Better Homes & Gardens Grandparents, as it is simply but appropriately called, is the latest addition to Meredith Corp.'s special interest magazines. It was started because preliminary research revealed that there was a market for this vital group, one which Meredith has defined as age 50 or older.
According to Des Moines, Iowa based Meredith, one of the country's leading publishers, the older adult market is this country's richest and fastest growing. In the next decade, adults over age 45 will increase 18% to 86 million. They account for more than 59% of discretionary income with the average mature American having 42% more to spend on personal choices than the average 25-34 year old.
No available data
Before embarking on this publishing endeavor, Meredith's research department discovered that there were no data available specifically on grandparents or the number of people in this age group. This information was necessary, says Thomas Troland, "to confirm that this was a vital market, to influence the editorial direction of the magazine and to sell advertising."
That's when Troland, Meredith's research and promotion director for Country Home, Wood, Midwest Living and Better Homes & Gardens special interest publications, sought the help of Valley Forge Information Service, King of Prussia, Pa. Through QUEST™, the firm's national telephone omnibus survey, Troland and his staff got some much needed answers to some pertinent questions. The survey, conducted in April, 1986, showed that of the 1,000 persons contacted, 35% said they were grandparents. That means that there are approximately 49 million grandparents in the U.S., says Troland.
Survey objectives
According to Troland, the survey had three objectives.
"We were interested in finding out how many grandparents there were. We wanted to arrive at a demographic profile of these individuals, and find out what the ages were of their grandchildren."
QUEST™ helped the research department develop a profile of the total market from which Better Homes & Gardens Grandparents would draw its readership. The following figures represent target segments for the magazine:
- Market characteristics: Of the 49 million grandparents, 82% of them own their own homes;
- Grandparents age groups: 45-49, 10.1%;
50-54, 10.8%;
55-64, 34.9%.
- 30% of the grandparents attended/graduated from college;
- 68% of the grandparents are married;
- Grandparents household income: $50,000+, 8.4%;
$40,000-49,999, 4 5%;
$35,000-39,999, 6.4%;
$25,000-29,999, 8.5%.
- 31% of the grandparents have HHI of over $30,000.
- Ages of their grandchildren: 1-2 years, 27%;
3-5 years, 42%;
6-11 years, 47%.
Worthwhile investment
The research paid off. For the premier issue, which was mailed in January, 1987, the publication carried 20 pages of advertising. The second issue, which came out in late September 1987, carried 35 pages.
The research also helped shape the wide variety of informative and entertaining features that appear in each issue. Subjects range from "how-to" on sharing hobbies to arranging memorable weekend excursions; handling “problem parents" to expert professional guidance on tax-free gifts and generation skipping trusts; sewing, knitting and baking with kids to adult level projects for the grandparents themselves. Grandparents also features helpful service dealing with the grandparents' own lifestyle needs in travel, health and fitness, food, retirement planning and financial management.
Since the telephone omnibus was conducted, Meredith has been able to access current data on the grandparent market through other sources. However, Troland holds high regard for omnibus surveys.
"The positive things about omnibus surveys are their speed and ability to get good basic information at not a lot of cost."
QUEST™ is Valley Forge Information Service's national telephone omnibus. Each month, it surveys 2,000 households on a national probability basis. Each month's survey is a fresh national sample, not a panel. Since all interviewing is done using the on-line CRT system, questions can be submitted 48 hours before the start of interviewing. Tabulated data for all closed end questions are delivered 48 hours after the last day of interviewing.