Strategic Consulting Overview

Age Wave engages in select strategic consulting projects that empower clients to effectively capitalize on the rapidly growing over-50 market. Drawing upon decades of research and experience, our team specializes in:

• Strategic planning based on solid facts, innovative ideas, and imaginative cross-functional expertise to help organizations develop impactful approaches to their brand positions, corporate messaging, marketing, sales, advertising and public relations strategies, and activities
• Cutting-edge brainstorming processes to generate new, innovative ideas and strategies for the healthcare, pharmacy, consumer packaged goods, general merchandise, entertainment, retail, travel and leisure, food and beverage, financial services, housing, and automotive industries that leverage the goals, needs, wants, and challenges of an aging population
• Business development guidance to help identify new products, line extensions, venture development, or acquisitions poised to maximize the opportunities being created by predictable demographic shifts

Examples of Age Wave strategic consulting initiatives include:

• The Demography Is De$tiny Research Project. As a result of unique demographic shifts, younger generations are declining in size and loyalty, middle-aged workers are struggling with career frustrations, and growing numbers of mature men and women are seeking new skills and employment challenges. To help employers anticipate and capitalize on these important trends, Age Wave and the Concours Group executed a landmark research project titled “Demography Is De$tiny” in collaboration with over thirty of the world’s leading corporations and not-for-profit organizations, The project examined such topics as how to anticipate the defining trends in workforce demographics; how to prevent a massive “brain drain” as the boomers approach retirement; how to develop greater loyalty among younger workers; and how human resource practices—from recruitment, to management, to compensation, to benefits—will need to be transformed to meet the emerging demands of this increasingly diverse employee mix.A blueprint of actions necessary to make organizations responsive to a transforming workforce was published for participating companies. Key findings were featured in Retire Retirement, Rekindle Careers and Retain Talent: Making the Most of Demographic Changes in the Workforce written by Ken Dychtwald, Bob Morison, and Tamara Erickson. The findings were also featured in the Harvard Business Review in an article entitled “It’s Time to Retire Retirement,” which was awarded the prestigious Mckinsey Award.
• “Optimal Daily Intake” Vitamin and Supplement Study: Leiner Health Products. Age Wave was engaged by Leiner Health Products to launch a pioneering study to determine optimal nutrition levels tailored to populations with defined chronic conditions. In this landmark study, Age Wave surveyed more than 100 of the world’s most prominent nutrition scientists and clinicians to establish the Optimal Daily Intake (ODI): a groundbreaking nutrition model which establishes the “optimal” daily amounts of fourteen nutrients for both healthy adults and populations with a variety of prevalent medical conditions including: cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis. Key findings include:
  • Nutrition professionals recommend that Americans consume nutrients at higher-than-RDI (recommended daily intake) levels for 12 of the 13 nutrients depending on age, gender or disease state. Recommended Optimal Daily Intake (ODI) increases from 10% to as much as 1,500%.
  • Experts recommend higher optimal intake levels of these nutrients for mature adults (50+ years of age) and higher levels still to prevent or treat chronic conditions.
  • Nutrition experts recommend higher intake levels for older Americans, compared with younger consumers, on 11 of the 13 nutrients for men and 10 of the 13 nutrients for women. They particularly believe that older Americans should consume higher levels of Vitamin B12—at seven times RDI, compared with three times for healthy young adults.
  • Nutrition professionals believe that to achieve optimal health, even healthy Americans should be consuming 10 of the 14 surveyed nutrients for men and 9 of 13 for woman at higher levels than those in RDI guidelines.
  • These ODI recommendations can be used to create a personalized nutrient regimen to meet individual needs, based on age, gender, and medical condition.
• Envisioning Tomorrow’s Aging-Ready Healthcare System: Meridian Health. Age Wave was engaged by Meridian Health, one of the nation’s leading and most comprehensive providers of senior healthcare, to help develop the nation’s best senior healthcare offerings. In this initiative the Age Wave team assessed Meridian Health’s current capabilities, resources, and effectiveness along the senior healthcare continuum and recommended strategic initiatives to address key opportunities for its 70 locations serving a geography with some of the oldest populations in the United States. Age Wave conducted a 6-month national best practices study resulting in a comprehensive examination of the “utopian” composite aging-ready healthcare system. Age Wave assessed the key products and services opportunities along the complete continuum of senior healthcare, including facility design appropriateness, geriatric assessment, chronic disease management, antiaging treatments, clinical Rx trials, eldercare coordination, specialty clinical capabilities, nutrition solutions, and alternative and complementary care. Drawing upon these findings, Ken Dychtwald hosted a strategic brainstorming session including key national experts on senior healthcare from around the country to discuss the best practices findings and guide Meridian Health’s senior healthcare strategy.