Re-imagining an experience, creating a new, online subscription product
Where We Started: Asking the Right Questions
AARP’s Membership Value Creation Team challenged Azul Seven to help determine how AARP could become the go-to organization for brain health among adults of all ages. Brain health is an emerging topic around which AARP saw an opportunity to provide resources and expertise while expanding the organization’s reputation overall in adult health.
Azul Seven worked with AARP to conduct research that revealed a need in the market for accurate, specific information on pursuing and maintaining brain health. Research findings indicated people are concerned about brain health and want help understanding how to decrease the likelihood of debilitating brain conditions like Alzheimer’s, dementia and general cognitive decline. We also found that people want more than brain games. They want resources to help them address brain health through lifestyle choices. The team created and tested prototypes to determine a holistic service offering that would be both desirable and feasible.
As the structure of a new brain health platform evolved over a period of months, so did the thinking around how the service would function within the overall ecosystem of AARP’s services. The design process helped lead to a new model for AARP outreach and growth among existing and prospective members.
Customer Voice
“We’re pleased that Staying Sharp is gaining traction in the marketplace. It’s being used not only by AARP members, but also by new audiences, which was an important outreach goal for this project.”
Craig Fontenot
Vice President, Product Strategy & Development
Launching a New Product
Ultimately, Azul Seven helped AARP develop an online subscription product designed for the general marketplace to attract new prospects to AARP. Staying Sharp is a platform that incorporates the latest scientific understandings of brain health, a holistic approach that includes the importance of social interaction and diet, among other health goals. The platform includes social networking, recipes and activities, as well as brain games and a brain health assessment tool that benchmarks a user’s memory and reaction time against other people in the same age group. The product launched in 2016.
