Please can you outline the Get Old campaign and describe how it originated?
Get Old was developed by Pfizer in 2012 to challenge misperceptions about aging and foster a candid conversation around aging. Our goal for the program was to redefine what it means to “get old” and encourage people to adopt healthy behaviors to age the way they want.
Get Old consists of a website, GetOld.com, with articles from notable bloggers, expert guest blogs, as well as tools and resources from our partner organizations. We’ve refreshed the program this year to include a host of digital and physical activities to help demonstrate how you can take actions today to fear less, live longer, and Get Old.
The campaign is now entering its third year. How successful has it been so far?
We continue to see increased engagement and positive feedback from the Get Old program. Adults exposed to GetOld.com report they have made positive changes as a result of interacting with the site, including:
- 44% - changed their eating habits for the better
- 42% - made changes in their lives to be healthier
- 35% - started or changed an exercise routine
What is the main focus of the campaign this year?
This year, we re-focused the program to address people’s fears of aging head-on using #FOGO or Fear of Getting Old. Now in its third year, the program is using a mix of wit and wisdom to talk about aging in a new way with the hope of engaging consumers of all ages to talk about getting old and to make choices to help them age well.
We’ve updated the GetOld.com website; it now features new, engaging, shareable content to address #FOGO, including: a #FOGO quiz; humorous videos; educational content on topics such as health and wellness, family and relationships, and love and sex; and new tools and resources from our various partner organizations.
Consumers can also join the Get Old Facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/GetOld or follow the campaign on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GetOld to stay up-to-date on all the latest content featured on GetOld.com.
How is Pfizer working to meet the healthcare needs of the aging population?
The population is aging – more than 10,000 people are expected to turn 65 every day through 2030. In addition, life expectancy is climbing, up to more than 81 years for women and 76 years for men. Helping people Get Old and age well is both our business and societal responsibility at Pfizer. It is at the core of what we do. The program is also supported by a number of non-profit organizations and patient groups.
What impact has technology had on the way health can be managed in people as they get older?
Technology is a powerful tool that can have a tremendous impact on how people receive and share information related to their health, as well as connect with a community on topics of interest.
This year, Pfizer commissioned a study of Twitter and the Aging Conversation. We found that on average, there were about 350,000 tweets a month – totalling 4.2 million tweets in the last year - about aging. So people are certainly talking about aging and their fears of getting old via social media channels.
What advice would you give people who want to age healthily?
It is critical to have regular check-ups with your physician to ensure you age well! Additionally, GetOld.com is a resource for healthy aging information.
What are the main commonly held fears about aging that the Get Old campaign is trying to dispel?
Many people have a Fear of Getting Old (FOGO). In fact, that’s the main reason why we started Get Old, to challenge misperceptions of aging and address consumers’ fears of aging head-on.
Pfizer’s Get Old recently commissioned a new Harris Poll on Americans’ fears on aging. The survey showed that 87% of people have a fear about getting old; nearly a quarter (23%) of people had the most fear around a decline in physical abilities, followed by memory loss (15%) and having a chronic disease (12%) or running out of money (12%).
Similar results were found by the Pfizer Twitter and Aging Conversation survey —the majority (62%) of tweets over the last year related to aging were negative. Get Old seeks to dispel these fears. We want to challenge people to redefine what it means to get old, and look forward to what’s to come.
Why do you think many people are reluctant to discuss aging and how important do you think it is to change this attitude?
People of all ages – not just the older audience – have fears about getting older. The Harris Poll found that a vast majority of consumers (87%) have a fear about getting old.
People are talking about aging, but the conversations are negative. They’re conveying concern about their own health, the health of aging parents, or added responsibilities that come with age.
This is why we at Pfizer felt it was essential to foster a candid conversation around aging, and why we created Get Old.
What are Pfizer’s plans for the future with regards to the Get Old campaign?
Right now, we’re mainly focused on refreshing GetOld.com by adding engaging educational content and other enhancements that use a mix of wit and wisdom to get people talking about aging.
We’ll continue to look at ways to enhance Get Old with the hope of engaging consumers of all ages to talk about getting old and make choices to help them age well.
Where can readers find more information?
The best way to get more information is by visiting the program’s website, GetOld.com or follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/GetOld or like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/GetOld.
About Dr. Jack Watters
Dr Jack Watters is Pfizer’s Vice President for External Medical Affairs, responsible for relations with medical societies, academic institutions and government health bodies around the globe.
Dr Watters has also represented Pfizer on matters of corporate responsibility and human rights, especially relating to raising political will for the plight of people with HIV/AIDS and the older citizen.
Dr Watters serves on the boards of several distinguished non-governmental organizations and arts institutions in the US and UK.
He joined Pfizer in 1994 and was an architect of the landmark Diflucan Partnership Program which is now active in sixty of the world’s least developed countries. Dr Watters trained in medicine at the University of Edinburgh in his native Scotland.
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