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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  42
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.
According to the text, Saga Magazine______.
选项 A、is affected by the company’s negative brand image
B、is planning to present itself as mature and elegant
C、aims to attract readers of other age groups
D、will compete for advertisers with popular magazines
答案C
解析 本题考查事实细节。第四段二到四句说明：缺乏时尚性(the taste of old fashion，thescent of grandma’s flowers)导致了萨迦公司消费群单一。且公司虽然已经努力改变这一形象(做当红明星的专栏)，但仍没有多大作用。该段最后两句指出：公司决定通过“品牌新形象”的活动来强调其服务其他年龄段(a new generation)的能力。[C]和文章内容一致。[A]错在negative使用不当：从第五段倒数第二句可知，萨迦集团的优势之一在于其过硬的品牌形象(Saga’s strong brand)。该段提到萨迦杂志要改变的是外界对于其只能服务老年消费者的看法，所以它更可能的做法是加入时尚元素。mature，elegant更适用于其目前形象的描述。因此[B]不正确。[D]的干扰产生于第四段提到的trendy advertisers。但文中只提到萨迦杂志目前无法吸引时髦的广告商，并没有提及它将和时尚杂志竞争。
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