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  3. The Golden Years Rule One key to a happy retirement is the means to enjoy it. Roger de Haan ended up with more than enough m

The Golden Years Rule One key to a happy retirement is the means to enjoy it. Roger de Haan ended up with more than enough m

admin2013-07-11  45
问题                     The Golden Years Rule
    One key to a happy retirement is the means to enjoy it. Roger de Haan ended up with more than enough money to finance his golden years when he decided to retire and sell Saga Group, his family’s business, in late 2004. Saga Group, the British travel, media and financial-services company that targets older consumers attracted several major bidders, with Charterhouse ultimately paying $ 2. 4 billion. What attracted Charterhouse and its rivals was Saga’s market strength in Britain’s fastest-growing consumer demographic: the over-50 set.
    While most businesses make great efforts to attract the young, Saga realized early on that there’s often more money to be made from the mature. Marketers have traditionally stayed away from older consumers, preferring to aim their pitches at a younger audience it hopes to develop into lifelong customers. But Tim Bull, Saga’s group marketing director, says mature consumers are just as eager to buy as youngsters, though they are more sensible and more discerning. They are also richer—much richer.
    The rise of the silver spender is not co-nfined to the U. K. , of course. The trend is the same across Europe and beyond. Within five years, about one-third of the U.S. population will be older than 50, and consumers in that age bracket currently own 65% of the net worth of all households. As a commercial company entirely focused on aging consumers, Saga remains unique. The U.S.’s AARP, for example, also sells products and has a magazine, but it’s a nonprofit group more interested in public policy and political lobbying. So as businesses look for opportunities to court older buyers, they are increasingly turning to Saga for advice. It’s got partner ships with a growing number of companies eager to attract the " gray pound", including Hilton hotels, Hertz and David Lloyd Leisure, a chain of health clubs. "They have the products older people want, but are not sure how to reach them. It’s a good business model for us," Bull says.
    Barriers remain, however. The taste of old-fashion, though fading, clings to the company like the scent of grandma’s flowers. Trendy advertisers, for example, still stay away from Saga Magazine, despite its impressive circulation. Although the monthly runs features on still-cool celebs, it’s filled with ads for retirement properties and health-improving facilities. In order to combat that perception, Saga is planning a brand improvement campaign designed by ad agency Doner Cardwell Hawkins. " It will stress our core strengths to a new generation," says Bull.
    Given the success of Charterhouse’s buyout, there’s speculation that Saga may soon go public. The company declines to discuss whether an initial public offering is in the works, but, investors would likely welcome a debt-raising because of Saga’s strong brand and impressive track record. And given that nearly half the U. K.’s adult population will be 50 or older by 2020, it’s not about to run out of potential customers anytime soon.
It can be inferred that the products of Saga Group can possibly be described as______.
选项 A、high quality and value-for-money
B、elegant and endurable
C、fashionable and at reasonable prices
D、comfortable and inexpensive
答案A
解析 本题考查推理引申。本题实际是变相考察萨迦集团对老年消费者的定位，信息来自于第二段最后两句中萨迦集团市场总监的话语。他提到：一方面，老年人富有(richer)、有购买的欲望(eager to buy)；另一方面他们对于消费更理智(sensible)、更具有识别能力(discerning：able to show good judgment about the quality of sb．or sth．)。所以可以推知，面向老年消费者的萨迦集团的产品应该是质量好，且物有所值。[A]为最恰当选项。从文中无法推知老年人注重产品的耐用性(endurable)、流行性(fashionable)、低廉价格(inexpensive)，所以排除[B]、[C]、[D]。
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