ACTION POINTS
Outline of the brief
Three key things you need to know about online marketing to seniors
A combination of booming senior populations and the increasing uptake of new technologies by seniors are driving opportunities for pharmaceutical companies to influence physician prescribing through this group
When looking for health information, seniors with Internet access are favoring online resources as the primary source of information
Although high quality disease information is a crucial component of online marketing campaigns, interactive tools are key to fostering consumer loyalty to a website

TARGETING SENIORS
Why seniors make good online marketing targets
Seniors represent a large and growing segment of the population
The prevalence of chronic diseases is significantly higher among seniors
Frequent interaction with their physician makes seniors ideally placed to influence the prescribing process
Increased market opportunity driven by Internet use among seniors
Seniors who are informed about healthcare form a large online marketing target
What health information do seniors require?
Seniors are looking for information on health topics and living a healthy lifestyle
Those over 55 years old are predominantly looking for information for themselves
Seniors with Internet access are favoring health information websites over physician information
What type of health information is available?
Health information websites can be targeted at seniors
Therapy area websites are ideal for chronic diseases
Lifestyle websites can target a large audience
The non-promotional provision of medical organization websites is appealing

THE FUTURE DECODED
Raising awareness of a website is the first step in creating a marketing relationship
High quality disease information is a crucial component of online marketing campaigns
Interactive tools are key to driving consumer retention

APPENDIX
List of tables
List of figures
Supplementary data
Research methodology
Relevant links
Datamonitor’s eHealthInsight Business Unit
How to contact experts in your industry

DATASETS

Table 1: Proportion of the total population with hypertension in Germany, the UK and the US, 2001
Table 2: Prevalence of types I and II diabetes in England, 1998 (%)
Table 3: Prevalence of stable angina in Germany, the UK and the US in 2002, broken down by age 46
Table 4: Number, per cent distribution and annual rate of office visits by patient’s age: US, 2000
Table 5: Rating website content
Figure 1: Retaining users is the focus of online marketing
Figure 2: The senior population is set to grow by almost 40 per cent by 2020
Figure 3: Healthcare spending increases with age in the US
Figure 4: Life expectancy at birth is set to increase further in each of the featured countries
Figure 5: Senior consumers in the US visit their physician more frequently than younger age groups
Figure 6: Online senior consumers are approaching their physicians with information from the Internet
Figure 7: High Internet use among 35 to 54 year olds will drive the future online senior population
Figure 8: Over a quarter of online seniors in the US access the Internet for at least five hours a week for personal reasons
Figure 9: Two-thirds of seniors in Germany and the UK have access to a mobile phone
Figure 10: At least half of seniors in all three markets* consider themselves to be more health conscious than most
Figure 11: The opportunity for targeting senior consumers online is apparent in high Internet penetration rates, large senior population and interest in accessing health information
Figure 12: Seniors are interested in accessing information on living a healthy lifestyle
Figure 13: Seniors are looking for health information for themselves
Figure 14: Among online seniors, the Internet is as popular for health information as a physician
Figure 15: Disease and health information websites offer a wide range of consumer relevant content
Figure 16: Novartis’s health information website specifically targets seniors
Figure 17: WebMD offers a wide range of information
Figure 18: Aventis’ rheumatoid arthritis website targets a specific audience
Figure 19: Seniorsite’s appeal is its wide range of lifestyle information
Figure 20: The information provided in the American Diabetes Associations website centers on disease and treatment
Figure 21: Retaining users is the focus of online marketing
Figure 22: Disease, symptom and treatment information are the most wanted website content among seniors who have looked for health information in the last 12 months
Figure 23: The growth of Internet uptake rates are much higher among the over 55s