What you should know about ‘Gear for Geezers’…

If you think focusing on seniors means making phones with oversized keypads and “I’ve-fallen-and-I-can’t-get-up” alarms, think again.

The exhibitors at CES’s Silvers Summit spoke with us about advice for the entertainment industry, based on their experience designing and marketing products for an aging population.

“They are the best customers in the world, but nobody has figured out how to do it right for them,” said Aaron Pollack of cell phone provider Jitterbug.

Boomers pay bills on time, give conscientious customer feedback, and are extremely loyal (witness Jitterbug’s churn rate of 1.5%).  While they may be beginning to have issues with hearing, vision, and manual dexterity, they also have the interest, the income, and the time to enjoy great technology and entertainment.

Some advice from the pros for reaching this valuable demographic:

Stick With Sexy Design
Just because they’re aging doesn’t mean they’re square, exhibitors said. Reaching the key baby boomer demographic means creating products that don’t make them feel like they’re getting old.

“My number one advice is to make it sexy.  In their minds, they’re young and cool, and they’re not ready for the old folks home,” said Curt Stone of the Quality of Life Foundry at Carnegie Mellon University.  “You don’t have to dumb it down for them.  Make tech that is universally appealing but also adaptive to special needs, and you’ll have a winner.”

Simplify, Simplify
While the CES floor is crowded with complicated devices and expanding choices, this population wants it simpler and streamlined.  They’re overwhelmed and turned off by remote controls or set-top boxes with too many or unclearly-labeled buttons.

Swedish company Doro has taken it to the ultimate extreme, with a six-button universal remote control (on/off, volume up/down, and channel up/down) that won’t overwhelm anybody.  That may be going farther than most of the 55+ crowd needs, but the key feature of all exhibitors in Silvers Summit was that they cut out extraneous content and features, rather than adding more.

Focus on Making & Strengthening Connections
This population uses their tech to stay in touch with people they care about, exhibitors said.  Companies that support those goals will succeed.

“People stay connected by watching TV together or talking on the phone, and when they lose their hearing and stop sharing those things with their families their connections unravel,” said Michelle Maher of ClearSounds.  “Use technology to appeal to the emotional side of those family connections, and you’ll reach this group.”

Provide “High-touch” Customer Service
That means no labyrinthine automated telephone directories, no overseas customer service, and extremely patient and flexible reps.

“The relationship that develops is more like a family relationship,” said Chuck Lalonde of MyGait, which offers computer systems for elderly customers with custom hardware, software, and support.  He said people call or email with questions like, “How do I find a good Chinese restaurant in Vegas?” and their reps just roll with it, emailing back links to a Google map with directions.

“It definitely costs more to run a call center out of America than India,” said Pollack of Jitterbug.  “But it is absolutely what these customers want.”

Think Differently About Billing & Privacy
As mobile entertainment takes off, mobile purchasing and billing issues will become more complicated, and many aging customers simply aren’t comfortable with paying for things on the fly.  Reaching them may require some creativity and a range of payment options.

Jitterbug found that many users were afraid of contracts and worried about sharing social security, credit card, or bank account numbers over the phone or the Internet.  So they let them pay the old-fashioned way, month-to-month and through the mail.

“We mail them a bill and they pay on time,” said Pollack.  “We have far fewer problems than you might expect.”  Jitterbug also offers automatic online billing for those who are interested.

There are several exhibitors showcasing “vibro-tactile” audio experiences at CES, including vibrating earbuds and headphones.  But one of the more interesting is VibeAttire, a vest wired with vibrating motors and a small processor that converts audio signals into vibrations and maps them through the vest.

It was originally designed (in part with support from the National Science Foundation) to provide a music experience for the deaf.

It sounds weird, but it was actually a very cool immersive experience.  We listened to MP3s and watched part of “The Matrix” while wearing the vest, and can imagine a 3D movie or game with it on could be awesome.

And hey, if people are willing to wear the 3D glasses, maybe they wouldn’t mind a vibrating vest…