AARP Launches All-Ages ‘Staying Sharp’ Subscription for Brain Health

Last week AARP announced the launch of ‘Staying Sharp,’ a subscription for people of all ages to help them assess their brain function and

Subscription News: AARP Launches All-Ages 'Staying Sharp' Subscription for Brain Health

Source: AARP

The AARP commercials say if you haven’t seen AARP lately, you don’t know AARP. That’s even more true with the launch of their latest initiative – Staying Sharp – a new subscription product for people of all ages to help them stay physically and mentally active through the use of free and premium articles, activities, recipes and games.

For $5.99 a month or $35.99 a year, subscribers get access to science-based, personalized tools and recommendations to help them “stay sharp” in five key areas:

  1. Move: keeping fit
  2. Nourish: eating right
  3. Relax: managing stress
  4. Discover: learning games
  5. Connect: being social

“While brain health has always been a top concern among our current members, we have found that this is a topic that is a key health priority for Generation X and Millennials,” said Craig Fontenot, vice president of membership value creation for AARP in a press release. “In fact, 47 percent of Generation X are caring for a parent (65 or over), making them more conscious of the impact their choices today can make on their bodies and minds tomorrow.”

AARP recommends that potential subscribers start with a Brain Health Assessment test they can take online. AARP says it is available to all users who can register for free using AARP membership or social media login information. However, they must subscribe to receive the results.

Our experience on the mobile website did not match up. We created a free account using a Facebook login. We put in some initial data (name, date of birth and zip code) and were then sent to a subscription screen asking for credit card information. We immediately received four emails from AARP asking us to confirm our email address, inviting us to take the assessment and explore Staying Sharp.

Once registered or subscribed, a user will get access to the assessment which contains three components:

  • The lifestyle score identifies activities that research shows may be helping or hurting a user’s health.
  • The neuroperformance score objectively measures six key indicators of cognitive performance compared to others the same age.
  • A comprehensive system analysis which compares a subscriber’s score to the scores of thousands of peers. Based on those results, Staying Sharp develops personalized recommendations to guide the subscriber on a path to improve and maintain brain health.

“Staying Sharp gives consumers a platform to take control of their brain health with the ability to exercise their brain trough fun and engaging features,” Fontenot added.

The original version (website and mobile version) of Staying Sharp was included as part of AARP’s membership package, but that is no longer the case. Staying Sharp subscriptions are separate. Once subscribed, users can access personalized recommendations, editorial content, premium games, activities and recipes, and they can save and share their favorites.

Subscription News: AARP Launches All-Ages 'Staying Sharp' Subscription for Brain Health

Source: AARP

Insider Take:

We love this concept for several reasons. First, AARP recognizes that, to remain relevant and sustainable, it must attract new audiences with new tools. It must constantly evolve to meet members where they are in their lives, whether it is fresh out of college, in the throes of parenthood, planning for retirement, caring for aging parents, or enjoying retirement.

Second, we appreciate the fact that AARP looked to Millennials for cues on how to better engage members. AARP is playing to their desire to connect with others, engage online and track their health and fitness using technology. Genius.

However, we think there is a bit more work to be done. AARP could improve the user experience at the time of registration. It could streamline that process, so it is easier to register for free to explore Staying Sharp and to explain how the free tools work. For example, are the tools free for a certain period of time? Why can I take the assessment test but not get my results unless I pay? Why do I need to weed through four emails when I already get so many emails?

Perhaps more importantly, we can’t find a mobile app for Staying Sharp. AARP did not mention it in the announcement, and we weren’t able to find one in the Google Play, though we found 13 other AARP apps. If AARP wants to appeal to younger subscribers, it will need to offer an app for both iOS and Android.

 

[Editor’s note: Dana Neuts occasionally writes for AARP Bulletin in Washington State.]

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