New Bands for Old: Yonder DS Splits Out Those Aged 75+

In the UK, data collection agency Yonder Data Solutions is changing the way it sets quotas for older people, in order to improve inclusivity and representation for the 65+ demographic. The move is a response to calls from an MRS committee.

The Representation in Research Committee of the MRS (Market Research Society) has recently urged the industry to do more to reflect the diversity of the 65+ age group, commonly treated as one band despite the fact that more than eleven million UK citizens now fall into it, and different generations are represented within it. Yonder DS will now split the group into those aged 65-74 and those 75+, driving 'a more nuanced and accurate' representation of individuals.

A recent study to support the initiative, using the firm's nationally representative online omnibus, explored the difference between the two newly demarcated groups, using four waves of interviews to survey 1,961 adults aged 65 plus. The study found that more than a quarter (27%) of those aged 65-74 reported having little to no money left over for extra spending, compared to just 18% of those aged 75+; that 18% of respondents aged 65-74 are still working, compared to just 4% of those aged 75+; and that 86% of those aged 75+ are homeowners, with 83% owning their homes outright, compared to 80% and 75%, respectively for the 65-74 age group.

MD Chris Atkins (pictured) says all the company's UK nationally representative samples will now include the age bands 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, and 75+. He adds: 'In my 18 years in the industry, '65+' has always been the top age quota. But with the UK's aging population, it is becoming increasingly important for organisations and businesses to gain a deeper understanding of this group. The MRS has been instrumental in driving conversations around representation in research, and I'm proud that Yonder Data Solutions is setting a new standard for representativity and inclusivity with these new age quotas'. Atkins says the firm also uses CATI to reach those in these age groups who are 'digitally disengaged or excluded, ensuring that often unheard voices are represented in our research'.

MRS CEO Jane Frost welcomes the move, stating: 'It doesn't make any sense to group everyone over the age of 65 into a single category. By doing so, businesses will risk missing out on key commercial opportunities. A greater granularity of approach would undoubtedly benefit public policy as well. This age range covers people with so many different experiences, who are nowhere near homogeneous as Yonder Data Solutions' work clearly shows'.

Web site: www.yonderdatasolutions.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.