AARP proves print and digital can coexist
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Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
AARP, the leading advocacy group for adults age 50 and up, is increasingly leaning into social media and digital channels to reach seniors — but it's not ditching its print magazine.
Why it matters: Senior citizens are increasingly online, forcing AARP, a media behemoth in its own right, to rethink how it reaches its members.
- AARP is "constantly evolving how we connect with the millions of members we serve, building on the trust we have earned through platforms like AARP The Magazine while expanding how people engage across digital channels with a sophisticated, data-driven approach," CEO Myechia Minter-Jordan told Axios.
Where it stands: AARP runs the largest magazine in circulation. But it also has more than 385,000 subscribers on YouTube and 705,000 on TikTok.
- The organization helped fund a social networking site specifically for seniors that launched in 2022.
Zoom in: More than 90% of adults aged 50 and older have a smartphone, per AARP's own data. Nearly three-quarters report using social media.
- As with other segments of the population, that's largely where they consume news and other information.
What they're saying: "Our constituency is much like the rest of the world — on the forefront of all this technology," said John Hishta, senior vice president of campaigns at AARP. Older adults "engage with us and probably with their peers and families much like the younger generation does."
- The magazine "continues to reinforce our credibility as the preeminent organization that represents the 50-plus," Hishta said. "Members and the general public get value out of that."
Reality check: Like the rest of the media and advocacy worlds, AARP isn't making long-term promises. The organization reduced the frequency of its print magazine issues last year.
- Will there ever be a tipping point at which AARP decides to go fully digital in its communications?
- "I don't know the answer to that," Hishta said. "Ultimately, that will be determined, much like all of this other communication is determined, by the consumer."
💭 Thought bubble from Axios Communicators author Eleanor Hawkins: AARP's shift underscores a broader reality for communicators, which is that knowing where your audience goes for news and information is half the battle.
- From TikTok to print magazines, AARP is evolving its communication strategies to meet audiences where they are — and it's bound to pay off as digital users continue to age into its membership bracket.
