during the past fiscal year as compared to social service organizations.

Almost three quarters (73.4%) of responding agencies indicated they conduct marketing efforts of some kind with the majority having done so for five or more years. Whether or not an agency markets its services did not vary when considering differences in organizational auspice, size of budget, service focus, or age of organization. On the other hand, public organizations were found to have conducted active marketing programs for significantly longer periods of time than their privatehot-for-profit counterparts.

Telephone follow-up was performed with a 14.3% sample of survey nonrespondents. This enabled analysis of the extent to which survey respondents differed from those organizations choosing not to participate in the study. Similarities between the two groups dominated. Respondents and nonrespondents did not differ signifi- cantly in terms of location, service focus, auspice, consumer popu- lations served, year established, or size of budget. Statistically sig- nificant differences emerged on a single profile variable only: publiclprivate status. Nonparticipating agencies were significantly more likely to be public agencies rather than for-profit or not-for- profit organizations (x2 = 23.91; p < .001).

FINDINGS

Elder Consumer Participation in Marketing

It can be argued that one gauge of the sensitivity of an agency's marketing program is the degree to which consumers, themselves, influence the marketing initiative. Research confirms that older adults have well established opinions as to what kinds of marketing efforts reflect positively versus negatively on an agency's services and ultimately influence their service consumption behavior (Kaye and Reisman, 1993). To what extent are elders involved in the marketing initiatives of agencies providing health and social ser- vices to older persons? In order to gauge elder participation levels

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L A Q TABLE 1. Profile Characteristics of Participating Organizations by Service Focus (n = 274)

Profit Variable

Health Service Social Service Organizations Organizations

(n = 115) (n - 159). No. % No. O/o

All Organizations

(n = 274) No. %

a. Total operating budget Less than $1,000,000 $1,000.000 or more

b. Year established Before 1950 1950-1 975 1976-1 990

c. Service lo youth (Less than 19 yrs.) Yes NO

d. Service to adults (1 9-49 yrs.) Yes No

e. Service to adults (50-59 yrs.) Yes No

f. Service to older adults (60 yrs.+) Yes No

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g. PublidFor-profit/ Not-for-profit status

Private not-for-profit Private for-profit Public Other

h. Auspice Sectarian Nonsectarian

i. Employed staff

Full-time (> = 35 hrs./wk.)

Part-time (c 35 hrs./wk.)

j. Persons served during past year All ages

Older persons (60 yn. +)

(ji = 146.6; S.D. = 220.7)

(i = 86.0; S.D. = 162.0)

(ji = 25,878.6; S.D. = 65.704.6)

(i = 11.055; S.D. = 45.061.8)

(E = 33.4; S.D. = 76.6)

(Ti = 16.2; S.D. = 29.0)

(ii = 17.273.6; S.D. = 56,185.8)

(2 = 8,592.8; S.D. = 40,406.3)

(E = 79.5; S.D. = 162.2)

(Z = 44.8; S.D. = 111.2)

(E = 20,862.1 ; S.D. = 60,352.2)

(E = 9.701.3; S.D. = 42,488.4)

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36 HEALTH MARKETING QUARTERLY

in market development activities, executive directors were asked to rate the extent to which the elders have participated in such activi- ties on a four-point scale where 1 = not at all, 2 = minimally, 3 = to some extent, and 4 = very much. Results confirm that more than half of the responding organizations (52.0%) provide "minimal" or no opportunities at all for elder contributions to an agency's market- ing efforts. An additional 30.8% report that elders contribute "to some extent" to the overall plan. Only 17.2% maintain that older adults participate "very much" in marketing activities.

Ways in which elders participated in the development of strate- gies for marketing services to older persons ranged from: conmbut- ing ideas through focus groups, needs assessments, and patient satisfaction surveys; to their involvement as a result of sitting on nursing home resident councils, agency boards, and advisory com- mittees; to direct participation by means of the distribution of bro- chures in local communities, participation in agency phone-a-thons, and other fund-raisers, and member recruitment through informal networking and word-of-mouth.

Volunteer assistance commonly presented itself as a prime vehicle through which elders give of themselves to the marketing effort. In the case of one organization, participation expressed itself through elders posing for publicity photographs to be used in agency brochures as well as writing articles for organizations' newsletters. Another agency had elders participate in community presentations which described agency services. The board of one state department for the aging established a special marketing com- mittee comprised of older adults who provided ideas and input. Indeed, older adult membership on formal agency governing and advisory boards proved to be the most common vehicle for assuring elder participation in market planning.

In the case of several organizations, the fact that elders occupied the majority of staff andlor volunteer slots appears to have increased the likelihood of older adult involvement in market planning. This was the case for the office of the long-term care ombudsman in one state where 80% of the 450 volunteer ombudsmen are retirees.

For some agencies, elder participation in marketing planning appears to be rather broadly defined. In the case of a private, not- for-profit adult day care and respite program it means:

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Lenard U! Kaye 3 7

staff awareness of what appeals to our current consumers about our service is incorporated in the marketing 'message.'

For several organizations, survey respondents indicated that elders have not been involved in market planning simply because staff had not thought to ask them. For another agency, market plan- ning was said to be in its infancy, precluding involvement of all legitimate constituencies in the process at that time.

Table 2 presents data confuming that elder participation levels are not significantly different for agencies varying in terms of size

TABLE 2. Subgroup Analysis of Extent of Elder Participation in Development of Marketing Strategies

Elder Participation Levela Subgroup Variable Mean S.D. 1-value

a. PrivateNot-for-profit, Public status

Private-Not-for-profit 2.4 1 .O - 2.20'

Public 2.8 1 .O

b. Auspice Sectarian

Nonsectarian

c. Size of budget Less than $1,000,000 2.4 1 .O

- .64 $1,000,000 or more 2.4 1 .O

d. Service locus Health service 2.4 1 .O

.44 Social service 2.5 1 .O

aPolential score range 1-4; where 1 =no t a1 all, 2 = minimally, 3 =to some extent. and 4 = very much so. 'p < .05

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38 HEALTH MARKETING QUARTERLY

of operating budget, auspice, or service focus. However, it was discovered that elders participate significantly more often in market development activities in public organizations as compared to pri- vate, not-for-profits. The mean participation level for the for-profit agencies in the study sample was also considerably lower than the public programs. However, because of the limited number of for- profits in the sample, they were not included in the statistical test of significance.

Step-wise multiple regression analysis provided more precise analysis of possible influences in terms of elder participation levels. The regression analysis separated out three significant predictor variables able to explain differences in elder participation levels in agency marketing initiatives. As shown in Table 3, increments in length of time marketing, the provision or requirement of special- ized training in marketing, and nonsectarian auspice lead to increases in elder participation levels. Together, these three predic- tor variables account for 22% of the variance in elder participation levels. Publiclprivate-not-for-profit status, healthlsocial service focus, size of operating budget, age of organization, number of older patientslclients served, number of hll-time staff, and the pres- ence of incomelasset restrictions for service eligibility do not con- tribute significantly to explaining variance in elder participation levels in this analysis.

The Focus of Elder Marketing

Does marketing to the aged differ from that camed out for other consumers of health and social services? Slightly less than one third of the survey's respondents (3 1.9%) were convinced that the mar- keting strategies they use for the aged tended to differ from those used with other age groups. The remaining 68.1% did not feel stratenies differed in terms of the age groups that were served. - - -

~e&ndents weE also asked whether special marketing approaches were used for particular sements of the elder consumer povulation. Table 4 these dat;?. As shown, a clear majori6 of health and social service agencies do not undertake specialized approaches to marketing services to particular cohorts of older adults regardless of their physical or mental health, their gender, their status as minor- ities, their age, or their financial position. Variations in marketing

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Lenard U! Kaye 39

TABLE 3. Regression of lndependent Variables on Elder Participation Level in Market Development

Independent Variable beta t P R2

a. Length of time marketing 3 5 4.12 c.001 .15 b. Special training

requiredlprovided - .21 - 2.55 c.05 .04 c. Organizational auspice .17 2.03 c.05 .03

Total R2 = .22 F = 10.58 p c ,001

Variables not in the equation: beta I P

Sewice focus . I 0 1.11 .27 PublidPrivate-not-for- profit status - .02 - .24 .81 Size of budget .04 .44 .66 Age of organization .02 .26 3 0 Number of elders sewed - .02 - . I 9 .85

6. Number of full-time staff .02 .23 8 2 7. Presence of incomdasset

restrictions - .08 - .95 3 4

strategies are particularly rare when it comes to reaching out to older men and women. If marketing efforts are planned differently for particular elder cohorts, it most likely takes place when consum- ers' physical frailty is at issue and, to a lesser extent, their financial status and mental capacity. Specialized marketing to minorities is reflected in materials produced in the native tongue of particular ethnic groups.

~erspectives on earmarking specialized marketing efforts to par- ticular elder cohorts are consistent across res~ondent mouos. These " . views do not vary significantly when comp&ng the experiences of health and social service programs, sectarian and nonsectarian pro- grams, programs of varying longevity, smaller and larger budget agencies, or public compared to private, not-for-profit agencies.

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40 HEALTH MARKETING QUARTERLY

TABLE 4. Utilization ol Special Marketing Approaches for Different Elder Consumer Populations - - -

Consumer Population - -

Yes No No. % NO. %

a. Physically healthy vs. physically 48 26.7 132 73.3 frail elders

b. Male vs. female elders 10 5.6 167 94.4

c. Mentally intact vs. mentally disoriented elders 29 17.5 137 82.5

d. Minority vs. nonminor'i elders 25 13.9 155 86.1

e. Young-old (less than 75 years) vs. old-old (75 years +) 22 12.7 151 87.3

f. Lesser income vs. greater income elders 37 21.5 135 78.5

Marketing Targets

While human service agencies may not distinguish to a great degree among different cohorts of potential elder consumers, do they differentiate any more precisely in terms of targeting other defined cohort groups? In fact, survey respondents indicate that their elder services marketing tends to be directed to multiple con- stituencies or targets. As reflected in Table 5, while elders represent the primary target, other agency service providers, relatives of elders, and the general public are common secondary targets of marketing efforts. On the other hand, friends and neighbors of elders are relatively less common targets of marketing.

It is noteworthy that health service organizations were found to market their elder programs significantly more often to relatives

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TABLE 5. Extent to Which Marketing Efforts Are Directed at Particular Groups

Group Very Much A Linle Not a1 All No. % No. % No. %

a. Elder consumers of service 136 73.9 41 22.3 7 3.8

b. Relatives of elders 91 50.0 67 36.8 24 13.2

c. Friendslneighbors of elders 59 33.5 87 49.4 30 17.0

d. Other service providers 95 53.4 59 33.1 24 13.5

e. The general public 85 46.2 86 46.7 13 7.1

compared to social service organizations (t = -2.53; p < .05). While public-based organizations market significantly more often to elder consumers directly (t = - 3.71; p < .001), older organizations market more frequently to the general public (r = - .22; p < .05), and larger budget organizations gear their marketing efforts significantly more often to fiiends/neighbors (t = 2.12; p < .05).

Collaborative Experiences in Marketing Services

An agency's marketing efforts may be canied out as a "stand alone" effort or in combination with the efforts of another agency or organization. To what extent do the health and social services collaborate with other human service organizations and with corpo- rationshusinesses in marketing elder services? Executive directors were asked both parts of this question. Collaboration with other health/social service agencies on marketing activities proved to be rather common. In fact, 59.8% of those who market elder services have collaborated with other organizations.

Interagency coalitions and community councils comprised of groups of elder service programs were found frequently to approach their marketing efforts in this manner. Multiple agency involvement in community forums, service fairs, and joint hnd-raisers was also evidenced. Still other organizations benefit from joint fund-raising activities with the local United Way. Senior citizen centers com- monly mount jointly-sponsored programs with other service provid- ers including health and medical professionals and public representa-

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42 HEALTH MARKETING QUARTERLY

tives of Food Stamp, Medicare, and Social Security Adminishation offices. The building manager of a public, Section 8 housing pro- gram pointed to previous cooperative ventures with his original sponsor in developing a program brochure and with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A county associa- tion for the blind has run group ads and promotions with other health and social service organizations. A private, not-for-profit community hospital reported that cooperation expressed itself through "sharing ideas" about marketing with similar such health service organizations in the region. Still another not-for-profit com- munity transportation and volunteer program has worked with other agencies through active membership in a long-tern care consor- tium. For several respondents, collaboration was limited to joint promotion with affiliated programs or departments within the same agency.

For others, such as a not-for-profit medical center which cooper- ated with a senior transportation system and a community inter- agency council on aging, collaboration extended well beyond the boundaries of its own health system affiliates. Indeed, descriptions offered by s w e y respondents suggest that marketing serves as a common vehicle for promoting cooperative exchanges between health and social service organizations that might normally not have had the opportunity to interact jointly.

As might be expected, collaboration with corporations and busi- nesses was found to be less common. However, it did occur periodi- cally. Indeed, more than one third of the respondents who market (35.1%) have carried out such efforts with corporate and business entities. For example, it was relatively common for a corporation to underwrite the cost of production of a community program's annual report, brochure or other marketing materials. Banks participate in matching funds programs. Chambers of commerce serve as dis- tribution points for promotional materials descriptive of older adult services. Sometimes local businesses donate in-kind services including duplicating and printing services. Other corporations vol- unteer consultative assistance in the area of program marketing. In the case of a private, for-profit home health care company, joint ventures in marketing had been undertaken with a disposable medi- cal equipment company and a hospital. A not-for-profit community

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Lenard W. Kaye 43

service agency participated in a health fair sponsored by a local bank. A not-for-profit, student home visiting program reports work- ing with a shopping mall and a consumer products corporation in planning trips for elders.

Participation by business leaders on social and health service boards and advisory committees represents a common mechanism in which to initiate cooperative activities. The executive director of a not-for-profit center on elder vision services points out that her organization is:

just beginning to utilize representatives from the business sec- tor on a board committee to advise the center on marketing.

Health and social service oreanizations were found to have had u

similar marketing experiences in terms of their inclination to engage in collaborative enternrises with others. Sectarian and nonsectarian organizations also bade similar records of market collaboration as do organizations varying in age and size of operating budgets. However, public agencies were discovered to collaborate significantly more often with other human service organizations than private, not-for- profits (x2 = 12.65; p < .001). Conversely, not-for-profits displayed a strong tendency to collaborate more frequently with cozporations/busi- nesses than public programs (x2 = 3.00; p = .08).

DISCUSSION

The highly competitive nature of human services for older adults can be expected tocontinue as greater numbers of for-profit groups enter the various fields of health and social service delivery along side more traditional not-for-profit and public agencies. As a result, increasing numbers of human service agencies serving older adults will inevitably become immersed in the marketing function and will likely, in turn, be pressed to secure specialized training of those staff carrying agency marketing responsibilities.

Those engaged in marketing elder health and social services need to remember a basic principle of service provision-that elder consumers of service are not, by any means, a homogeneous cohort, simply because they have survived successfully into older

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age. Given the heterogeneity of the elder population, the most successful marketing initiatives in services to the aged can be expected to be those characterized by their capacity to more pre- cisely differentiate between the needs and wants of various sub- groups of older consumers. The marketing message will need to become increasingly sensitive to differences in need among older adult consumers varying in terms of their physical and mental health, raciallethnic, educational, economic, familial, and social status. In similar fashion, inevitable variations in the set of needs exhibited by male versus female elders and younger elders versus the oldest of elders will need to be recognized and responded to with greater precision. Refined targeting of different categories of older consumers and those who represent them or influence their service consumption patterns will be essential if programs are to survive in the long term.

Based on the experiences of the health and social agencies partic- ipating in this swey , several recommendations for encouraging older adult participation in the marketing function appear war- ranted. First, and foremost, it appears clear that elders should have more opportunities to contribute to an agency's marketing efforts. Such involvement serves to recognize the value and wisdom of the older adult at the same time that it inhses badly needed human resources into sparsely funded community agency marketing pro- grams.

Elder involvement in the marketing function is also likely to insure that such efforts will be canied out more efficaciously. When asked, executive directors in this research indicated that they felt health and human services organizations marketed themselves only "somewhat" sensitively and in a manner which is only "some- what" beneficial to elder consumers. The adequacy of current mar- keting efforts rated even more poorly. This as rather dismal view of current human service marketing efforts speaks most clearly to the importance of altering future strategies fo;reaching out to &e older consumer and infusine the views and recommendations of older consumers, themselves: into an agency's marketing program (Kaye and Reisman, 1993).

Specific strategies that have proven successful for increasing older consumer involvement in an agency's marketing program

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Lenard W: Koye 45

include having older adults: offer personal opinions through focus groups; participate in needs assessments and service satisfaction surveys; contribute ideas by sitting on agency boards, resident councils, and advisory committees; participate in the distribution of brochures, agency phone-a-thons, and other fund-raisers; partici- pate in community presentations which describe agency services; take part in informal networking and the offering of word-of-mouth information; and write articles and personal testimonials in agency newsletters as well as pose for publicity photographs for agency brochures and related materials.

Collaborative efforts at co-marketing with other human service agencies as well as the business sector should also be further explored in the health and human services. Those agencies that have already embarked on these kinds of joint activities are far more likely to report positive results than negative ones. Co-mar- keting strategies are particularly important given the likelihood that the resources set aside for the marketing initiative by individual human service agencies are almost always going to be extremely limited.

In the final analysis, older adult social and health service orga- nizations will surely be pressed to adopt a more sophisticated mar- keting mentality in the years ahead. Such a mentality entails a genuine belief in the legitimacy of the marketing function, the e E - cient consolidation of resources to carry out such activities, and the capacity to inform elders about such activities in a manner which recognizes the inevitable diversity of the older consumer. Substan- tial engagement of elders in the marketing of those programs that impact on their lives should be an essential component of any agency's overall effort.

REFERENCES

Faherty, V.E. (1985). "First Steps First: Developing a Marketing Plan Case Exarn- ple: Senior Care Corporation, Inc." In Winston, W. (Ed.). Marketing Strategies for Human and SocialService Agencies. New York: The Haworth Press Inc.

Federation of American Health Systems Review. (1 987). 20:4, 18-20. Kaye, L.W., and Reisrnan, S.I. (1993). "Elder Consumer Preferences of Market-

ing Strategies in the Human Services," Health Marketing Quarlerly. lO:3/4, 195-2 10.

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Kaye, L.W., and Reisman, S.I. (1991). A Comparative Analysis of Marketing Strategies in Health and Social Services for the Elderly: Provider and Con- sumer Perspectives. Bryn Maw, PA: The Bryn M a w Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research.

Lazer, W. (1986). "Dimensions of the Mature Market," Journal of Consumer Marketing. 3:3,23-34.

Lee, J.M. (1990). "Trends in Health Planning and Marketing; A Symposium," Journal of Health and Human Resources Administration, 12:3, entire issue.

Minkler, M. (1989). "Gold in Grey: Reflections on Business' Discovery of the Elderly Market," Gerontologist, 29: 1, 17-23.

Schewe, C.O. (May 25, 1984). "Research Dispels Myths About the Elderly: Suggests Marketing Opportunitics," Marketing News.

Segal, U.A. (1991). "Marketing and Social Welfare: Matched Goals and Dual Constituencies," Adminislration in Social Work, 15:4, 19-34.

Stoesz, D. (1989). "The Gray Market: Social Consequences for For-Profit Elder- care," Journal of Cemnlological Social Work, 14:3/4.

Winston, W. (Ed.). (1985). Marketing Strategies for Human and Social Sewice Agencies. New York, NY: The Haworth Press, Inc.

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