While many marketers heavily concentrate on reaching Gen Z and Millennial audiences, an often-overlooked yet rapidly-expanding demographic has emerged within the mobile gaming sphere: adults over 50. There are over 52 million people over the age of 50 playing mobile games in the US, according to a 2023 AARP Research study. These numbers suggest that mobile gaming isn't exclusive to Gen Z and Millennials - games are a prime place to reach the 50+ demographic.
To dive deeper, we surveyed 1,533 U.S. adults* aged 50+ to uncover insights into their current mobile gaming habits, advertising preferences, and health considerations.
Here’s what we learned:
1. 42% of respondents play for more than an hour each day and of this group, 7.7% dedicate over 5 hours daily to mobile gaming
Takeaway: For brand marketers and advertisers, regardless of industry, it's important to recognize that audiences over 50 are engaging with mobile games throughout their day. If you’re looking to reach these audiences, make sure your programmatic partners can offer you the flexibility, scale, and reach to connect with them during their mobile gaming sessions. You might even want to double down later in the day, which seems to be a particularly great window for engagement.
2. 46% of respondents play mobile games for fun or to relax
Respondents report playing mobile games for various reasons: 46% for fun, 45% to relax or take a break, 40% to pass the time, 39% to keep their brain sharp, 20% for mastery, and 9% to connect with friends and family. The preferred game genres were card, board, casino, and match-3, perhaps indicating some nostalgia for real-world gaming experiences.
Takeaway: Reach the over 50 audience on their favorite mobile game genres and use custom playable or interactive end cards in your in-app mobile strategy to offer fun and immersive experiences. Try a word search or match-3 interactive playable to encourage an enjoyable interaction with your brand.
3. 72% of respondents indicated some level of interest in improving their physical health
A significant portion of respondents over 50 recognize the importance of maintaining or improving their health as they age. 3 out of 5 respondents (60%) reported that they’re currently taking vitamins or supplements, which suggests a proactive attitude towards health maintenance.
Takeaway: For health and wellness brands, mobile gaming might just uncover an untapped audience. Reach health-conscious audiences playing mobile games with products aimed at maintaining and improving health and well-being.
4. 55% of respondents currently shop for over-the-counter health/wellness products online
Over half of the respondents (56%) expressed openness to shopping for over-the-counter health and wellness products online within the next 12 months.
Factors motivating purchases of over-the-counter health-related products include price (51%), product effectiveness (48%), brand reputation (39%), recommendations from healthcare professionals (32%), positive customer reviews (25%), and personalized promotions or discounts (17%).
We also found out how much this group is spending:
Takeaway: Leverage programmatic solutions that offer a variety of ad experiences to facilitate an easy transition from ad viewing to product purchasing- especially for those products within the <$100 range.
5. More than half of respondents express some level of likelihood to engage with in-game rewards
Advertisements have an influence on what health-related items this group chooses to buy, with 13% saying they’re influenced to a great extent and 41% stating some influence of advertisements. 52% of respondents expressed some likelihood to engage with in-game rewards, with 24% indicating they’re very likely and 28% saying they’re likely to do so.
We took it a step further and asked respondents what types of rewards or incentives would encourage them to engage with health and wellness advertisements.
Takeaway: Tailoring the messaging in your creatives is essential for every audience. Consider incorporating incentives like discounts, free samples, and loyalty points in your health and wellness product ads to effectively engage with adults over 50.
Advertising on mobile games presents a unique opportunity to reach audiences over 50, especially those who are actively seeking ways to improve their health and wellness. By understanding their mobile gaming habits, health considerations, and advertisement preferences, advertisers can tailor their strategies to effectively capture attention, drive engagement, and ultimately, influence purchase decisions within this growing market segment.
*The survey encompassed 45% female participants, 46% male participants, 5% who identified as genderfluid, nonbinary, or genderqueer, and 4% who preferred not to disclose their gender identity.
