My RoadScholar® Trip: Lessons for Brands Targeting Older Adults

A month ago today, my husband and I embarked on a trip to Quebec City to join a Road Scholars® Walking and Hiking adventure.

As someone who educates employers and brands on the benefits of being age-inclusive, I couldn't help look at the three and a half days spent on the trip through that lens.

What I learned: Besides being great fun, the whole experience offered some great lessons for brands that recognize the economic benefit of tapping into the market of older adults.

Lesson 1. Focus on interests, not age

Some years ago, I led a research project for some major foundations that wanted to know what people age 55+ wanted to do next. They were hoping to identify one major issue, e.g., climate change, healthcare, early childhood, around which everyone would coalesce.

That, of course, did not happen, or as an oft-quoted remark of geriatricians goes: "If you've seen one 80 year old, you've seen one 80-year old." Instead, what we learned was that among the 16+ issues that we had put forward, there was interest among different people for each of them.

In this case, Road Scholar® caters to people who are interested in travel, new experiences and learning, epitomized in this quote from their catalog:

Each day, intrepid learners join Road Scholar for a journey into new discoveries.

Does this strategy work? Our group of 21 ranged in age from 40 to mid-80s, each interested in some way or another in hiking, French Canadian food and culture, the history of Quebec and/or some combination of them.

Lesson 2. Reject stereotypes and reframe aging

Don't make assumptions either in developing products or services, or in marketing them, about what "older adults" are like.

Contrary to outdated and still unfortunately seen stereotypes, older adults embrace and relish learning new things. From the introductory lecture on the history of Quebec by historian and author David Mendel, to having guides point out the sites featured in Louise Penny's Bury Your Dead while walking Quebec City, to learning about the various types of trees from which maple syrup is produced during a hike in the National Park, every moment offered opportunities to learn something new, even for this hiker who had visited Quebec City many times.

Road Scholar® also rejects the common "decline and deterioration" narrative common to aging. Despite hiking in what was (for Quebec) very hot weather, the conversations were always about things we were seeing, things we are doing. Not once did I hear about doctor visits, etc.

The language and images throughout its website and collateral reinforce a more balanced and positive view of aging, the one that acknowledges that, as my friend Barbara Raynor, founder of Aging Is Living would say:

We are not done yet!

The reframed image of aging was well illustrated by the diverse group of people who joined: people working in traditional jobs, retirees very involved in community, business owners including one who at age 75 is running several businesses, and people exploring their "what's next."

Lesson 3. Language matters

It's time for all of us to ditch the "senior citizen" stuff.

Some years ago, Road Scholar® did a very smart thing when It changed the name of its brand from Elder Hostel, moving away from the connotation of age-based travel lodging (friends in #SeniorLiving, take note!). The shift to RoadScholar brings forth the brand's unique combination of travel, adventure and learning.

As someone who throughout her career in social change has been mindful of the power of language and messaging, and who was in the first group trained by FrameWorks Institute in reframing aging, I especially appreciate how the organization shows no sign of stereotypical narratives about aging, instead illustrating the breadth and depth of travel interests among older adults.

For those of you who would like to update your language and messaging, may I suggest Changing the Narrative, a leading anti-ageism initiative 's Guidelines to Age-Inclusive Communication? Here you'll find some research-based guidelines on how to communicate effectively to and about this audience.

Lesson 4. Foster connection and community

Tons of research supports the idea that social connection is vital for people of all ages, and that all of us need and want community. What can brands do to foster that?

The trip structure allowed ample time for connecting and having deeper conversations. I had a chance to chat with:

• A retired dentist who like me had made the decision to close a business she had loved and grown. Over dinner, we shared how we went about it, and how we still feel about it.
• A woman who like me could trace her ancestry back to les filles du roi. We could share each other's excitement as we saw family names on street signs and in cemeteries.
• Several activists who like me are using all their spare time on the upcoming elections, understanding the assignment and the need to make things better for our children and grandchildren
• And so many more

The organization also provides discussion boards for groups who have enrolled in its trips, and used Tripcast for participants to share their own photos.

And the people element? The experience was heightened by the intergenerational pair of guides, Sylvie and Djany, who not only offered their unique perspectives on the place they called home, but also subtly fostered connection, initiating conversations among small groups of people and identifying points in common.

Lesson 5. Recognize the power of small "i" influencers

I went on this trip because my friend, fellow pro-aging advocate and podcaster Wendy Green asked this question on her social media and her newsletter:

Who would like to go on a Road Scholar trip and where would you like to go?

I paused. I loved one of the choices, Quebec City, but hated the idea of "group travel." But I thought, Wendy has vouched for it, so I'll try it.

When I arrived on the trip, I discovered that almost half of the group members were there because of Wendy. Some were wearing the swag associated with her podcast, Boomer Banter.

Last week, a brand that I was consulting with asked me what I thought of using granfluencers on TikTok, an emerging category of influencers.

And I had to think: Would I have gone of this trip if I saw someone in their 70s on Tik Tok dancing around in exaggerated clothing, telling me to join her on a Road Scholar trip? No shade meant, but probably not.

Many of us rely on word-of-mouth and sources we have come to trust, not just follow on social.

Lesson 6. Narrow, AND accommodate

It's axiomatic that "everyone" can't be your marketing target. Yet too often, I get questions like:

What is the one thing that we can do to make our brand or business more attractive to older consumers and employees?

And my answer is usually, some version of Lesson #1 above.

Here, in designing its programs and in marketing them, Road Scholar narrows the target market. This particular trip, for example, included this description:

Yet within this description, the guides were adept at accommodating differing levels of capability, offering hiking sticks and different trail options where needed. Literally, no one was left behind.

Lesson 7. Make it fun!

One of my favorite quotes about "what older adults want" is from a report by Alive Ventures:

Kudos to Road Scholar® for leading the way in having fun and falling in love with travel and learning, and starting new travel endeavors!

© Janine Vanderburg, 2024

Janine Vanderburg is the CEO of Encore Roadmap, which advises business and brands on how to become more age-inclusive and co-founder of Changing the Narrative, a leading anti-ageism initiative

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