Published in the FT, on 27 April 2006
This letter was published in the FT and written by a friend of mine Dick Stroud who runs the consultancy 20plus30 which advises companies about all aspects of marketing to the 50-plus market and agrees with me about the BBC's shortcomings in its market awareness (see Ross and Brand, below).
Sir, Your article "BBC warns of 'big shock' as it signals shake-up of website" (April 26) explains the BBC's intention to work harder to reach younger audiences. To achieve this goal the corporation intends to change its programming and increase spending on interactive technologies. These plans are very commendable but ignore a couple of basic facts.
The over-55s watch approximately twice as much TV as the young. Because of population ageing, the numbers of over-55s are rapidly increasing, matched by a decline in the number of younger people. Rather than adapting to the requirements of its largest and fastest-growing audience, the BBC is focusing on a declining and notoriously fickle group, the young.
The fact that 95 per cent of the BBC's employees are below 55 might explain this logic.
Dick Stroud,
Managing Director
20plus30.com
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