What about innovation?
Designed for the overlooked
Outdated stereotypes have blinded brands to this 'silver surge' and the immense opportunity they represent. The takeaway is clear: ignoring this generation is no longer an option. But knowing this opportunity exists and acting on it effectively are two different things. How do we move beyond surface-level assumptions? How do we truly understand and innovate with this generation, not just for them? The answer lies in designing for the overlooked and seeing the nuances others miss. This is where our ‘Now-Wow-How’ approach comes in.
Five innovation platforms
Through our NOW/WOW/HOW work, we've defined five innovation platforms for silvers that transcend stereotypes.
Boundless motion
Celebrate how bodies, tastes and movements shift throughout life. From developing more nuanced preferences to finding new ways to stay active, it's about designing products that work with changing bodies, not against them.
63%
of Silvers say their sense of taste, touch and smell have changed as they've gotten older.
Play reframed
Bring energising playfulness into adult life through creative activities, friendly competition and intergenerational exchange. Because play sparks curiosity, builds connections and is essential for overall well-being.
63%
of Silvers agree that trying new games, hobbies or creative activities keeps them feeling energized and curious.
Social expansion
Build meaningful connections during life transitions like relocating or caregiving. Foster relationships based on shared interests while balancing the dual role of providing support to both older and younger generations.
78%
of Silvers say that helping others, emotionally or practically, gives them a strong sense of purpose.
Expertise exchange
Create spaces where accumulated wisdom becomes fuel for reinvention. Facilitate knowledge trading, where teaching in one area and learning in another becomes a continuous cycle of growth and reinvention.
75%
of Silvers enjoy sharing their experience to help others solve problems.
Digital fluency
Build on decades of tech experience while addressing genuine usability challenges. Create intuitive interfaces that eliminate unnecessary complexity, making devices enhance life rather than complicate simple tasks.
67%
of Silvers get annoyed when devices make simple tasks harder than they need to be.
Now
See beyond the here and now
This first phase focuses on framing the problem, identifying what we already know, generating hypotheses and envisioning desired outcomes. This involves analysing existing research, social listening data and trend reports to create a foundation of knowledge. In a reality where so much is already known, it makes sense to start with existing knowledge before commissioning more primary research.
Wow
Understand what will wow
This phase is all about collecting 'thick data', providing a deeper and more holistic understanding of people's attitudes, needs and behaviours.
There are three key components to our 'supercharged qual' approach:
- Reach – We spend more time with more people doing more tasks, delivering a greater diversity of opinions, perspectives and more reliable data. For silver innovation, we engaged broader age groups (50+) across 15 markets.
- Richness – We collect data showing what people think, feel and do using video, image, text and audio capture. This greater diversity of content helps us form a more intimate and granular understanding of people's lives. For silvers, we employed conversational AI research, snappy validation methods, live interviews, and scanned fringe innovations at the edges of the market.
- Depth – We use approaches grounded in behavioral science to understand the wider and often invisible impact of culture and social context on individuals' decision-making and behavior. Our analysis examines silvers through individual, social, and cultural lenses.
How
Inspire the how
This last phase focuses on turning insights and concepts into concrete marketing outcomes. We use AI-enabled canvases and innovation assistants to bring platforms to life faster and smarter through intentional experimentation. The outcome is refined innovation platforms with proven consumer resonance and clear direction for development. In this phase, we develop sacrificial concepts to bring ideas to life and explore different solution routes. With all the stereotypes around silvers, it's key to work with them to get all the details right - from naming, colour palettes, and positioning to communications and overall experience.