Shawn Lim
May 20, 2022

What does a social media platform for seniors look like?

A new social media network aimed at seniors called Club is a 'no-judgement platform' that allows its target audience to connect and create a sense of purpose.

The interface of Club
The interface of Club

Evergreen Club, an online community platform for people above the age of 50 in India, has launched a social media network called Club aimed at seniors to connect with each other. 

A report found that more than 90% of elderly users in India use existing social media platforms to connect with family and friends. 

Tapan Mishra, the founder of Evergreen Club, said Club is designed specifically to create a safe space for seniors. It is also intended to be a space for peer learning, exchange of ideas, and sharing of life highlights for its target audience. 

“With increasing urbanisation and lifestyle changes, I believe we need to create online safe spaces to address the specific needs of a particular group," Mishra told Campaign Asia-Pacific. "This community of seniors has been ever-underserved. In India alone, the number of seniors reaches up to 250 million, of which a considerable number of individuals [around 30%] are tech-enabled if we take the WhatsApp user base as a proxy."

Mishra added that since working with this community since the past half-decade, he has heard seniors complain about businesses either not taking cognizance of the needs of them, or building products without understanding their needs. 

"With Evergreen Club, we have been able to understand the needs of our audience through our official close groups and also through our hosts who conduct various sessions," he said. “Through this, Evergreen Club has observed the users were keen to share learnings from sessions, their artwork, their performances and also engage in exchanging appreciating and motivating others through their next phase of the journey of life,” he adds.


Mishra said that Club is different to existing services because it is a “no-judgment platform” where seniors can feel like they belong, and can generate and consume content that relates to them. 

“If they are on other social networking platforms, there will be content that may not speak to them at all considering the content is largely created by a generation or two younger. That is what we offer as Evergreen Club—a platform where the elderlies can find a sense of purpose through our sessions and our Club," he said.

Unlike larger social media platforms, Evergreen Club has no current plans to monetise the platform and carry advertisements as Mishra said the focus at the moment is to build a community.

“Monetisation will be initiated at a right time. However, when we do monetise, while advertisements are one way to do so, our primary goal will be to keep user experience superior and not let ads affect the experience,” he explained.

The app is currently open to all seniors with ease of accessibility through a website presence as well as an app on iOS and Android. While the offering in its current form and structure is built to scale globally, the brand will first cater to the needs of the Indian market in the current year. 

Mishra said: "We are trying to be as inclusive as possible to this audience. Our primary user base is spread across India but we also have a few users from across the borders."

Source:
Campaign Asia

Related Articles

Just Published

12 hours ago

40 Under 40 2024: Hajar Yusof, Naga DDB Tribal

Hajar’s initiatives reflect her commitment to innovation, diversity, and leaving a lasting legacy in the industry.

12 hours ago

Moo Deng says hands off unless you’ve washed up

Lifebuoy’s new campaign introduces a fresh face in hand hygiene, pairing AI with playful reminders to help keep those paws—er, hands—clean.

13 hours ago

The CMO's MO: Hyatt's APAC marketer on the power of ...

"Focus means saying no to 100 good ideas and saying yes to the great ones." Hyatt’s Tammy Ng shares how lessons from Steve Jobs and James Dyson are guiding her approach to personalising guest experiences.

13 hours ago

Trump’s victory isn’t just America’s crisis—it’s a ...

Make no mistake—2024’s US election was a calculated exercise in marketing from beginning to end, revealing a striking alignment with the very principles that drive our industry.