It pays to explain.

As a general rule, things we learn to do as a kid are easy to keep doing for the rest of our lives. Thanks to something called kinesthetic (muscle) memory, doing things we've done before feels like doing what comes naturally. There are many exceptions to this rule, including highly aerobic activities like jumping rope, quick-response activities like racing, and fine-motion activities like brain surgery. Arthritis and diseases that restrict motion get in the way of other "natural" activities.

Marketers need to understand and accommodate the kinesthetic facts of aging life when they introduce new products, new packages, and new technologies. Seniors may need explanations and how-to-use pointers of products and packages that are obvious to younger consumers. Today's adults often "use" kids to introduce them to technologies that demand new learning of adults but seem to come naturally to the kids. That works fine for adults in their thirties and forties who often have kids in the house or nieces and nephews at their disposal. People in their 50s, 60s, and 70s have to rely on grandchildren, who may not be nearby, or marketers, who thus far haven't been very helpful.

Products that are now packaged in pouches are perfect examples of innovations that have left seniors out of the marketing mix. Since their lighter weight and softer edges make them easier to carry, pouches could be a boon to seniors. But the benefits of pouches aren't obvious to shoppers who were raised on rigid cans and boxes that stacked neatly on the shelf. The movements involved in opening pouches don't come naturally either. Even standing up stand-up pouches doesn't come naturally. Since neither time, money, nor effort have been put into explaining the benefits of pouches or the easiest ways to use them, it's no surprise that senior shoppers are staying with the old standbys. In our latest Packaging Report Card survey, we found that ratings for pouches and stand-up pouches got lower and lower as shoppers got older and older. Shoppers under 60 rated pouches and stand-up pouches Good to Very Good while shoppers over 60 rated them unsatisfactory.